Bay Area->Redwoods->Oregon Coast->Portland->Columbia Gorge->Bend->Medford->Bay Area

BACKGROUND:

Having completed the annual 'where are we going to go this year' negotiations, and having hopes for a longer vacation dashed by pending projects at work; we have settled on two weeks in late September/early October, as follows below. The loser was two weeks hitting Sedona/Canyon De Chelley/Santa Fe/Taos/Durango/Mesa Verde: 1,000 miles longer and really needed three weeks for that routing. Mileages below are approximate.

OBJECTIVES:

Linda will be looking for any fabric arts establishment (yarns, quilting goods, needlepoint), and I'll be shooting pictures and looking for the next brewpub. We consider ourselves 'foodies', so any ideas for interesting places to eat would be great. Any and all suggestions welcomed.

THE PLAN:

Leave Concord on a Saturday in "The Beast" (Expedition): Randy Newman's "I love LA" on the stereo (road trip tradition), latte' stop at Peets (another road trip tradition), drive straight up to Klamath, CA. Settle into a B&B for two nights. (350 miles or so)

Spend a day staring at redwoods, Elk, ferns, the ocean and the Klamath River.

Head from Klamath to Gold Beach on Monday; settle into Tu Tu Tun (a return visit; love this place) for three nights. Do Howland Hill road on the way. (100 miles)

Spend one day exploring the southern Oregon coast from Gold Beach as far north as Coos Bay. Probably take a jetboat ride the other day, or just veg out.

Drive from Gold Beach to Cannon Beach; three nights there. Do the central Oregon coast on the way up (things between Coos Bay to Tillamook). (300 miles)

Spend one day out of Cannon Beach doing the north coast (Tillamook to Seaside). Spend the other day chilling out in Cannon Beach.

Drive from Cannon Beach to Portland by way of Astoria and the Columbia River. Three nights in Portland. (150 miles)

Powell's Books, Voodoo Donuts, rose gardens, brewpubs, etc.

Portland to Bend via Columbia Gorge highway, possibly hit Timberline lodge on the way to gape at Mt. Hood. Two nights in Bend in a converted Catholic grammar school. (225 miles)

High Desert Museum, Sisters, brewpubs.

Continue on to White City (Medford area; relatives) via Cascade Lakes Highway and possibly Crater Lake; two nights at Aunt Marie's. (200 miles)

Load up on food products/go shopping with Aunt Marie: Butte Creek Mill (working water-powered grain mill in the town of Eagle Point), Rogue Creamery (Central City; fabulous blue cheeses), Harry and David (the fruit empire in Medford proper), ...

Drive back to Concord on Sunday; obligatory lunch stop in Dunsmuir (Cornerstone Bakery and Cafe: another roadtrip tradition of ours). (350 miles)

Hey Don.

I'm not able to add anything of use to your plans, but it sure looks like a great trip you have in store and I will look forward to seeing the results of your photography.

Dave.