[Leica] OT: Pacific Coast Highway

[pklein at 2alpha.net (Peter Klein)]

Greg:  I'm not sure why all these California Chauvanists refuse to 
recognize anything between Big Sur and the Canadian border.  Allow me to 
suggest that the Oregon coast is absolutely breathtaking, too.  Very green, 
very spectacular.  The southern part is more open, the northern part has a 
lot of forested headlands.  There are stretches of flat beach, sand dunes 
in the central part, and many crags and sea stacks to catch your eye.   I 
spend 4 days camping up and down the Oregon coast in June 1980 (driving 
through a bit of Mt. St. Helens' ash along the way!), and I've never 
forgotten that trip.  It was during my impoverished and cameraless 
twentysomething period, so no pictures.

I would stay on US 101 all the way to the Columbia River.  Then, if you 
want to take in the Olympic Peninsula, continue north over the bridge at 
Astoria, go around the peninsula.  Be sure to take in at least the short 
nature trail in the Hoh rain forest, and Lake Crescent.  Go up Hurricane 
Ridge (near Port Angeles) if you have time.  The take the Kingston/Edmonds 
ferry to the north Seattle suburbs, then head north on I-5.

If you want to skip the Olympic Peninsula, take US. 30 from Astoria, follow 
the south bank of the Columbia to Kelso/Longview, cross the river there and 
take I-5 north to Seattle to Vancouver.  If you want to visit Portland, you 
can cut inland on US 26 near Cannon Beach.

While fog and rain is possible anywhere anytime on the Pacific coast, 
Oregon does not have nearly the strong summer fog-sucking effect so beloved 
by San Franciscans.  I've always had good luck in the summer, with any fog 
burning off by 11:00 or noon.  And the north Oregon headlands in patchy fog 
and sun are sights to be savored.

Let me know when/if you're going to come through Seattle.  Is this a trip 
for the whole family, or just Mom and Dad?

--Peter

GREG LORENZO wrote:
> >We're thinking of driving up to Canada from Phoenix mid July along the 
> US west coast. I've never travelled the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 
> 1?) and would appreciate it if someone on the List who has made this 
> drive could provide me with some pointers and advice on where is the best 
> place to get on it how far north it goes?
> >
> >I suspect that we will go west from Phoenix via Las Vegas and possibly 
> San Francisco. We should have 5 days or so to clear the US/Canada Border.