California's Autumn Glow: Towering Trees, Coastal Breeze, and Happy Hymer Hippies

Heading south from the Oregon Coast into California, the temperatures continued to rise even as the hours of daylight dwindled. The shorter days gifted us with ample sunshine, and the Pacific sunsets glowed with all the rich colors of autumn.

Sure, the higher gas prices and crowded highways can make cruisin' California a bit of a challenge, but the mix of vibrant cities and natural beauty always seems to draw us back to the Golden State.

From hikes among towering trees,

to a refreshing coastal breeze,

to happy Hymer hippie sightings,

we basked in the golden warmth of ...

California's Autumn Glow

The Redwoods ... California's Gentle Giants

The famous giants of California's foggy northern coast once again welcomed us to enjoy a few days of quiet solitude. We were able to snag a site at Burlington Campground in Humboldt Redwoods State Park and spent a few days nestled under these gentle giants. The Avenue of the Giants, a scenic 31 mile county road that winds through this state park, offered us the chance to hike and bike among some of the tallest and oldest trees in the world.

Some glowing moments included:

A ten mile bike ride along the Avenue of the Giants in search of a small town cafe for Doug's latte fix.

A visit to Rockefeller Grove which is the location of the largest remaining "old growth" redwood forests in the world. Such a special treat to walk among one of the few places where the redwoods' grandeur and natural beauty managed to remain untouched by the lumbering industry.

Oh, the stories these ancient trees could tell...

An informative ranger-led hike through the silent, stately redwood grove just across from our campground. We learned that the reason redwood forests are so quiet is because the tannin in their bark makes them resistant to insects.

Without insects to eat, birds are not motivated to "move in" and build a nest in these stately "high-rises".

We also learned how these coastal redwoods can clone themselves by sprouting new trees from their roots, thus creating a “family circle" of future redwoods around the original trunk. 

San Francisco ... The Fun City by the Bay

The charm of San Francisco (and the primo boondocking spot in nearby Sausalito) drew us back to spend a few days in the Bay once again. For just $25/day (in the off season), the Sausalito Marina allowed us to park for up to three days. A short walk to the ferry terminal or the city bus stop made for a quick and easy journey into the heart of San Francisco.

Some glowing moments included:

A few of those rare, bluebird days on the Bay, making it easy to talk Doug into walking across the Golden Gate Bridge once again to soak in the incredible views.

A birds-eye view of the Fleet Week airshow from atop of the historic Coit Tower.

Another relaxing ride across town with our skillful but not very talkative Waymo driver.

A return visit for some of our favorite chocolate almond croissants at Arsicault Bakery.

Energized by those fabulous croissants, we enjoyed some beautiful urban hikes past colorful homes,

... who are always trying to keep up with their fashionable neighbors, the Painted Ladies.

In his search for another craft brewery, we walked along the San Francisco Bay Trail which gave us stunning views of the Bay Bridge.

Since we saw most of the "touristy" sites last year when we visited, I was happy when we found some of San Francisco's most unique and beautiful hidden treasures ... 

The Privately Owned Public Open Space.

These plazas, terraces, atriums, and green spaces are scattered throughout the city. They are maintained by private businesses yet open to the public for all to enjoy.  These beautiful natural areas benefit both the business and the public by creating a more inviting downtown area that will attract both new businesses and visitors.

Some of our favorite "secret gardens" included the Transamerica Redwood Park, complete with ... you guessed it ... Redwoods.

A free gondola ride took us up to the public open space on the fourth floor of Salesforce, a computer software company.

There we enjoyed a walking path that led past a variety of interesting plants in this tranquil 5.4 acre natural area that is nestled above a busy metropolitan area.

After a full day of sightseeing in San Francisco, we were happy to take the ferry back to Sausalito, our "camping" spot for the night. Although we were just a short distance from big city lights, we like how Sausalito is able to maintain a small-town feel. On the main street, intimate cafes buzzed with late evening diners, the local ice cream parlor enticed us to stop in for a special treat, and local musicians gathered for informal jam sessions.

A short walk down the street brought us to the unique boat community of Galilee Harbor. This colorful community is home to 38 people who live on their boats in this harbor full-time.

Morro Bay ... Happy Hymer Hippie Sightings

Once again, Morro Bay State Park was the location for a pre-halloween gathering of Hymer van owners. And you can't have a gathering this close to October 31 without a bit of costumed shenanigans. As you can see, we all embraced this year's Happy Hymer Hippies theme.

Some glowing moments included:

Information sharing and "fix it" sessions by fellow Hymer gurus whose knowledge and years of experience benefits us all.

Lively happy hours and delicious potlucks ... where I found several new recipes to add to my "I can make that in my small van kitchen" collection ... because tomato soup and grilled cheese get old after a while.

