Thanksgiving is just around the corner and it is not too late to make a last minute getaway! While staying with us this holiday season, you will discover why we think Oregon’s Adventure Coast is the jewel of the Pacific Northwest. We love Thanksgiving and getting into the holiday spirit- and here are some ways to take in delicious fare and experience the lovely sights and sounds you will find here:
1. Do Some Holiday Shopping You will love shopping for gifts, for others and yourself, to remind you of your adventure. Our local shops retail everything from cranberry candy to local wines; to beers to seafood. Myrtlewood products are an example of handcrafted hard-goods. Both Native American and more recent settlers offer crafts from paintings and carvings to quilts, furniture and clothing. And local writers and photographers offer professional stories and images that make this area special.
2. Take in a Movie at the Egyptian Come by this local gem on Friday November 26 at 5:00 PM to get in the holiday spirit as the Bay Area Lab Band plays and Santa comes to the Egyptian! A free screening of The Polar Express (2004) will follow at 7pm.
3. Go for a Pre-Thanksgiving meal run! The South Coast Running Club will host The Turkey Trot Fun Run and Walk on Thanksgiving Day in Empire Lakes, Coos Bay. Entry fee is 2 or more canned food items. Race starts at 9am. For more information, visit their site or call Barbara and Tim Young 541-267-7960.
4. Go Crabbing No trip to the Adventure Coast is complete without Dungeness crab, and the best crab are always the ones you bring up yourself from the waters of lower Coos Bay. Rent or buy a crab ring and try your luck; the payoff will be a fresh crab feast you’ll always remember. And you’ll keep coming back for more. Rental crab rings are available at many RV parks and other lodging facilities, and tackle and marine supply stores often rent and sell rings. Check out local businesses such as Fishermen’s Wharf, Crab Shack and Davey Jones Locker to get you started (see link for contact details).
5. Check out the Holiday Lights at Shore Acres State Park This beloved annual tradition kicks off November 25 and goes through December 31. Shore Acres is known for its beautiful 7 acre botanical gardens and Japanese lily pond. The gardens shire with over a quarter million lights. 4pm – 10pm every night. Call Shore Acres for more information 541-888-3732
6. Take a stroll on the beach Sure the weather has cooled down, but the Oregon beaches offer stunning views and breathtaking wildlife year round. Late November is a wonderful time to take in some Beach combing, whale watching, surfing and clamming are other popular pastimes With our bay and Coastal landscapes, you could spend your whole vacation doing something different every day and still have plenty to do next time you visit.
7. Watch the Annual Tree Lighting & Santa’s Arrival. Come to the Coos Bay Downtown Boardwalk, 5pm-5:30pm on Friday November 26 for lovely evening of Music and caroling on the Boardwalk. Santa will arrive by boat and will light the downtown tree with Mayor Jeff McKeown before heading to the Egyptian Theatre. For more information call Coos Bay Downtown Association/Cindi Miller at 541-267-3341
8. Let Someone Else Do the Cooking! The Thanksgiving Buffet at SawBlade Buffet in The Mill Casino Hotel and RV Park is something to savor! Visitors and local residents love the delicious roast turkey and all the trimmings, side dishes and dessert…After your meal, be sure to stroll around and enjoy the Festival of Lights: a spectacular display of holiday and logging themes, with lots of sparkle and incredible dynamic animations! Call 541-756-8800 for more information.
9. Taste the World’s Best Clam Chowder during Chowder Bounty. Stay with one of our participating hotels for 2 nights and we’ll give you $50 in FREE dining gift certificates to sample some of our best. We have an amazing list of participating restaurants to choose from.
10. Take in some live music from one of our favorite local bands. On Friday, 11/26 Hudson Ridge will bring their Bluegrass & Americana sounds to Sozo’s Tea & Coffee House, 1955 Union Ave, 7pm-8:30pm. Enjoy and evening of Bluegrass & Americana music, family fun and great food. Harmony is their passion and the love for what they do shines through at each performance. Hudson Ridge plays last Friday of each month and the house fills up fast so come early. For more information, call Sozo’s, 541-756-5422.