Bullards Beach State Park

October 2014
Volunteering at Bullards Beach gave us the opportunity to stay rent-free for an additional month before heading south for the winter.  We had  checked the Oregon State Park volunteer website and saw that they had a vacancy for lighthouse hosts.  After contacting the park, we learned that the lighthouse would only be open the first two weeks of October, and that after that we would do site maintenance.  It sounded different and new, so we signed up.
Arriving on the 1st of the month, we set up in one of the host sites near the entrance.  The site was long and expanded in the back to become quite large, and was separated from other sites by trees and bushes.  We had full hookups with 50A, a fire ring, and table.  The only drawback was that we were across from the dumpster which didn’t exactly provide a scenic view.
Our Interpretive Ranger was a lovely young lady named Julie who was friendly and easy to work with.  We started with two three-hour shifts in the lighthouse, from 8-5 PM.  Our duties were for Brenda to welcome visitors and sell items from the gift shop, while I was stationed in the small light room where I’d tell people about the lighthouse and what they were viewing.  As it turned out, we only pulled two shifts before a coastal storm with huge waves covered the parking lot with debris and closed the lighthouse for the year.
And so we began our new careers in “site maintenance” which was really campsite cleanup.  Monday thru Friday we would pick up our list of sites to be cleaned, usually between 10 and 20, check out a cart, and head for the sites.  I’d clean the pad with the leaf blower while Brenda raked if needed and picked up any trash, usually less than ten minutes per site.  We usually had to wait for a few people to vacate by the 1:00 checkout time, but generally were done by 1:30 at the latest.  Easy to do, and once we were done, we had the rest of the day free.  No campers to deal with, no firewood to sell, nothing but enjoy the area.  Unlike Humbug Mountain, Bullards has volunteers who are “greeters” and sell firewood, so site maintenance hosts don’t get involved.  We felt sorry for the Yurt hosts, they spent hours cleaning – not our kind of volunteer work.
The great little town of Bandon is three miles away with shops, restaurants, waterfront area for crabbing, and a great farmer’s market on Friday and Saturday.  Coos Bay and North Bend, with lots of shopping and restaurants (and casino) is just 20 miles north.  We highly recommend this park and may return some day.

Humbug Mountain State Park

Location:  Three miles South of Port Orford, Oregon, on the Southern Oregon Coast
Dates:  May-Sep 2012
Duties:  Brenda and I conducted the Oregon State Park’s “Junior Ranger” program and gave a program on Seals and Sea Lions of the Oregon Coast each Friday.
Hours:  Junior Ranger started at 10:00 and lasted one hour, not including project development and prep time.  The Friday program was one hour plus setup.
Humbug Mountain SP is one of Oregon’s best kept secrets.  located behind the tallest mountain on the coast, it’s shielded from the marine layer and much of the rain and wind that is common along the coast.  The park is relatively small, with two loops and trails, beach access, and amphitheater.  Uncommon on the Oregon coast is that each loop has a large, treeless center where kids and adults can enjoy the sun. 
The Junior Ranger Program was a joy for both of us.  Five days a week (Wed-Sun) we gathered children throughout the campground, taught a subject on nature and the environment, and finished by making a “craft” corresponding with the day’s subject.  We made hummingbird feeders, beaded Salamanders, and Harbor Seal visors, and led expeditions into the stream where we thrashed around the water trying to capture invertebrates.  It was all great fun, and made possible with the support of a great Interpretive Ranger.  He gave us the freedom to be creative and supported us throughout our stay.  He and the park staff were one of the best groups we’ve ever worked with!

Port Orford doesn’t offer much, just a few restaurants and a few stores.  Brookings and Coos Bay/North Bend are both located 50 miles in either direction and have the usual variety of shopping and restaurants.  There’s plenty to see along the coast, and you can pick mussels off of the rocks or fish from the shore. 
The host sites are outstanding:  full hookups with 50A power, a large paver-brick patio, large table, and fire ring.  It was a little tough getting our rig into the spot, but well worth it – what a great stay with great people!