After months of being home due to Covid, my husband and decided to take a break from Zoom and go on a road trip. We had time set aside to be in Norway in September, but since that was no longer happening, we took that time to drive up the coast of Oregon and Washington, all the way to the San Juan Islands. And then drive down inland. Covid was going to limit our experience and we were prepared for that. What we were not prepared for were the wildfires that hit Oregon and Washington during our trip. And mind you that we had been living in California with wildfires for over a month and could not wait to get away and breathe some fresh air!! Covid & wildfires, a perfect storm, but we were still able to have a good time.
This is our itinerary:
DAY 1:
Leave San Francisco and drive to Gold Beach, OR. About 8hrs drive. Take a small detour along the way to drive along the Avenue of the Giants. It’s a scenic highway parallel to Hwy 101, that runs through Humboldt Redwood State Park, which has the largest remaining stand of virgin redwoods in the world. It runs from exit 645 to exit 672 and takes about 25 minutes without stops. But there are plenty of stops along way where you can walk into redwood groves and admire up close this incredibly majestic trees. Note that Hwy 101 gets really beautiful after Eureka all the way to Gold Beach.
STAY TuTuTun Lodge [rustic chic lodge at the edge of the Rogue River, a really beautiful setting]
EAT TuTuTun Lodge [very nice restaurant] Barnacle Bistro [decent food and a good option if you want to go into town]
DAY 2:
Drive to Yachats – about 3hrs without stops, but expect to take a whole day since there are plenty of worthwhile stops along the way.
Visit Cape Blanco Lighthouse in Port Orford, considered the westernmost point in Oregon.
Continue on towards Bandon and stop at the Face Rock Scenic Viewpoint that affords some beautiful views of the beaches on either side of the viewpoint and its collection of isolated rock towers in a variety of shapes and forms, spread along the beach and shore. If you have the time take a walk on the beach to get a different vantage point of the rock formations and to see some caves and tidepools in the area.
Another viewpoint just up north, a few minutes away, is Coquille Point. Another beautiful view of the beach and more rock formations that are so prevalent on the Oregon Coast.
From there the next stop is the Coquille Lighthouse. It’s not a very big lighthouse but very quaint with tall grasses surrounding it. Make sure to walk pass the lighthouse towards the beach and onto the pier that separates the Coquille River from the Pacific Ocean. You’ll get some nice views of the lighthouse and surrounding area.
Head in the direction of Coos Bay and explore the Cape Arago State Park. There are some nice coves and lovely trails along the coast.
Continue on to Florence. One of the few charming towns along the Southern/Central Oregon Coast. Although a bit touristy, its historic downtown area is charming.
Haceta Head Lighthouse was our next stop. It is supposedly the brightest light on the Oregon coast and the most photographed. A short but steep trail takes you to the base of the lighthouse. Make the effort uphill, it’s beautiful.
Onwards to Yachats through the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area.
STAY Overleaf Lodge & Spa [the oceanfront setting of the hotel is great, but the hotel itself is pretty much a Holiday Inn with no sense of place or style. Make sure to walk north along the trail that runs right in front of the hotel and explore all the coves and tide pools along the way]
EAT Yachats Brewing [popular casual eatery with craft beers] Ona Restaurant [more upscale restaurant] Luna Sea Fish House [good seafood shack]
DAY 3:
Our destination today is Arch Cape, another 3hrs drive with no stops. Plan again for a whole day of driving and stopping.
Our first stop was going to be the Yaquina Head Lighthouse – Oregon’s tallest lighthouse and still operating – but given the fact that it was Labor Day holiday and jammed packed with people with the parking lot absolutely full, we continued on without seeing the lighthouse.
Another worthwhile quick stop is at the Rocky Creek State Scenic Viewpoint. After you park, walk north on a pathway that will take you to a viewpoint of Whale Cove.
Jacobsen Salt Co on Netarts Bay was a stop on our list but was closed due to Covid. It offers tastings of the famous Oregon salt.
Another stop on the way was Kelly’s Brighton Marina in Rockaway Beach for fresh seafood. Again, since it was the Labor Day holiday, the places was mobbed with people and we kept on driving without lunch!
