Maintenance & Restoration

Linda R002 · 09-27-2006, 05:36 PM

We are hoping to take off for a few days and go to the Oregon coast to camp and crab next week. We plan to go during the week to avoid crowds but don't know of good camping spots or even what is good crabbing spots this year. Any suggestions would be great. We just got our license and have our pots so we are ready to go. We would prefer somewhere from Florence south.

Gina D. · 09-27-2006, 06:02 PM

Honeyman State Park is very nice. It's just a hair south of Florence.

Stay out of the far loop on the end. This is where the ATVs usually congregate. The front loop is pretty quiet.

Jeanne and Steve · 09-27-2006, 06:21 PM

Hi Linda and Dale,

Are you planning on crabbing from docks? If so, the Charleston docks (located just northwest of the South Slough bridge) are a perfect spot for it. The best time is from 2 hours before high tide to 2 hours after. If you'll be crabbing off a boat, there's also a public boat launch there (which charges a fee).

A few ideas for nearby camping: Sunset Bay State Park, Bastendorf County Park, and Oceanside RV Park. The State and County campgrounds are both wooded with nice sites, and each have short walks to beaches (the walk from Bastendorf campground is on a section of road though). The private campground (Oceanside) is more open, and sites there are much less private. It's located just off Bastendorf Beach - a one minute walk to it!

Beginning at Sunset Bay, and continuing to the south, there is a lovely hiking trail that skirts the rugged coastline. A wonderful place to explore, and the overlook just before Cape Arago State Park is usually a great place for watching seals and sea lions.

Have a great trip, and I hope you report back on your adventures, whereever you end up!

Jeanne

Charlene Urso · 09-27-2006, 07:15 PM

We have camped at the Oregon coast the past two weekends. We love going there and right now the crabbing is great. Charleston and Florence are good places for crabbing. Two weeks ago people were raving about the crabbing in Charleston.

Our favorite beach campsites are a bit north and if you ever head that way, we like the Sea Perch just south of Yachats and Beachside state park south of Waldport. Both have easy access to the beach. In fact, at the Sea Perch you are directly on the beach. Unfortunately this property has been sold and will only be available for RV camping through the end of October.

Beachside has camp sites that are a bit more separated than many of the state parks. There is a great path to the beach and easy access.

Good luck. Hope you have fun.

Charlene

Linda R002 · 09-27-2006, 07:25 PM

We are planning on crabbing from the docks. We thought that if it was posible to just park the trailer it would be wonderful to go back to the trailer to warm up and play cards or something out of the wind while the crabs run into our pots. We have crabbed at Florence years and years ago but have only heard about Charleston and Winchester docks.

Jeanne and Steve · 09-27-2006, 08:19 PM

Quote:

We are planning on crabbing from the docks. We thought that if it was posible to just park the trailer it would be wonderful to go back to the trailer to warm up and play cards or something out of the wind while the crabs run into our pots. We have crabbed at Florence years and years ago but have only heard about Charleston and Winchester docks.

There's a large parking lot with pull-through sites next to the Charleston boat launch where you can park with your trailer during the day, but you wouldn't be able to camp there. It's a very short walk from there to the docks.

There is a bare bones RV park right in Charleston. It's walking distance to the docks, and is called the Charleston Marina RV Park.

Jeanne

Linda R002 · 09-27-2006, 09:09 PM

Dale voted for the Charleston Marine so we can walk back to the trailer when we want and be close by. I will give them a call tomorrow. The tides look great for two high tides during normal awake hours of the day for Monday through Wednesday.

Linda R002 · 09-27-2006, 09:11 PM

Plus we want to put in our request for no rain and hopefully sunshine.

Jeanne and Steve · 09-28-2006, 03:41 AM

Here's a Google Earth aerial view of the Marina RV park. It's the large area on the satellite map to the left of the 3 red roofed buildings (which is the Coast Guard facility) and to the right of the long thin building. It's very convienent to the docks, but you should be aware that the sites are small and don't have any privacy. It's basically a big parking lot.

The weather has been excellent the past week - I hope it stays nice for your visit!

Jeanne

Linda R002 · 09-28-2006, 08:52 PM

We made our reservations today. They are more than usual booked. The thing that sold us was that they provide crab cookers so our trailer doesn't have to smell like crab for weeks to come.

Thanks for everyones help.

Nancy in Oregon · 09-29-2006, 11:12 PM

Linda, the best meal I've ever had was crab cooked over an open fire (you don't have to cook it in the trailer). We also cooked corn on the cob, added a nice salad and some wine and bought some yummy French bread. Man, what a meal!

Have fun!

Nancy

Joy A · 09-30-2006, 07:59 AM

Yum Yum!!!!

2 years ago at the Oregon Gathering a fellow from Arizona and I went crabbing off the docks at Bandon, we caught one legal crab. Then a couple with a boat that he had befriended picked us up and took us and our crab pots out into the bay. We came back to camp with about a dozen crabs, invited a friend over and had a wonderful crab, corn on the cob, salad and wine dinner.

I'm envious.

Linda R002 · 10-01-2006, 02:10 PM

I don't think we will catch all of the crabs so if you want to come by and say hi or try some crabbing too we will be in space 109.

Gina D. · 10-01-2006, 02:29 PM

I am coming to your campsite. My weakest spot is Dungeness Crab. I can eat it 24/7 if I had decent access to it.

Had some yesterday for lunch at Fishermans pier in Ballard, Wa. It was QUEST for a decent Luie! Yum!

I am so bad that, and friday, while at a hotel in Tacoma that is built out on an old pier, there was a guy with a pot. I was outside watching him and yakking. He pulled up his pot and handed me one.

At first, I was extatic! I have a crab as fresh as it gets and I am going to eat it within minutes...except..

I am in a HOTEL, for cryin out loud. I rushed it back to my room and tossed it in the deep stainless steel sink. "Clack, scrape, clack, scuffle, clack, click" This poor thing is in the sink tryin to escape, and I am trying to figure out how to cook it.

Hmnn... I can boil water in the microwave in the ice bucket and dump it in the sink. Yeah, THATS gonna work.

I scratched my head and tried to figure out how to do this without dying.. gave up and tossed the lucky guy back in the drink.

sigh.

Linda R002 · 10-04-2006, 05:58 PM

Boy, no one came by. But we caught 55 crabs of legal size while we were there. Most were shelled and went into the freezer but those we caught this morning are just cooked and ready. Bet you can't guess what we are having for dinner.

Nancy in Oregon · 10-08-2006, 11:46 PM

Wow!!! Hey, how about a dish with crab next weekend at the Northern Oregon Gathering?

Nancy

Linda R002 · 10-09-2006, 12:21 PM

Well, to keep us all young, we were planning on making a big salad with eggs and everything you can think of including CRAB for a super crab louie. How does that sound? Sorry people with allergies, we will post a warning near the salad.

"This salad contains good things and may produce allergic reactions in some people" Okay?