Our Rogue Trip: Best of Coastal, Redwoods & Crater Lake Highways
My friend Vickie arrived from North Carolina to accompany me on my first road trip since a) I replaced my beloved, but less than reliable 20-year-old Honda CRV (CuRVy) with a brand new Monarch Orange Nissan Rogue (Flutterbye); and b) since my mother died a year ago, allowing me to be comfortable being more than a few hours by plane or car away from home. Our route? South along the Oregon coastal highway 101, to the California Redwoods National Forest to camp for three nights, then east and back north to Crater Lake National Forest.
Here is our list of bests on our week-long adventure. With, of course, photos.
Best food in a local dive, also Gretchen’s best beer
Fish & Chips at the Flounder, Seal Rock, OR. And Rogue Dead-Guy beer.
Best sunset
Seal Rock, OR from Coast Road Cottage
Best beach
Cape PerpetuaDevil’s Churn at Cape Perpetua
Best visitor center
Cape Perpetua
Best advertisement
Coos Bay, OR
Best art
“Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea,” Bandon, OR. Learn more here.
Best scenic viewpoint
Arch Rock
Best photo from Google
Because the moving car photographer missed it.
Best wildlife sighting
Elk herd, Prairie Creek SP
Best night’s sleep
Little tent on the prairie
Best campground meal
Foil pouch dinner
Best peopley place
An oxymoron, but: Fern Canyon, Prairie Creek State Park
Best warning sign
Best beach photo shoot
Gold Bluffs Beach (no, it was not the only contender).
Best mural
Eureka, CA
Best first view (tie)
The Redwoods National Park, Elk Prairie SP (We continued to be wowed by the Redwoods.)
Best walk
Nature Trail, Prairie Creek State Park
Best tree home
Elk Prairie SP (could ancient peoples have once lived in these hollowed out trees, like cave dwellers?).
Best unnecessary signage
Elk Prairie SP
Best directional signage
Elk Prairie SP
Best wood sculpture (tie)
Best new vocabulary
Reiterated trunks: accessory trunks arising from the main trunk, other reiterated trunks, or limbs
Best sight with no photo: Beach and sea obscured by cloud blanket below road.
Best advice from a stranger: “Steve” (we made up his name), Luminari Arts shop, Astoria, OR, recommended we go to Stout Grove, though he couldn’t remember the name of it.
Best drive
The road to Stout Grove, Jedediah Smith State Park. No trees were harmed in the building of this road.
Best root ball
Best set for a movie scene
(Return of the Jedi.) Jedediah Smith SP (it wasn’t really filmed here, but Steve said it was, and it looks just like it. (Watch the scene here.)
Crater Lake and Wizard Island, west entrance. The rest of the rim drive didn’t compare.Except maybe for Phantom Ship, that looks more like a castle to us.
Best geological formation
The Pinnacles, Crater Lake
Best ice cream: Huckleberry, some mini-mart at some speed trap on the highway between Crater Lake and Bend that also sold biscuits and gravy. How did we not get the photo?
Best shopping: that’s an oxymoron
Best small city: Bend, OR (P.S. it was too late to shop)
Best dinner out
Hail to the Kale salad (and pizza), Deschutes Brewery & Public House, Bend, OR
Best latte
Bluebird Coffee Company, Bend, OR
Best scone
Marionberry Chocolate Chip at Great Harvest Bread Co., Bend, OR.
Best snow-capped peak
The Sisters, near Bend, OR
Best tiny town
Sisters, OR (P.S. it was too early to shop)
Best road trip vehicle
Flutterbye
Best photo from a moving car: none of them.
Best large city: that’s an oxymoron
Best celebratory beverage
for successfully navigating around the only city, Portland, and arriving back in Washington
Best travel buddy
Gretchen: Vickie. Also Vickie’s best beer: Deshutes Marionberry lavender sour.
I am a Pacific Northwest native transplanted to the southeast for 36 years. In 2012, I returned to my childhood home and fell in love with this corner of the country again. I am a grandmother, a storywriter, a teacher, an attention payer, a hiker, and a back roads wanderer. Check out my website (and my memoir) at www.gretchenstaebler.com.
View all posts by Gretchen Staebler
9 thoughts on “Our Rogue Trip: Best of Coastal, Redwoods & Crater Lake Highways”
We joked that people would think that. But do note that we were out for 7 days, that’s 14 lunches and dinners, and there were only four beers each. Nope, didn’t get lost on the road (GPS) or on the trail (all were dedicated to the casual “hiker” and well marked).
I just bought my adventure car. A Toyota RAV4 Adventure. And it’s metallic red (maroon). Now if I could persuade my friend to take a road trip. So far it’s me alone going through Arkansas to Louisville, Ky and around KY for a few days, then south to see an older cousin in Atlanta. And “the long way home” to Houston. Loved my drive down and back up the Oregon coast from Portland.
That’s excellent! You know I love solo ventures. It was nice to have a navigator though, and a sister hiker to show the massiveness of those trees! And someone to help with campground chores. And a companion. Had she not been able to come out and go with me, though, I would have been quite content as a solo. Enjoy, either way!
Absolutely amazing & hilarious response report to those Best places I too have seen! Port Townsend jazz was o-so-wonderful…this all-nighter in PDX, not! My next PNW venture just might include Newport jazz fest 2020!
Writing Down the Story 
Oh my. What a great way to recap your week. I wondered how you would do it in a photo log and you nailed it. Nice job, ladies.
But I have questions ..
Like, what’s up with all those beverages in your photo ? Drinking your lunch ? Ha !
And where is the “we got lost” story ? Isn’t that a crucial part of every adventure ?
And you probably now realize that even hometown folks are gonna want you as their tour guide …
So happy you had a great trip and some quality time, to boot. Life is good.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We joked that people would think that. But do note that we were out for 7 days, that’s 14 lunches and dinners, and there were only four beers each. Nope, didn’t get lost on the road (GPS) or on the trail (all were dedicated to the casual “hiker” and well marked).
LikeLike
I just bought my adventure car. A Toyota RAV4 Adventure. And it’s metallic red (maroon). Now if I could persuade my friend to take a road trip. So far it’s me alone going through Arkansas to Louisville, Ky and around KY for a few days, then south to see an older cousin in Atlanta. And “the long way home” to Houston. Loved my drive down and back up the Oregon coast from Portland.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s excellent! You know I love solo ventures. It was nice to have a navigator though, and a sister hiker to show the massiveness of those trees! And someone to help with campground chores. And a companion. Had she not been able to come out and go with me, though, I would have been quite content as a solo. Enjoy, either way!
LikeLike
Absolutely amazing & hilarious response report to those Best places I too have seen! Port Townsend jazz was o-so-wonderful…this all-nighter in PDX, not! My next PNW venture just might include Newport jazz fest 2020!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fun times! Have you been in the Twin Cities too? Sorry I missed you!
LikeLike
Wonderful memories beautifully captured.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Marjorie!
LikeLike