Author Topic: Portland to San Diego Road Trip  (Read 8018 times)

HeyThatsMyB1ke

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Portland to San Diego Road Trip
« on: April 04, 2012, 08:57:15 AM »
Well, I've done my due dilligence and just can't stomach another minute on Trip Advisor... (Japanese Gardens....meh)

Spending roughly a month driving from Portland to San Diego this July. My girlfriend and I are purposefully not making any resos with every intention of winging where we eat, stay, and play. Bringing her SB Big Easy and my SB Whopper for kicks along the way!

Any advice for any must-see, must-do things along the way? Definitely interested in meeting some fellow zoners along the way! We're born and bred flatlanders with lots of travel experience, but this is new for both of us and we can't wait!


freetobeme

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Re: Portland to San Diego Road Trip
« Reply #1 on: April 04, 2012, 10:27:05 AM »
ha ha i must have spent 8 weeks planning our trip and was seeing double at 3 am most of it. My wife and drove across country for 2 months basically from Mass to Wyoming then to Orcas Island then Portland and as for down as Carmel on the West Coast. Then cut back through Utah and CO.  

We camped all down the Oregon Coast…beautiful and rugged but dang it was chilly at night for sure. The towns were so so but environment was amazing. We really liked Red Woods area in CA and stayed at some sweet campgrounds.  The best beach we found was a public but very private stretch next to Pebble Beach in Carmel off 17 mile drive.  Definitely go to the Monterrey Bay Aquarium.  That is also where I first did SUP amongst the otters and seals and kelp.  Also that whole drive down route 1 and Big Sur area is outstanding.  

Most of our tip was eating at the campsite and/or bed and breakfasts.  we had no bad experiences though when we sought elsewhere.  If I think of any more deatails while im out on my paddle today i will let you know!





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HeyThatsMyB1ke

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Re: Portland to San Diego Road Trip
« Reply #2 on: April 04, 2012, 10:49:32 AM »
Thanks FTBM, what an epic trip!

That's a great start. We heard incredible things about the Redwoods. Using this site
http://www.redwoodhikes.com/

Also, I think we're eyeing Bandon Beach and Crescent City as good places for a paddle.

Glad to hear about Monterey and Big Sur, can't wait for that.

AJR

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Re: Re: Portland to San Diego Road Trip
« Reply #3 on: April 04, 2012, 10:54:25 AM »
+1 for   Big Sur.  Hurst Castle (sp?) pretty cool too

SlatchJim

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Re: Portland to San Diego Road Trip
« Reply #4 on: April 04, 2012, 11:14:12 AM »
SOJ's points of wet interest.
Patrick's Point State Park north of Eureka
Smuggler's Cove - Mendocino Co.
Bolinas - Marin Co.
Fort Pt.  SF
Santa Cruz (find an opening somewhere)
Cowells in SC
Monterey Paddling inside the bay in Pacific Grove.  Bed and Breakfast is a great choice here.
Carmel...if it's calm it can be epic
Big Sur, truely don't miss.
San Simeon, spots in this area are subject to conditions but can be as good as it gets.
El Capitan - Santa Barbara
Faria - Pitas point - Ventura
County Line Ventura-LA
Bolsa Chica lagoon outlet - SUP Favorite
San O - Dogpatch - SUP favorite
Oceanside - watch tide and wind and ride the beach break
Pipes - San Elijo - Cardiff  heaven.
Point Loma Park near the point at the lot through the college.  It's a wee walk but it's just awesome.
Imperial Beach, look for a guy on a green stamps  and ask him where to go.

Places to see.
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/147 Kinetic Museum in Ferndale
Hearst Castle
Santa Barbara Urban Wine Walk

Have fun


adios pantalones

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Re: Portland to San Diego Road Trip
« Reply #5 on: April 04, 2012, 11:45:20 AM »
The redwoods , anywhere in Mendocino county is nice, Tomales bay for some Oysters. A little side trip inland to Sonoma for some wine is worthwhile.The aquarium in Montery is a must see. The 17 mile Drive through Pebble beach is cool. HWY 1 through big sur for certain.  I like the Lime Kiln campground. Lunch or breakfast on the deck at the Kiva Cafe (next to Nepenthe resturant) They used to have public acess to the hot springs in the Esalan retreat on weekends at midnight. Call to check if they still do that. Those three are all in the Big Sur area. Hearst Castle, Cambria is a neat little town. Forget about staying on HWY 1 south of Santa Monica. It's nonstop carlots and burger Kings. 1 isn't cool again till Newport Beach.Use the 405.       Definitely get back on 1 at Oceanside. And discover San Diego countys coast. Padlle La Jolla cove for sure.

Ping me when you get to town, I'll buy you a beer.

