Oregon Coast view
Oregon,  Travel,  USA

Bespelled by the Oregon Coast — Road Trip

Every Fall you’ll see caravans of cars driving from the San Francisco Bay Area up north Highway 1 and 101 to chase the gorgeous change of seasons along the Oregon Coast. Oregon Coast is beautiful any time of the year but truly magical in the Fall. So, after booking the hotels, we loaded our car, converting the back seat into a luxurious road accommodation for our dog Monkey, and joined the fun.

Chandelier Tree, Leggett, California

The Chandelier Tree, Leggett, California

On the way to Eureka, California (our first overnight stay on the road trip), we swung by the famous Chandelier Tree in Leggett to stretch our legs and let Monkey sniff around. Looking up from the base and into the foliage of this mammoth redwood tree, we fell in awe by the grandeur of it. And, of course, we had to drive through the Chandelier Tree, creeping our way through the tiny tunnel without tearing off the side-view mirrors. Walking through on foot is a much better way to absorb the sheer immensity of the tree.

Another view of The Chandelier Tree on our road trip to Oregon Coast from California

The Chandelier Tree is estimated to be around 2,400 years old and an astonishing 315 feet high! That’s almost the length of a football field! The practice of cutting tunnels through these majestic giant trees began in the early 20th century, but thankfully, partly due to environmental impacts, it was short-lived.

The magnificent Chandelier Tree in Leggett, California on our road trip to Oregon Coast

Today there are only a handful of these trees still standing: three coastal redwood tunnel trees in Northern California, and two giant sequoia tunnel trees in Yosemite National Park.

Eureka, California

Carson Mansion in Eureka, CA -- on our trip to Oregon Coast
Carson Mansion ( Ingomar Club ), Eureka, California

After about six hours of driving from the San Francisco Bay Area, we checked into a motel in Eureka, California. Monkey travels well in the car, but we didn’t want to push him too much. We were all pretty worn out from the road and happy to arrive at our first destination. Getting a pizza takeout for dinner from a local joint Brick and Fire, we hunkered down for the night and flipped through travel brochures of the area.

Waterfront Eureka CA

That morning the city waterfront greeted us with the views of incredible Victorian houses, a quiet historic downtown, and a bookstore with a Zoltar fortune-telling booth in the front of it. Naturally, we had to give it a try. 😊

Settled by the Wiyot people, the town was called Jaroujiji, meaning a place “where you sit and rest.” During the Gold Rush, it was renamed Eureka (“I have found it!” from Greek). Later “Eureka” became the state motto of California.

The Pink Lady, a Victorian mansion in Eureka, California
The Pink Lady, Eureka, California

Up the Oregon Coast

Rugged rocks along Oregon Coast

An easy two-hour drive north from Eureka, we crossed the border to Oregon.

A view of a rock in the Pacific Ocean in Oregon

There are so many gorgeous locations to explore along the rugged Oregon Coast! A short, just over a mile, stretch on 101 between Natural Bridges to Secret Beach, to Arch Rock is probably one of our favorite spots.

Arch Rock in Oregon
Arch Rock, Oregon

The photo-ops are endless, and most vistas have a safe place to pull off the road.

View of the Oregon Coat on a sunny day

TIP: Keep an eye out for roadside vendors or gas station markets along the way. The locals make salmon jerky that is out of this world! There are plenty of places that sell it, but you’d want to get some early, so you have it to snack on for the drive.

Bandon, Oregon

"Welcome to Old Town Bandon" sign

We fell in love with the coastal village of Bandon, named so by George Bennet after his hometown in Ireland.

A sunset view of Coquille River Lighthouse in Bandon, Oregon
Coquille River Lighthouse, Bandon, Oregon

And what not to love? Unique boutiques, fantastic restaurants, and unusual street-art along the boardwalk and around town.

Our cozy beach motel was right on the ocean, with million-dollar views and fiery sunsets.

Sunset view on Oregon Coast

On our Oregon Coast road trip, we think Bandon was Monkey’s favorite town. He seemed to enjoy wandering around the wooden decks of the pier, posing for photos for tourists, and getting a few special treats while in town.

A couple of places we recommend checking in Bandon, Oregon:

Tony’s Crab Shack: The clam chowder and the fish tacos were some of the best we have ever had! Their menu is extensive with daily specials and fresh catch-of-the-day. 

