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Property Description

The Captain Cook is just 2 blocks from the beach. You can see the ocean from the street in front of the house, which is nestled among wild rhododendrons and windswept coastal pines. A large (1/4+ acre) lot envelops you in nature and opportunity to enjoy your coastal experience. A central entry and parking spot is gated from the street and has a second, large separately gated driveway with space for vehicles such as a toy hauler or boat trailer.

Once inside, the open floor plan with kitchen, living room, and dining room welcome you to 1100 square foot recently (2020) built home. Vaulted ceilings, large windows, and step-free entry from car to most outside entrances invite the outside in- and the inside out to the varied, and sometimes whimsical gardens and coastal forest. A separate entry to an to an apartment above is only used during the owners. occasional visits.

An eclectic mix of antique, exotic, and new furniture gives the home a cozy comfortable feel. A traditional oak table seating 4-6 is easily expanded if you want to have friends or relatives over for dinner. The living room has a sofa lounge, a large book collection, and a 43 inch TV with Roku streaming internet TV programming, and dimmable lighting throughout the home lets you set a mood for most every space.

The kitchen caters to those who like to socialize while cooking, having a large center island with seating for four, an unusual 5 burner electric range (with typical microwave above and of course a dishwasher), a very accessible french door refrigerator/freezer, and generously sized cabinets. The cooking tools, gadgets, and cooking and serving ware are supplemented with a stand mixer, bread maker, panini grill, blender, coffee maker, and even a waffle iron.

The amply-sized bedroom has a queen size bed, large closet, a direct door to the bathroom, and a sliding glass door out to a private deck with a view of the hillside garden (early cup of coffee, anyone?). There's also another streaming TV.

The office/tv/guest room across from the hallway door to the bathroom has a classic drop front desk with drawers and hanging clothes rack for additional guests, a large tv. A queen sofa-sleeper with a 5 inch memory foam mattress comfortably sleeps 2 adults or your children. Pocket doors into the hallway make the room as private or open as you'd like it to be.
A full-size front loading washer & dryer in the hallway, with iron, ironing board, folding area, complete the clean clothes scene, complemented by a large adjoining utility closet with folding drying rack, ample hanging space, and is also suitable for luggage stowage during your visit. The spacious bathroom features a large shower with seat and handheld option. An additional ½ bath is handy to the coat and shoe storage areas and leads out to another deck with dining table and woodside gardens.

Outdoors, a sunny patio area on the east end of the home has large wind-protected seating options with multiple chair/bench choices while screening vehicles from dominating the open sky feeling. A nearby covered gravel patio with pergola and transparent canopy is slightly more formal outdoor dining venue with a garden/woodside presence. Even the front entry has a sunny deck with adjoining gravel sunspot patio for informal breaks or socializing among plantings and native vegetation.

For the slightly adventurous, a one-time sand knoll, now forested, lies beyond a pergola to the "wild side" of the property. Large trees crown the top, where the beam from Heceta Head lighthouse can sweep eerily past on misty nights. Bring a collapsible chair (hanging just inside the side door to the garage) to sit and read a book and feel like you're in the wilderness (you are!). While wandering about the property, be entertained by the unexpected? can you find the gnomes?

Now, what's with the name? Captain Cook (1728-1779) never landed in Oregon on his (- voyage in his 78 foot ship, the Resolution, in 1778)- he hardly saw it- and what he described as "snow" was most likely the sand dunes! He was the foremost navigator-explorer of his time. A good summary of his life and voyages is found in Wikipedia. More about his Oregon visit at the Captain Cook Society and at the Oregon Encyclopedia site.

But wait, there's more- Joode, one of the owners, is a Brit, born near London, but spent her childhood summers in North Yorkshire- the birthplace of Captain Cook, and a monument to his memory caps Rosemary Topping, visible for miles around. And then- another connection- a best friend's great grandmother was the midwife who assisted in his delivery. It's a small world after all.

Homeowner Rich purchased a home on this site in 2002, living here full time until 2006, when he and Joode, having married in 2005, returned to her home in the UK. Rich retired in 2013 following careers in education, forestry and national parks, tours/travel in the USA, and retail garden centers in the USA and UK. Joode is retired from a nursing career with the UK National Health Service in Oxford and the nearby Cotswolds Area of Natural Beauty.

"We are both enthusiastic gardeners and enjoy the outdoors, birds, beaches, and travel- in fact we met on an adventure tour in South America and were married by the stream at Heceta Beach- just a few minutes' walk from the Captain Cook. "

"When at home here in Florence, we listen to the waves and the wind in the trees, and watch the many kinds of birds that visit each day. When we "walk the beach" we may also find sand dollars or other beach treasures, or encounter bald eagles, osprey, seals, or hundreds of sanderlings busily feeding at the surf's edge. It's such a delight to know that the woods and beach stretch for miles beyond."

Activities and Special Interests

This property provides access to the following activities and special interests: