Florence, OR — Florence, Oregon, has been nominated for USA Today’s 10 Best Readers' Choice travel award. The national media company’s panel of experts selected Florence as a contender for Best Northwestern Small Town. An online poll is accepting votes through April 24.
Click here to VOTE now! Voters may vote once per day until polls close on Monday, April 24, at noon ET.
“We are super excited to be nominated to this list of great places, and want everybody who has ever enjoyed Florence to vote right away, and vote daily,” says Bettina Hannigan, executive director of the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce.
“Last year, Florence was named Expedia’s Most Beautiful Town and received the Reader’s Choice for Best Coastal Getaway from the state’s largest media source, The Oregonian/OregonLive.com. Reader’s Digest, one of the world’s most significant magazines, recommended visiting the Oregon Coast in their article, ‘The Best Summer Vacation Ever!’ We couldn’t agree more,” adds Hannigan. “We would be very grateful to have another national recognition as we build our identity as Oregon’s Coastal Playground, and as great place to live and work.”
Winners will be announced on 10Best.com on Friday, April 28, 2017, at noon ET, then later on USA Today’s website.
“USA Today says that prior competitions have been hotly contested, and that they look forward to seeing Florence will rock the vote in our own community,” explains Hannigan. It’s a good thing that our community stretches around the world. Seriously, go online and vote today, and tomorrow, and every day through the 24th.”
“As Oregon’s Coastal Playground, Florence is known for big dune adventures on a sandboard, an ATV, or with the skills of a professional sand rail driver as you tear up one side of a 500-foot dune, and dash down the other,” adds Hannigan. “We also have endless water attractions—more than a dozen lakes within a dozen miles, streams, waterfalls, the Siuslaw River, the ocean—it’s like one big natural waterpark; and we’ve got 20 miles of uncrowded beaches for picnics and sandcastles, beachcombing, tidepooling, or romantic sunset strolls.”
“And though the beaches are our front yard, ancient forests make up our backyard and are perfect for hiking, or trail riding on bikes or horses,” says Hannigan. “The highest viewpoint on the Oregon Coast is about 20 miles north at Cape Perpetua, and the iconic Heceta Head Lighthouse and Sea Lion Caves are only about 15 minutes away. These are some of the best places for whale watching or storm watching on the entire coast. And don’t forget all of the fun in and around town like all the shops, galleries, and restaurants in Historic Old Town. If those aren’t enough reasons to vote for Florence every day, I don’t know what is.”
Contact: Bettina Hannigan, Executive Director Florence Area Chamber of Commerce, 541.997.3128; bettina@florencechamber.com