Exterior of Tony's Crab Shack, Bandon, Oregon

Face Rock Creamery: We loved the cheese tasting at Face Rock Creamery and had to bring a bag of cheddar curds back with us. If you never tried cheddar cheese curds, you don’t know what you’re missing. They are yummy nuggets of cheesy goodness. A personal favorite is to place them on slices of baguette or crackers and stick them into a microwave for 10 seconds or so till they melt. Oooey-Gooey-Yes!

Octopus Sculpture on Weber's Pier, Bandon, Oregon

On The Road Again

Heading up north, we continued our road trip to Coos Bay, briefly stopping by serene Choshi Gardens in Mingus Park. Hope you’ll have a few minutes to enjoy it on your own Oregon Coast trip!

Just a bit farther north we reached Highway 38 which took us inland along the Umpqua River. That was one of the most picturesque forest-lined roads we’ve ever been on.

The view of Umpqua River and fall foliage in Oregon

Monkey happily paddled in the Umpqua river by the boat landing until we finally managed to coax him out.

Umpqua River view, Oregon

And then, we had to endure the wet dog smell in the car all the way down to Roseburg, our next spot for the night. By the way, the downtown of Roseburg was rebuilt, after a tragic explosion in 1959, also known as the Roseburg Blast. A Pacific Powder Company truck loaded with two tons of dynamite accidentally exploded in front of the Gerretsen Building Supply Company, taking down the buildings in an eight-block radius and damaging 30 other blocks. 

Foliage changing color on our road trip to Oregon

Following Highway 5 back home, we had to stop by Medford, Oregon for cheese and wine. But we were also eager to explore the historical Jacksonville, just minutes away from Medford. 😊

For the cheese: Rogue Creamery is internationally known for its organic handmade cheese. If you love cheese, especially blue cheese and cheddar, make sure to visit them. You can also purchase tasty gift sets on their website, and some of their cheeses are even found in California.

Exterior of Dancin Vineyards
Dancin Vineyards

For the wine: Dancin Vineyards. An exquisite selection of wines, including rare Oregon Barbera (that was our favorite, by the way). Beautiful setting, great small bites (check their stuffed mushrooms) — we wish we had more time to spend there. 

Close up of a ripe wine grape at Dancin Vineyards, Oregon

Jacksonville, Oregon

Originally named Table Rock City, the town of Jacksonville was founded during the Gold Rush after gold was discovered in the area back in 1851-1852. Folks from all over headed west to this up-and-coming town, hoping to strike it rich. But with many gold-towns of the time, the gold was eventually depleted causing Jacksonville’s economy to slow down. Fortunately for Jacksonville, it became more popular for its rich agricultural prospects later. 

View of the main street in Jacksonville, Oregon

Now over 100 buildings have been preserved, creating a National Historic District. Strolling through this old western town will transport you back into the days of the gold rush. Some of the businesses are still open and under the same name! With nearby wineries, historical buildings and landmarks, even an old cemetery to check out, Jacksonville should be on your checklist while exploring Southern Oregon.

On our way home, we stayed one last night in nearby Ashland. Though also founded in 1852, Ashland has a much younger and modern feel than neighboring Jacksonville. Similar to college towns like Berkeley or Boulder, Ashland has a colorful and artsy vibe.

Gorgeous close up of leaves

It’s also home to the renowned Oregon Shakespeare Festival. If you time your Southern Oregon road trip just right, you’ll find yourself amidst hordes of people donning exquisite period costumes, running amok all over Ashland. This is a great time to check the plays in the three Elisabethian Theatres and Lithia Park, the heart of Ashland.

River flowing through Lithia Park, Ashland, Oregon

By the way, Lithia Park was designed by John McLaren, the same man behind Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

A view of Mount Shasta

The spectacular views of Mount Shasta on Hwy 5 are well worth pulling over for. Turnouts along the road are a great place to stop and soak in the sites of the mountain. Someday soon, we’d love to drive to Shasta and explore some of the mysteries surrounding that area! Maybe even snap a shot of a Bigfoot or a UFO!

another gorgeous sunset on Oregon Coast

Looking for more road trip ideas around the San Francisco Bay Area? Check out some of our favorite places in Paso Robles, Solvang, and Fort Ross, to name a few. We love hearing from you, so comment away below!

4 Comments

Leave a Reply!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Discover more from MonkeysVentures

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading