Oregon and Pacific Coast

Bucket List Trip

The Pacific Northwest is one of my favorite places to photograph, but up until now, I had only seen Washington and the Olympic National Park. This trip was focused on seeing Oregon and the Redwoods of California. My travel friend, Joan, wanted to join and she had not seen Washington. It was an easy decision to re-visit that area as well. We had a lot of ground to cover, and we both wanted a budget-friendly trip. We decided to car camp every other night and be frugal with food and accommodations.

Washington Coast

After picking up our rental car first thing, we made a quick stop at Mount St. Helen's Volcano and continued our 5-hour drive to the Olympic Peninsula. We visited the Hoh Rainforest for our first hike of the trip. We did the Hall of Mosses loop and then went on to Rialto Beach in time for sunset. We overnighted in our SUV at Mora Campground in Forks, Washington (setting for the Twilight series). We experienced our coldest night of camping: 43 degrees. The next morning, we were heading out on our first excursion at daybreak, back to Rialto Beach. We then hiked to Second Beach in LaPush, Washington. I had done this hike 12 years ago, and my memory failed to remind me of the difficulty level of getting down to the tide pools and back up to the car. The effort is well worth it to see green sea anemones, dozens of orange and purple starfish, hole-in-the-wall, and all the haystacks (ocean rock formations) scattered about this gorgeous wide beach. We stopped for a yummy lunch at Lake Quinault Lodge and had a table overlooking the lake (still part of the Olympic National Park.) We still had a ways to drive to Astoria and Oregon.

Oregon

We crossed the long bridge into Astoria and stayed overnight in Seaside, Oregon at Inn at the Shore. It was ocean-front and once again, we arrived just in time for sunset. And wowza - what an incredible sunset! Seaside, OR is end of The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail - link HERE. The trail encompasses 16 states and nearly 5,000 miles! We had a late breakfast in the town of Cannon Beach at Oros' Fireside Restaurant - seafood forward options were amazing!

More Oregon

We made our way down the coastline along Hwy. 101 and stopped at tons of overlooks and points of interest. Some of these included Tillamook Creamery (ice cream!) Devils Punchbowl Arch, Yaquina Head Lighthouse, and the Haceta Head Lighthouse. It was in this stretch of coastline that Joan saw whale spouts. We were so excited to see them! From this point, we saw spouts at almost every stop along the Pacific. We also saw surfers and began seeing sea lions. This area of Oregon is a 2-lane road that follows the coast. It's mostly elevated and occasionally the road descends to sea level. It's a photographer's dream! We hit the Haceta Head Lighthouse at dusk just as some fog was rolling in. These photos turned out to be some of my favorite images from the trip.

Umpqua Lighthouse

With all our stops during the day, we were running out of daylight - again. We found a state park and decided to check it out despite it being dusk. It was the Umpqua Lighthouse State Park - highly recommend it. I know it sounds strange to say it was awesome to be here after dark, but hear me out. The Lighthouse is one that you can drive right up to the base. The Umpqua Lighthouse is a working/full functioning lighthouse. All the colored light rays lit up the entire sky near the lighthouse as they swirled around and around. It was amazing to experience this at dark! In all my research for this trip, nowhere did I read about this Lighthouse, even the state park website doesn't mention it. Photos and video cannot do it justice. If you ever find yourself in this area, please do yourself a favor and visit here. LINK

We overnighted in Eel Creek Campground, a National Park Service (no frills) site.

Bandon, Oregon and National Wildlife Refuge at Coquille Point

After another car camping night, we continued our journey South on Hwy. 101. We took time out of the car to explore the little town of Bandon, Oregon and have a fresh seafood lunch at the wharf. And if you've followed me for any of my trips you know I like to visit at least one National Wildlife Refuge along the way. The one in Bandon at Coquille Point did not disappoint! It became a new favorite spot for me, and I hope to return some day to spend more time here. The weather was a perfect mix of moody fog and sunshine with just enough wind to blow sea mist in my face and keep me cooled off. My eyes kept trying to focus on shadow figures in the distance which were made hazy by the rolling fog. It was a whole vibe and I loved it! We saw sea lions at the Wharf and plenty of people fishing. The beach was accessible by 159 stairs.

Here are some of my favorite photos.

