Where the mountains meet the ocean, Port Orford feels a little like Big Sur did 20 years ago before Silicon Valley made it into its weekend parking lot.

It's about 60 miles north of the California border, and halfway between Gold Beach and Bandon.

Small, friendly, with great art, a gentle energy and spectacular views... Port Orford is filled with nice people, an unhurried atmosphere and no stop lights. Kind of like Northern Exposure meets Lake Woebegone.

It has six art galleries that are owned and operated by working artists, some charming gift shops, a motorcycle museum and a very comfortable movie theatre (with a generous selection of candy).

There are a series of restaurants where you can enjoy fresh seafood, steaks, creative, experimental cuisine, with an excellent New-York-style Tuscan Italian trattoria (the chef only prepares three entrees a week, depending on the best ingredients available), and of course the best fish and chips and chowder on the coast. It's also a short half an hour drive from a great collection of outstanding restaurants both north and south of here.

You can enjoy a diverse collection of historical and naturally beautiful sites and attractions. And, you'll find all sorts of options for recreational activities.

The best part... you can enjoy all it has to offer without the crush of traffic or tourists that mark so many vacation spots.

Here, you can get from it all while you're getting away.

So check out these links for more information about this fun and fascinating area: