Posted by Carey Closs on August 9, 2012 at 8:13 PM
I have 22 days of holidays coming up next month, beginning just after the long weekend and I am planning a lengthy road trip, starting near Edmonton Alberta. My plan is to head towards Seattle, then down the west coast along highway 101/1 at least as far as San Franscisco/Carmel by the Sea, then head inland and try to hit some places like the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley and Yellewstone on the return trip and maybe a couple of nights in Vegas if time permits. The emphasis would be on the west coast part of the trip though, so if I find I want to stay and explore this region longer, I may do so at the expense of the inland stops and do the return leg by going the quickest route possible home. Definitely don't want to rush myself just to hit all those places.
If anyone that has done the highway 101/1 trip or a portion of it and has some suggestions as to places along the route that might be particularily interesting for photography I would apppreciate the help so that I could try and arrange my travel schedule to be in those places at a strategic time of day. Any other tips and suggestions would be appreciated as well.
Thanks
Posted by Peter Cross on August 9, 2012 at 10:32 PM
That will certainly be a great trip. Tons of places to stop and see along the coast in OR and CA. Be flexible and opt to explore anything that strikes your fancy. Don't miss redwoods in No Cal. Also suggest staying on 1 at least to San Luis Obispo so you can experience the Big Sur which starts just south of Carmel. Arm yourself with some guide books as there are Kodak moments galore on your planned route.
Yellowstone would be a bit out of the way. I think you meant Yosemite. If you're going there, drive through to the Eastern side of the Sierras and check out Bristlecone Pines, Bodie State Park, Mono Lake,....one of the nices areas of the West IMO.
Posted by Howard Cihak on August 10, 2012 at 12:46 AM
I'd recommend proceeding south of Carmel on 101, because some of the most dramatic scenery on that highway is south of Carmel. Getting inland to the Grand Canyon, along with everything else sounds to me like a lot more driving than simply enjoying the scenery. I'd opt for fewer destinations in order to have more time to savor the changing light that the changes in weather will bring along the coast ... if you're patient.
Great suggestions, so far. The Big Sur Coast on Hwy 1 is a must-see. Once you reach San Luis Obispo, head inland. You can then visit Kings Canyon, Sequoia and Yosemite.
From Yosemite, head east on CA 120, over Tioga Pass to the Sierra East Side to Mono Lake, Bodie, the Bristlecone Pine Forest (East of Big Pine on US 395), Owens Valley and the East Side canyons. Further south, visit the Alabama Hills and the Mount Whitney area (West of Lone Pine)
Now, you can go east to Death Valley. From there, you could head to Lost Wages, or north east toward the Grand Canyon, or into Utah. I do agree with Howard, however, that Grand Canyon/Lost Wages will cost a lot of driving time. So, you may want to consider spending more time along the coast and the Sierra when you reach CA.
September can be very hot in the CA deserts. Also, the inland areas of CA will be quite dry (especially this year)--the Yosemite waterfalls will be at very low levels. If you are unused to hot-dry weather, you should plan accordingly. Thunderstorms are also frequent in the Sierra during this time. It is remotely possible that you may see some fall color at the higher elevations of the Sierra toward the end of September, as well, but don't plan on it.
Carey,
I think the route Howard is talking about is highway 1 rather than 101, which goes inland. You can never go wrong following Sandy's advice, which is always well thought out, knowledgeable and practical.
I can give you fairly detailed feedback about the route you plan to travel from Ft. Bragg South. Two years ago we did a road trip from Newport Beach all the way up the coast to Bodega Bay, inland to Sonoma for a day, and then back down Highway 5 to Sequoia for two nights. I took hundreds of photos and recorded the trip in a tome with photos and descriptions. Sent a copy to my brother in Utah and one to my in-laws. I think my grandchildren are the only people who have seen every page. Everyone else became catatonic 10% into it.
We stayed in Mendocino for a week on another trip. While our trip is likely in the opposite direction from yours the stops and sites are the same. We left Newport at 4:00 AM to breakfast in Solvang, a beautiful little Danish village along the 101. From there we went to San Simeon and Cambria. Hearst Castle is a must see. They have a multitude of tours you reserve ahead of time. The opportunity for great photography there is significant. Cambria is a beach town adjacent to San Simeon and photography there is wonderful as well.