STAY Ocean Point Inn [a charming 3-room inn right on the beach with a wonderful breakfast included every morning. Highly recommend a few nights here]
EAT There are no restaurants in Arch Cape, which is actually a blessing since it maintains the beach more protected and less touristy. Drive 15 minutes north to Cannon Beach, a charming town, with a New England feel to it, full of restaurants and shops. Ecola Seafoods Restaurant & Market [very laid-back diner serving fresh wild-caught specialties] Pelican Brewing [hip brewpub serving gourmet bar food]
DAY 4:
We spent the day at Arch Cape. A walk along the beach, in particular in low tide around the Southern tip is a must. Beautiful rock formations, with some fully covered in mussels & incredible tidepools full of wildlife. Ecola State Park in Cannon Beach is also a must. It is perched dramatically on the edge of Tillamook Head with old growth rainforest and famous views, overlooking numerous rock formations. There are plenty of hiking trails and you can’t go wrong with any of them.
DAY 5:
Drive about 2hrs to Astoria which has gone from a trading post to lumber town to cannery center to, most recently, a refuge for Northwest’s creative class escaping pricier zip codes in Seattle and Portland.
STAY Cannery Pier Hotel [a cannery turned boutique hotel that sits on pilings over the Columbia river almost under the Astoria-Megler Bridge – a 4.1-mile long steel cantilever bridge that connects Oregon to Washington. Great photo opportunities from the hotel and maybe even from your room if it’s facing the bridge]
EAT Fort George Brewery & Public House [vibrant brewpub is a very spacious warehouse] Josephson’s Smokehouse [seafood shop under Highway 101 that’s been smoking and selling fish for the last 96 years]
TO DO Cathedral Tree & Astoria Column Hike [a short hiking trail through Astoria's hillside urban forest that departs from Irving Street at about 29th Street, and goes for about a 1/2 mile to the giant Sitka spruce known as the 'Cathedral Tree'. From there continue through a well preserved coastal forest to the top of Coxcomb Hill, where the Astoria Column is located, and enjoy the 360 degree panoramic views of the area] River Walk & Downtown [walk along the river and train tracks to observe the transformation of this town where old cannery warehouses are being converted to breweries, bars and restaurants, shops, etc. Also explore the historic downtown area]
DAYS 6 & 7:
Drive about 4hrs to Port Towsend and take a ferry to Whidbey Island. I highly recommend making ferry reservations ahead of time (this is a rule for all ferries in the area). And allow some time to visit the well preserved & charming historic downtown area in Port Towsend and maybe grab some lunch before hopping on the ferry.
Whidbey is a fairly narrow but very long, making it the largest island in Washington.
STAY Captain Whidbey [an updated hip & charming historic inn located on the shores of Penn Cove not far from Coupeville] Inn at Langley [most upscale lodging option on the island]
EAT Captain Whidbey [the inn has a lovely restaurant. We were there during Covid and a reduced menu was being served on the deck outside. It was a great setting & pretty good food] Oystercatcher [a lovely little restaurant in Coupeville serving deliciously fresh seafood] Inn at Langley [renowned restaurant offering a very refined multicourse dinner] Whidbey Pies Cafe [nestled in a beautiful red farm building, this bakery specializes in a wide variety of pies]
TO DO Hike the Lighthouse Point & Lottie Point via Rosario Trailhead [a 4.7 mile loop along rugged cliffs with beautiful views of the water and the high bridge across the famous Deception Pass. Not to be missed!] Ebey’s Landing [a 554-acre reserve offering scenic coastal trails, with sweeping views of the Olympic Peninsula] Langley [charming town on the south end of the island worth exploring]
DAY 8:
Drive about 2hrs north to Gooseberry Point, just west of Bellingham, to take a ferry to Lummi Island. It’s a tiny island and home to a unique dining destination called the Willows Inn. Not only you can have a fabulous dinner at this very unassuming but super charming inn, you can also spend the night there. Advanced reservations are a must. You can also rent a house on the island and enjoy dinner at the Inn, but if you are not their guest, you will miss an incredible breakfast. Not to be a show-off, but I have eaten at some very revered restaurants around the world, and this is up there with my favorites.
DAY 9:
If you look at the map, Lummi Island is quite close to Orcas Island, one of the San Juan Islands, but no ferries connect them. So we had to drive back toward Whidbey Island and go to Anacortes where we took the ferry to Orcas. This is a horseshoe-shaped island with the main town of Eastsound placed in the middle overlooking a fjord.
Due to the fires ravaging Oregon and Washington, our visit to the San Juan Islands in the next few days was covered in smoke with very little visibility. Hence the very limited photography of the islands.
