3 Aspects of Central Oregon Coast's Florence You Did Not Know

Published 7/25/24 at 6:05 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection

(Florence, Oregon) – That little big town that divides the two halves of the coastline is a lot more than just a boundary or a borderline. It's a lot more than just a gateway to 40 miles of spectacular, undulating dunes, however action-packed and adventure-filled it can be. True, a river runs through it; and it's true the place is a tasty stroll through coastal seafood haunts. Oh, but there's more.

There are some trippy aspects to Florence. From the ancient, lava-fueled origin story just north of there and its most famous cave to literally soaring to new heights – or even the surprising diet of its lowly plants – Florence has some wild curiosities. Here's just three of them.

Mysteries and Secrets of That Giant Rock North of Florence. Many take selfies with it, especially from one vantage point near the Sea Lion Caves. In some ways it slightly resembles the two more famous Haystack Rocks of Cannon Beach and Pacific City. Yet few – perhaps almost no one – knows what the monolithic rocky giant is called, sitting there just somewhat disconnected from the landmass it was once a part of.

It is called Cox Rock, and it's a unique Oregon coast feature that carries an interesting set of backstories, kind of hiding in plain sight.

In fact, it's part of a major hidden spot right there, just east of it.

Cox Rock is named after an early pioneer named William Cox, sometimes known as Captain William Cox. The true story is a bit murky, but supposedly he's the one who discovered the Sea Lion Caves. As the tale goes, in 1880 he was wandering the waters here in a small boat and happened upon this giant cave.

What's next is really confusing, as newspaper accounts differ. It's known that in 1887 he purchased the land the Sea Lion Caves is on. It's also known that in that year a ship containing a Captain William Cox exploded near Alaska, and that Cox is known as a survivor. What isn't clear is if this is the same Cox that bought the land near Florence the same year or not.

What is clear is that Florence's Cox was one of its first residents. - Florence Oregon Virtual Tour

The other intriguing part of this is the geologic story of Cox Rock, which goes back some 37 million years. Indeed, it's apparently the child of Cape Perpetua just to the north: Perpetua was a giant underwater volcano then that created all the basalt from Yachats down to about Cox Rock.

However, it is possible there were other volcanoes in the area, but evidence points to just one. There's much more to the place: Cox Rock, Near Florence, an Oregon Coast Puzzle in History, Geology, Sightseeing

Darlingtonia State Natural Site and Its Meat-Eating Plants. Tucked away on a rather high point on that border between north and south Oregon coast, there sit scores of beautiful, long-necked green plants with intricate bulbs at their ends. These comely plants are engaging, but a little rough around the edges, it seems.

As lovely as all this is, it turns out you've entered a rather tough neighborhood. Well, rough if you're a bug. All those Darlingtonia Pitcher plants you see eat meat: bug meat.

Parts of them are transparent, and there are colorful parts inside, which attract bugs. As they try to crawl in they get caught in the plants' sticky stuff on the inside. These insects check in but they never check out. From there they slowly get digested.

There are wooden walkways around the patches of Darlingtonia, so you can walk among them without ever falling victim to one. OK, kidding there: they're not ever a problem for humans. Unless you don't like watching an insect get digested through those see-through parts – especially if you're on a nearby picnic table.

Bon appetite.

You'll find the Darlingtonia gardens off Highway 101 near Mercer Rd., a little ways north of Florence.

Flying Above Florence. Ever wonder what it would be like to fly above the Oregon coastline in a World War I-era plane? You're in the open air, engine buzzing, and you've got two sets of wings surrounding you. Maybe you can even hear people shouting at you below.

Up there in Florence’s skies, an ancient ace awaits: Tomeny Aero - a biplane ride-for-hire based out of Florence’s airport. Buckle up for an experience that’s rich in so many ways, whisking you away on a scenic thrill ride that has a time travel element to it.

Behind this aerial enterprise are pilot Terry Tomeny and his wife, Winette. Terry takes to the air, while Winette deals with folks on the ground. They offer a variety of packages that take you over the rugged shoreline of the area, from the National Dunes Recreation Area just south of Florence all the way up to Yachats and Cape Perpetua. The crowd favorite? The Lighthouse run, where you’ll soar over Old Town’s scenic wonders, catch glimpses of the area’s historical remnants, and loop around the iconic Heceta Head Lighthouse and Sea Lion Caves.

The entire operation is both legendary and yet not well known.

And how do they achieve all this eye-popping wonder of flight? With a 1944 Stearman biplane, built - you guessed it, in 1944.

“The Stearman has a typical past - built in 1944 as an Army Air Corps trainer - sold to a civilian in 1949 when the war was over,” said Terry Tomeny. “Like many of the 9000+ Stearmans built, this airplane went into crop dusting in Central California until it was crashed in 1976. It was then sold and rebuilt to like new condition and flew again in around 1993.” Biplane Ride Near Florence a Joyful Thrill Ride Above Central Oregon Coast

There are various packages, even those that take you farther north up the coastline or as far down as Winchester Bay on the south Oregon coast. See https://www.tomenyaero.com/ for full package information.

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