There are wonderful photographic opportunities all along the coast from Cambria to Mendocino along Highway 1. The road is twisty and narrow. The driving can be very tedious, but it is worth it. Wineries and farm stands abound along the way. I promised Dianne that we would stop whenever she wished and we visited uncounted farm stands and farms. I believe that pumpkins must have catnip in them because we could not pass a pumpkin patch without Dianne running into the middle of it.
it.
We previously have driven the Highway 1 road between San Luis Obispo, and took 101 on that leg of the trip to get to Half Moon Bay for the second night on the road. You can easily spend an entire day driving between Carmel and San Luis Obispo. Stop for a meal at Nepenthe. It is the location of the movie, The Sandpiper in 1963 with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. The views from the patio are stunning. Photography along Highway 1 is stunning. Carmel and the 17 mile drive offer great photography. Pebble Beach Golf Course is on the 17 mile drive. North of there are Monterey, Salinas and Gilroy of John Steinbeck fame. Monterey has a world class aquarium and a lot to offer as well. Gilroy is the garlic capital of the world. A stop in one of the garlic stores there is memorable.
Half Moon Bay is in an incredible location with a multitude of coastline shots. We had one of the best meals of the trip in that town. From there we drove up the coast to San Francisco. If you choose to spend time in SF, you can spend days photographing. We did not have time for SF on this trip. We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge in a light rain, and did not get to stop on the north side in Marin County to get the quintessential bridge shot. We took Highway 1 from there and the drive is stunning. Along the way we were surprised for what turned out to be the high point of the trip for me. On the water between the bridge and Point Reyes you will find Tomales Bay Oyster Company. We went by there on a Sunday and made a U turn and went in. We thought a festival was underway. They have 50+ picnic tables and BBQs, music going and multitudes of people picnicking. It is a happening place on a Sunday. They grow the oysters right there and the owner's daughter shucked a half dozen for us on the counter, gave us lime and tobasco sauce. The experience was magical for me. From there we went north to Point Reyes where Dianne had scheduled us for a stop. It is a beautiful little town and is the home of Cowgirl Creamery, a boutique cheese manufacturer. The walls are glass, so you can see the cheese being made. They gave us a taste of everything across the counter and we packed up a large amount of cheese for our ice chest. This was likely the high point for Dianne.
From there we traveled north to Bodega Bay where we stayed 4 nights and used it as a hub for exploring. This is the location of the Hitchcock film, The Birds, and if you see the movie you will recognize much of what was in it. The restaurant, school house and church from the movie are all still there. Bodega Point offers the incredible "Chamber of Commerce" shot, and photography around the bay and the area is wonderful.
One day we took a day trip north as far as Fort Ross on Highway 1, which is a must see. Photos of the bridge across the Russian River are stunning. Photos of other bridges are as well. This is another incredibly winding road. While I was a road warrior with visions of traveling a long distance that day, Dianne cried for mercy after a couple of hours of tight winding turns.
Whales were just off Bodega Point while we were there. Consequently, photos of whales and whale watching was on the menu. One day we traveled inland to Sonoma. The drive is beautiful and Sonoma is a wonderful winery city, although wineries are plentiful in the entire area from San Simeon to Bodega and inland. Next to Sonoma is Napa, which is probably the only region in the world challenging the south of France. While in Sonoma we scheduled a tour of Gundlach Bundschu, a winery founded in 1858. The sixth generation of this family runs the winery. Their tour was the best we have every experienced and we scheduled a tasting in their wine cave. It is a must.
We left Bodega and drove to Sequoia, which took most of a day and the drive was boring and tedious. Not much to see. We had spent a lot of time in Yosemite previously, and chose Sequoia on this trip. If we had to choose one, I pick Yosemite. I think it is far superior to Sequoia photographically unless you want photos of huge trees.
After two nights in Sequoia, we headed home to Orange County. For my taste, the coastline offers the best photos, although you could spend a week or more in the Sierras in Yosemite and other areas as well. Charlie's advice to see Mono Lake is meaningful. Geologically it is unique in all the world and certainly worth the drive east from Yosemite.
