TO PORTLAND AND BEYOND
© 2010-2024 Francine Jacome. All rights reserved.
Monday morning was quiet as we all silently showered dressed and packed our bags for the last time. Today we were heading home.
We drove back to Solvang for one last look, but all the shops were still shuttered. We knew we had to head back early to unpack, do laundry and, for me, get things in order before getting back to work tomorrow. Luckily, for Nicholas and my mom, it would be summer vacation. The journey back home was quicker than I had anticipated. In all we had travelled 2,423 miles, round trip, and every mile was an adventure. The last nine days have been so much fun. We saw things we had never experienced before. A lot of driving, yet a lot of fun. Now, I lay me down to sleep...in my own bed. Goodnight.
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Today was our last full day of our road trip. It’s hard to believe that it has been one full week since we started our journey.
From San Jose, we drove south to Monterey for a morning at the aquarium. This place was on my bucket list, and it didn’t disappoint. I tried my zen best to ignore the crowds. I wanted to savor the visit. There was so much to see! So much sea life! The location was also gorgeous. We only had three hours, but we managed to enjoy most of it. I always love the sea otters, but the Jellies were so cool as well as the kelp and deep ocean aquariums. We enjoyed one of our best meals at The Restaurant, inside the aquarium. Delicious food with a beautiful view of the bay. Soon it was time to hop back on the highway. Our drive took us south, into the Salinas Valley. We had a brief stop at Mission San Miguel Arcángel, as it was on our route. Around 4:30 p.m., we stopped at the Madonna Inn for a dessert break (as if we haven’t eaten enough on this trip). I love stopping at this kitschy little place. Never having actually eaten here, we didn’t realize the massiveness if the portion sizes. UGH! Cake slice for twelve, please! The final leg of today’s drive took us to the Sideways Inn in Buellton, near Solvang, where we spent the final night of our trip. After settling into our hotel, we headed for Cecco, in Solvang, for a final road trip dinner. We kept it light and sweet. Best advice for life. Back in the 70s, I remember traveling with my family to San Jose to visit the Winchester House. It left an impression on this 8-year-old that stayed with me all these years later.
Yes, it’s touristy, but Nicholas was eager to visit after reading about its history. We had a fun time exploring the 100+ room house with our amazeballs tour guide, Dante, who kept us laughing. We were also able to explore previously-closed portions of the mansion, even the creepy basement (no folks, no ghost sightings). We walked for three hours, but never felt tired. Soon the tour was over. Our tummy’s rumbling, we headed for Must Be Thai for lunch. It was a super long wait at this tiny little place, but the food was great. Because we were in Silicon Valley, something techie was in order. We drove up to Mountain View for a visit to the Computer History Museum. It was loads of fun seeing all of the computer innovations and pieces of my childhood, now totally obsolete. By 5 p.m. the museum was closing, so we reluctantly exited the building. Our final stop of the day was back in San Jose, at Walian Ethiopian Cuisine. The menu was overwhelming, as we had never eaten this cuisine before. With a little help from the owner, we ordered an amazing array of food. Plus, the place was packed. Amazing food! Tonight is our last night in San Jose before our journey to the Central Coast. Time to catch some Z’s. Leaving Fort Bragg wasn’t easy. Although it was only one night, we were enamored by this place. The quiet solitude and small-town charm. But, it was time to go.
Just a few miles down the coast was the Point Cabrillo Light Station. We parked the car, then made two 1/2 mile hike to the top of the bluff where the house sat. The only sound that could be heard was the crashing of the waves below. After returning to the car, we continued on our journey to meet up with a friend for lunch in San Francisco. Try as we might, however, the one-lane 128 highway, connecting Hwy 1 to the 101, held us back and slowed us down. The minutes kept ticking away until the realization came that our meet-up in the Bay Area was not to be. We were barely in Geyserville, in north Sonoma County, by 12:20 p.m. However, as luck would have it, a quick Google search led the way to Rustic, at the Coppola winery, a mere ten minutes down the road. I had eaten here three years earlier (almost to the day) during an outing with friends at our 30th high school reunion. We were lucky to snag a table. The food was as good as I had remembered it. We finished our meal and followed it up with a quick tour of the gardens before we hit the road again and headed toward Santa Cruz along the Cabrillo Hwy, past Half Moon Bay. It was almost 6 p.m. when we arrived in Santa Cruz. It was our first visit, and our first instinct was to head to the Wharf. Big mistake. It was packed with people and was impossible to park. By this time, I was starting to feel the stress of trying to maneuver through the throngs of cars after hours of driving. Instead, we turned away from the shore and headed Downtown, to the Hidden Peak Teahouse. It was a little oasis of device-free calm, paired with Chinese tea of endless variety and little delicacies. It was a perfect way to recoup. By 8 p.m. we boarded our faithful four-wheeled friend and drove the final stretch to our home for the next two nights, San Jose. We checked into the Row Hotel, and a shower and load of laundry later, decided to call it a night. It’s amazing to realize that we were embarking on the fifth day of ur adventure. Our brief stay in Crescent City was followed by a breathtaking day among the California Redwoods.
