Golden and Silver Falls State Park

Let's start with a few details on the "lovely" trip we had to Golden and Silver Falls State Park which may or may not have tainted the opinion I have of this wonderful place.

A. I was falling asleep on the drive up. I was driving. My cohorts in the great trek to the falls were very much asleep. There was no having someone else drive, I was the most awake.
B. It was hot. Very hot, especially when compared to where we were camping. As noted in my Sunset Bay State Park Campground post, there was a cold cloud that loved the campground. A few miles inland, it was warm and humid.
C. There were bugs. God were there bugs. The kind of bugs that love to land on people that are hot and sweaty from their walk to a waterfall in 85-90 degree weather. Oh, and bees.
D. We decided to climb up to the base (or close to) of Golden Falls. This was fine, except for B & C, above. The problem was trying to find a different way down. I decided to take a different route back to the trail than Tim and Jason. My route gave me a nice slide down the side of a rock that decided to keep my right foot at the top. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to continue my trek back to the trail, but the pain subsided enough to get back and even take part of the walk up to Silver Falls.

There, with that said let us continue. I had no idea that I should expect a set of falls that were this tall. I was honestly quite surprised when we got to the first view of Golden Falls. The hike is relatively short. I can't find how far right now, but I would guess no more than 1 mile round trip. When you get to the end of the trail, you have a pretty good view of the falls. Anything closer will require rock climbing. The falls don't have the biggest volume, but it was the middle of July, so I'm sure it would be better any other time of the year.

You're not going to set up a picnic here unless you want to bring all your supplies up to the top of a large boulder. You can do this at the picnic tables right next to the gravel parking lot (yes, I'm saying this may not be so pleasant). This is a nice place, but it won't be a place to set up a day long visit.

I can't say much about Silver Falls since I was in pain and we only walked just far enough to get a distant view. Golden Falls tumbles over a cliff in horsetail fashion. Silver Falls goes over a large rock that if you can get under it you can walk behind. I don't know how to describe it well apparently. It's very possible that Silver Falls would have an amazing base that you'd want to spend hours at. The falls aren't as impressive though, since there is barely a trickle going over them. Again, a different season and they may be amazing.

One interesting historical note - the trail to Silver Falls is an old road that has a small informational plaque about the road that drove right over the top of two falls. I found it interesting, maybe I'm the only one. Overall, if you have a couple extra hours and are in the area, I'd recommend it. Just don't pick a hot day.

Here are the specifics:

Fee: None

Pets: Allowed, as far as I know

Facilities: Vault toilets, picnic tables, no water
Attractions: Trails, viewpoints, old-growth forest
Waterway: Golden Falls - Glenn Creek; Silver Falls - Silver Creek
Waterfall Type: Golden Falls - Horsetail; Silver Falls - Segmented
Round Trip Hike: About 6/10 mile for each hike
Hiking Difficulty (out of 5): 1

Camping: No

Season: Year round, pick the best time that will combine decent weather with good flows over the falls

Coordinates: Golden Falls - 43.485278 -123.926667 (Unverified, these are the coordinates I have, but I can't find the exact point on Google Maps); Silver Falls - 43.488611 -123.933333

Governmental Agency Land: Oregon State Parks & Recreation

Nearest town: Allegany, Oregon (10.5 miles)

Nearest 10,000+ city: Coos Bay, Oregon (25.4 miles)

County: Coos County, Oregon

My rating (out of 6): 3 for beauty, 4 for crowds, 4 for play availability, 3 for surroundings - 3.5 average

More Information: Oregon State Parks - Golden and Silver Falls

My Current Location: Home - Portland, Oregon

Silver Falls:

Golden Falls:

High Tide Cafe

Since our camping trip was on the Oregon Coast, we had to go to seafood right? I had originally picked out a highly rated restaurant online before we left, but it was in downtown Coos Bay and did not have a water view. I thought it would be more fun (and hopefully better tasting) to go somewhere in the little fishing port of Charleston. This may have been true if we hadn't have gone with the "High Tide Cafe". Of the restaurants that we saw in Charleston (several looked old, dingy or stuffy, but one of them was actually part Thai food, part donuts), this one looked like it would be the best. It claimed to have a bay view. Seafood just always seems better when you have a view of the water.

When we first drove up to the restaurant, there was a board set out front proclaiming that there was "live music" inside. When you go to certain restaurants or are in a certain mood, this may be an invitation to come in. In reality, this was the first warning. It was a bar. We knew this once we saw this sign, but thought they could still have good food. We were seated at an old table in a building that looked as if it had been thrown together by 12 different people that never talked to each other. Well, this was true except for the restroom that had been beautifully remodeled. This actually shows that the owners care, they just don't know where to start on a larger project. Restrooms are small and easy to remodel.

We actually were seated by one of the best views in the restaurant and really all we could see was a large yard and a distant view of a little bit of water. This is not a "bay view" of a high quality. There was outdoor seating, but it appeared that it would feel like being at a family reunion picnic if you sat out there. Cheap plastic tables and an old deck that just screamed bad potato salad.

Okay, so the ambiance isn't great. Maybe the food will make up for that, right? Wrong. The menu was so long that you just knew you should avoid half of it. One kitchen staff in rural Oregon is unlikely to know how to cook this many things right. Even simple "fish and chips" had several options. Three of us had the deep fried fish and chips, one of us had the pan fried fish option. I didn't try the pan fried (although was told it wasn't bad), but the deep fried fish and chips were exactly what you would expect from a poor quality establishment. The quantity was too big (not a big complaint, except what it's making up for), the fish was soggy, more breading than fish and a little burnt. The fish needed a gallon of tartar sauce and we were only provided with a very small cup.

I could go on about the place. Even though it was cold and foggy outside, it was way too hot inside. The "live music" was honestly laughable. The paintings on the walls were disturbing. I don't see any reason to go on.

If you like okay food and a small town tavern atmosphere (minus the darkness), you may like this place. If you don't want to feel sick the next day (which a couple of us did), you may want to try somewhere else.

Here are the specifics:

Price: Overpriced. Dinner for four (one of us had a drink) was $93.
Cuisine: Unfocused. Everything from Asian and Mexican to American and Seafood. Let's file this one under "Tavern Food" and "Seafood" though.
Reservations: I highly doubt it. No.
Pets: Possibly outside, but no.

Parking: A very small parking lot and some awkward street parking.

Address: 91124 Cape Arago Hwy - Charleston, Oregon
Nearest town: Charleston, Oregon (center of town)

Nearest 10,000+ city: Coos Bay, Oregon (5.2 miles)

County: Coos, Oregon

My rating (out of 6): 3 for service, 2 for food, 2 for decor, 2 for view - average 2.5

More Information: High Tide Cafe

My Current Location: Home, Portland, Oregon