Celebrating my 70th birthday on a 7 mile hike, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, California

Highway 101 winds down the entire Oregon Coast from the Columbia River to the California border. We followed the 363 mile coastline, passing (and often visiting) a plethora of lighthouses, amazing beaches and feasting on glorious fresh seafood.

Itinerary for our road trip down the Oregon and Northern California coastlines

There were some picturesque Victorians along the way, such as those we saw in Astoria, across the Columbia River between Washington and Oregon.  Astoria is the northernmost city on the Oregon Coast as well as the oldest American settlement west of the Mississippi  It was named for John Jacob Astor, the first multimillionaire in the United States, who set up a fur trading company there.  We tried to get a panoramic view of the city from the Astoria Tower, but it was hazy and extremely windy that day.  The Lewis and Clark Expedition spent the winter of 1805-06 nearby, hoping to find a ship to take them east but nearly freezing to death instead. We spent the night at the historical park that bears their name.

It is worth a stop to see the iconic Haystack Rock on Cannon Beach.

Beachwalking near Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach, Oregon

The monolithic rock rises 297 feet and since it was low tide we could walk on the beach to see it. Haystack Rock is also a nesting site for many sea birds, including terns and puffins. The tide pools are interesting as they are home to many intertidal animals, such as starfish, sea anemone, and crabs.

Beachwalking near Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach, Oregon

Continuing down the coast, we stopped at Mo’s Seafood Restaurant in Newport for a bowl of their “World Famous Clam Chowder.”.

Mo’s Seafood Restaurant, Newport, Oregon

Digging into Mo’s famous clam chowder, Newport, Oregon

The chain of restaurants began in 1946 on Newport’s waterfront by a then divorced mother of two called “Mo.” Now there are several of them along the coast but the original one is the most famous. Written on the back of the menu are many anecdotes about Mo, including the fact that Robert Kennedy dined there while on his Presidential campaign in 1968. It is said that he liked the chowder so much he took a couple of buckets with him on his plane. Mo’s has quite a reputation so we had to wait close to an hour for a table and went to watch the fishermen bring in the daily catch. We did enjoy our chowder when we finally sat down though! After our long wait we decided to have a full meal: fish and chips made with the freshest halibut we had ever tasted and house made marionberry crumble à la mode. In case anyone is interested, a marionberry is a hybrid blackberry that originated in Oregon. Delicious! Walking on the waterfront was interesting as well. Among the historical markers, we saw a section of a wharf from Japan that had broken off during the 2011 tsunami and washed ashore in Newport. It is now displayed at the Misawa Dock Tsunami Awareness and Information Center.

Misawa Dock Tsunami Awareness and Information Center, Newport, Oregon

More amazing sights awaited us along the central Oregon Coast, such as rugged Cape Perpetua Scenic Area . It is a large forested headland which projects into the Pacific Ocean. We hiked on the coastal trail, through conifer forests and past tide pools, then walked up to nearby Heceta Head Lighthouse. It has recently been restored back to its 1894 appearance and is open for guided tours. At Oregon Sand Dunes we saw a unique area of windswept sand that is the result of millions of years of wind and rain erosion. Then we took a side trip along the Cape Arago Beach Loop. We visited the botanical garden at Shore Acres State Park then hiked to Simpson Ridge to view the marine wildlife. There were volunteers with scopes to help us see and photograph the seals, sea lions and marine birds.

Hecetea Head Lighthouse, Cape Perpetua, Oregon

Sea lions at Simpson Ridge, Shore Acres State Park, Oregon

Hiking at Shore Acres State Park, Oregon

Next stop along the coastal route was the village of Bandon, named by BudgetTravel as “one of the coolest towns in America.” Equally awesome is Port Orford. The port, an open-water dock (no natural protection), is the only drydock port on the West Coast. We had never seen fishing boats lifted in and out of the water by operated cranes, then set on custom-made dollies and parked in rows on the dock. We also loved our walk along Battle Rock Beach, an historical spot which is named for the fighting that took place in 1851 when the Native people valiantly tried to defend themselves against the European settlers.

Beach at Battle Rock Park, Port Orford, Oregon

We crossed the border into California and headed for the redwoods, my preferred spot to celebrate my 70th birthday. Of course, we had not planned ahead and all the state park campgrounds were full. We found a small private park in nearby Trinidad and the next morning we backtracked to Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. The old growth redwoods there are stunning and the park is one of a group in this area that have been collectively designated as a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve. We enjoyed a 7 mile (11 km) trek (pictured above), then drove 50 miles south to the town of Eureka for my birthday dinner at Woodley Island Marina. We also had breakfast there, walked along the port and visited Old Town to see their magnificent Victorians before continuing on.

Port of Eureka, California

Breakfast at Port of Eureka, California

Along the Redwood Coast is the charming Victorian village of Ferndale… definitely worth a stop and a lot of photos!

Victorian Village of Ferndale, California

Victorian Village of Ferndale, California

Once again it was back to the redwoods. We drove along Avenue of the Giants then found a campsite at Hidden Springs, the same place where we had camped 14 years earlier. It was déjà vu at Humboldt Redwoods State Park in the Big Tree area, but we never tire of hiking there.

Hiking around the big trees, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, California

Hiking around the big trees, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, California

Cooling off after our hike at Humboldt Redwoods State Park, California

We had only two days before we needed to return to San Francisco, but there was still time to stop in places we love- Fort Bragg, Mendocino, Point Reyes, and Jenner-by-the-Sea. Once again we had trouble finding available camping at a state park along the Sonoma Coast, but managed to find an “overflow” spot at Wright’s Beach State Campground. There are sites on the beach that cost $40/night andd must be reserved months ahead of time. We feted the last night of our amazing journey with an outstanding seafood dinner in Bodega Bay.

Camping on the beach, Wright’s Beach State Park, California

Stinson Beach, California

After a morning walk on Wright’s Beach we had a leisurely drive home, stopping for a welcome home photo with a view of our favorite city in the background.