Here are some photos of the Shack before we bought it.  Can you believe my wife let me buy this based on only seeing these pictures?!  She has vision and rocks.

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Remodel Process

The place is now empty.  We replaced all the plumbing and new electrical plus new drywall to replace the paneling with insulation.  We found an amazing contractor, Ryan Steen, who did an amazing job.  He sanded and sealed the incense cedar walls which had been stained by leaks in the old roof.

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Ready To Go

Here are some pictures once the initial remodel was done.  Some great friends, the Kumars, drove up with us for the “move-in weekend” over Thanksgiving.  We drove up a Budget rental truck with everything from carpet to kitchen.  By the end of the weekend it looked like this.  Then a year later we added the back porch with washer and dryer.

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On a good day, you can find a few abandoned driftwood forts.  Our kids quickly become full scale contractors and either remodel or build from scratch. They haven’t actually spent the night in one yet, but there is definitely talk about it.

This is a sport where dad usually becomes the hired labor to haul around what feel like heavy trees.

Can you find something hiding in the fort?

]]> http://bandonbeachshack.com/?feed=rss2&p=81 0 http://bandonbeachshack.com/?p=79 http://bandonbeachshack.com/?p=79#comments Sat, 11 Jul 2009 07:50:42 +0000 admin http://bandonbeachshack.com/?p=79 An Unforgettable Round of Golf

For many golfers, a trip to Bandon Dunes is like a holy pilgrimage to play one of the top rated courses in the world.  The Orange County Register considered Bandon Dunes the best US golf course.

Visit the Bandon Dunes Official Website. Below is an excerpt from their site to give you an idea of this unique course.

The course is completely natural and routed through an environment of indigenous vegetation. Beyond breathtaking scenery lies the game of golf in its truest form. This is a thinker’s course. Winds are ever-present, and the varying elements create a new experience each time you play.

The game of golf was born on rugged, wind-swept land like this. Where every hole, every hazard, and every shot is defined by nature’s infinite presence. True links courses are rare, with only about 160 on the entire planet.

At Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, you’ll find four distinctly different courses built on a beautiful stretch of sand dunes perched 100 feet above the Pacific Ocean. Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes feature a dozen holes that run along the bluff overlooking 23 miles of sweeping, undisturbed shoreline. Bandon Trails begins on a massive dune, works its way through open meadows and upland forest, and then finishes in the dunes. Old Macdonald moves through dune to ocean revealing breathtaking views throughout. The courses here weren’t built as much as discovered. Among the coastal forest, dunes and gorse, lie golf holes that yield fresh rewards each time they’re played.

Bandon Dunes course

Pacific Dunes course

Bandon Trails course

Old MacDonald course

The Bandon Lighthouse is just on the other side of the Coquille River from the Beach Shack. So you have a great view of the lighthouse, but you’ll need to drive south through town to the State Park to visit. It’s one of the few working lighthouses which offers free tours to the public.

While you are there check out Bullards State Beach which stretches out to the north of the lighthouse.  If you are daring, walk out on the jetty; but not recommended during big surf.

There are lots of other lighthouses up and down the coast. If you know of any good ones to visit, please post a comment below.

Shore Acres

This is an amazing State Park just north of Bandon and south of Coos Bay.  Here is a link to the website. The property has the most amazing gardens and cliff vistas of the ocean.  If you are there around Christmas time, it’s turns into a “must visit” location as they decorate the gardens with an incredible light display.

Surfing

I haven’t been brave enough to handle the 55F water.  However there was one spot called Sunset Beach which is located in State Park area just beyond Shore Acres.  It looks like a pretty good location to catch a swell in a somewhat protected area with a sandy beach finish.  It would be a fun day trip with the family and a chance to catch a swell if you are motivated.

Charter Fishing

Located on the dock in Old Town Bandon is Prowler Charters.  They include all types of fishing charters from halibut, tuna, bottom fishing and river trips.  Check out their site at Prowler Fishing Charters.

Wine Tasting

On your drive to Bandon from the I-5 you will pass a couple vineyards which offer wine tasting.  We’re usually in a hurry to be done driving and be at the Beach Shack, so we haven’t taken the time to stop.  However in Old Town Bandon, Nancy, runs a great little wine tasting event in her shop across from Bandon Coffee Cafe.  She is a kick to talk to and seems to know about everyone in Bandon.

Movie Rentals

While not technically an excursion, snuggling up to a great movie or two is a great option, especially on a rainy day.  Bandon Video just south on the 101 has a good selection and it’s quick to setup an account with a license and credit card.  Recently we also discovered that the new library on 11th Street has a great video selection as well.  The lady working there boasted that this library is one of the best when it comes to movies.  The best part is that they are free; just signup for a library card.

Port Orford

We haven’t been here yet, so if you go, be sure to tell us about it.  We’ve heard great things about this smaller beach town located about 30 minutes south of Bandon.  It also has a single theater movie venue if you wanted a date night.

Charleston

Just north of Bandon off Seven Devils Road is Charleston.  A while back the fishing fleet moved from Bandon to Charleston so this place is more busy with boats and commercial fishing related activity.  It’s worth a mention because if the crabbing is not too good in Bandon due to recent rains, it can still be good in Charleston.  This is because the harbor in Charleston does not have a river to wash out the crabs after a storm.

Two Loons Cafe is a family favorite, especially for breakfast.

We have a book at the Beach Shack with a collection of menus and recommendations.  We will also put some of them on this page shortly.