Redwoods National & State Park in California

We had 2 overnights in the famed Redwoods in a basic cabin at Jedidiah Smith Campground near Crescent City. It was a no-frills, pay to shower, bear proof setting in the remote Redwoods State Park. There was a small cafe (Hiouchi Cafe - we pronounced it Hoochie, but were corrected to HI- oochie). They had incredible breakfast portions, great customer service, and it seemed to be where locals ate breakfast. Also utilized a gas station for limited dining options - no fuel purchases here though due to nearly $5/gallon. We made the most of it as it was a relief to sleep somewhere instead of the car. With more time here, we decided to drive further into California and see "Avenue of the Giants". Side note: in all the states I've visited, California was the first one where I was forced to divert off the highway and directly into a warehouse where our vehicle underwent some kind of "Agricultural" search. It was the strangest thing to experience. All vehicles were forced through this area for search. Anywho..back to the Avenue of the Giants, I didn't think the extra drive (7 hours round trip) was worth it, but if you are already in the area, then yes, I recommend it. Also, the "drive through tree" costs $15, and no, we didn't do it. There are trails all over Jed Smith area and you can hike or drive through to see as many Redwood Groves as you can stand (pun intended.) I read great reviews for a hike to Fern Canyon along the Prairie Creek Scenic Byway, but it was closed for road maintenance - huge disappointment. We did get to see a beautiful herd of Elk, including a big bull. No rut, and no bugle - the bull seemed to be resting.

Crater Lake National Park

From the Redwoods, we began our trek inland and headed in a northerly direction from California. What a beautiful drive along CA Hwy 199! We experienced a FULL SERVICE gas station in Grant's Pass. Like the guy automatically came out to pump our gas when we pulled in, just like I remember growing up. I had no idea this still existed anywhere. We treated ourselves to one of the many roadside/drive through coffee stands here as well. Our next stop was Crater Lake National Park. We had to alter our route due to lingering forest fires, but the park was fully open. It was a beautiful sunny day and the lake reflected the blue sky perfectly. Here's a link for more info about Crater Lake: click here.

Bend, Oregon

Our destination for the night was Bend, Oregon. We attempted to visit the lava butte just prior to Bend. We arrived after closing, and paid the entrance before we realized the lava drive was closed. Trying to get our money's worth, we just explored around and found a beautiful bike/hiking path along the Lower Deschutes River. After a short hike, we finished the drive into Bend, found our hotel, had a lovely dinner with a black bear, went for an evening swim in the outdoor (heated) pool, and finally showered after 3 days of camping. Our hotel in Bend was the nicest stay of the trip, and the manager had a son who had just previously been in Asheville. This is when we began getting word of how bad Hurricane Helene was hitting back home. This hotel in Bend is highly recommended: Waypoint Hotel and the Black Bear Restaurant next door was convenient and yummy.

BLM and Deschutes River

I wasn't prepared for how scenic the drive was between Bend and the Columbia River Gorge. Oregon surprised me. We went through mountains, desert, prairie, valley, rivers, lakes and volcanoes. We could see Mt. Hood in the distance through most of it. There was an area on Google Maps I found during the planning stages that I wanted to explore. Joan was game, so we went for it. It showed as a gravel Forest Service / Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which followed the Deschutes River for miles and miles. Believe me when I tell you this place was in the middle of nowhere. It's one of those places I normally tell someone where I'm at in case "something happens." Just very remote, no houses or businesses, just primitive camping sites scattered along the riverbanks. The views were incredible! There were train tracks following the opposite side of the river and a tunnel with two trestles. Apparently, the fishing is great here for Sturgeon and Salmon. We saw lots of fishermen, boats, and the Federal Wildlife guy checking for fish at the exit.

Godwink (also known as an odd coincidence)

Occasionally, I experience a Godwink (or coincidence), and I like to share them when they happen. While we were driving the BLM area, we entered a stretch that was Tribal Land. The stretch was only about 300 yards long and it had a huge waterfall coming directly through the center. My photo below on the left. I was amazed that there was a Tribal member out on this tiny, makeshift pier dangling out over this high velocity waterfall. He appeared to be fishing in the waterfall. We stopped just to watch for a few minutes, and I snapped the photo. Again, we were literally in the middle of nowhere. Well, when we got to our hotel that night and walked into the room, the first thing I saw was a print hanging on the wall of the EXACT same shot!! The Tribal fisherman on his perch hanging over the raging river. I mean...really? Godwink.