We reached the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway off of the 101 about a half hour in. This was one of those most impressive drives through the Redwoods. If you ever want to visit and don’t have time to go camping, I highly recommend this byway. Everything you ever heard about the redwoods is true...and then some. They are truly the most beautiful and majestic giants. Words and photographs cannot capture the experience and grandeur. We reached Eureka around noon and stopped for lunch at a charming, hidden bistro, Brick & Fire. It’s through the wonders of the internet (and Yelp, of course) that we have been able to discover so many great eateries. Everything we ordered was delectable, but boy, oh boy, let me just say: stuffed, grilled calamari. Amen! Soon, we were back on the road with Nicholas taking the wheel for the rest of the day. We reached a side-route from Scotia to Myers, Hwy 254, known as the Avenue of the Giants. Although also impressive, it was not nearly as picturesque as the Newton Drury. Power lines, RV parks and souvenir stands dotted much of the route, though we did manage to find a couple of “Kodak” moments. Having had our fill of tall trees, we continued toward Fort Bragg. From the 101 we crossed over to the VERY curvy, nausea-inducing (thank you, Motion Eaze) Hwy 1 down to the coast. Nicholas was a rock star, white-knuckling it the entire way. Several buckets of sweat later, we finally saw the Pacific Ocean again. The wind was whipping up a frenzy, but it made for beautiful white caps out on the water. We checked into the Ocean View Lodge around 5:30 p.m. Once we unloaded the car, we drove a couple of miles up the road into town for dinner at Mayan Fusion. It was a funky little Mexican place with killer food. I enjoyed an octopus and shrimp ceviche, and the others had fish tacos and nachos. My mom drove the car back to the hotel while Nicholas and I decided to work off the meal with a half-hour walk back to our inn. It was a picturesque walk, but cold and windy! We found a path through the tall grass toward the edge of the bluff and then scrambled down to the shore. Being one of the longest days of the year, it was still very light at 8 p.m. But, the cold got the better of everyone, and we returned to our room and enjoyed watching the sunset from our balcony. Each and every day of our road trip has been so different, but this was definitely one of my favorites. Now, after a morning watching the sunrise over the bluffs, we’re ready for our new day. It was hard to say goodbye to Portland after a wonderful two days. But, it was finally time to head for the coast.
We arrived at the seaside town of Newport, Oregon just before noon. Fortunately, we snagged a table at Local Ocean. It was an amazing meal of locally fished seafood, paired with a fruity Pino Grigio. Following our lunch, we continued on to begin our exploration of the Oregon coastline. Just south of Yachats, the virgin landscape began to appear. We pulled off the highway to check out the Devil’s Churn. The chilly winds where really whipping up off the ocean. It was such a contrast to the unbearable heat of just a couple of days before. We made our way down to the tide pools to snap photos, and it was all we could do to stay upright. The park volunteer directed us to a trail at the very top of the bluff for the most spectacular views of the coastline. Then we hiked the Whispering Spruce Trail, which led us deep through the forest of spruce trees. As we continued south, it was impressive to see the majestic beauty of the ocean, the rock formations, the sand dunes. Around 5 p.m. we reached the town of Bandon and pulled into Face Rock Creamery for some cheese and ice cream. But, we couldn’t stay long; we wanted to get to Crescent City before sunset. The drive was lazy and winding. I was impressed with the number of bridges that dotted this stretch of highway 101. Oregon really has a lot of rivers! We crossed back into California by about 8 p.m., a mere 20 miles from our hotel. We were ready for a rest. When we drove into the parking lot, it was full of nothing but classic cars in pristine condition. It turned out that there were about 100 classic car enthusiasts who were road-tripping as well. They had been traveling from Idaho and had filled up every little motel in this small, seaside town. Our day was full and our bodies tired. We were ready to call it a night. Our morning in Portland started early. By 8:45 a.m. we were in our way to Powell’s City of Books, the famous new and used bookstore. Browsing through the floors of aisles, we finally picked out what we wanted. After shopping and a quick stop at the hotel to drop off our books, we made our way, on foot, to Washington Park, and its famous rose garden. We explored through rows and rows of roses of every shape, size, color and aroma. It was impressive to behold.
