Tag: blueskyandhardrock

The landscape shifts from dominantly dry golden hills to the lush, rolling green of valleys and mountains punctuated only by little towns, rivers and farms as we make our way from California, land of sunshine, to the Pacific Northwest, always wet and ever gray. The stark contrast and apparent transition may shock at first, especially when you’re used to eternal sunshine, but it never fails to astound, no matter how many times it’s witnessed.

It is to Portland and ultimately Seattle that we are headed, but with a few planned and unplanned stops along the way because you just can’t help but. It is, after all, an eventful drive in a stunning country from Southern California to Washington, a journey that spans more than a thousand miles, traverses the western most part of the United States from north to south, and passes irresistible wonders. Morro Bay, San Simeon, Big Sur on the coastal road, Sequoia, Yosemite, Mount Shasta on Interstate 5 – and that’s just in California!

We’ve been to all of these and more, but this time we’re bypassing the familiar and exploring the new and unknown.

Mountains

Crater Lake. Our first real stop on this trip, if you don’t count the cheap but decent hotel (thanks Expedia!) for the night and a leisurely breakfast at Black Bear Diner (a favorite hearty stop of ours), is the spectacular Crater Lake. A little more than 2 hours northeast of Ashland, OR, this deep blue lake is born of a volcanic explosion thousands of years ago, purely fed by rain and snowfall and one of the deepest lakes in the world. It’s a must detour on your way north, and a chance for a snowball fight in the grounds of nearby Crater Lake Lodge.

Mount Rainier. Next stop is Emerald City’s pride and joy. It’s the highest mountain in Washington, watching over Seattle and the neighboring cities with its glaciated peak (it has 26 major ones!) In the summer from late July to August, its meadows burst with the colors of the wildflowers, and in the winter, its trails are buried under glorious snow.

Sound

The Crab Pot. It’s touristy and a chain, yes, and the line is always long – not exactly a top choice for food snobs. But who can resist a feast of crabs, shrimp, clams, mussels, corn and potatoes?! This popular restaurant on Pier 57 is a great foodie stop in a seafood city like Seattle.

Port Townsend. I never did understand why Stephanie Meyers chose Forks as the main setting for her famous YA series. Sure, Forks has the greatest amount of rain, but it’s got to be the worst setting for a romantic story – especially with the charming town of Port Townsend only 103 miles away that probably gets the same miniscule amount of sunshine as Forks! Nestled in the northeastern tip of the evergreen Olympic Peninsula, about 3 hours away from Seattle by car, Port Townsend is exactly like those dreamy towns we see in movies and TV shows. Except it’s real. From its wooden docks with views of the bay and the neighboring islands and the late 1800 Victorian houses that are kept preserved and still being used today to the quirky downtown and uptown shops that sells wonderful treasures to take home and locally made products and the super friendly locals, it’s an unforgettable place to keep coming back to.

And Back Down on the Coast

Yaquina Head Lighthouse. I love lighthouses (who doesn’t?), and Oregon… well, Oregon’s got 11 of them. One day, I’ll visit and photograph them all in one trip, there’s only room for one right now. Yaquina Head’s lighthouse is definitely a great first stop. It’s a great scenic drive from the park’s entrance to the parking lot near the lighthouse trailhead, and the lighthouse overlooks a rock island that’s because a natural pit stop for hundreds of bird. And if you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of gray whales swimming out at sea.

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Places to Stay

Klamath Motor Lodge. While a 2-star hotel, it’s a great and cheap stop for the night for travelers on a road trip with it’s clean rooms, comfortable bed, and complimentary continental breakfast and WiFi. (Yreka, CA)

Super 8 Kelso Longview. Super 8s may not have the best reputation, but after reading and rereading all the reviews on Expedia, we decided to give it a go and I’m glad we did! It’s a cheap option with complimentary breakfast and WiFi when you’re looking for a decent place not far from the Mount Rainier National Park. (Kelso, WA)

Ann Starrett Mansion. If you’re feeling adventurous and historical, the Ann Starrett Mansion is a perfect place to stay when visiting Port Townsend. This historical mansion, built in 1889, has a romantic backstory and a lovely interior. We stayed in the Gable Suite, which is basically the attic, and enjoyed bigger floor space and privacy. Even better, the mansion is a short and pretty walk away from the town’s downtown and uptown strips. (Port Townsend, WA)

Windmill Inn of Roseburg. When driving down Oregon on your way to California, the Windmill Inn of Roseburg is a great stop for the night. It’s cheap but surprisingly pleasant, with clean facilities, bright furniture, and rooms with a private patio overlooking the pool. Continental breakfast and WiFi are also complimentary. (Roseburg, OR)

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