Even if you race right through, it’s quite apparent that Coos Bay (pop. 15,374), once the world’s largest lumber port, retains a core of heavy industry. Though many of the big mills have closed, you can still watch huge piles of wood chips, the harbor’s number-one export, being loaded onto factory ships in the harbor east of US-101. The chips are sent to Asia where they’re turned into low-grade paper. You can also get a sense of Coos Bay’s seagoing heritage by visiting the tiny, church-run Seamen’s Center, a block west of US-101 at 171 N. Broadway, where old salts mingle with foreign sailors and make model ships almost every evening. The handy Coos Bay visitors bureau (541/269-0215 or 800/824-8486), at 50 Central Avenue, has maps and information on the entire “Bay Area” region.

  Big breakfasts, eclectic but inexpensive lunches and dinners, great pies, and a good range of microbrews are served at The Blue Heron (541/267-3933), at 100 Commercial Avenue, across from the visitors bureau. There’s no shortage of easy-to-find lodging, including Motel 6 ($45–65; 541/267-7171) on US-101 at 1445 N. Bayshore.