Abundant singing, dancing, and laughter shared with new friends who we hope to see again somewhere down the road.

Pismo Beach ... Life Among the Monarchs

Although this California coastal route is fairly familiar to us, we were happy to spend a few days exploring a new hidden gem. Pismo Beach State Park campground is located on the Pacific Coast just south of Morro Bay and is an easy walk into the colorful town of Pismo Beach. Adding more magic to this location was the fact that in late fall/early winter thousands of monarch butterflies "meet-up" here as a part of their winter migration.

Some glowing moments included:

Walks into the town of Pismo Beach where we found lattes, clam chowder, and a scenic ocean pier for views of the waters that in the past earned Pismo Beach the title of "Clam Capital of the World". Unfortunately, over-harvesting has decreased the numbers and sizes of clams over the years.

Strolls through the Monarch Butterfly grove near our campground where if we were patient enough and sharp-eyed enough ...

we were rewarded with a view of these resilient orange creatures as they rested amid the leaves of the eucalyptus trees.

Beach walks and another chance to hang out with some Hymer friends before we went our separate ways.

Los Angeles ... Quality Time in the Big City

Los Angeles is definitely not our favorite city to drive through ... and that's usually what we do ... drive through it as quickly as we can. But because some dear friends live on the outskirts of town, and my niece is spending a year studying in a suburb of LA, I managed to sweet-talk my fearless driver into getting off the freeway and experiencing a few days of "big city life".

Some glowing moments included:

Driveway "camping" and kitchen "take-over" with yet another Hymer friend who realized that yes, we will take you up on your offer to stop if we ever find ourselves in the Los Angeles area.

Time with my niece who is expanding her United States living experiences by spending a year studying in LA.

Dinner, Dominos, and delightful conversation with former hometown friends who relocated to southern California.

Four days of falling asleep to the sounds of waves and waking up to views like this from our campsite near Laguna Beach.

Traveling through California can be challenging. But surprisingly, because of its vast and varied natural beauty, California remains at the top of our list of favorite states to visit.

California's beaches,

funky forest trees,

lively cities,

and eclectic personalities,

... emit a glowing charm that can easily draw us back to enjoy one more redwood tree-hugging moment,

... or a golden sunset beach walk.

What a gift to enjoy

California’s autumn glow

once again!

Next up: trading warm sunshine for warm hugs as we fly to Minnesota to spend some time with family and friends.

The Oregon Coast: Where Every Stop is a Photo Op

 

We’re often asked what tops our list of favorite places to visit in the United States.

Hmmm …

That's a tough question as we’ve been able to travel to so many incredible areas, each with its own kind of magic. And since we love variety, we rarely take the same route twice.

The one beautiful exception?

The Oregon Coast.

After leaving southern Washington state, we decided to head down the spectacular 363 miles of Highway 101 that hugs the Oregon Coast. Once again this route captured our hearts with its simple and enduring beauty.

From stately and solitary sea stacks,

to tide pool treasures,

to thunderous wave action,

to the expansive beach and cliff scenes,

every stop is a photo op when one travels along the Oregon Coast.

We fell in love with the Oregon Coast during our first trip down the 101 in September of 2020. It was right in the middle of the covid shutdown, so portions of Oregon's state park campgrounds and various shops and restaurants were still closed. But Mother Nature's spectacular beauty remained wide open. We were grateful to see that five years later, the shops and restaurants ... and breweries, much to Doug's delight, have reopened. The tourists have returned. The campgrounds were teeming with laughter as families and friends gathered around campfires. And the pristine coastal beauty that we remembered and loved ... still remains!

Astoria, Oregon

Similar to our first Oregon Coast road trip, we started our week-long journey down the magical Highway 101 at the point where the Columbia River flows into the Pacific Ocean. In the years following the discovery of this outlet by Lewis and Clark, Astoria became an important area for maritime travel and trade.

Stately Victorian houses still stand proud,

... as well as the iconic "Goonies" house ... if one is inclined to hunt it down.

Having never seen the movie, we weren't inclined, so thank you, Google, for the photo.

Along the water's edge, former marine warehouses have been transformed into cute shops that attract tourists above the waterline while housing noisy sea lions below. The day we arrived was a "typical" drizzly coastal day, but we were delighted to find a very cute and walkable downtown area as well as a quiet boondocking spot under some spectacular street art. 

Fort Clatsop Lewis and Clark National Historical Park

Astoria is considered the oldest settlement west of the Rocky Mountains as this is where Lewis and Clark ended their famous "cross-country" quest in November of 1805.

Because winter was quickly approaching, they chose a piece of land just south of Astoria in order to build their winter encampment. They stayed there until the following March when they headed back east to share the tales of their amazing discoveries with President Jefferson and the rest of the country.

