Do you love to drive? Do you love the great outdoors even more? Me, too! In early May of 2024, my companion and I flew from Cincinnati to Seattle, rented a car, and after much detailed planning, began a beautiful road trip down the stunning 101 highway. With a slight detour inland to stay in the park lodge in Mount Rainier National Park and a visit to stay with a couple of friends near Seattle, this is our story.
Day 1: Tying up neatly with a Delta Vacations package our nonstop flights and standard size car rental with Enterprise (I am a travel advisor and love working with them for savings on air, cars and hotels!), we had an easy time getting to the airport mid afternoon. The car rental was a short bus ride away after landing, and we quickly began the adventure early evening on a Thursday night.
Day 2: Our weekend was fun! Visiting Dan’s long-time friend north of the city complete with an overnight in her lovely basement Air BNB (comped…thank you, Beth!) for two nights, we rode both of Seattle light rail trains to get downtown and to the Seattle Yacht Club for their opening day festivities. Bonus: It was a gorgeous sunny day! We had never been to the top of the Space Needle, and the Chihuly exhibit was stunning. Seattle harbor is huge and the land around this fascinating city is breathtaking. Add it to your must visit places, to be sure. I had been to Seattle twice before for short visits and cannot get enough. Foodies? Don’t miss the Public Market. Check out this cute little fellow I met there. Grin. And be sure to get a salmon sandwich from Market Grill. About $14 and YUMMY. Sit at the counter; have fun with the staff. We did!
Day 3: Dan’s friends in Port Orchard were our companions for the trip into Olympic National Park, and we reached their home in the woods after a leisurely breakfast by about 11 am. A 2-hour drive took us to Hurricane Ridge where, sadly, the visitor’s center lodge had burned completely to the ground last summer. Some residual snow made for a pretty wet hike, but that was OK with me! I love to walk in the snow. The views were great from up there, although it is windy and at elevation, so even int eh summer you will want to bring along a little windbreaker or rain gear. It actually snowed during our visit May 4!
On the way back we did a bit of a triangle to reach Port Townsend, a fun little town on the water. Check out SIRENS if you visit. ON the 3rd floor of the old seaside building, yet another delicious sandwich for me. This time a sushi-grade tuna. Along with a nice glass of red wine, I was in food heaven once again. Oh, an aside that may interest you…the Paradise Visitors Center was large, comfy, and had a really nice exhibit.
Day 4: Waving a sad “cuz it was too fast” goodbye to Kerry and Cheryl after the best breakfast of our trip(!), we pointed the car towards the picturesque road to Mt. Rainier National Park. We arrived at 1 PM to the National Park Inn and, since off -season, were able to check-in immediately. The cost for 1 night was $294.30. There were only 4 other rooms rented that night (of 33). I don’t mind supporting our National Parks. There is another lodge called Paradise Lodge up the mountain, but rooms there are available only in the summer months. Although a “storm” was coming and the gates were scheduled to be closed at 5 pm, we enjoyed more snow as we hiked to a waterfall that we could only hear, not see. I took a video of the sound and snowfall when we reached the end of the trail. We giggled about it and passed no one while hiking! Oh, an aside that may interest you…the Paradise Visitors Center was large, comfy, and had a really nice historical and natural exhibit upstairs. Take the time.
I have to share one of my journal entries from the day. Honestly. Felt. This.
“A nature retreat like this every once in a while can be restoring…it’s real for me. Oh, haven’t seen Mt. Rainier today at all, however I feel its strength. This is a spiritual place for native Americans. That is real, too.”
Dinner at the lodge was nice, but nothing special. It sure was quiet since there were not many of us staying there! The bed was fairly comfy, but we skipped the $$ breakfast in the morning and took off early towards the coast. Our destination was Astoria.
Pro tip: Prices for food are high in the parks, so bring along some snacks and sandwich items, if possible. We packed a soft cooler in order to have the ability to carry healthy snacks or to keep leftovers cool. Also, do try to keep your car at least half full of gas on these back roads. I would hate to run out of gas so far from a town.