Have fun!                                                

natas585

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Re: Portland to San Diego Road Trip
« Reply #6 on: April 04, 2012, 11:47:38 AM »
Did San Diego to Portland last fall.  Being a native Californian I had seen that coast before but the redwoods in Northern Ca were outstanding and the coastline all the way through Oregon blew what I'd previously seen away.  Just drive and stop everywhere that catches your eye.  Doing the same trip this fall but allotted more time for the Oregon coast.  For Ca: the redwoods, Fern Canyon, Pacific Grove, Monterey Aquarium, to name a few.  Have fun and take lots of pictures.
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ObviousSup

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Re: Portland to San Diego Road Trip
« Reply #7 on: April 04, 2012, 11:55:14 AM »
If you are camping the state park in Bandon is very nice. Most of the Oregon State Parks have Yurts available for reasonable prices if the weather is less than perfect (since you are talking Oregon coast planning on that might be wise) When are you heading south? I would suggest checking the road conditions since Hwy 101 South of Bandon had some problems recently and is now only one lane in a few places.
This is a good resource for road conditions in Oregon.
http://www.tripcheck.com/Pages/RCmap.asp?curRegion=0&mainNav=RoadConditions

If your budget allows splurging the Benbow Inn in Garberville is really nice.
http://www.benbowinn.com/
It is even on Benbow lake.

kneecap

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Re: Re: Portland to San Diego Road Trip
« Reply #8 on: April 04, 2012, 08:32:00 PM »
Places I love on the Central Coast: Cayucos- great little town full of nice people. Spend a weekend there and you feel like a local. Epic smoked fish taco place about a block south of the pier.

Morro Bay- the rock is amazing, the surf can be fun, and the harbor is fun to paddle. You can park and walk most anywhere and get good food/drink. Touristy but cool.

Jalama- small campground near Vandergrift AFB, you have to be trying to go there to get there. One of my favorite places on earth. Long beautiful beach with several different surf breaks, most of them for folks that know what they're doing. Good beach combing, and the little store has a restaurant with the World Famous Jalama Burger. Ya gotta try one!

Once you get down my way in SD County, there's tons to do and see. You'll love it.

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adios pantalones

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Re: Portland to San Diego Road Trip
« Reply #9 on: April 04, 2012, 09:02:58 PM »
+1 on Jalama Beach. Don't know how I forgot that. Feels like Cal 50 years ago out there. Try to hit it midweek. The camping is on a first come basis. It's a Santa Barbara County park. Look for details on the county website.

PonoBill

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Re: Portland to San Diego Road Trip
« Reply #10 on: April 04, 2012, 09:30:14 PM »
It's a fine trip, I do it often with varied durations, from a few days to a few weeks so I can surf and play. Great recommendations. Here's a few more. If you can change your dates a little and you like cars, there's the Monterey Historics which includes vintage racing at Laguna Seca, the Pebble Beach concours, and collector car auctions each night from Thursday to Saturday. There's also the Gathering at the Quail which is expensive and hard to get tickets for, but do what I did when I didn't get them early enough--go in the early afternoon and ask someone who is leaving for their credentials. The food is superb and it's part of the deal, so if you bum credentials you eat like someone who just spend a couple hundred per. And of course the cars as stupendous. It's all around August 19th. I used to race at the Historics but lately there's always been a SUP event the same weekend.

Don't miss the wine country. Calistoga, St Helena, Sonoma. In Sonoma Square there's a restaurant called "The girl and the fig". A little expensive but spectacular. Do some wine tasting. Make sure you hit Ferrari Carrano. The wine is so-so but the tasting room/winery is off the chart. They should start breaking even about 2100.

If you go down 101 be sure you cut over to Highway 1 at Legget. There's a beautiful stretch of road there that's just wonderful if the marine layer cuts you some slack and shows sun.

If you have LOTS of time, exit the Redwood Highway at Dean Creek, and wind your way to Briceland and eventually (and I mean VERY eventually) to Shelter Cove.  Basically inaccessible, a land time forgot. Except there's an airport there. I bet with all the West Coasters on the Zone there's less than five that have driven to Shelter Cove.

Just before you get to Bodega Bay there's a little town called Jenner and a Restaurant named the River's End where I have had two of the top ten meals of my life (yes, I keep track). It's hard to find them open--they're very comfortable with missing out on biz, but if you happen to be there when they are it's a great location, superb staff and one hell of a cook.

Great trip, I love it. I find adventure on 101 and 1 every time. Don't skimp on the Oregon part, the Oregon coast is one of the wonders of the world.
« Last Edit: April 04, 2012, 09:35:15 PM by PonoBill »
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HeyThatsMyB1ke

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Re: Portland to San Diego Road Trip
« Reply #11 on: April 19, 2012, 09:00:24 AM »
Thanks guys, great recommendations responses! Essentially asked the same question over at TripAdvisor and got trolled HARD. Lol, should've know better.

I really appreciate the help.

Boludo

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Re: Portland to San Diego Road Trip
« Reply #12 on: April 20, 2012, 10:09:54 AM »
WOW!  What a great thread.  I'm looking to do something similar in mid-june (san diego - portland) with my wife and two kids in an Airstream Interstate (Sprinter).  This is great info...just saved me a lot of research.

Teamredwood

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Re: Portland to San Diego Road Trip
« Reply #13 on: April 20, 2012, 01:31:59 PM »
Let me know when you are passing through Redwood National Park-I work/live there and I can give you an update on paddling conditions-lots of beachbreaks, flatwater spots and a few river mouths.  That time of year can be hit/miss due to wind and swell-small is good-clean even better!

HeyThatsMyB1ke

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Re: Portland to San Diego Road Trip
« Reply #14 on: April 20, 2012, 05:32:12 PM »
Boludo- if you wouldn't mind dropping a line when you get back, I'd love to hear about your trip and any gems along the way!

Teamredwood- Thanks for the offer! We'll be through second week of July, but I'll send you a msg when we're in your neck of the woods.

 


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