Upon completing an amazing west coast road trip from Spokane, WA. to Southern California, I wanted to share some of the many highlights of a trip that covered small towns, big cities, beaches, forests, mountains, deserts, wildlife, rivers, the windiest road I've ever been on in my life, over 1700 miles and three wrong turns.
This article is the first in a series about one fantastic road trip.
I'd always wanted to take a trip down Highway 101 and Highway 1, down the coast from Washington to Southern California. I'm not sure why; the ocean, the adventure, and the romanticism of it all added to its appeal. So when my daughter informed me she was accepted into the Disney College Program and would begin working at the Mouse House in Anaheim, I thought that was as good an excuse as any other.
Whether you're an artist, photographer, writer, illustrator, writer or just looking for a new adventure, there's plenty to see on the route we took. In sharing this west coast road trip with you, I won't bore you with all of the family details or every little stop we might have made. The focus will be on the route, beauty and major points of interest. I like road trips because they take me out of my comfort zone and allow me to explore new places. Perhaps it will inspire you to take your own road trip someday.
Day One
Our family usually leaves for a road trip around 6 a.m. We left Spokane bright and early on a Saturday morning after stopping at a popular local espresso spot, The Rocket Bakery.
On day one, the plan was to make it to Lincoln City, a beach town 470 miles away on the Oregon coast. We made it with only one wrong turn. (terrible signage in Oregon if I must say)
Driving down the Columbia River Gorge was the main highlight of the first day of our west coast trip. The drive along the gorge begins with the mighty Columbia River on the right, a view of Southern Washington across the river, and a flat, dry Oregon landscape on the left.
As you continue to drive west, you can see nearly everything, including dams, river barges, bridges, dramatic cliffs and the majestic Mt. hood, weather permitting. Luckily, the weather was clear and beautiful on this day. Recent additions to the first part of the gorge are wind farms on both sides of the river; I hope they provide enough energy to make the eye pollution worth it.
Halfway down the gorge, near a town called The Dalles and nearing Hood River, the "windsurfing capital of the world," the landscape changes from dry and gold to lush and green. We saw at least twenty windsurfers near Hood River, including some with parachutes. Another site worth mentioning was Bonneville Dam, a little further down the gorge.
Even more of a must-see landmark is Multnomah Falls, a grand 620 ft. beauty with plenty of great photo opportunities and walking trails. It also has a restaurant, gift shop, hiking trails, and thankfully, bathrooms. There's even a trail leading to the top of the falls, if you're up for a hike.
The Historic Columbia River Gorge Scenic Highway takes you on a narrow, scenic road past several waterfalls, including Multnomah. The calm, beautiful road is lined with trees and on that day happened to be more crowded than I'd ever seen before. If you're ever in that area, do yourself a favor and at least stop by Multnomah Falls.
Along the scenic Highway 30 is the Vista House at Crown Point. Built in 1916 and recently remodeled, the Vista House sits high atop a cliff. As you can look out in every direction, the view from the top of Crown Point is nothing short of spectacular. Make sure you have your camera ready, particularly if you have a companion with long hair; the wind up there makes hair do crazy things!
On many road trips, the city of Portland, Oregon might be a particular stop of interest. But on this day of our trip, we needed to get through Portland as fast as possible to reach our destination of Lincoln City. It was in the process of getting there when the first of my three wrong turns occurred. I blame this one on an unfamiliar route, bad signage, a lack of map and an excess of confidence, all costing us a total of 45 minutes. The route to Lincoln City also included a lot of weekend traffic and our first (and last) Dairy Queen stop of the trip.
We arrived at Lincoln City with a few hours of sunlight left, which we shared with the hundreds of other people who decided a Saturday in August was a good time to hit the coast. Despite the sunlight, it was cold; that wind was blowing hard. However, it brought out some cool kites and the smell of the ocean, so it was all worth it. After a stop at the beach, it was time to find some food and get ready for day two.
Day one of our west coast road trip was a diverse palette of color, landscape, cityscape, and wonders both natural and man-made. The Columbia River Gorge was definitely the star attraction of this day and I recommend it to everyone, from artists to adventurers, in spades.
Next: Day two South along the Oregon Coast.
Craig Shillam is an artist and blogger. He paints still life and landscape oil paintings and writes about art, and artitude. For more on the West Coast Road Trip, including some great photos, you can go to his blog at CashArtBlog and to view award winning contemporary still life and landscape paintings by Craig Shillam, please visit his website at CraigShillam.com.
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