[Slugman]

Tanja, Daisy and I headed out Sunday July 11th in our rented minivan to sample the delights of the non-Washington portion of the PNW. We went over the Astoria bridge and started south along Hwy 101, checking out Cannon beach and Haystack rock before settling in at a campground just south of Manzanita called Nehalem Bay SP. Very nice, right on the beach, scenic. Day two, Monday, saw us doing the Three Capes loop, seeing Capes Meares, Lookout, and Kiwanda. We also toured Haceta Head lighthouse, saw State parks and viewpoints too numerous to mention on the drive south, and we stayed at Carl G Washburne memorial State park north of Florence where we had a totally private woods campsite. Day three we went to the nearby Sea Lion Caves, the world's largest (and smelly-est) sea caves. They were jam-packed with Sea Lions as advertised. Well worth the seven dollars. We then explored the Oregon Dunes area. Totally awesome and almost unreal. I suggest renting a dune buggy as the walking is tough over the loose sand. Then we drove all the way to Elk Prarie Redwoods State Park in California where we stayed for four nights (get a reservation!), forcing ourselves to bypass many beautiful places along the southern Oregon coast, but stopping at several also. (They are abundant). Elk Prarie is practically covered in elk 24/7, so that was cool, and the campsite was in among the towering trees, some of them ten to fifteen feet diameter. Whoohoo! Day four we went to Gold Bluff beach and saw bull elk feeding at close range, then did the hike through Fern Canyon, a true natural marvel. It was used in the movie Jurassic Park. A true "must-see". We then went up the Bald Hills road to the Lady Bird Johnson Grove where Redwoods NP was dedicated in the late '60s. Awesome. You will leave with a sore neck for sure (from looking up at the behemoths). Day five, Thursday the 15th, we went along the California coast to Stone lagoon, Dry lagoon and Big lagoon. Dry lagoon beach park was terrific. We stopped at Patrick's Point SP and walked out to the point. Wow! Indescribeable, you'll just have to go see for yourself! Then we cruised the back roads to Trinidad and it's stunningly scenic harbor and lighthouse. Sea stacks everywhere, just amazing. Then we drove back north to the Coastal Loop road in Redwoods NP up by Klamath, CA, and enjoyed a fine sunset overlooking the beach and the mouth of the Klamath river. Day six we decided to head inland (a tiny bit is all that's required since redwoods are sensitive) to see the Oak forests and dry praries along the upper sections of Bald Hills road. Very beautiful. We then drove down onto the gravel of Redwood creek to see a herd of elk and to let Daisy swim in the creek. The elk didn't mind Daisy as long as she stayed near our side of the creek. Then we went back to the Coastal Loop road to a place called High Bluff Overlook to barbecue hand-trimmed rib steaks with roasted corn on the cob, yum. Next we took a walk on the beach near the mouth of the Klamath River, and respectfully toured a Yurok tribe sacred site nearby, which they allow. (They DO rock!). More awesome sea stacks. Our plan was to spend only two days at Redwoods and then see Mt Lassen and Crater lake among other inland treats, but we stayed an extra day at Redwoods and we loved the Oregon coast so much that we bailed on that plan. So Day seven (Saturday) saw us heading north back to Oregon again, but not before stopping at Trees of Mystery, where we rode a gondola through the redwoods. They also have the world's largest and (cheesy-ist) "Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox", which had gigantic blue testicles (I'm not making this up!) Oh yeah, I forgot, we also hiked the Cathedral Trees trail back in Redwoods SP before heading north. Amazing, simply amazing. That night we bailed on camping so we asked around in Gold Beach, Oregon and the good folks at Paul's pizza recommended the Sea and Sand Motel, right on the beach, clean, quiet, very reasonable rates (around $100 for ocean view room) and dogs not a problem. The room, the amenities and the location were all perfect, two thumbs way up. Day eight we decided to stay another night at the Sea and Sand motel, so we explored up the Rogue river by car, saving about a hundred bucks or so compared to a jet boat ride, and we saw the same river. Daisy got in some more swimming, and we hiked up to the world's largest myrtlewood tree, and we went to an old-growth trail in Siskiyou Nat Forest, where we saw some truly huge Doug Firs, more big trees close together than I've ever seen in WA. It was called the Shrader old-growth trail. Then we went just south of Gold Beach to the Pistol River area, the best sea stack collection of them all. We fell in love with the whole Gold Beach area. The port section by the Rogue river has the best seafood market around. Fresh-caught tuna for $5.50/lb! We packed many pounds in ice and they vacuum packed them for us at no charge. Day nine we went to my favorite place in the whole trip, Otter Point State Rec site on the Old Hiway 101 road. Flat sandstone slabs, sea caves and tunnels, cliffs, sea stacks, beaches, views, off the main hiway so it's peacefull and lonely, just divine. Then we stopped at Cape Blanco SP and watched whales spouting off and let Daisy swim in the Sixes river, and we met a hiker doing the whole Oregon coast trail from California to Washington. We offered him a ride out to 101 as there is no bridge across the Sixes river, but he wanted to walk the whole way, even though it was five miles out to the hiway and five back to get 100 yards north. He sure had a nice day for it. We then drove up to Oregon Dunes again, and got a campsite at Jessie M Honeyman state park, but it was a zoo, so we bailed, and went to a Lane County park called Harbor Vista park just north of Florence, and we watched an incredible sunset from nearby Heceta beach. Harbor Vista park was great, beautiful, private, great ocean sounds, convenient to the South Jetty area which we had already explored on our way down the week before but I forgot to mention. Great dunes and beaches and wildlife. On the tenth day we headed inland to Eugene and pounded up I-5 to make it home in one day, and we made such good time that we went to the Multnomah falls area in the Columbia river east of Portland since Tanja had never been. We saw Multnomah falls, walked up to the scenic bridge, then we went to Horsetail falls and hiked all the way up to Ponytail falls, where the trail goes behind the falls through a cave. All three of us walked through the portion of the falls that you can get under without swimming. Brrr! But it was a hot day and a hot climb up there, so it felt great. We got home at 8 pm, and still had to unload the rental van and re-install the rear seats and go drop it off, thankfully just in Mountlake Terrace two miles away, and not at Sea-tac airport where we had to pick it up. Renting the van, a Ford Freestar, was a necessity, since my Subaru is too small for a long camping vacation. We slept right in the van on a full-size futon, which saved us tent set-up/take-down time every day except the two motel days in Gold Beach. If I did a similar trip again, I would spend more time on the Oregon coast on the way down, see the Redwoods, then freeway it home from there on the last day. Hiway 101 takes forever to drive, since there is an incredible viewpoint or park or beach about every other mile. We wanted to see them all, and it broke our hearts to bypass so many cool places. Here are some pictures.

