Other popular recreational activities include fishing,
swimming and boating in the 17 lakes around
Florence and crabbing, clamming, ocean and river
fishing. There are jet boat trips available up the
Siuslaw River during the summer. For a more
leisurely pace, the Westward Ho!, an old fashioned
sternwheeler, takes visitors on excursions and dinner
cruises on the Siuslaw River.

Florence's tastefully restored Old Town offers
interesting shops and boutiques, coffee houses and
good restaurants. Another fun side trip is the
American Museum of Fly Fishing. Located in Old
Town, this private collection includes thousands of
hand-tied flies mounted in frames. Part of the
collection dates back to the 1800s and includes flies
from more than 20 countries. Fish paintings and
wooden fish-related sculptures complete the
collection. South of town, the Siuslaw Pioneer
Museum has exhibits of pioneer items such as
kitchen and lumbering artifacts. It also includes
Siuslaw Indian artifacts and an account of how the
U.S. government promised to pay the Siuslaw for
their land and then never provided compensation.

Ten miles north of Florence, the enormous sea
grotto of the Sea Lion Caves contains the only
mainland rookery of Stellar's sea lion in the lower 48
states. After paying an admission fee, visitors
descend through a 208 foot elevator shaft cut into
the natural basalt and enter the grotto. The sea lions
occupy the cave in fall and winter, with up to 200
sea lions living there. Views of the coastline include
Heceta Head Lighthouse and nearby cliffs that are
home to guillemots, cormorants and other sea birds.

Golfers will enjoy the 18 hole Ocean Dunes Golf
Links public course, which is surrounded by sixty
foot high sand dunes. The course has a driving
range, cart and equipment rentals and a pro shop.
Open all year, weekend reservations are
recommended on this popular course (1-800-468-
4833). The Sandpines Golf Resort (public) is a Rees
Jones course, including 6 treed holes, 6 water holes
and 6 dune holes. It was voted best new public
course in America (1993) by Golf Digest.