Florence

Understand

Many of the ideas in Frank Herbert's Dune series came to him during a 1957 trip to Florence to write a magazine article for Simon & Schuster about a US Department of Agriculture project there to plant a species of European beach grass near the Siuslaw River. The project, it was hoped, would moderate the widespread intrusion of the dunes upon the local ecology, where the wind and sand interfered with railroads and highways, hindering the growth of local forests and it was feared, the spread would threaten the local water supply. Interestingly, Herbert never finished the article.

Florence is also known as the site of the exploding whale, an incident when the Oregon State Highway Division tried to remove a beached whale by dynamite - with unintended results.

Get in

By plane

By bus

Porter Stage Lines run a twice-daily service from Ontario (Oregon) to Coos Bay, which calls at Florence. It connects in Eugene with Greyhound bus and Amtrak train services. Through ticketing is available.

By car

The scenic Oregon coast route, US Highway 101, passes through Florence. The Eugene-Florence Highway, Oregon route 126, follows the Suislaw River valley to dead-end on 101 at Florence.

Go next

Drive, cycle or hike down the scenic Oregon coast. Hike on the beaches, cycle on the Oregon Coastal Cycle Route, and drive on US 101. Hikers and cyclists are advised to proceed southwards in summer, when strong, cold north winds prevail.

Visit the many sand dunes along the coast south of town (and in town)

Walk out to the end of the North Jetty at the mouth of the Siuslaw river.

Devil's Elbow: Sandy beach, picturesque historic lighthouse and bridge. A short drive north of Florence.

Yachats