Starting the trip off strong, we’ll be taking a 3-hour and 9-minute drive from Grants Pass, Oregon to Florence, Oregon to view the iconic Heceta Head Lighthouse. Standing 205 feet above the Pacific Ocean and 56 feet tall, the Heceta Head Lighthouse was named after the Spanish explorer Bruno de Heceta, who traveled along the Oregon coastline on a 1775 expedition for the Spanish crown. The building’s construction was advocated for by the United States Lighthouse Board. According to the Oregon Encyclopedia, Congress appropriated $80,000 for its construction in 1889. Construction began in 1892 after a wagon road was created to transport essential supplies to Florence. The lighthouse was completed in 1893. However, it remained unlit until 1894 after the arrival of lighthouse lamps transported from New York. The lighthouse property switched hands various times between 1941 and 1999, eventually falling under the care of state management. It is currently maintained by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and has undergone significant restoration throughout the early 2000s. Currently, the lighthouse is open for tours from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Next stop on our trip is the Cape Blanco Lighthouse, a brief 2-hour and 22-minute drive from Florence. Located in Port Orford, Oregon, the Cape Blanco Lighthouse holds multiple Oregon records. According to the Cape Blanco Heritage Society, the lighthouse holds the records for oldest continually operating light, most westerly lighthouse, and highest focal plane above the ocean. The lighthouse, completed and lit in 1870, was built on 47.7 acres of land with various small buildings surrounding it for resources. The most prominent shipwreck Cape Blanco saw was the 1919 J.A. Chanslor shipwreck. The J.A. Chanslor was an oil tanker owned by the Associated Oil Company that swept off course on its way from Portland to San Francisco. The ship was smashed into the rocks along the coast of Cape Blanco, and was unfortunately unable to receive aid from the lighthouse. The Cape Blanco lighthouse is not currently available for touring, but its majesty is available for viewing pleasures at all times of day and night. There is also a gift shop to quench your capitalist urges. 

After a delightful 3-hour and 20-minute drive, we have arrived at our third destination: the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. Located in Newport, this lighthouse stands the tallest in Oregon at a whopping 93 feet. Constructed in 1873 by the U.S. Lighthouse Board, the Yaquina Head Lighthouse was an arduous build for its construction team. A combination of winter storms and lost building materials made construction a slow and grueling process. In 1872, a French-built fresnel lens arrived at the lighthouse. However, the crew soon discovered that various parts of the lens had been lost at sea en route. After abundant delays, the lighthouse was finally completed. Then, a protective wall was constructed in 1880. By 1924, the lighthouse was the most visited lighthouse on the West Coast, according to the Oregon Encyclopedia. In 2005, the lighthouse went through massive renovations courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management and currently hosts around 400,000 visitors each year. The tours run year-round and include the history of both the lighthouse and its many keepers, providing guests with both entertainment and education. 

Our last stop on our journey is at Tillamook, Oregon, a mere one-hour and 53-minute drive from Newport. The Cape Meares lighthouse is certainly not the tallest of our bunch, reaching 35 feet tall, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in strength. The Cape Meares Lighthouse is lit by a kerosene-powered lens, which can be seen 21 miles out at sea. It was built in 1889 on the Tillamook basin, an area previously overrun by volcanic activity. The lava flow helped mold what we now know as Cape Meares, which was named after the Englishman who first charted it, John Meares. At the time of its construction, many believed the lighthouse to be misplaced due to its proximity to heavy fog and difficult location to reach. However, according to Cleveland Rockwell from the Corps of Engineers in 1887, “Contrary to the legends…it is obvious that they knew exactly where and why the lighthouse was going to be built. Cape Meares was the practical choice.” Positioned at a center point between Tillamook Rock and Yaquina Head, Cape Meares has served many sailors, and now serves the public with daily tours.