The historic riverfront town of Florence is just an hour west of Eugene – Springfield, lying at the mouth of the Siuslaw River on the Pacific Ocean and about midway between Newport and Coos Bay along U.S. Route 101.

Its vast Sea Lion Caves are home to Steller sea lions. Nearby, trails around the restored 19th-century Heceta Head Lighthouse offer views of seabirds and migrating whales. Shops and galleries fill the city’s Historic Old Town district. Across the river are the towering sand mounds of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.