Monday, August 22, 2005
The roadtrip was simply incredible, the best vacation I have ever taken. 2800 miles total on the Miata. It was great to really get away from life for a couple of weeks and on my own to relax, and see what things are like outside the bay area. Being in a convertible was cool, to be free and in the open air.
The Pacific Northwest is absolutely beautiful. It really is a treat for photographers. Oregon especially has awesome state parks for hiking with lots of cool sites such as Crater Lake and other waterfalls. I did over 50 miles of hiking on the trip!
Once you leave the San Francisco area, roads become a whole lot better. Pretty much anywhere I went there were great new asphalt roads, twisting and winding through the mountains. And in Oregon, there were no other people on the roads slowing me down!
The general plan of not planning anything worked on very well. I definitely changed my route and dates several times as I went, so the flexibility was worth it. I stopped at many random towns along the way, and basically every single "view point" I saw on the roads I took. Some view points weren't too interesting, but most had amazing views, and something you wouldn't see if you were on a tight schedule.
I consistently heard from people that I was going to see more of the sites and attractions of their home town than they had. It's too bad that we can't find time in our lives to experience the places where we live, because we only have free time when on vacation. I'm hoping to do a touristy weekend in SF in a few weeks, all on foot and bus, all over the city.
Vancouver was my favorite city. Waheena Loop was my favorite hike. McCormick & Schmick's was my favorite dinner. Rock Bottom Brewery was my favorite beer. Portland City Grill was my favorite lounge. Feather Falls was the best waterfall. Tigers at the Oregon Zoo are my favorite animal. Stanley Park is the best park. Seattle has the best live music. Oregon has the best roads. The Grouse Grind is the best workout.
Click here to see lots and lots of pictures
Feel free to email me if you are planning a trip and want more info (i have lots of brochures, maps, etc).
The Pacific Northwest is absolutely beautiful. It really is a treat for photographers. Oregon especially has awesome state parks for hiking with lots of cool sites such as Crater Lake and other waterfalls. I did over 50 miles of hiking on the trip!
Once you leave the San Francisco area, roads become a whole lot better. Pretty much anywhere I went there were great new asphalt roads, twisting and winding through the mountains. And in Oregon, there were no other people on the roads slowing me down!
The general plan of not planning anything worked on very well. I definitely changed my route and dates several times as I went, so the flexibility was worth it. I stopped at many random towns along the way, and basically every single "view point" I saw on the roads I took. Some view points weren't too interesting, but most had amazing views, and something you wouldn't see if you were on a tight schedule.
I consistently heard from people that I was going to see more of the sites and attractions of their home town than they had. It's too bad that we can't find time in our lives to experience the places where we live, because we only have free time when on vacation. I'm hoping to do a touristy weekend in SF in a few weeks, all on foot and bus, all over the city.
Vancouver was my favorite city. Waheena Loop was my favorite hike. McCormick & Schmick's was my favorite dinner. Rock Bottom Brewery was my favorite beer. Portland City Grill was my favorite lounge. Feather Falls was the best waterfall. Tigers at the Oregon Zoo are my favorite animal. Stanley Park is the best park. Seattle has the best live music. Oregon has the best roads. The Grouse Grind is the best workout.
Click here to see lots and lots of pictures
Feel free to email me if you are planning a trip and want more info (i have lots of brochures, maps, etc).