Day 3 - Bandon to Sacramento

Part of the series: Vancouver to the Grand Canyon and Back Again!

<<     Bandon, Oregon

Day 4  - Sacramento to San Francisco     >>

The Immortal Tree

The Avenue of Giants is a small road the follows along below and beside the 101. It is still amazing to me that two roads can be so close to one another, and yet be so completely different. The highway feels like any other highway, rolling along the coast and around the foot of the mountains, crossing bridges that surprise you every time with how high they are. The Avenue of Giants is very definitely on the ground, winding through massive trees in absolute silence. We stopped at one grove where Angharad and Juanita went for a walk (narrowly missing some poison oak) and I just rolled the window down and listened to the forest. It was beautifully peaceful, and I dozed off a bit, I have to admit.

Proof that I am short and those trees are big!!

Purple flowers on the Oregon coast

After leaving the Avenue of Giants, we had 4 hours of driving before arriving at our hotel on the outskirts of Sacramento. At one point, we left the coast and headed back inland through Lake County during sunset. The hills in the area were  covered in golden grasses, dotted with green leafy trees (where they hadn't suffered from flash fires) and watching the sun paint the sky with shots of pink and yellow was as beautiful again as anything we had already seen on our trip south.

We got to our hotel just after 10, crashing into our beds to grab some sleep before our next day's adventure.

Clear Lake, California

Sunset over the valley

<<     Bandon, Oregon

Day 4  - Sacramento to San Francisco     >>

Bandon, Oregon

Part of the series: Vancouver to the Grand Canyon and Back Again!

<<     Oregon Coast

Day 3 - Bandon to Sacramento     >>

Sunset at Bandon

We arrived in Bandon just in time to grab supper from Dairy Queen before it closed at 9pm and watch the sunset at 9:15pm while we ate.

The motel that Angharad booked for us was ideally situated along the top of a cliff at the edge of the ocean, and after being spellbound by the sunset, I set my alarm so that I could get up and catch the sunrise over the ocean.

I will say that watching the sunrise over the ocean on the west coast of anywhere is probably not quite the same as watching it on the east coast, but I just love watching the early morning mist burn off the water as the sun comes up, and so I thoroughly enjoyed myself exploring along the headland and beach.

First glimpse of the sun from the top of the cliff

Mist burning off the ocean

<<     Oregon Coast

Day 3 - Bandon to Sacramento     >>

Oregon Coast

Part of the series: Vancouver to the Grand Canyon and Back Again!

<<     Newport, Oregon

Bandon, Oregon     >>

Soaking up some sun

Our first stop, just to relax, involved breaking out the picnic blanket and our flip flops and heading onto the beach just to lay back and soak up some sun. We saw jellyfish in the sand, I was the decided loser in an impromptu cherry-spitting contest, and after we stopped laughing we just laid back and watched everyone else enjoying a beautiful day in the sun.

Ready, set... SPIT!!!

Much laughter

Victorious gloating

Forfeit due to laughter

Laughing photographer

Jellyfish on the beach

Looking down the beach as the tide turned

Heceta Head Lighthouse

After stopping at one more beach to check out the Heceta Head lighthouse, we drove down the road a little ways and stopped again at the Sea Lion Caves where Juanita and I went down the 300ft elevator shaft to see the sea lions. Angharad opted out because she had seen it before, and I have a sneaking suspicion she didn't want to breathe that air ever again. Having experienced it once, I would have to agree. The cave itself is very cool, being an underground river type of thing where the sea lions rest during low tide while the ocean pounds against the rocks just outside. The stench, however is as if a hundred and fifty large wet dogs hung out there every day with no one to clean up after them.

Sea Lion Caves

New signs for me - Tsunami info

Oregon Coast

<<     Newport, Oregon

Bandon, Oregon     >>

Newport, Oregon

Part of the series: Vancouver to the Grand Canyon and back again!

<<     Day 2 - Salem to Bandon

Oregon Coast     >>

Crow on a tree at Newport

After our high-energy drive through the mountains, we all felt the need to get out and stretch our legs at Newport.

It was a beautiful day, there was a lighthouse to tour, a bridge and a beach and an ocean to take pictures of, and so we all very happily wandered around with our cameras, snapping happily. We also took this opportunity for a well-needed bio break.

An hour or so later, we were back on the road, heading south this time.

Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, Newport, OR

Enjoying the view from the lighthouse

Yaquina Bay Bridge, Newport, OR

<<     Day 2 - Salem to Bandon

Oregon Coast     >>

Day 2 - Salem to Bandon

Part of the series: Vancouver to the Grand Canyon and Back Again!