I hope this has been helpful. If you wish to know about hotels and restaurants along the way, send me an email. Sorry for the length of this, brevity is not in my vocabulary.
Don't miss Olympic National Park. After Labor day, things settle down on the Oregon coast and we get some of the best weather of the year. There might be some migratory birds to check out at Dungeness and Grays Harbor. You might want to ride the ferry to Port Townsend.
Once your plans for the CA leg of your trip solidify, hop over to NPN's CANP forum and post additional questions there--we're here to help.
--P
Posted by Carey Closs on August 10, 2012 at 5:43 PM
Thanks everyone for taking the time. I really appreciate the suggestions and will be sure to continue on past Carmel now that I know that it's worth exploring furthur down highway 1. Doesn't sound like there is a shortage of places to explore in California, wish I had more time (and money ) to devote to them all. Then again that gives me a reason to return :)! Definitely going to do some more research and try and hit some of the places suggested. Yosemite and Death Valley sound like strong possibilities for visiting but it all depends on how much I am enjoying exploring on the coast as to whether I get there or not. I'm travelling alone so I'm totally on my own time table, it's hard to say where I will end up but it's good to have options and to be prepared.
Patrick, thanks for that lengthy reply on the coastal attractions. Lots to think about there.
Regarding the Grand Canyon; cutting it off the list sounds like good advice. It's just a little too far east. Vegas is still a possibility although budget constraints might require me to take that off the list as well. Yellowstone is kinda on the drive home; maybe just a slight detour so that's why I thought I would stop there, even if only briefly as a last stop just to get a feel for the place. It's about a days drive from there to home so next year I will likely return and devote more time to the area.
Sandy thanks for the book suggestions. Gonna check out the local bookstore to see if they are available if not I will order them.
Again, thanks you everyone for the advice and if any of you are heading up to Banff, Lake Louise or Jasper in the near future and are looking for spots to photograph/hike etc., don't hesitate to contact me.
As long as you are coming west via Seattle, by all means, take a ferry over to Bainbridge Is. to continue on to the Coast. That will enable you to visit Pike Place Market in Seattle, if you're interested, and pick up some farm fresh/home made goodies for your trip! Definitely include Olympic National Park on the coast. From Forks, Rialto Beach and Kalaloch are a couple good stops in any weather. South, there's the Grays Harbor cities of Aberdeen and Hoquiam and Tokeland, which are all good for migrating birds. Farther south, look at Long Beach and Fort Canby State Park and the fishing village of Ilwaco. From there cross the nearby Hwy 101 bridge to Astoria, OR and points on south. It's EASY to spend the entire 3 weeks on the coast from WA to OR and CA! But I'd sure try to work in Yellowstone on your way home. Sept. is prime time there and human visitors are fewer.
Safe travels. Hope you have a fantastic time!
Posted by Greg Vaughn on August 14, 2012 at 2:08 PM
Rob Barbee's guide to the Oregon Coast is very good. He also has one for the Seattle-Puget Sound area that covers much of the area in Washington you'll be traveling through, including parts of Olympic National Park, which I highly recommend you include in your itinerary.
I hope that you're allowing several days for the Oregon Coast part of your trip. Plenty to see and photograph, and you'll be there at one of the best times of the year weatherwise. Some don't-miss-its: Ecola State Park and Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Three Capes Scenic Route from Tillamook to Pacific City, Yaquina Head Natural Area (and Lighthouse), Cape Perpetua Scenic Area, Oregon Dunes NRA, Bandon beach sea stacks, Samuel Boardman State Scenic Corridor on the southern part of the coast.
Warning: Shameless plug coming up - my own book "Photographing Oregon" might give you some ideas. : )
Posted by Danny Laureys on August 20, 2012 at 5:25 PM
Do spend time on the OR & WA Coast, I love Highway 1 in CA spend a lot of time in Big Sur and Carmel in my younger days, I love it there. But since I moved to Oregon a year ago, I realised that nothing beats the OR and WA coast. Have a safe trip.