Arch rock

Sea lion caves

I forget where this is

Elk at Redwoods -Gold bluff beach

Fern canyon Redwoods SP

Trinidad bay California coast

Redwoods at Lady Bird grove- bigger than they look

Prarie and Oak habitat inland from Redwoods

Otter point Oregon near Rogue river

Heceta beach sunset last night of trip

Ponytail falls near Multnomah with Tanja and Daisy

[kiliki]

Oh, that was so nice to read. I love the redwoods and the NoCal coast-Gold Beach, Lady Bird Grove, Patrick's Point, and all the terrific swimming holes on the Smith and Klamath rivers...sigh.

[sarbar]

I am jealous!

[ActionBetty]

Golds bluff beach and fern canyon are awesome!!! I did the gondola ride through the trees of mystery..it was cool with the kids.. but would have rather hiked around. My favorite spot to explore is the "avenue of Giants"..its a 2 mile stretch not too far from eureka that is just like magical wonderland and you expect to see leprechauns running around. I believe they filmed part of the star wars movie there ..the part where the ewoks are racing through the forest at unbelievable high speeds... thanks for trip report and pictures

[Galadriel]

AHHH my old stomping grounds the Oregon Coast, I lived in Tillamook and Astoria years ago. Went to down Florence last month and on the way stopped to climb Cascade Head for incredible views both North and South. I enjoyed your pictures and report.

[MooseAndSquirrel]

Great report and pics Slugman- thanks for sharing all the info on what sounded like a fabulous trip. Gosh so much to see in this world, so little time... I have driven 101 up from S.F. to halfway up the Ore. Coast and it broke my heart as well not to be able to stop every 5 minutes and explore.

[Slugman]

Thanks, all. It was a great trip, very laid-back. The only tent-ish thing we brought was a screen tent to cover the picnic table, and I only set it up once, for three nights, at Redwoods SP. Camping is sure more fun if there's less work!

[Chief Paulina]

Thanks for this thread. I'm heading out in the morning to spend the rest of the week in the Redwoods area. I'm looking for a backpacking trip that goes through the Old Growth and ends on the beach. Also a bunch of hikes. Will take raingear.

[salish]

Great report, Sluggo. I used to do a lot of camping along the Oregon coast with a couple of buddies, but we finally settled on backpacking out over the dunes to the beach, just south of Reedsport. Really nice, no RV's, dunebuggies, or anything motorized (although that's fun, too). Your post is giving me the impetus to go back down this summer. Cliff

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