Hwy 101 (Part 1): Crescent City, CA to Cannon Beach, OR
Road trip! When we decided to head toward Washington from California I said we have to go up Highway 101 on the coast! A drive that promises spectacular views of the rough and wild Pacific coastline and small beachside towns. We drove from Crescent City, CA north to Cannon Beach, OR in our RV. Some say the best views are to drive south but driving north was amazing. It was November/December when we made our trip so the days were cold and short, that is why most of my pics look cold and gloomy. We also had to hurry to get to our stops before nightfall. Next time I want to go during the spring for more daylight, slightly warmer temps and seeing everything bloom. Our first stop was Crescent City, CA.
Crescent City, CA – Crescent Beach & Pebble Beach
Crescent City, CA is a nice little town in northern California sitting on the coast. It has 2 beaches, Crescent Beach and Pebble Beach, and a lighthouse. Crescent Beach is just that, a nice crescent shaped beach for surfing. The dock nearby is a favorite of sea lions and there are lots of them. You can hear them a mile away. Pebble Beach is a beach full of pebbles and where you can find agates. Although our RV park host said it is really hard to find agates anymore. Even the locals have to hunt a while before coming across one. I gave it a try and did not find any, but he was really nice and gave me one of his. We were here in October and it was cold on the beach, but still worth it. I really liked this little town. We found a market happening at the fairgrounds while we were there and I found a lady making and selling really cool kelp baskets. I had never seen one of these before so I had to get a souvenir. I think I may try my hand at making them. 🙂
Harris Beach State Park, Brookings, OR
Heading north from Crescent City is Brookings, OR. I honestly don’t remember the town, just the beach. Harris Beach State Park was one of our favorite beaches. Almost no one else there, beautiful views and lots to explore. Our little doggie enjoyed this beach too. He was allowed to explore with us. 🙂
Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor, OR
North again! A nice place to stop and take a rest while overlooking the Pacific for miles.
Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint, Bandon, OR
Face Rock was an interesting place on the coast of Bandon, OR. It felt really odd winding our big RV through the small neighbor like streets to get to this viewpoint. It felt almost as if we were intruding into the neighborhood. It is completely allowed, of course, and you come to a big parking area and trail down to the beach. Almost no one was there except a couple of locals so it was very relaxing and we could take our time and see the view. The FACE. This giant face shaped rock that reminds you of someone floating on their back and looking up to the sky. Really cool.
Our next stop was an rv park we spent a week at on Bastendorff Beach. This was my favorite RV park and such a fun beach. Probably my favorite beach as well. I will save that for part 2 of my blog of our Oregon coast drive.