STAY Overlook Inn [old family-run inn in Eastsound with waterfront views. The Water’s Edge Rooms are in a new, modern building right on the water’s edge of Fishing Bay, as the name states]
EAT Hogstone’s Wood Oven [very relaxed farmer-owned restaurant offering delicious fresh salads/vegetables, seafood, as well as their specialty pizzas] Aelder [same owner as Hogstone if you want a fine dining experience] The Barnacle [charming bar with craft cocktails & boards of charcuterie & cheese]
TO DO Moran State Park [hike to Mount Constitution - over 2000 feet of elevation gain - the highest point in the San Juan Islands with the best panoramic view from the top of the watchtower. If you’re not up for a challenge, you can hike The Little Summit Trail instead or just drive all the way to the top and then walk the short distance to the watchtower] Kayaking [Shearwater Kayak Tours is the place to get a guided tour] Orcas Island Winery [boutique family-run vineyard & winery. The tasting room & shop are inside a nice modern farmhouse with picnic tables on the surrounding grounds]
DAY 10:
Take a ferry to San Juan, that has the largest population in the archipelago. But it’s main town Friday Harbor, is still a relatively sleepy town, easily walkable and with no chains which maintains its character. On the opposite side of the island is Roche Harbor, a beautiful historic seaside resort with a small village feel.
STAY Friday Harbor House [boutique hotel set atop a bluff with beautiful views over the harbor] Roche Harbor [offers a wide variety of lodging options: luxurious modern homes, a historic hotel and quaint cottages] Saltwater Farm [only five guest houses beautifully designed with a blend of modern & rustic. Very private & tucked away. Wish we could have stayed here, but they host a lot of weddings & events, and the guesthouses were not available during our stay]
EAT Duck Soup [hidden in a forested plot away from Friday Harbor, this very charming restaurant serves dishes with foraged ingredients from the island] Friday Harbor House [good option for dinner or drinks, and outside seating is the way to go. My favorite thing was to watch the ferries come and go from this spot] The Market Chef [a gourmet deli that is perfect for lunch or to get food for a picnic] Bakery San Juan [artisan breads, gourmet pizzas and lovely pastries]
TO DO Rent a Bike [cycling around the island is safe & a great way to explore. We had to cancel our rental because of the air quality and drove around instead. But we could tell that cycling would have been a wonderful way to see the island!] San Juan Island Distillery and Westcott Bay Cider [open only on Saturdays, these destinations have to be seeked out since they are both tucked away among apple orchards. San Juan Island Distillery makes different gins, a variety of liqueurs and an apple brandy. Westcott Bay Cider makes traditional hard ciders from their Washington cider apple varieties grown in their orchard on the island. Like Orcas Island, San Juan Island has a long history of being a major fruit producer for Puget Sound] Pelindaba Lavender Farm [I had never been to a lavender farm and what a treat to stroll among fields of lavender. Incredibly beautiful!] San Juan Vineyard [a quaint place to taste some locally produced wines]
DAY 11
We made our way to Seattle after taking the ferry to Anacortes and driving for a couple of hours. We cut short our stay in Seattle due to the horrible air quality so I will just skip it. All we did was eat dinner, sleep and take off the next morning.
DAY 12
Our next destination was McMinniville in the Willamette Valley, about 45 minutes south of Portland. It is a wine producing area best known for its excellent Pinot Noirs. Again due to the terrible air quality, we were mostly inside and did not explore much of the area. We also cut our stay short to only one night.
STAY Atticus Hotel [a high-end boutique hotel in the historic downtown of McMinniville, centrally located in the Oregon Wine Country]
EAT Red Hills Kitchen [inside the Atticus Hotel, this is a lovely options for dinner]
TO DO Walk around the Historic Downtown; Granary District [collection of warehouses and silos just outside downtown that have been converted into multiple wineries. It’s a nod to McMinniville’s rich agricultural history. There is also a marketplace where you can grab coffee, a beer or browse fresh produce]
DAY 13
We continued on south to Ashland. This stop was also shortened since at this point we just wanted to get home where the air had improved and was much better than in the Pacific Northwest. The suggestions below are extremely limited, and there’s a lot more to experience in town.
STAY The Peerless Hotel [historic hotel with individually decorated rooms full of antiques. Somewhat charming but cluttered with knick-knacks. Makes me want to run, fast! But my husband likes it]
EAT Alchemy [this place came highly recommended but our reservation was cancelled last-minute since most of their staff had been affected by the fires]
DAY 14
Drive about 6hrs straight back to San Francisco, where we can breathe again!