Moseying Down The Coast of Oregon and Northern California

Oh to mosey down the epic trail of life...

After visiting Lassen Volcanic National Park, we were faced with two

"first-world, full-time traveler's problems".

#1 What to do in the four weeks before our next planned "event" in southern California?

and more importantly ...

#2 How to get an important package that we needed sent to us by the US Postal Service?

Our solution came in the form of an RVing friend who we last met up with four years ago. Eggy and her adorable dog, Lil' Dude, now live on the coast of central Oregon. After I reached out to her, she enthusiastically agreed to be our "mail delivery service", so we headed to the Oregon Coast where ... when the fog, rain, and wind stays away,

 

... the coastal beauty will certainly convince any traveler to hang around for a bit.

Happily, this visit in Newport, Oregon set our course of travel for the following weeks when we decided to mosey down the coast of Oregon and continue south in order to check out the "new to us" northern California coast.

Highway 101 runs the length of Oregon's Pacific Ocean coastline and continues down into California. While we had driven the Oregon portion in 2020, the California Coast was uncharted territory for us. But we knew that if California had even half of the ...

rocky cliffs,

serene beaches,

tantalizing tidepools,

stately lighthouses,

and scenic vistas that we found in Oregon, then we could easily fill our days.

Moseying Down the Oregon Coast

we found...

Sweet dining and boondocking spots like this one just south of Port Orford,

... morning mocha and an impromptu sing-a-long at one of the many cozy coffee shops that line the Oregon Coast,

... a wide variety of beachscapes from sand dunes to rocky cliffs,

... "hidden gems" that can only be reached by the (hopefully) secure ropes that some thoughtful locals had installed,

... seaside art that was created from the garbage that was collected from Pacific Coast beaches,

... the "stars" of the tide pool,

... spectacular rock formations,

... and colorful sunsets from one of our favorite campgrounds, Harris Beach State Park.

Leaving Oregon, we followed the road ...

Down the Northern California Coast

and found...

... similar seascape with a bit more of a "surfer dude" vibe,

... groves of gentle giants, commonly known as the California redwoods, 

... monstrous waves that lulled us to sleep at Gold Bluff State Park,

... and a hike through Fern Canyon that gave us an overdose of "lush",

... while testing my balance-beam skills (or lack of them). Yes, my boots were soaked by the end.

A drive through the scenic Avenue of the Giants

... led to numerous hiking trails perfect for wandering through the majestic redwood groves.

Continuing on, the narrow, twisty road took us over the coastal mountains and back to the coast. We had reached the beginning of California State Route 1 ... the north-south road that runs most of the way down the California coast and has been dubbed "the ultimate California road-trip".

The ocean views were amazing, but the "stay in your lane or you'll go over the edge" roads were a bit nerve-wrecking at times.

Memorable stops down this section included ...

Glass Beach,

Oh, the fun crafts I could make

if only I had a smidgen of artistic talent!

Point Cabrillo Lighthouse,

and the Port Arena Lighthouse.

We certainly found some beautiful vistas along this stretch Highway 1

... as well as delicate coastal flora,

... but having to drive through portions where fog suddenly overtakes the roadway, made this section of our coastal drive a bit too "white knuckle" for me.

 I was ok with driving back inland to spend a few days in the cute town of Santa Rosa. Lucy welcomed us to town, and I soon learned that Charles Schultz, creator of the Peanuts comic strip spent most of his adult life here. 

 As a lifelong fan of  his "Peanuts" comic strip, I was very excited to visit his studio that has been converted into a whimsical museum. The walls were filled with some of his most endearing characters and comics.

 Doug came to Santa Rosa with one mission in mind, and that was to visit Russian River Brewing. He added one of their "campaign" coasters to his collection and decided that his vote is going to Pliny the Elder ... their signature hazy IPA.

And we both decided that reconnecting with friends and taking time to enjoy the beauty of the Oregon and northern California coasts get our vote for a great way to spend a couple of weeks. 

We were quite successful at solving our "first-world, full-time traveler's problems" this time around!

Next up:

We ask the age-old question ...

Is it really possible to leave your heart in San Francisco?

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