California-Oregon Road Trip: The Conclusion

You might want to read the last couple of entries before this one if you haven't yet. Otherwise, this won't make as much sense.

Wednesday, July 20
Destination: Crescent City, CA



We left shortly before 9 AM, with the expectation that it was supposed to be a very hot day. No worries, as we were headed toward the coast (where it was significantly cooler). Shortly after we left Travis AFB, we were cruising through Napa. I couldn't let the opportunity pass to do at least one wine tasting, even though we had a rather ambitious agenda for the day.

Lance indulged me, and we stopped at Beringer, where I spent a perfectly pleasant half hour sipping wine and talking to the nice woman who poured my tastings. I walked out with 2 bottles of yummy sparkling White Zinfandel and a souvenir glass.



A short time later, we were back on the road. Lance turned off on some side road that led to what is (allegedly) the world's largest petrified redwood forest, but we decided to skip it once we got there. We just didn't want to risk paying the price of admission for possible disappointment, but we looked around the tiny museum for a few minutes before moving on.

I have to admit, as much as we hate tourist traps, we somehow felt like we were obligated to pay $5 to drive through a tree. However, we didn't even get to do that, since there was a very large group standing in front of it, who refused to move when they saw our car (RUDE! I was inclined to ask them to reimburse us since they wouldn't let us get what we paid for). After a few minutes, we got sick of waiting for them and just parked in the parking lot to explore that area for a bit.

It wasn't until we got to The Avenue of the Giants that things got really impressive.


What can I say about these ancient, majestic trees? They make you feel small and insignificant, and that's not a bad thing. I had this feeling quite often throughout the trip at different locations.

After we finished our detour through The Avenue of the Giants, we met back up with the 101 and continued our journey toward the coast. Of course, we continued to drive through the redwoods and even caught sight of a herd of Roosevelt Elk.

Around dinnertime, we made it to Crescent City. We checked into the Lighthouse Inn right at the entrance to town on the 101. Our room had an ocean view. It was spacious, clean, and comfortable. And our room was discounted to the lowest possible rate, so we stayed overnight for less than $100. I liked this hotel. The decor is nautical meets Grandma, but we enjoyed our stay there.

After checking in, we went next door to the Northwoods Restaurant. It was crowded, and the service was slow, but our server apologized over and over again. She did the best she could under the circumstances. The food was delicious. Lance had a burger. I got Chicken Jerusalem, which was chicken, mushrooms and artichokes in a white wine cream sauce. It was accompanied by dinner rolls, garlic pasta, steamed veggies and a trip to their salad bar. We were definitely stuffed. I don't think I even got through half my meal before I had to give up.

A huge meal should always be followed by a leisurely walk. So we strolled along Crescent City Harbor just as the sun was setting. It was a beautiful end to our busy but fun day.

Thursday, July 21
Destination: Tillamook, OR



We left Crescent City shortly before 9 AM. It was a bit foggy and chilly. By the time we got to Oregon (a relatively short drive from there), the sun was out and it promised to be a beautiful day.

We had no particular agenda, except to get to Tillamook. And yes, it was all for the cheese. On the way, Lance and I just pulled over at whatever scenic viewpoints interested us, and there were A LOT. The Oregon coast boasts some of the most stunning scenery I have ever been privileged to see in all my travels.

If you have never taken a trip on the Pacific Coast Highway, do so. You won't regret it, I promise.

I loved all the coastal towns we drove through. I could've stopped at every one and poked into the cute little shops or eaten at the local spots. But we drove through most of them (with a short detour in Newport). Alas, we didn't have the time to explore further, since we needed to get to Tillamook by 6 PM if we wanted time to go to the cheese factory. And as for eats on the road, we had a picnic at some random lake we just happened to be driving by around lunchtime. We were a bit inland at that point. But it was near the Oregon Dunes.

I think it was around 5 PM or so that we arrived in Tillamook. We easily found our hotel - The Ashley Inn - which was just a stone's throw from the Tillamook Cheese Factory. I didn't even plan it that way. We checked in, got settled into our room, and headed off to cheese heaven.