Discussion
12 repliesIf anyone that has done the highway 101/1 trip or a portion of it and has some suggestions as to places along the route that might be particularily interesting for photography I would apppreciate the help so that I could try and arrange my travel schedule to be in those places at a strategic time of day. Any other tips and suggestions would be appreciated as well.
Thanks
and a similar one for California: http://www.amazon.com/The-Photographers-Guide-California-Coast/dp/0881506494
Have a great time!
Sandy
Great suggestions, so far. The Big Sur Coast on Hwy 1 is a must-see. Once you reach San Luis Obispo, head inland. You can then visit Kings Canyon, Sequoia and Yosemite.
From Yosemite, head east on CA 120, over Tioga Pass to the Sierra East Side to Mono Lake, Bodie, the Bristlecone Pine Forest (East of Big Pine on US 395), Owens Valley and the East Side canyons. Further south, visit the Alabama Hills and the Mount Whitney area (West of Lone Pine)
Now, you can go east to Death Valley. From there, you could head to Lost Wages, or north east toward the Grand Canyon, or into Utah. I do agree with Howard, however, that Grand Canyon/Lost Wages will cost a lot of driving time. So, you may want to consider spending more time along the coast and the Sierra when you reach CA.
September can be very hot in the CA deserts. Also, the inland areas of CA will be quite dry (especially this year)--the Yosemite waterfalls will be at very low levels. If you are unused to hot-dry weather, you should plan accordingly. Thunderstorms are also frequent in the Sierra during this time. It is remotely possible that you may see some fall color at the higher elevations of the Sierra toward the end of September, as well, but don't plan on it.
--P
I think the route Howard is talking about is highway 1 rather than 101, which goes inland. You can never go wrong following Sandy's advice, which is always well thought out, knowledgeable and practical.
I can give you fairly detailed feedback about the route you plan to travel from Ft. Bragg South. Two years ago we did a road trip from Newport Beach all the way up the coast to Bodega Bay, inland to Sonoma for a day, and then back down Highway 5 to Sequoia for two nights. I took hundreds of photos and recorded the trip in a tome with photos and descriptions. Sent a copy to my brother in Utah and one to my in-laws. I think my grandchildren are the only people who have seen every page. Everyone else became catatonic 10% into it.
We stayed in Mendocino for a week on another trip. While our trip is likely in the opposite direction from yours the stops and sites are the same. We left Newport at 4:00 AM to breakfast in Solvang, a beautiful little Danish village along the 101. From there we went to San Simeon and Cambria. Hearst Castle is a must see. They have a multitude of tours you reserve ahead of time. The opportunity for great photography there is significant. Cambria is a beach town adjacent to San Simeon and photography there is wonderful as well.
There are wonderful photographic opportunities all along the coast from Cambria to Mendocino along Highway 1. The road is twisty and narrow. The driving can be very tedious, but it is worth it. Wineries and farm stands abound along the way. I promised Dianne that we would stop whenever she wished and we visited uncounted farm stands and farms. I believe that pumpkins must have catnip in them because we could not pass a pumpkin patch without Dianne running into the middle of it.
it.
We previously have driven the Highway 1 road between San Luis Obispo, and took 101 on that leg of the trip to get to Half Moon Bay for the second night on the road. You can easily spend an entire day driving between Carmel and San Luis Obispo. Stop for a meal at Nepenthe. It is the location of the movie, The Sandpiper in 1963 with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. The views from the patio are stunning. Photography along Highway 1 is stunning. Carmel and the 17 mile drive offer great photography. Pebble Beach Golf Course is on the 17 mile drive. North of there are Monterey, Salinas and Gilroy of John Steinbeck fame. Monterey has a world class aquarium and a lot to offer as well. Gilroy is the garlic capital of the world. A stop in one of the garlic stores there is memorable.
