Pacific Northwest Coast: Northern California and Oregon In Photos

Posted on Nov 8, 2011 in Adventure Travel, California, North America by Quiet Wanderings 12 Comments

 

And so we drove. And drove, and drove. With long, tiring driving days and only a couple of nights for each stop, it was torture to not be on a time frame that allowed us to stay in some of these places for a week, two weeks…a lifetime.

The often mist-enshrouded Point Reyes National Seashore, just north of San Francisco was bright and sunny for our few days there and we were fortunate to have accommodation inside the park itself.

 

 

A visit to Caspar in northern California turned out to be far to brief. We met Monica from Spirited Sisterhood and it was friendship at first sight! Or at least, at first creatively fueled conversation. As a fellow photographer, writer and traveler, she was a kindred spirit.

However brief, our stay was filled with delights: we hiked the Staircase Trail behind the Jug Handle Inn, gathered and devoured wild huckleberries by the handful, and wandered the cliffs above the Pacific photographing meadows and skies and waves in that magical light before the sun disappears.

 

 

 

As we said our goodbyes, Monica suggested a couple of stops along the scenic drive up the California coast, one of which was a beach of glass.

What was once a dumping ground for the city of Fort Bragg’s rubbish is now, decades of pounding waves later, a beach of polished sea glass. Cars and household waste were dumped into the ocean – much of which included glass – now broken and worn down over time to become these small, smooth fragments of colour.

At low tide, layer upon layer of tiny pieces of coloured glass sparkle in the sunlight enticing a romantic like me to waste away the hours.

 

 

 

Continuing further north…we meandered along the narrow and curvy Avenue of the Giants, a scenic highway through the giant old-growth Redwoods of Humboldt County, slowly making our way towards the tiny seaside town of Trinidad.

 

 

 

 

Almost as soon as we crossed the indiscriminate border from California into Oregon the weather seemed to shift. A misty rain ensued and we drove through cloud and fog and sometimes both. There were times when the sea to our left was entirely invisible but, every now and then, it would appear.

 

 

We treated ourselves to some restful beach-side living in Cannon Beach on the northern Oregon coast. Of all the things to do in Oregon, exploring the miles of sandy beaches near Cannon Beach and the Ecola State Park has to be one of the most satisfying.

Being able to wake up and walk straight out onto the pristine beach at Haystack Rock in time for sunrise made for a pretty good start to the day.

An indoor Jacuzzi was an added bonus. Having avoided most of the larger towns and all cities on this trip, it was a nice change to wander through some of the art galleries and specialty stores in Cannon Beach.

 

 

 

Our great American road trip has almost reached its end: from here we head to the final destination before my travel companion and I part ways and go on to different adventures.

Olympic National Park should be the perfect destination to end to what has been an amazing trip through the western states of the USA.

 

 

 

Have you done this drive along the Pacific Coast?

What is the most memorable road trip you have ever done?

 

 

 

Tags: california, in photos, Oregon, photography, roadtrip, United States

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  Beth McEldowney Nov 8 2011 - 5:49 am Reply

  Absolutely beautiful photos. You have traveled places I hope to see one day. Thanks for sharing them.

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  Dale Nov 9 2011 - 2:09 pm Reply

  Your photos and descriptions are inspiring. I would love to see this west side of the US, especially the coastal sights of California. Thank you.

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  Stephanie - The Travel Chica Nov 9 2011 - 7:50 pm Reply

  Wonderful photos! I hope to do some road tripping when I get back to the US. So much to see!
  Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..The Impressive Teatro Colon Opera House in Buenos Aires

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  Sherry Nov 10 2011 - 8:26 pm Reply

  I’m intrigued more and more by your photos, which always beautiful. I love your framework and the way you see things. I never took highway 101 (completely, at least) via car, but I have paralleled it via train. Stopping in quaint little towns between San Francisco and Los Angeles would be a ideal drive for me. I think the west coast is the best part of the USA, but I am a bit biased. Glad you enjoyed!
  Sherry recently posted..“Crocodile Hunting in Mexico”

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  Raymond @ Man On The Lam Nov 19 2011 - 12:42 pm Reply

  I LOVE that glass beach! Hope to make it there one day…
  Raymond @ Man On The Lam recently posted..Classic TV Combats Airport Ennui

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  New Jetsetters via Facebook Nov 27 2011 - 5:28 am Reply

  Coming from the Pacific Northwest, albeit a different country (Canada), I thoroughly enjoyed your photographic journey. Beautiful!

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  Tawny- Captain and Clark Dec 11 2011 - 3:26 am Reply

  Your photos are absolutely stunning! Looks like you had a wonderful trip. Makes me fall even more in love with the PNW.

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    quietwanderings Dec 14 2011 - 9:22 pm Reply

    Hi Tawny,

    The Pacific Northwest was one of my favourite parts of this trip…my only regret is that we didn’t have enough time to explore it more!

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  Nathan Ciurzynski Dec 18 2011 - 9:23 pm Reply

  That shot of the waves at Caspar is absolutely stunning!

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    quietwanderings Dec 23 2011 - 3:24 am Reply

    Thank you, Nathan. Caspar is such a beautiful place!

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  Ivana Kamerov Mar 8 2012 - 11:42 pm Reply

  These are some beautiful shots! I would love to visit glass beach.

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    Quiet Wanderings Mar 13 2012 - 2:16 am Reply

    Thank you, Ivana!