Fort Clatsop has been rebuilt and is the centerpiece of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Park ... and I'm always happy to add another piece of history to my travel map.

While it was interesting to learn about all that the Corps of Discovery accomplished during their quest to find a route to the Pacific, I was more impressed with the story of Sacajawea. This Native American teenager served as an interpreter and guide for the expedition. From Clark's extensive journals, historians have learned how this young woman not only educated the group on the natural history of this land, but also served as an important liaison between the explorers and the native people that they encountered ... all while carrying her infant son on her back!  

As we walked through the tall forested area, I'm so glad that this lush natural area that she must have loved is being preserved for future generations to enjoy.

Seaside, Oregon

Just down the road from Lewis and Clark's winter encampment is the first of many classic beach resort towns that line the Oregon Coast. Seaside became the official "end of the road" for the expedition as that was where Lewis and Clark established their salt works operation. The salt that they were able to extract from the sea water helped preserve their food over the winter.

Today this roundabout marks the official "end" of their journey and the beginning of an oceanside promenade that leads past many beautiful beach homes.

At the end of this promenade we found a very unique beach.

Painted Rock Beach is the "quirky" creation of locals and visitors alike. Colorful painted rocks are left there by visitors and affirm to all who make it to the end of the promenade that ...

yes, this beach rocks!

Cannon Beach

Probably the most famous of the Oregon Coast sea stacks lies just off shore in Cannon Beach. Haystack Rock gained widespread fame when, I'm told, a scene from the 1990's movie, The Goonies, was filmed there.

Doug, however, was more interested in starting his Oregon Coast brewery tour, since he had to bypass them all in 2020.

Newport, Oregon

Colorful beachside murals

and reconnecting with good friends made Newport a fun "halfway" stop on our coastal journey.

Bandon

Nature's artists hang out further down the road in Bandon, Oregon. This town became one of our favorites during a previous visit when we discovered the "recycled" art at a local coffee shop.

Washed Ashore Gallery creates large scale marine life sculptures out of ocean debris collected from area beaches and waterways. These colorful creatures travel the country raising awareness of the need to care for our earth's oceans.

Unlike our previous visit, the sun decided to shine and the winds stayed away this time, so we were able to get outdoors and take a walk along the beach to enjoy some of Mother Nature's artwork.

 The sea stack formations at Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint encourage visitors to use their imagination to spot a famous person, family member, or perhaps ...

Marge Simpson!

Other Fun Stops

Of course, there are so many other cute towns and "must see" places as you make your way down the Oregon Coast including ...

 Enjoy ice cream or fresh cheese at Tillamook Creamery

Watch for whales at Depoe Bay or Cape Arago

Visit picture-perfect lighthouses like the one located at Heceta Head

Take a dune buggy ride along the Oregon Dunes National Recreational Area ... still on my bucket list!

Take a hike, check out the natural bridges, or just enjoy the sea stacks along Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor

Enjoy tide-pooling and a final Oregon Coast sunset in Brookings, the last town before the California border

Oregon State Park Campgrounds

While the Oregon Coast has some spectacular boondocking areas, I can happily say that I was quite spoiled this time around by the Oregon state park campgrounds. The fifteen state park campgrounds that are situated along the coast offer "luxuries" like large wooded sites, indoor plumbing, and hot showers while also treating campers to ...

friendly wildlife greeters,

expansive beaches for that early morning hike,

and tide-pools for that sunset starfish treasure hunt.

Random Roadside Stop? Another Photo Op!

Sure, the charming little towns and comfy campgrounds make traveling down the Oregon Coast a breeze, but it’s the jaw-dropping views that make this our all-time favorite drive. We suggest starting in Astoria and driving south on Highway 101. That way, the ocean views and all those sudden “Honey, pull over!” viewpoints will be on your right side. I strive to keep my chauffeur happy!

Some of our random stops this time around that became excellent photo ops included:

... a hike under the huge red cedars in Rockaway Beach Old Growth Nature Preserve,

... explosive wave action at Thor's Well,

... delicate and carnivorous beauty at Darlingtonia State Natural Site,

... colorful forest fungi,

... a tunnel through the cliff at the end of a beach that leads to an (almost) private beach,

... a search for agates,

... if only we could chisel them out,

... sandy beaches as far as the eye can see,

... hikes through lush forests

to views that can be very "weather dependent".

 But whatever surprises Mother Nature sends our way,

from stormy seas,

to gentle beachside waterfalls,

... to beaches with lighthouses in the distance,

we've come to love the unique beauty of the Oregon Coast.

For us, the Oregon Coast is that special place where our footprints fade with the tide,

... but the breathtaking scenery stays etched in our memories.