We both wanted to order the macaroni and cheese at their cafe. We were disappointed to learn that they were out of mac and cheese. So we both ended up ordering grilled cheese sandwiches, which were good, but not what we were craving. I must say that their french fries were some of the best I ever had.

The actual self-guided tour part of our visit didn't take too long. I took more pleasure in shopping at their impressive food shop (they not only sell dairy products, but they also sell a lot of things that pair well with their cheeses). We bought 3 packages of their "squeeky cheese" (cheese curds), 1 package of smoked medium cheddar, 1 package of smoked vintage white extra sharp cheddar, and some fudge. And we stopped at their ice cream shop before we left. How can you resist?

We didn't do anything else after that. Lance was tired after a day of driving, so we just watched TV back at our hotel room.

Friday, July 22
Destination: HOME!

Within an hour of leaving Tillamook, we were at the most superlative beach I have ever seen in my life. I didn't even care that it was about 58 degrees and overcast. I was squishing sand between my toes and dipping my feet in the tidepools. It was heaven.



This was Cannon Beach, and I could stay there for the rest of my life. The tide was out, so we were able to walk right up to Haystack Rock, which at 235 feet tall, is the third tallest intertidal structure in the world (so sayeth Wikipedia). Signs marked the prohibited areas, because Haystack Rock is a sanctuary for birds. It's most famous for its puffins, but we didn't see any.

I saw a lot of sea anemones, starfish, and other ocean critters in the tidepools.

My only regret is that we didn't stay longer in town, but Lance wanted to make a stop in Astoria too and we had to pick up the dogs from boarding before the vet closed.

So...Astoria.

We stopped there, but we didn't really do anything. I took a few pictures of the Columbia River and the Washington side. We got glimpses of some of the major tourist attractions. I just think we both kind of ran out of steam and just wanted to get home. I thought Astoria was very cute though, from what I saw of it. I can see why this has been the setting for movies such as "The Goonies" and "Short Circuit."

We crossed the Astoria-Megler Bridge into Washington State. For awhile, there were no signs of civilization and it was time to think about lunch. The first town we hit wasn't very promising. Shortly after, we entered a town called Raymond. That didn't look too promising either, until I saw a Golden Arches. I'm not really a big fan of McDonald's. As fast food goes, it's probably my least favorite. But when you're out in the middle of nowhere and there are few other options...

It wasn't bad, all things considered. But once we hit the road again, we had discovered that a Dairy Queen was less than a mile away from McD's. Rats.

That was our last stop until home.

This vacation was one of the best we've had together since our marriage, in my opinion. I thought nothing could top Europe. I still love Europe, don't get me wrong. But there is something about discovering the beauty within your own country. And I felt a real sense of peace and relaxation, not having to worry about currency exchanges or language/cultural differences.

I look forward to our move to Washington D.C., but I will miss the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

Want more pictures? Click here.

San Francisco

As I mentioned in my last post, most of our vacation was a family visit. But my brother and sister-in-law graciously agreed to my request to go to San Francisco, since Lance and I have never been there and we are moving to the East Coast early next year.

We were only there for about 2.5 hours. That was long enough to see Fisherman's Wharf (with lunch at Boudin Bakery - clam chowder in a sourdough bowl). It was always our intention to stay with the family and not venture out on our own. And when there are toddlers with you, you don't really expect to be out long, especially when one is late for her nap.

Lance and I plan to go back someday, but we were quite happy to take the Baylink ferry back to Vallejo when they did. Honestly, San Fran felt very crowded and claustrophic to me, but I would expect nothing less on a summer Sunday.

Here are my photos. I'm not happy with these, but I had to shoot some of the sights (Golden Gate Bridge) from far away, and Fisherman's Wharf was just too tourist clogged to get decent photos. And sometimes, I was also holding my 3-year-old niece's hand, so I was trying to take pictures one-handed. :)

Oregon/California Road Trip – Part 1

Day 1: July 14th
Destination: Crater Lake National Park/Crater Lake Lodge



We left Kent around 8 AM with the intention of getting to Crater Lake before dinner. We didn’t have any stops planned in-between, although we knew we would have to make stops for lunch, gas, restroom breaks, etc. And sometimes it’s also more about the journey than the destination, so Lance encouraged me to let him know if I wanted to pull over at scenic overlooks and such.

