Roadtripping from Phoenix to Cape Kiwanda
When you have the time (in the summer), a roadtrip along the Pacific Coast is one of the best things to do - Letters from a Wanderer No 12
Roadtripping is one of the best ways to travel, to experience different landscapes at your own pace. It offers the freedom to pick the places you stop for longer or those you just drive through, the freedom to change directions mid-trip, or choose a different road on your way home. It is one of my family’s favorite way to travel - at least when we don’t need to cross an ocean.
Welcome to a new edition of Letters from a Wanderer!
Apologies for the extra email you might have gotten in Hungarian; it was only meant to go out to my Hungarian subscribers. Glitches of a new publication. I think I figured out how to separate the two newsletters, so it should not happen again. Thank you for your understanding.
Today I am writing about our latest road trip from Phoenix to the Northern Oregon Coast, driving through three states, Arizona, California, and Oregon. Our trip took us through hot deserts and snow-peaked mountains, sandy beaches and redwood forests, through small towns and large cities. Hope you’ll enjoy the overview of the trip - and let me know if I inspire you to embark on a similar road trip.
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Covering over 2,800 miles roundtrip, we drove from Phoenix to Los Angeles, then continued on the Pacific Coast through California and Oregon, where we stayed about a week in Cape Kiwanda. On the way back, we took the inland road, to drive through a different landscape.
Although we’ve spent time on the Oregon Coast most summers for the past decade, it was the first time we drove the distance. Some days we drove six hours or even more, others just barely one hour, depending on where we wanted to spend more time.
We covered most distance on our first day, since we had a lot of desert to cross from Phoenix to the California coast. And once we got to LA, we just kept going.
We spent the first night in Pismo Beach, Northern California. After a short walk on the beach the next morning, we headed out of town, along the scenic Coastal Route 1.
Climbing on switchbacks along the coast, with views of vibrant green valleys and mountain ranges on one side, and the incredibly dark blue Pacific on the other, the road was indeed one of the most scenic I’ve ever driven on.
However, it was also slow going, and closed on a long stretch ahead. So, after a stop at the beach in a small town along the road, we headed back to Route 101.
We stopped at several California Missions, before the road took us back to the coast, to Monterey Bay. Although we planned to spend more time there, we found it too crowded, with heavy traffic everywhere. So, after a brief stop, we kept going, and by the end of our second day, we made it to San Fancisco.
Though incredibly cold for a summer day and extremely windy, we still enjoyed San Francisco. We got a hotel near the entrance to the Presidio, which allowed us to walk into and through the park, to the viewpoint of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz.
It even started to rain, on top of the extreme wind, but we still enjoyed being outside after the long hours of driving. After exploring the Presidio, we walked a few blocks in the streets of the city, to find a place to eat dinner. A few blocks from our hotels we found the best sushi restaurant I’ve ever eaten at.
The next morning, we crossed the famous Golden Gate Bridge, and drove to Muir Woods National Monument. Here, we spent about an hour along the trails, enjoying the ancient redwoods.
That was only our first encounter with the giant redwoods along the road. My favorite spots on our trip were the redwood forests. As soon as we entered Humboldt Redwood State Park, we stopped in an empty parking lot near a short trail. Barely discernible in the dark forest, the trail led us among giant trees, to a stream. We stopped there for some time, enjoying our incredible surroundings, the fragrance of the woods and the gurgling sound of the crystal-clear water rushing through the forest.
The next trail we took was on the map, therefore busier. Still, we walked stretches of it without meeting other visitors.
It was much different in Redwood National and State Park though, where we stopped the following day. The trail we took was filled with people from all over the world. As gorgeous as the woods were, the experience was much different. Unfortunately, most visitors were loud, especially those traveling in groups, or families with young children. I wish people would be quieter in nature; when I walk in a forest, I always have the urge to use a lower voice, just barely above a whisper, and listen to the sounds of nature surrounding us. Although the noise of too many loud people took a bit from the experience, we still enjoyed the trail through the majestic trees.
Soon after leaving the redwoods, we reached the Oregon Coast.
In Southern Oregon, we drove out to Cape Blanco State Park and Lighthouse. Windy, as always, it was still nice to be there, shivering after the heat of the desert.
From here, we stopped often, along the sites we knew from previous trips, including Bandon, and Depoe Bay.
After five days on the road, we made it to Cape Kiwanda, where we rented a cottage one block from the beach, for nine days. The rest of our Oregon Coast vacation started here, including our tidepooling adventures in the mornings during low tide.
Next: more adventures on the Oregon Coast, including whale-watching in Depoe Bay, lighthouse visits, hikes along the shore and along the Capes, and driving the Three Capes Scenic Road.
Thank you for reading, and Happy Travels,
All the best,
Emese
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Great pics! We live in Newport and have only made the trek north to Cape Kiwanda once, and south to the trees only once. I sooooo wanted to sit by the river you photographed but my crew were on a mission to find Ewoks and hear sky trumpets. Looking forward to your whale watching post!
The redwoods are absolutely amazing! Their rugged, earthy bark, towering height, and lush green foliage make these ancient trees incredibly impressive!