Day 5: We arrived at about noon in Astoria from the 3-hour drive and met my son, wife and grand dog who drove up to meet us from LA. They have a travel van they can take to campgrounds and had been on the road a few days at that point. We would be companions for the next 3 days, then meet up again in LA on my birthday. Fun! Just outside of Astoria you can visit the outside of the GOONIES house! That address is 38th St, Astoria, OR 97103. If you are a huge fan of the movie, there are lots of other points of interest to view, too.
Our next stop after meeting the “kids” and checking out the bridge both ways (it’s a strange uphill view coming from the north into Astoria!) was Ecola State Park. A best friend from my teenage years, Mike D, from Portland, met us in the parking lot for what was perhaps my most memorable hike of the trip! The views of the famous rock on Cannon Beach were stunning as we climbed, even in the light rain. It’s a 3.1 mile loop muddy climb, and we turned back about 3/4 of the way to the top. To make it even more enjoyable, Mike used a phone app that geo-cache folks use, so every once in a while, he would share some clues for us to find a hidden “treasure” in the woods just off trail. That might be a fun hobby to pick up if you are on the trails a lot!
This from the CannonBeach.org website: “Haystack Rock is one of Oregon’s most recognizable landmarks, home to colorful tidepools and diverse birdlife. It has been featured in countless novels, television programs, and movies such as The Goonies and Kindergarten Cop.”
Afterwards we checked into the eclectic hotel room at The Waves/The Argonauta Inn/The White Heron Lodge just steps from Cannon Beach. The cute little room had its own carport, a fireplace, and a comfy bed. That’s all I need! After a quick turnaround to meet up at Bill’s Tavern (just around the corner!) for dinner and a drink (thanks, Mike!), we all walked back past our room to the stairs to Cannon Beach. The beach is wide, and little Ritz had a blast running around! We were rewarded for walking in the rain by not one, but TWO rainbows. Pretty magical, I would say. And by this time in the trip I was finally on west coast time, gratefully. I stole some time journaling about the trip after saying goodbye to Mike, and a really good sleep followed the long day of exploring and hiking. And the best part? Our off-season hotel rate was a whopping $132.49!
Day 6: We awoke fairly early and drove away by about 8 am with the Coos Bay area as our hotel destination. It was a long haul today, and we stopped quite a bit for the gorgeous views from the 101. The turnouts are plentiful with lots of room to park. Since we were so early in the season, most times we would be the only people there! Much of the day we followed my son (also a Mike!) and Elena, as he had stops in mind for us. Hiking included the beautiful Cape Lookout State Park Cape Trail, and the temps were certainly a bit warmer than the rainy hike the day before. They had checked in advance where Ritz was allowed to play on the beaches, and he had a blast again running to his heart’s content. It’s pretty cute when he is trekking on leash and needs a break. He puts on his brakes and simply stops and looks up. Since he is not even 10 pounds, Dad doesn’t mind.
A second stop worth noting is called “Spouting Horn”, an ocean geyser that is fun to watch. We walked out pretty far on black volcanic rock to check it out, although at one point my “mom” kicked in and I asked both Mike and Dan to come back a bit, as the tide seemed to be coming in quickly and the water was gushing pretty high and wide!
We reached our next home away from home by about 7:30, however…whoops…with very little internet connection all day I had missed communications from them about how to get our key to the cute little modular A-frame we had rented for the night. Mike and Elena found it so cute that they cancelled their campsite and parked in the driveway! We found a pizza place not far away for a late supper, then came home to crash once again after a sip or two from our bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir, THE grape of the region, and some more journal entry.
Bay Point Landing, Coos Bay, cost for the night in early May, $153.85. Keep this place in mind for your own trip, as they also had some airstreams to rent and several other configurations…they even have a few for the mobility challenged. Ours had a little kitchen, front porch with chairs, queen size bed and sleep sofa, firepit with wood, picnic table, and a view of an inlet. Oh, and we finally reached by text the instructions to find the key in a lock box at the check-in center building. Phew! A brief freakout! Try to check-in before 7 pm. You will want to have a campfire! You can order a smores kit to be available at check-in, by the way. How cool is that? They also offered delivery from a couple of nearby restaurants. But you could cook, too, if you like.
