1. Hop on the Cape Arago Highway
One of the best ways to explore Oregon’s Adventure Coast is by hopping on the Cape Arago Highway from Coos Bay. This 11-mile road diverges from Newmark Avenue in Coos Bay and navigates toward the ocean. Several scenic pitstops line the entire route.
The highway connects three prominent state parks along the coast: Sunset Bay, Shore Acres, and Cape Arago State Parks. Each of these locations has enough activity to fill the day, making an early start recommended when sightseeing the highway. Many visitors extend their travels by camping at Sunset Bay State Park, one of the best campgrounds on the Oregon coast.
Alongside scenic state parks, other roadside attractions include Simpson Reef and Shell Island. These two marine habitats entice visitors with abundant wildlife viewing opportunities. Specifically, hundreds of seals and sea lions find refuge in these oceanic locales. Seafood restaurants, marine life centers, and sweets shops are some more popular places to visit.
For a real adventure, hikers follow a four-mile hiking trail from Sunset Bay to Cape Arago State Park paralleling the highway. This scenic route is part of the state-spanning Oregon Coast Trail. Alongside better views of the dramatic ocean environment, the hiking trail also encourages a more leisurely pace.
2. Catch a Show at the Egyptian Theatre
Near the Coos Bay Boardwalk, the Egyptian Theatre is a landmark building in the city. It’s also one of the last remaining «Egyptian Revival» style theaters in the country. Opened as a vaudeville theater in 1925, like any iconic movie house, the Egyptian Theatre went through its ups and downs over the years.
Today, the city owns the theater and has provided modern restorations. The Egyptian interior has remained much the same, though. Don’t expect the latest blockbusters at the Egyptian. Instead, this local theater screens cult classics and a variety of independent movies and film festivals. Live performances like standup comedy also take the stage.
And it’s not just the scheduled showings that make the theater a cinema treasure. It’s the intact 1920s Egyptian Revival architecture that makes every screening memorable. Details like pharaoh statues, hieroglyphics, and Egyptian temple adornments cover every inch of the theater, including the grand staircase lobby and 770-seat auditorium.
A still-operating Wurlitzer theater organ sits below the stage at the Egyptian Theatre. This mighty music machine has offered a soundtrack for shows for over 85 years. The Egyptian is the last theater in Oregon with its original Wurlitzer still in use.
