Begin the day with breakfast at the Mill Casino Hotel and then head out to the Charleston Marine Life Center, which will be opened exclusively for the OregonWest group! After visiting the Marine Life Center and seeing the Charleston fishing fleet, it will be time to sample some fresh seafood for lunch. There is no better way to finish a meal than with a walk on the beach, so we will head over to Basterndorff Beach for a beach float hunt! Stroll the sandy beaches and find your float, shells, and translucent agates before boarding the luxury motor coach and heading for a beach walk at Sunset Bay and seal and sea lion viewing at Simpson's reef. For these activities, our OregonWest group will be joined by Marty Giles, who has guided many guests around the history and beaches of southern Oregon.

Just after sunset, it will be time to visit the fantastic Shore Acres Gardens. In 2022, this outstanding display attracted visitors from 31 US States and 18 countries - an estimated 47,052 guests!! Below is the description from the Friends of Shore Acres Park website:

A community tradition was born in 1987 when Friends of Shore Acres Inc. decided to “string a few lights” to help celebrate the holidays. That first season, 6,000 miniature lights, one large Christmas tree, and the decorated and open Garden House drew 9,000 visitors. Now, at least 325,000 Lights – both L.E.D. and landscape – dozens of Christmas trees and lighted sculpture displays, and the festive open house attract – on average (and depending on the weather) – from 50,000 to 60,000 visitors each season. Inside the Garden House, long scrolls of names pay tribute to the business supporters, members, and the more than 1,500 volunteers who make it happen for all to enjoy. People from all over the world enjoy the holiday lights. Many return year after year to share in this wonderful “community tradition.”

After a wonderful day, we return to The Mill Casino Hotel for a private Seafood Banquet! Eat this delectable feast to your heart's content and then put your feet up and revel in the wonderful memories you have made so far on your trip.

After breakfast, we will check out of our accommodation and start a trip up Highway 101 to just north of Florence. There sits one of the most beautiful lighthouses on the Oregon Coast, the Heceta Head Lighthouse. The views from the park area are beautiful regardless of the time of year, allowing you to view the majesty and power of the Pacific Ocean that helped shape the landscape of Oregon over the millennia. 

As we continue up the coast, we will stop in Yachats for lunch and then continue up to our final stop in Newport to view the bay, Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, and Historic Bay Front.

Returning home will be via stops in Salem, Woodburn, and finally Tualatin.