The drive was fairly uneventful. Portland was cloudy, so we didn’t get to see the magnificent Mt. Hood. After Portland, we stopped at the first rest stop we could find to have a picnic lunch. (Hint: plug-in coolers are super handy. We have one that plugs into both my car and a regular power outlet. And no worries about replacing ice.) I packed a ton of food, because it was also my intention that we would eat in our room at Crater Lake Lodge instead of eating at their expensive restaurant.

We drove for a bit after lunch until we hit a national forest. And then another one. And then another one. It seemed most of Oregon was a national forest. It was a gorgeous drive and the weather was fine, although we had a few too many stops (due to road construction) for my liking. But we stopped to get gas in a really cute town in the middle of nowhere – Oakridge, I believe.

And then, finally, Crater Lake.

There was snow, and lots of it. As we drove further into the park, Lance noticed a scenic overlook. So we pulled into the parking lot.

There it was.

It was one of those rare moments when you feel like the air is literally sucked out of you. Crater Lake did that for me. The water so limpid, so blue. I think I stood there with my jaw on the ground for a good minute or so, just taking it in. It was incredible.

We spent several minutes at that scenic overlook, then moved to another one. We did this until we arrived at Crater Lake Lodge.

I fell in love with the lodge. It fits into its surroundings beautifully. Our room was quaint and comfortable. We had no TV, but we were prepared for that. I packed books and a deck of UNO cards. But we mostly wanted to spend our time walking around and admiring the view.

We tried to watch the sun set that evening on the lodge’s massive verandah, which looks out over the lake. But the mosquitoes proved to be too much. And the chill in the air got to me (even though I was bundled up). So we called it a night.

Day 2: July 15
Destination: Fairfield, CA/Travis AFB



I was up really early that morning – before 6 AM – and I went down into the lobby to watch the sun rise. I brought a book with me, and when they started serving coffee in the lobby at 6:30, I sat in front of the fireplace with my coffee and book. It was so relaxing. When Lance got up and ready, we packed up the car. We decided to have breakfast at the nearby Annie Creek Restaurant, which is in another part of the park. This is only because we didn’t know how long it would be before we found the next town.

It was a rip-off. I kind of figured that going in, because it had horrible reviews online. We paid way too much for a very small continental breakfast (it was all you can eat, but we were saving room for In-N-Out Burger for lunch). That was our first meal out on this trip (if you want to call it that), so we sucked it up.

Back on the road, and we hit the California border in relatively short order. We stopped in Weed for gas (should’ve waited a bit longer – it was about 20 cents cheaper per gallon later on). I was admiring the landscape as we drove, except for Mt. Shasta being covered by several clouds.

I had my first taste of In-N-Out Burger in Redding. It was worth it. I was skeptical about waiting in the long line at the drive-through, but I figured the food had to be good if it was that busy. And it was.

And that’s really all until we hit Travis AFB, which is where we stayed for several days. That’s where my brother (a sailor) is stationed with his family, and we needed some time to visit him, his wife, and our two darling nieces.

That’s all until Sunday, when we spent a few hours in San Francisco exploring Fisherman’s Wharf. Stay tuned.

Here are the pictures from the first 2 days.

California Dreamin'

I'm currently sitting at the Burbank Airport, making use of their free Wi-Fi while I wait for a flight back to Seattle and impending snowmageddon. I'll keep the above image (Santa Monica Beach) burned into my memory as I spend the next couple of days hoping that our power holds and we don't freeze to death.

Needless to say, the weather in Southern California is quite a departure from the damp chill of Seattle. I arrived to sunshine and left with sunshine and had lots of sunshine everywhere in between.

