In an effort to escape the rainy winter doldrums, Tom and I planned a short road trip at the beginning of March. The idea was to fly to LA and drive up the California coast, along Highways 1 and 101. Tom went to college in southern California and has driven up the coast several times, whereas I am less familiar with the state, especially south of San Fransisco.
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| March 4 - 7 |
Tom and I grabbed our face masks and flew from PDX on Thursday, for a quick two-hour flight to Burbank (just north of LA). We landed around noon, and picked up our rental car--a Kia Forte with excellent gas mileage.
Our first item on the agenda, which was the main inspiration behind the road trip, was to collect a large painting from Tom's grandma in Glendale. After packing it safely in the car, we headed to the coast, soaking in the Malibu sun and heat. I instantly fell in love with southern Californian weather at Malibu Lagoon State Beach. The Pacific Ocean was chilly, but the sea air was perfect. I felt jealous of the surfers and cyclists who enjoy this weather year-round... next home maybe?
That evening, Tom and I treated ourselves (courtesy of my dad's hotel discount) to a night at the Ritz Carlton in Santa Barbara. The beautiful resort is tucked into a hillside overlooking the ocean.
Day 2: Santa Barbara
Since we arrived late the night before, Tom and I took our time exploring the resort and beach Friday morning; another lovely weather forecast with few people around (likely related to the time of year and pandemic).
I would like to spend more time in Santa Barbara in the future, but because of our short timeline, we packed up the car and continued north. A few hours later, we stopped to stretch our legs and grab a bite to eat in Pismo Beach--one of my many cute beach towns on our route.
We were unable to drive through Big Sur due to a recent mudslide, but I would like to visit on a future trip. Instead, we stopped for breaks in Monterrey and Santa Cruz.
We started feeling tired in central California, shortly after driving over the Golden Gate Bridge, so we found a place to stay just north of San Francisco in Bodega.
Day 3: Redwoods
Tom and I woke up on Saturday to a crisp morning in Bodega Bay. I missed the heat, but the sun felt good. We kicked off the day with an easy 3-mile hike to Stump Beach Cove in Salt Point State Park. The level trail crosses grassy bluffs along a jagged shoreline; a great way to get our energy up for a long drive day.
Afterwards, we continued up the coast to northern California, stopping for lunch in the small town of Mendocino. The landscape slowly began to feel more like Oregon as we entered the redwood forests. The Avenue of the Giants is a scenic highway that winds through Humboldt Redwoods State Park. The trees that grow along the Redwood Highway are Coastal redwoods (sequoia sempervirens). They are the tallest living things on our planet, reaching up to 350' high and 18' across. These giants were big enough for us to literally drive through!
Exhausted after night fall, we crashed in Crescent City.
Day 4: Medford
It would have been fun to complete the road trip along the Oregon coastline, but we wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to see Tom's good friends in southern Oregon. So we set off on Sunday morning, heading inland via Highway 199. This scenic drive is spectacular, winding through the enchanted forests on the Smith River before climbing in the Siskiyou Mountains of southern Oregon.
Tom and I met Mike and Madison for lunch in Medford, happy to spend time together during such a difficult time in history. It was bittersweet to leave them as we finally headed home.
Tom and I enjoyed our short vacation, feeling grateful for the break from work and routine; the days seem much longer when everything is new and exciting. We were blessed with idyllic weather, pleased to get a splash of color on our PNW skin. We drove about 1,300 miles over four days (three nights), which averaged 6-8 hours of car time per day. Next time, I would take a few extra days, and maybe camp instead of stay at hotels. As usual after any trip, I am eager to spend more time in California!