Washington Park was a huge forest of native trees reaching toward the heavens. Getting there was quite the hike, but it more than made up for the more sedentary previous two days. Soon, it was time for lunch, and the hunt was on for a good place to stop and refuel. We found a delightful little corner, Thai Peacock. The food was scrumptious! It was the perfect meal after so much walking. Post meal, we made our way toward the Willamette River. As we strolled along the waterfront, we came across a rental place where I booked Nicholas a red Chopper for an hour. Sadly, the two-seater buggies were all out, so my mom and I sat and relaxed and partook in some pretty great people-watching. By 4 p.m., we realized it was time to head back to the hotel to spruce up a bit before our dinner with a high school friend and his wife. When they arrived, and introductions made, we walked several blocks to a charming Chinese restaurant. The meal was delicious, our bellies were full and the conversation was engaging. It’s always fun to catch up with old friends. After dinner, we strolled back, with a quick pit stop at a local ice-cream shop for a little dessert. Walking back was a bit chilly, which was nice after the heat of the previous two days. After more conversation - and a game of foosball in the hotel’s lower lobby, it was time to say goodbye. Full bellies and tired legs were the perfect combination for a good night’s rest. Portland treated us well. After breakfast, we bid farewell to Redding. We still had another long drive ahead of us before reaching Portland. The route continued north on the I-5, this time over Shasta Lake, with a pristine view of Mount Shasta looming in the distance. It was impressive to see the scars that last September’s wildfires left on some of the landscape.
It was a long and winding road. Greener by the mile, with breathtaking views. Higher and higher we climbed, eventually peaking at just over 4,000 feet - the highest elevation of the entire span of the Interstate 5. Before long, we crossed the State Line into Oregon, my first time setting foot in the state. Not much looked different at first, but as we got further north, the pine trees seemed to take over. And sure enough, as a friend had warned, the Oregon State Police we’re lying in wait to nab drivers who missed the sudden speed limit drop from 65 to 55 (not us, thank goodness). Soon we pulled into Ashland, home of the annual Shakespeare Festival. It was a quaint little town, and after lunch at Brickroom, we explored some of the more quirky shops. After we hopped in the car, we drove around parts of the lush Lithia Park before resuming our drive. Unfortunately, the temperature had not dropped significantly since leaving Redding, hovering around 90 degrees most of the day. Every lake or river we passed seemed all the more inviting. The stretch of highway between Grant’s Pass and Salem seemed to stretch on forever. By this point, our legs were sore and in much need of movement. Our goal was to make it to Portland by early evening. But, with traffic on the road, it seemed highly unlikely. The sun was getting low on the horizon by the time we finally pulled into Portland. At last we arrived at the Canopy Hotel, in the heart of the Pearl District. We were happy to finally make it to our destination, but tummies were a-rumblin’. Two steps from the hotel was Pho Van Fresh. A couple of Lemongrass Chickens and a Bahn Mi set us right, and we contentedly concluded our day. After two months of hard work, finals and general exhaustion, it was time to take a little pause. What better way than a road trip to Portland?
We were A.I.S. (ass in seat) by 5 a.m. Packed and ready to go. From Orange County, the 405 freeway was free and, relatively, clear. We made good time, and by 6:30 a.m. we were over 100 miles north. Just outside of Lost Hills, CA, we stopped for a bite of breakfast and to switch drivers. The Central Valley was mile upon mile of almond trees and grape vines. After four hours, it was all starting to look the same. By noon, we rolled into Sacramento. We were tired and hungry and ready to stretch our legs. We headed for a delicious lunch at the Magpie Cafe in the residential downtown area. After lunch, we strolled long the sleepy streets toward the State Capitol. Before long, we were back on the road for the final stretch to Redding, CA, our first overnight pit stop. The most notable thing about this part of the drive was the change of scenery. The vast farmland and rolling yellow hills were replaced by green coniferous trees and lusher landscapes. But, in spite of the color change, it was hot, damn hot. 100 degrees Fahrenheit at 7 p.m. We checked into the retro hipster Americana Modern Hotel, had a bite and turned in for the night, ready for our journey to Portland to continue. |