Day 1: Los Angeles Zoo

I arrived in L.A. around lunchtime, and my brother took me to his house to drop off my luggage and have a sandwich. Shortly afterwards, we drove to the Los Angeles Zoo. I loved the landscaping there, since the flora is quite different from Washington's, but otherwise, I didn't see any animal exhibits that impressed me. It's a nice zoo, but there was nothing really unique about it. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon, though. After traveling all morning, I didn't feel like doing any hardcore sightseeing.

Dinner that night was at a nice American restaurant called Dish in La Cañada. The evening was very relaxed.

Day 2: Santa Monica Pier/Hollywood

I woke up, ready for some hardcore sightseeing. Weather-wise, this was the warmest day, which was great, because we were headed to the beach. My brother drove me out to Santa Monica Pier, which was almost empty that time of morning. Perfect. We walked along the pier, walked barefoot on the beach (so amazing to do that in early January), and stopped at Perry's Beachside Cafe for a late breakfast/early lunch. I can't even tell you how relaxing it is to sit outside in the sun on a warm January morning, eating fresh-made veggie burritos and hash browns, listening to the waves crash on the shore, and smelling the salty air.

Afterwards, we drove through Malibu, and then turned onto a mountain road and drove up through Toluca and back toward my brother's place, where we parked at the rail station and took the train to Union Station. From there, we took the subway to Hollywood & Vine.

Here's the disappointing part. I didn't see what the big deal was about Hollywood, honestly. I walked up one side of Hollywood Boulevard, along the Walk of Fame, and got harassed at every turn by tour operators trying to get me to take some overpriced tour. It was crowded. It was claustrophobic. You couldn't even stop to look at anything for fear of getting trampled. I took pictures of a few of the theaters, and we turned around at Grauman's Chinese Theater and headed back to the nearest subway station at Hollywood & Highland. Been there. Done that. No need to do it again.

The rest of day 2 was spent hanging out with the family. So now we move on to...

Day 3: The Getty

I've seen some pretty impressive museums in Europe. My top 3 are the Victoria & Albert, the Hermitage, and the Louvre. The Getty is on par with those. It's a huge, modern glass and concrete structure at the top of a mountain. You need to take a tram to get up there. Plan to spend an entire day, because it takes at least that long to see everything. Their galleries are extensive (European art, photography and illuminated manuscripts, among other things), and they also have a very nice garden. I think we covered most of it, but there were still come exhibits we missed. As for famous artwork that's displayed there, does this do anything for you? That's the most famous painting I saw. Regardless, their collection is impressive and fascinating.

Later on that day, right at dusk, my brother drove me into Pasadena (where we passed the Rose Bowl) for a quick hike at Eaton Canyon.

Day 4: The Huntington Library

As if The Getty isn't impressive enough, the Huntington Library completely knocked my socks off. This, for me, was the very best place I visited on the trip. My friend - being a fellow literature geek - suggested it, and I immediately agreed. We were not disappointed.

A 15th century manuscript of The Canterbury Tales!


Also, a first folio of Shakespeare!

This is an English major's playground. They also have a nice collection of art, including the famous painting of Thomas Gainsborough - "The Blue Boy."

And the gardens...oh, THE GARDENS!

So many gardens: Japanese, Chinese, rose, sculpture, desert (my favorite), Australian, sub-tropical...I could go on. All are different. All are jaw-dropping in their beauty.

Yes, The Huntington also takes an entire day to cover. Do go. It's worth it, I promise. We left at lunchtime to eat at an old-school soda fountain - Fair Oaks Pharmacy & Soda Fountain - on Route 66 in South Pasadena (go for the nostalgia and the ice cream - the food is ok), but you get stickers that allow you to come back. And come back, we did.

I was back at my brother's by dinnertime, where we had a last dinner out at Ernie Jr.'s Taco House.

And that takes us to today. But today was mostly just a day to chill out at my brother's house. We only ventured out to Barnes & Noble to get a book for me to read for the flight back.

We'll be boarding soon, so I leave you with my Flickr photo set (132 photos...YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED) and some links:

- Dish Restaurant

- The Getty

- Fair Oaks Pharmacy & Soda Fountain

- The Huntington Library