Roving Reports by Doug P: 2021-8 The California and Oregon Coast

2021-8

California, hwy 101 Pacific Coast Highway
Oregon, hwy 101 Pacific Coast Highway

campground: Red Bluff California, Walmart. Checked in with Manager. Was told they were happy to let me stay in their parking lot overnight. With a caveat that the city police may come by and tell me to leave. I had no problem, no police stopped by. Free.

Campground: Bear River Casino, Loleta California. Free (3 nights max) Must check in with security in casino for Parking pass on window. Also got $10 free play and $10 gas chit for signing up for players card.

Bear River Casino, Loleta California.
Free parking lot camping

Campground: Chinook Rv, Klamath Calif. PPA half off. $18.00 full hookups. Note: Klamath has a couple PPA campgrounds. Casino near by on Indian Reservation land, but was only open a few days. I got hear the week before the season starts, Memorial Day weekend.

Campground: Port Orford Rv Village, Oregon. PPA $22.70 includes tax. Lots of permanent/season Rv’s. Full hookups including cable tv (now that’s an unexpected perk). Very neat and clean campground.

Not a picture of the campground, but a great
view of Port Orford Oregon

Campground: Osprey Point Rv Resort, Lakeside Oregon. $23.00 PPA discount rate. Full hookups including, ta-da Cable Tv.

no pics

Don’t you know, leaving the Sierra’s, I’d take the route less taken by, well just about anyone. Hwy 36 is a two lane, narrow road heading on up and over Coast Ranges to the Pacific coast. It was slow going, often only traveling about 35 to 40 mph max. Still, Zippy performed well and I never felt uncomfortable driving this route. Not that I’d do it again, as there are a few other routes that might be a tad easier to travel.

Hwy 36 is a two lane, narrow road heading on up and
over Coast Ranges to the Pacific coast

I needed a break along hwy 36
two lane, twisting and turns can take a toll

RV NOTE: Hwy 36 between Red Bluff and Fortuna California, definitely not recommended for large Rv’s.

Highway 101 Pacific Coast between California and Oregon

first views of the Pacific on this trip

at an Elk viewing area, one lone Elk
"hay, where is everybody"

Ah, we all walked across the highway
to greener pastures

Sooo well maintained and such thick green grass

traveling hwy 101, even the rest stops are among the giant Redwoods

Zippy looking kind of small

oceanside wild flowers

ocean side flowers

It’s been years since I traveled the Pacific coast highway and after checking my camping apps, I was pleased to see that I’d be able to use my Passport America card to get half off the campgrounds, since most have black out periods for the summer beginning on Memorial Day. I even found a casino on the way that permitted free overnight parking. You know how I love to save money and this part of my journey is a win-win all around.

Note to Rv-ers. There are virtually no Boone-docking opportunities along hwy 101. All pull-outs, viewing spots/rest stops have signs indicating No Camping Overnight. Well, just call me wrong on that count. I started doing a bit more searching on one of my favorite camping Apps, I-Overlander and discovered there are places to do a bit of urban boondocking, casinos, paring lots, rest areas etc. So my last couple of sections along hwy 101 will be all boondocking. Free camping, Yippee! Helps to do the research.

Up until reaching the Pacific Coast, I’ve never not been able to travel with Zippy just about anywhere. Starting up hwy 101, attempting to take a number of side trips, I was a bit frustrated with numerous signs indicating that the route was limited to cars, absolutely no Rv’s travel Trailers, etc. Many included images of Class C campers as well. Well darn it all. One in particular was Lady Bird Johnson Grove in the National Redwoods Park. Eventually I would get to do a number of walk about s through a number of Redwood groves containing ancient 2,000 year old trees. Growing to a height of 350 feet with diameters of 20 feet. They only grow in elevations below 2,000 ft along the damp foggy coast line in Northern California and southern Oregon. And sections of the highway are flanked by the giant redwood trees. Now that’s pretty cool.

One of my little finds
The New Douglas Memorial Bridge

A view of the New Douglas Memorial Bridge

The Douglas Memorial Bridge
to Klamath (Native Indian land)

Ok, two old bears at the Douglas Memorial Bridge
washed away during an historic 25 inches of rain in
1964

pretty cool place, and almost no graffiti

I also attempted to get into the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park and Stout Memorial Grove. The Stout Memorial Grove was not open to the public this time of year, but I was able to walk through a number of groves within the boundaries of the State park. By the way, the National and State Parks are all a part of the Redwoods National Park system.

Now a cautionary note to Rv-ers. Traveling this route just before Memorial Day Weekend, the beginning of summer travel, many shops, stores, restaurants. Also with the Covid 19 still being a factor, some places haven’t fully opened. (May 2021)

But back to the Pacific coast folks. It’s definitely all about the views, the redwoods, the awesome wildflower blooms. The Rhododendrons are in full colorful bloom. Deep reds, pinks, snowy whites. The bright yellow Scotch Broom, so prolific along the highway, seem to cascade along the hillsides. And even though it is considered an invasive species, it is strikingly colorful against the deep rich greens of the thick rows of pines and redwoods. And of course of spectacular coastal ocean, dark sandy beaches and rock monoliths scattered along the ocean shoreline, and enough lighthouses to satiate the photographer and lighthouse explorer.