Link to the Game Park Safari website where you can find their hours and admission pricing.  The location is about 5 miles south of town on your right; you can’t miss it.

When is the last time your family got to feed a white Siberian tiger?  Glad it’s still only bottle feeding!

How about petting a black leopard?

Your visit would not be complete without holding the cross-eyed possum.

One of the things about Bandon which makes it both wonderful and painful is how long it takes to get there.  Driving from the I-5 you’ll want to take the 42 and head toward the coast.  Then at the town of Coquille, look for the Bandon turnoff on the 42s.

If you are flying, take a plane into North Bend (OTH) which is outside of Coos Bay only about 20 minutes north of Bandon.  United Airlines is currently operating flights from Portland, Seattle and San Francisco direct into North Bend Airport.

Below is a Google Map showing the location of our Beach Shack.
View Larger Map

Crabbing for Dungeness crab off the dock in Old Town has been a wonderful experience since our first visit.  We originally discovered Bandon while camping at Bullards Beach State Park back in 2004.  We rented a crab ring from Tony’s Crab Shack and gave it a try.  I was too cheap to buy a fishing license on that day, so the kids who were all under 12, officially did the crabbing.

Using the crab ring provided some pretty non-stop action because every 10 minutes we would pull up the ring and look for a big male crab.  Almost always we had the fun of catching a handful of crabs every time we pulled up the ring.  The trick was finding a male large enough to keep.  We eventually left the ring in the water and walked to fish and chips.  Then when we returned a couple nice folks has filled our crab bucket with huge male crabs so we’d have enough for a feast.  What a great surprise and generous gift.

This made our day and also our dinner.  Dee and I got the kids to bed and then it was around 10PM when wefinally sat down to chow down on fresh crab.  We really had no idea how to prepare them, but a nice guy at Tony’s Crab Shack cleaned them for us and we were on our way.  Keep in mind, if you ask 10 people on the dock how to cook a crab, you’ll get 10 different answers.  Keep reading and you’ll see our favorite way.

How to Catch a Crab

1. Consult the tide chart.  It’s ideal to go just before high tide so that the tide is bringing crabs in from the salt water up into the river harbor.  Then the crabbing an hour or two after high tide can be good as well as the crabs head back to sea.  Since the dock crabbing is on the mouth of the Coquille River, it’s not good to crab with a few days after a big rain as the crabs will be washed out.
2. Feel free to use the 3 crab rings and other equipment we have at the house.  You are also welcome to add to the equipment if you find something that is helpful.  In addition to the crab rings, you’ll want to take the bucket, crab ruler and gloves (optional).
3. Stop by Tony’s Crab Shack just in front of the dock in Old Town and pick up some bait and a fishing license.  We prefer to use both fish and turkey or chicken.  Keep in mind that the seals like to steel the fish bait; but that just adds to the sport of it.  While at Tony’s make sure they use the drill to put a hold in the frozen bait.  There should be a hook on each crab ring for connecting the bait.  If it gets lots please replace or use a zip tie to attach the bait.
4. On the dock, just tie off the crab rings, attach the bait and give it a toss.  Then about every 10 minutes pull up the rings and check for  crabs.  Use the crab ruler to make sure the top of the shell just behind the points is large enough to keep.  Also ask someone to show you how to check for a male vs. a female.  Basically the female has a wider triangle on the back underside of the shell, while the male is a narrow triangle.
5. There is a crab cleaning station at the top of the dock.  My favorite way is to hold the crab by the legs and bang the shell.  Then remove the shell and inside keeping the bottom shell and legs all attached.  If someone else is up there cleaning, just watch and learn.  The reason I like this method is because we do not prefer to cook them live.  We’d rather have them all clean so when we cook them there’s unwanted parts in the water.  I also like this method keeps them looking like a full crab, just minus the top shell and inside parts.
6. Our favorite way to cook the crabs is to boil them for about 8-12 minutes in salty water.  We just heavily salt some tap water and use the huge pot.  We’ve tried it a bunch of ways and with various spices as well.  Feel free to ask around and come up with your own favorite way.  Then post it below as a comment.

Bandon Dungenes Crabs are Good Eats!  For about $5 of bait and a little luck, you can have a feast of the most delicious fresh Dungeness crab you’ve ever eaten!

You’ll want to consult the tide chart to find out the low tides.  The tides fluctuate twice during a day but only the lowest is considers the “low tide.”  The low tide is definitely the best time to explore the beach.  Below you can see all the starfish and tide pool activity during a low tide.

Collecting Rocks

It becomes an addiction.  It’s difficult to walk along the beach and not want to pick up and admire some of the amazing rocks, shells, agates and petrified wood.  The best time to go is of course at low tide, but you’ll have no problem finding beautiful rocks and driftwood anytime.

Caves at 11th Street

When the tide lets out, you can explore a small network of sea caves which are typically covered with water.  This is a great adventure for the kids young and old.  It is about a 20 minute walk south on the beach from the house, or you can drive to the parking lot at 11th Street and walk down the stairs.  We like to hike down with snacks or lunch and spend some time exploring at low tide.

Big Surf, Be Careful

The beach at Bandon can become an angry monster during a storm.  Be careful about sneaker waves which are large waves which can seem to come out of nowhere.  Also be aware that storms bring in a lot of drift wood and you don’t want to tangle up with a tree trunk in the surf.

You’ll also want to check out the driftwood forts.