[rxter]

Getting ready for the next road trip. Planning to take my Dad this year. Up the left coast to Oregon. My SO has always wanted to spend time in a "cute little fishing village" in OR. So I plan to drive Dad and I, and fly Mom and the SO to Portland.



Looking for recommendations on the right village. Must be a real fishing village - she wants to smell the fish (I have no idea why I just look for excuses to drive my car for a week).



Also looking for recommendations for places to stay and eat along the way.



I am planning to eat at O'mei's in Santa Cruz - best Chinese food this side of the Pacific.

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[rxter]

No-one with any ideas for a trip through NorCal and Oregon???

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[DaveN]

Unfortunately when my son and I went to Flash' house in the spring the coast road was partially closed with 2 slides north of Santa Barbara so we had to severely alter our coast road experience otherwise I would have some input. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/sad.png" class="smilie" alt="" /> It was too bad, a new SC and all that road with no way in, out or around without huge detours.

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[coloradocab]

Rxter - did you get my PM?

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[flash]

it has been a REALLY long time since i made the road trip north like that, but the coastal route is always a beautiful run.



up around tahoe is gorgeous too. so is shasta.



there are so many places to go, i don't even know where to begin.

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[Chris Vais]

Fishing towns in Oregon, I'd give some thought to Brookings, Newport, Port Orford. Where is your starting point? There are three routes you can take. Hwy 1, Hwy 101, or I-5. Hwy 1 is the coastal route, but California is a big state and taking Hwy 1 from say Southern California all the way to Oregon has the potential to be a very long ride. Case in point, the drive from San Francisco to Eureka on Hwy 101 is a 6 hour drive. Taking the coast highway, Hwy 1 is significantly longer driving time, at least 8 hours, but there are nice coastal towns to visit as well. If you take 101 to Eureka, you'll pass through some of the best wine growing country in California, Sonoma and Mendocino. Figure out your route and I can probably come up with more suggestions.

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[lbpesq]

My wife and I drove from the Bay Area to Seattle a couple of years ago. We took 101 to where it joins up with 1, about halfway between Ukiah and Eureka, and stayed with 1 the rest of the way. We overnighted in hotels a couple of nights. I don't remember the specific towns, but it was easy to find cool little towns and a couple of nice, relatively inexpensive places to stay next to the water without pre-planning. Sometimes I just like too head down the road with no plans other than to have a destination and a loose arrival time and just go exploring.



Bill

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[Darth Vadar]

For "real" fishing ports in Oregon, I like Newport, but maybe it was better back in the day (1989) when I was terrorizing the place! I also highly recommend the Inn at Spanish Head just south of Lincoln City, OR, but again that was 22 years ago, so it may not even exist today! And Lincoln City is not a fishing port, so it may not qualify... but it was very romantic when I spent time therre with the SO of the moment!



There are a bunch of other small port cities all the way up to Astoria on the mouth of the Columbia... hey that might be the answer, but I don't recall specific hostelries up there....look for Bed and Breakfast type places.. they are usually "quaint" for the SO's.... she might love it!

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[rxter]

I'll post the route once I can get google maps to cooperate. Basically we are staying on PCH-1 as much as possible and then the 101 when not. Destination is Vancouver and plan to head back down the Sierras. Tahoe, like that.



I remember seeing some photos of an awesome 4 lane winding down a river valley in WA. They built it that way to preserve the scenery and the environment. I did some research but came up blank. Does this ring any bells?



Thanks for the comments so far - interesting stuff.

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[lbpesq]

Don't know about the road in Washington, but if you're going to be heading back on the inland route, I recommend a stop at Crater Lake, an amazing place.



Bill

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[rxter]

Interim Update:



We've reached our Northern-most destination - Vancouver. Wow what a beautiful city you guys have been hiding. Simply amazing. Car has behaved perfectly and comfortably. New sound set up is working very well. Pictures coming.

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[Langley968]

Your in Vancouver???

If you had posted the dates beforehand, I would have offered to take you out for lunch! I was in Vancouver yesterday with my 968. You sure hit us at a time of nice weather (that has changed today).

If you read this BEFORE heading out of the area, I would love to meet up and hear your experiences...

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[DaveN]

I took it to be Vancouver WA not Vancouver, BC.

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[Langley968]

[quote name='DaveN' timestamp='1334169160' post='124956']

I took it to be Vancouver WA not Vancouver, BC.

[/quote]



<img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/whine.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />



Vancouver, BC is the ONLY "beautiful" city by that name...

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[MB968]

What's your route back. I didn't see your thread until today. I can definitely give you some tips in Portland if you are coming throught.

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[968Syncro]

Yeah, I agree, Vancouver BC is a beautiful and terrific City with lots to do.



Long time ago, but about Oregon, I agree Crater Lake was well worth seeing. We also stopped in Coos Bay, and nice little fishing town, but not so quaint. I consider Morrow Bay in Cali to be "quaint", perhaps on your way home, but also accessible from Paso Robles on your next trip there.



In Washington Oak Harbor on the San Juan Islands is worth a trip (go over by bridge/road, leave via Ferry at the shouth end), or Gig Harbor near Tacoma is also quaint.



Roland

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[rxter]

Finally have a moment to write this up. All of the kids are home for Mother's Day and so I have no obligations today other than to be here.



The trip stats:



Days: 8

Miles: 3149

Fuel consumed: 137.8 US gallons

Ave Mileage: 22.8 mpg

Best tank mileage: 26.9

Worst tank mileage: 18.8



Our route North included staying in:



Santa Maria

San Francisco

Crescent City

Portland

Vancouver BC



Our route South included fewer stops:

Seattle

Medford OR

with a bonzai run from Medford to San Diego - long drive that one.



Interesting sites along the way:



Any number of views along the coast - we really are blessed with this natural beauty. If you reside near the Western Coast of the US or Canada and you don't regularly take a look at the Pacific ocean you should.



A few pictures:



Malibu in the evening



   



South of Big Sur



   



Redneck Racecar 3.0



   



The awesome power of the Pacific



   



Entering a what?????



   



Paul Bunyon



   



Breakfast in Cave Junction - tasty but Mike was sick for 2 days.



   



the Smith River - now one of my favorite places on Earth



   



   



Dr. Suess's place



   



The airport in Vancouver



   



Is this all there is to driving this thing - seriously...



   



Every year we end up driving a 3000 lb rear drive sports car with summer rubber through the snow



   



Now Mike has another screw driver to retrieve.



   

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[Rap]

Cool pics!

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[rxter]

Thanks. Was a great trip. We are already thinking about next year. Mike wants to take 2 weeks and drive East. Maybe around the Hershey event...

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[968Syncro]

Hi Joe, terrific pictures! It looks like an excellent trip! The message is clear. I gotta get outta here and take a long drive.



Any 968 interactions with people along the way? I once was parked and this good looking, well dressed couple came over and said: "beautiful car, we always loved the 924". Clearly their brains would show no color on the functional MRI.



Roland

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