Day 7: Our destination for the day was Brookings, Oregon on the southern end of the state. After a drive to check out where they would have camped, we headed south, stopping maybe 5 different times for yet another stunning view of the coast. After a coffee shop breakfast in Bandon at “Bandon Coffee”, we headed towards the Coquille River Lighthouse for some pics in the sunshine. It was warming up even more, gratefully. The wind was crazy strong at the top of a bluff here! Next stop was Natural Bridges State Park for an hour-long hike to a gorgeous view of Arch Rock. I carried Ritz a couple of times. Mike and Elena reserved a lovely, large campsite right next to the trail to the beach at Harris State Park. After a fantastic fried fish platter at the Hungry Clam, Brookings, we highly recommend, we took the trail down to the beautiful beach. Not another person in sight! Our hotel for the night was a minimalist, old school motel called the Westward Inn. While I felt there was really nothing special about this area other than being near the Redwoods, I did get an amazing HARD night’s sleep here. $118!
Day 8: Since the kids had a LONG drive ahead to get all the way back to LA, we were up early, pointed south again and into California, and we all stopped at Prairie Creek State Park for just a short stroll in old growth redwoods. There is a cute little welcome center here with very knowledgeable rangers and access to tons of hiking trails. It was here we shared hugs and parted.
Dan and I had a 6-hour drive to reach our next stop inland this time in Glen Ellen, CA. Redwoods National Park is in this whole area, with several lovely drives to choose, along with countless hiking trails. We stopped to walk the Lady Bird Johnson Grove, an easy 1.2 mile loop in old growth forest. I drove today and enjoyed the blue skies and sunshine! We had to use old school maps much of the time as the internet service was terrible. Honestly, it was a pleasure and very peaceful.
By 6:30 we arrived at the Glen Ellen Inn where we were told by text that the key was under the mat. how refreshing! AS we brough in the bags to rearrange things for the flight the next day, we heard live music! Right around the corner from our incredible lodging for the night we visited the historic Jack London Saloon.
A trio played 70s music on the patio for us while we dined and relaxed. There are so many wineries and wine tastings within a short walk or drive of this inn, I have to highly suggest you consider for your next trip to enjoy a winery experience in California wine country. I was sure we were unknowingly rubbing elbows with the locals on this off-season Thursday evening. I have said little about the amazing two room suite we stayed in, complete with more pillows than I know what to do with, and a soaking tub for two plus shower. We really wanted to stay another night (it was available), but the flight from San Fran was whisking me to my young men and their families in LA the very next afternoon.
Day 9: My 70th birthday! 5 minutes’ drive and we arrived at Benziger Winery where you need no reservation to do a tasting. Delicious and eco-friendly. Our sommelier had JUST returned from her test, and she was one of 4 (out of 21) who passed the master’s challenge (he had flown to San Diego from London area). She was so excited, so it made it extra fun. After a quick stop at the north end of the Golden Gate, we crossed to reach the airport within just enough time to check-in for our 4:00 flight and get to our gate. The traffic was a bit of a bear, but no incidents to turn in the car, other than forgetting my much-loved magnetic phone holder.
Well, my friends, for the purpose of a blog about the drive from Seattle to San Francisco, that about does it! I know it was a long read (if you have made it this far), so thank you for hanging in there with me. I have given you the blue print for a lovely vacation…you are so welcome! If you would enjoy working with me on your own adventure, I would be pleased to help you to recreate it, but my blessings should you prefer to curate your own journey.
Do know that there are many times that by working with a travel planner we can save you some money by bundling with delta Vacations or another, and if that speaks to you, please reach out soon. Also know that if you do this in high season such as the middle of the summer, not only will it cost more, but we should begin planning VERY early, up to a year in advance. (Well, 10.5 months to be exact for airfare purchases).
Thanks for traveling with me! My birthday dinners, both Friday night in Marina del Rey and Saturday in downtown LA were a blast and delicious. But the BEST part…spending time with my love, friends and family. Mother’s Day on Sunday was the icing on the cake with a bike ride in Manhattan Beach. Even the redeye flight home to CVG from LAX couldn’t get me down. This trip was epic for me, and one I will never forget.
Peace, Bobbie
Just a few more favorites from the weekend in LA!
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