California to Oregon Road Trip

Aug. 4 - Aug. 22, 2009
Camping Road Trip from San Diego, CA to Portland, OR

I drove from San Diego to Portland over my summer break in a rental car (so I could fly back... since I was by myself I didn't want to drive both ways). I camped the whole way until I arrived in Portland and my friend Josh kindly welcomed me into his house.

Click on the link to view photos (they follow the same order as notes below): http://picasaweb.google.com/chickyboomboom/CAORRoadtrip809#

Along the California coast (I took Hwy 1 the whole way), I camped in Sate parks in the Redwoods.
Places I visited along the way:
1. Morro Bay - famous rock was fogged over.
2. San Simeon Pier - sea lions and kayakers.
3. Elephant Seal beach - only 5 elephant seals to be found.
4. Salmon Creek Falls - trail was confusing and I never found it.
5. Camped at Pfeiffer Big Sur - blue birds, mosquitoes, chilly night, broke a flip-flop, hiked to McWay falls (beautiful... there was a bench dedicated to some lady the read "you could count on her" really?), kelp beds, hiked to pfeiffer falls, hiked valley view trail (warning sign about bobcats "keep your children close as the bobcats seem to prefer them" creepy), early morning rain meant i had to pack up a muddy tent.
6. Big Sur Light house
7. Bixby Bridge
8. Point Lobos State Reserve - drizzly, only person on trail, family of 5 deer came right up to play with me (magical),
9. Carmel - 17 mile drive (rip-off), sunset drive (great)
10 Monterrey Bay Aquarium - super crowded but beautiful animals on display (see videos... click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcBHoLzriPc )
11. Camped at Big Basin Redwoods - California's 1st state park
12. Ano Nuevo State Reserve - cool old barn, pretty large pond, two dead seals on the beach (eww), a dead starfish in a stream, 2 deer came up to me
13. San Francisco - visited my wonderful friend Tiffany and stayed at her great apartment, Golden Gate bridge fogged over (of course)
14. Point Reyes National Seashore
15. Bodega Bay
16. Point Arena Lighthouse
17. Russian Gulch State Park - devils punchbowl, pretty views of bridge and inlet
18. Chandelier Drive-thru Tree Park - stood and drove through crazy large tree
19. Camped at Standish-Hickey - awesome swimming holes with cliff jumping
20. Avenue of the Giants - amazing, redwoods right along the road (see video clips here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8GYEMjYXcM )
21. Camped at Redwoods State Park (Hidden Springs) - founders grove trail (a tree over 350 ft tall), Rockefeller forest grove (amazing, immense trees), nice swimming hole, surpassed 1,000 miles on my trip, bull creek north and south trails, big tree grove (national champion: 363 ft tall, 53 ft circumference) saw family of 4 deer (even a little Bambi that still had spots)
22. Humboldt Bay - drove down to south spit jetty (large jellyfish, beautiful area, many colorful starfish, passed and alpaca farm
23. Ladybird Johnson Grove and Redwood Creek Overlook
24. Elk Pasture - Saw 7 elk with huge antlers munching on grass
25. Fern Canyon - down and 8 mile dusty, bumpy road but worth it, prehistoric looking, ferns taller than me
26. Prairie Creek - saw more elk
27. Camped at Mill Creek campground in Del Norte Coast - klamath river overlook, coastal drive (3 bobcat cubs and a state prison with cute garden out front), big tree, prairie creek and revelation trail, trees of mystery park (huge paul bunyan and babe, sky tram to great view point, amazing woodcuts done by chain saw), crescent beach overlook, Jedediah smith redwoods (stout grove, deer, swimming hole)

Finally entered Oregon
1. Grants Pass - got speeding ticket
2. Rogue River
3. Camped at Crater Lake - deer ran in front of my car (but I didn't hit it), freezing and didn't sleep at all, gorgeous lake
4. Toketee Lake - very pretty
5. Camped in Dexter - random
6. Camped at Silver Falls - passed sheep farms, grass seed capital of the world, cool farmhouses, 5 mile loop to see 7 waterfalls, swimming hole, 1 mile to see last 3 waterfalls.
7. Portland - basic city stuff but with a great tour guide: thanks again Josh. gorgeous and green city, Columbia river gorge, waterfalls, rose garden, amazing toy store

flew back home