Columbia River Gorge and Waterfalls

The Columbia River Gorge was the last area of Oregon to explore, and was the most anticipated. Multnomah Falls located in the Gorge has been on my Bucket List ever since I started taking pictures. During my research for the area, the parking for Multnomah seemed fairly challenging, requiring a reservation time slot, etc. with no guarantee of getting a spot. One bypass solution was renting eBikes which allowed us to explore at our own pace and not have to worry with parking. We used @ebikemultnomahfalls and picked up our pedal-assist/throttle supported eBike and headed on our way. They offered a 1/2 day or full day rental (the full day was only $20 more.) It's impossible to get lost on the route and the 2-lane road has a 35mph speed limit for cars. You're sharing the road, but it's pretty safe so long as you abide by biking rules. There are 7 stops along this Scenic Byway (6 waterfalls, plus one stop at the historic Crown Point Vista House.) The Vista House has a significant elevation change, so the throttle and pedal-assist were needed. I was surprised at how easily I made it up the steep incline. This location offered amazing views of the Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood area. After that, the road was pretty much all downhill. I was nervous at first, but the eBike maxed out at 28mph. No crashes to report, and by the end of the day we had biked approximately 38 miles.

Included on the eBike route were: Crown Point Vista House, Latourell Falls, Shepperds Dell waterfall, Bridal Veil Falls, Wahkeena Falls, Multnomah Falls (!), and Horsetail Falls. We were grateful for the activity this day, as it provided a great distraction to the Hurricane news coming from home. We found a great restaurant in The Dalles and ate there both nights.

Here are some of my favorite photos from the day.

The Dalles, Mt. Hood, and Portland

We spent two nights in The Dalles, accommodations were few and far between. Our location hosted firefighters, linemen, etc. who were in there battling wildfires. They hogged up the hot tub, so we (I) tried the outdoor pool - nope! Too cold. We found a couple restaurants that we really enjoyed: Rivertap and Bette's Place. We also made a stop at the Bonneville Fish Hatchery and Sturgeon Center. We spent time exploring the little towns and watching kite surfers before heading to our hotel in Portland. We both had very early flights the next morning, and we were also becoming increasingly anxious about traveling back home in the aftermath of Helene. My friend Joan changed her flight to go to Knoxville to be with her kids instead of going home. Her power was out, and we didn't know if she could even get to her house. So, I traveled back to Charlotte airport solo, got my car, and faced the unknown with a 5-hour drive back to Asheville. The joy of the previous10-days quickly subsided to the shock and trauma of the scene in my windshield as I made my way home. The rest of that story is a tale for another post.

We flew in/out of Portland airport and stayed near the airport on the first and last nights of the trip. Joan and I agreed to not spend time in Portland as we preferred to be out in nature and away from the city. I know there will be people saying we missed a great town, food, etc., but that's just what we decided. Plus, Portland is known for being similar to Asheville and we didn't need that. Haha! Food photo below is a seafood burger - best meal of trip from Bette's (I know my foodie friends will want to know.)

And, yes - our rental car from Portland was a Subaru. All the stereotypes were in place. (The guy at the rental desk hooked us up with a brand new, all leather ride.) Total miles driven was just under 3,000 miles over 9 days. Shared trip cost us each just over $500 (including car rental, fuel, all lodging, park fees, etc.) - food, eBikes, and airfare were additional individual expenses. We had two nights sleeping in the car, two nights in the rustic cabin, and five nights in hotels. The threat of forest fires kept us in hotels more than we planned, but it was the safer option.

Random photos that didn't fit anywhere else!

The shenanigans were held to a minimum, but here's some more photos.

It's a wrap!

If you've made it this far - THANK YOU for following along. :) Inquiring minds usually ask about the next big trip. I'm exited to share that I'm re-joining my Solo Travel Group for a small ship cruise to Croatia and Italy in April 2025.

All photos within this post are copyright protected by Lisa Hale Photos 2024. Feel free to share the post in its entirety if so inclined. I'm also happy to share my itinerary or route if there is an interest. Email: lisahalephotos@yahoo.com

Happy Travels!

<3 Lisa