Things to see and do in the area include: ATV rentals on the sand dunes and beach, horseback riding in the mountains or on the beach, seaplane rides, whale watching, beachcombing, crabbing, clamming, shop old town Florence, visit the Heceta Head Lighthouse {one of the most photographed lighthouses in the United States}, your choice of two championship 18 hole golf courses, try your luck at the Mill Casino, Sea Lion Caves {world's largest sea cave with Steller sea lions}, 4-plex cinema, mini-golf, bowling and many fine restaurants nearby. The Florence area boasts 75 creeks and rivers emptying into the Pacific Ocean in approximately 30 miles of beach-covered coastline. Twenty one lakes run north and south of Fish Mill Lodges, along highway 101, in a Thirty-one mile stretch. We are only two miles from the beach and the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. Did you know? According to OregonCoast Magazine, US Highway 101 was designated Oregon's Pacific Coast Scenic Byway in June 1998, making it one of only 57 scenic byways in the country. We were pleased to find out in 2002 the highway had been given All Americian status, a designation shared by only two dozen other roads in the country. In order to recive this designation, it had to be considered a "destination unto itself" or provide "an exceptional traveling experience so reconized by travelers that would make a drive along the highway a primary reason for the trip".