<<     Day 1 - Vancouver to Salem

Newport, Oregon     >>

Sunday morning we successfully found our way to the home where meeting was held, and then we were on the road to Bandon, where we would spend the night.

To get to there, we drove west from Salem to Newport via Eddyville, then down the coast road to Bandon.

Allow me to point out that when traveling in a group, it is a very good idea to establish some ground rules in order that at the end of spending 12+ days together in very confined spaces you go home and still want to speak to each other.

We had established our "rules" on the road Day 1, and they were as follows:

1. "Pineapple" was our safety word, to be used by any one of us to immediately and without questioning by the rest of us change the topic of conversation. Trust me, this is necessary.
2. "Onion" was our "HOT GUY very close, but I want to be a bit subtle about it" code word.
   
   As a note for anyone trying this one out, "Onion" is not actually an easy word to just slip into casual conversations.
   

   "Check out that onion at 2:00"

   ... see what I mean? Doesn't actually work.
   
3. Driving shifts were to be 2 hours in length ideally, and a maximum of 3 hours in length. For anyone who has not been on a road trip, let me tell you that as the driver it is really easy to lose track of time and distance and end up driving yourself into an exhausted, stressed-out mess. And once your companions realize the state you are in, it is very difficult for them to convince you that the trip will not end in catastrophe if you give up the wheel. I've seen it happen, including to myself.
4. All activities are optional or unanimous, wherever possible. Which is just another way of saying that ideally, if you're going to stop the car for an extended period of time, everyone agrees about it, and if an activity is suggested, not everyone needs to participate.
   
   If you start a trip with these expectations, it goes a long way towards avoiding hard feelings. Also something I've picked up through experience.

Which leads me  in a very round-about way to telling you about our drive from Salem to Newport.

It was Juanita's turn (see Rule 3 above) to drive, and so she was dealing with the last of our mountain or interior driving for the next couple of days. Which just means that the roads were winding and narrow and closed in by trees on either side with the odd passing lane.

And just as we were coming up to Eddyville we got stuck behind an oil (or gas) truck. Which was very frustrating for Juanita, as both our speed and our vision were affected. So when the truck slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road(ish), before Angharad and I could even think the words "uncontrolled railway crossing", Juanita zigged over the train tracks, zagged past the oncoming traffic, and thus we missed our photo op by the Eddyville sign.

All in all, Eddyville was breath-taking, and none of us feel the need to return.

Eventually, we crested the last hill before Newport, and a cheer swept through the vehicle. We could see the ocean, and that meant that we could breathe again.

First view of the ocean

<<     Day 1 - Vancouver to Salem

Newport, Oregon     >>

Planning a road trip to the Grand Canyon

Prequel to: Vancouver to the Grand Canyon and Back Again!

So, I'm still coming down from a high after my trip to Mexico, and last night, Angharad, Juanita and I had a Facetime call to talk about our road trip to the Grand Canyon in the first weeks of July.

I am SOO excited about this!! Angharad and I have been talking about doing this for about three years now, and it is finally happening. And what a road trip it is going to be.

Basically, take everything that is best about driving down the western U.S. coast, and put it together with the Grand Canyon, and you have our road trip. Trust me, I checked.

Angharad put together a preliminary plan...

"Not trying to take over, but just put this together to start the discussions"

which is what we talked about last night.

And today I Googled:

"What are the best road trips along the western U.S. coast"

According to Fodor's Travel, of the 5 best trips, we are covering over half of them.

• San Diego to Ensenada, Mexico - Not happening
• LA to Joshua Tree - While the park isn't on our itinerary, LA is; from there, we're going north of Joshua Tree National Park to Williams, where we're catching the train into the Grand Canyon.
• San Francisco to Big Sur - This is Absolutely Happening!!! Did I mention that I'm excited about this trip???
• Portland to Redwood National Park - This is half happening. We are driving along the coast from Portland to Reedsport, and then heading inland to San Francisco. Adding Redwood National Park turns a comfortable 7.5 hour drive into a 9 hour drive; we'll have to see how we feel on that day.
• Seattle to Alaska - We are not going to Alaska. We are however, driving from Vancouver through Seattle, so we will be doing some of this trip.

And then, after all of that, we get to spend Independence Day with friends,  take a train ride into the Grand Canyon, and drive through the Grand Staircase National Monument.

So, Angharad, as far as I am concerned, you can plan a road trip for me any time. And Thank You.

I will be flying back to Regina from Salt Lake City, and they will continue the trip home to Vancouver taking in the Bonneville Salt Flats, Wild Horse Monument, and Leavenworth, to name a few.

It's going to be amazing. 

Bixby Bridge, Big Sur Coast - Photograph by Don Bright