Antique Shopping

Spending a day looking through shops for old and rare "treasures" can be an enjoyable activity.

By taking a drive up, or down, U.S. Highway 101, visitors will notice nearly each town they pass through has at least a few antique shops open year-round lining the busy road. Those towns include North Bend, Coos Bay, even Langlois and Port Orford.

The old towns of Florence and Bandon, also located just off the highway, host a handful of these old trinket stops as well.

Whether it's old memorabilia, decorative home accents or just something out of the ordinary, visitors just might dig-up something truly special.

Pony Village Mall

Everyone thinks of the Pony Village Mall in North Bend for shopping, dining in the restaurants and cafes and entertainment at the four-screen cinema. But for those eager to get some exercise during a rainy or windy day, head for the mall. Walkers can be found there at all hours, quietly huffing and puffing their way up and down the long arms of the mall.

Too tuckered to walk? The cinema features the latest movie releases, or check out a play on the three-quarter-round stage at the Waterfront Playhouse.

Pony Village Mall is located at 1611 Virginia Ave. For those unfamiliar with the area, take U.S. Highway 101 into North Bend from the north or south, stopping at Virginia Avenue. Head west and stay on the road until you see the mall on the left.

A farmer's market is being held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday throughout the summer and fall in the east wing of the Pony Village Mall, and portions of the east parking lot, in North Bend. The market will run through October.

The market features fresh produce, farm fresh eggs, plants, outdoor furniture, handcrafted jewelry, soaps, aprons, rugs and pet clothing.

For more information, those interested can call 756-0433.

Shop at myrtlewood stores

The South Coast is the place to be for those who like to indulge in myrtlewood. Many gift shops in Reedsport, North Bend, Coos Bay, Bandon, Langlois, Port Orford and Gold Beach feature gifts carved from the unique, fine-grained hardwood.

A member of the bay and laurel family, myrtlewood is found growing between northern Douglas County and Northern California. A tough hardwood, each piece of myrtlewood is unique, both in grain pattern and coloring, which can range from a sedate, satiny gray to red, yellow and brown. So many shops and factories on the South Coast specialize in myrtlewood products that "Myrtlewood" has its own heading in the Yellow Pages, with approximately a dozen businesses listed.

The myrtlewood supply remains steady because of the tree's self-propagating nature. New trees grow out of the nut of the tree, which falls to the ground in late autumn.

New trees also can grow from cut stumps or even from the root system that remains in the ground. It takes between 80 and 110 years for a tree to reach commercial size, which is roughly 16 inches in diameter.

Visitors to the South Coast who would like to see a myrtlewood factory in operation can stop by The Oregon Connection, 1125 S. First St. in Coos Bay; the Myrtlewood Factory in North Bend; and the Myrtlewood Gallery in Reedsport - and at other factories on the coast - where they can take a free, self-guided tour and watch the operations.