Half Moon Bay is in an incredible location with a multitude of coastline shots. We had one of the best meals of the trip in that town. From there we drove up the coast to San Francisco. If you choose to spend time in SF, you can spend days photographing. We did not have time for SF on this trip. We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge in a light rain, and did not get to stop on the north side in Marin County to get the quintessential bridge shot. We took Highway 1 from there and the drive is stunning. Along the way we were surprised for what turned out to be the high point of the trip for me. On the water between the bridge and Point Reyes you will find Tomales Bay Oyster Company. We went by there on a Sunday and made a U turn and went in. We thought a festival was underway. They have 50+ picnic tables and BBQs, music going and multitudes of people picnicking. It is a happening place on a Sunday. They grow the oysters right there and the owner's daughter shucked a half dozen for us on the counter, gave us lime and tobasco sauce. The experience was magical for me. From there we went north to Point Reyes where Dianne had scheduled us for a stop. It is a beautiful little town and is the home of Cowgirl Creamery, a boutique cheese manufacturer. The walls are glass, so you can see the cheese being made. They gave us a taste of everything across the counter and we packed up a large amount of cheese for our ice chest. This was likely the high point for Dianne.
From there we traveled north to Bodega Bay where we stayed 4 nights and used it as a hub for exploring. This is the location of the Hitchcock film, The Birds, and if you see the movie you will recognize much of what was in it. The restaurant, school house and church from the movie are all still there. Bodega Point offers the incredible "Chamber of Commerce" shot, and photography around the bay and the area is wonderful.
One day we took a day trip north as far as Fort Ross on Highway 1, which is a must see. Photos of the bridge across the Russian River are stunning. Photos of other bridges are as well. This is another incredibly winding road. While I was a road warrior with visions of traveling a long distance that day, Dianne cried for mercy after a couple of hours of tight winding turns.
Whales were just off Bodega Point while we were there. Consequently, photos of whales and whale watching was on the menu. One day we traveled inland to Sonoma. The drive is beautiful and Sonoma is a wonderful winery city, although wineries are plentiful in the entire area from San Simeon to Bodega and inland. Next to Sonoma is Napa, which is probably the only region in the world challenging the south of France. While in Sonoma we scheduled a tour of Gundlach Bundschu, a winery founded in 1858. The sixth generation of this family runs the winery. Their tour was the best we have every experienced and we scheduled a tasting in their wine cave. It is a must.
We left Bodega and drove to Sequoia, which took most of a day and the drive was boring and tedious. Not much to see. We had spent a lot of time in Yosemite previously, and chose Sequoia on this trip. If we had to choose one, I pick Yosemite. I think it is far superior to Sequoia photographically unless you want photos of huge trees.
After two nights in Sequoia, we headed home to Orange County. For my taste, the coastline offers the best photos, although you could spend a week or more in the Sierras in Yosemite and other areas as well. Charlie's advice to see Mono Lake is meaningful. Geologically it is unique in all the world and certainly worth the drive east from Yosemite.
I hope this has been helpful. If you wish to know about hotels and restaurants along the way, send me an email. Sorry for the length of this, brevity is not in my vocabulary.
Once your plans for the CA leg of your trip solidify, hop over to NPN's CANP forum and post additional questions there--we're here to help.
--P
Patrick, thanks for that lengthy reply on the coastal attractions. Lots to think about there.
Regarding the Grand Canyon; cutting it off the list sounds like good advice. It's just a little too far east. Vegas is still a possibility although budget constraints might require me to take that off the list as well. Yellowstone is kinda on the drive home; maybe just a slight detour so that's why I thought I would stop there, even if only briefly as a last stop just to get a feel for the place. It's about a days drive from there to home so next year I will likely return and devote more time to the area.
Sandy thanks for the book suggestions. Gonna check out the local bookstore to see if they are available if not I will order them.
Again, thanks you everyone for the advice and if any of you are heading up to Banff, Lake Louise or Jasper in the near future and are looking for spots to photograph/hike etc., don't hesitate to contact me.
Safe travels. Hope you have a fantastic time!
I hope that you're allowing several days for the Oregon Coast part of your trip. Plenty to see and photograph, and you'll be there at one of the best times of the year weatherwise. Some don't-miss-its: Ecola State Park and Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Three Capes Scenic Route from Tillamook to Pacific City, Yaquina Head Natural Area (and Lighthouse), Cape Perpetua Scenic Area, Oregon Dunes NRA, Bandon beach sea stacks, Samuel Boardman State Scenic Corridor on the southern part of the coast.
Warning: Shameless plug coming up - my own book "Photographing Oregon" might give you some ideas. : )