For the past two summers we’ve decided to hit the open road for an adventure in lieu of any sort of long distance journey requiring air travel for a multitude of reasons, namely the pandemic. Our Summer 2022 voyage was north via California Highway 1 to Oregon’s epically verdant Coastal Highway. We did a little post on Instagram, but figured we’d share more shots from the journey here if you’d like to enjoy…
Our first stop was in Little River, California at... The Little River Inn just a stone’s throw from the quaint seaside town of Mendocino and located on the beautiful Mendocino Coast. We enjoyed an easy hike down to Van Damme State Beach where we hunted for abalone shells and driftwood as the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.
Day two included a few pit stops as we made our way along the Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor on Oregon’s Southern Coast. One must-see roadside attraction is the Prehistoric Gardens. Founded in 1955 in Port Orford, the gardens feature 23 life-sized sculptures of dinosaurs set among the lush foliage of the area's temperate rainforest. The gardens are the work of amateur paleontologist E.V. "Ernie" Nelson and the site is now run by Nelson's granddaughter.
Night number two was our absolute favorite as we enjoyed making an uber luxe airstream our home at Bay Point Landing located in Coos Bay, Oregon. Bay Point Landing is a “modern camping destination surrounded by the beauty of Oregon's wildest coast.” After seven hours on the road we were truly delighted to enjoy all of the amazing amenities, in particular the fire pit and smores kit, a hot shower complete with Beekman 1802 toiletries and pour over Sisters Coffee the next morning. We can’t rave enough about Bay Point Landing and are looking forward to returning to enjoy one of the Scandinavian-inspired modern cabins soon.
Day three took us further north through breathtaking vistas of the central Oregon coast and across photogenic bridges like the Conde McCullough-designed Siuslaw River Bridge in Florence, Oregon. We then made a little jog inland to Tillamook and the famous Tillamook Creamery for a robust scoop of their extra creamy ice cream. We ended the day at the Salishan Coastal Lodge set amidst lush greenery in every direction and a short, scenic walk to Siletz Bay.
Further north we drove on day four with a goal of making it to the Washington state border. We were also keen to check that bucket list with a stop in Astoria, Oregon to enjoy reliving scenes from the iconic film Goonies. If you’ve seen the movie you’ll recognize our shots of Haystack Rock on Cannon Beach. It’s truly amazing up close and we couldn’t help but take a million shots from different angles. We also lucked out on the weather as it was uncharacteristically sunny, though certainly windy!
Having covered the entire length of the awe-inspiring Oregon Coast it was time to head inland and south again. While we were enjoying our life as road warriors, we’d also overdone it on craft beer and Dutch Bros Coffee and were ready to get back home. Our final stop was a last minute booking that ended up being one of the many highlights. Enter the legendary Weasku Inn, located just outside Grants Pass, Oregon on the banks of the Rogue River. A fishing lodge built in 1924, the Weasku was once a vacation hideaway for Hollywood types boasting guests such as Walt Disney, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard. We had such a special last evening enjoying the beautiful grounds of this true hidden gem of Southern Oregon. We'll definitely be making our way back to this beautiful slice of the country soon and couldn't recommend taking this stunningly scenic route any more.
