On the banks of the Siuslaw River where the Oregon Dunes meet the Pacific, the Best Western Pier Point Inn, Florence, Oregon, is a coastal retreat with the river, the sea, and the sand all at the doorstep, a short walk over the historic Siuslaw Bridge to Old Town.
After a day outdoors, an indoor heated pool, hot tubs, a dry sauna, and a fitness center wait back at the hotel, with a full hot breakfast to fuel the morning. There is no elevator, so the stairs add a little walk, and a limited number of rooms welcome pets.
Old Town's shops and seafood, river fishing, kayaking, and miles of wild coast fill the days. South from the door, the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area runs some 40 miles down the coast, the largest expanse of coastal sand dunes in North America, with windswept ridges rising as high as 500 feet above the ocean.