Road Trip - recommendations please!

[mikehmb]

Hey Internet Friends and Strangers - I’m taking a “for the hell of it” road trip this coming weekend. Leaving San Francisco on Friday morning, heading up to Coos Bay, over to Crater Lake (if we can get there), then blasting back over to 101 and home. Assuming we’ll cover about 1300 miles over 3 days (coming home Sunday).

The intent of the trip is … taking the ride (and only using RAN as an experiment). We have no agenda, except drive and enjoy. My daughter is coming along with me.

If any of the Oregonians here have recommendations on stuff to do in/around Coos Bay or Klamath Falls, that would be awesome. Or anywhere along the way. I’ve been up north of Leggett before, but not much further than that along 101. Thanks!

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[carmigo]

Hey Internet Friends and Strangers - I’m taking a “for the hell of it” road trip this coming weekend. Leaving San Francisco on Friday morning, heading up to Coos Bay, over to Crater Lake (if we can get there), then blasting back over to 101 and home. Assuming we’ll cover about 1300 miles over 3 days (coming home Sunday).

The intent of the trip is … taking the ride (and only using RAN as an experiment). We have no agenda, except drive and enjoy. My daughter is coming along with me.

If any of the Oregonians here have recommendations on stuff to do in/around Coos Bay or Klamath Falls, that would be awesome. Or anywhere along the way. I’ve been up north of Leggett before, but not much further than that along 101. Thanks!

Not a native of Oregon, but i love to travel. I found a few places that looked cool.
- The Link River Trail (Klamath Falls)
- Wood River Wetland (Klamath Falls)
- Crater Lake Zipline
- Lava Beds National Monument
- Mount Shasta!
- Shore Acres State Park
- Coos Bay Boardwalk

 

[WSea]

Oregon Vortex!

 

[jjswan33]

Note that only the southern entrance to crater lake will be open this time of year. I was in the Crescent area 10 days ago the snow level isn't terribly high if you want to explore the wilderness, lots of it in that area. We had drove on some back roads in the Paulina Lakes area while we were there but nothing too extreme.

Other options include Snow Shoeing near Mt Thielsen along the PCT (or backcountry skiing even better). Snowcat skiing on Mt Bailey, though not cheap. If you want to go even further north Smith Rock State park is incredibly popular and snow shouldn't be too high there either.

 

[SteveInBend]

Probably not going to be a good time to visit Crater Lake. Next 10 days forecast for the Cascades is for snow.

If you plan to restrict charging to RAN you'll likely need to stay on 101. You could get over to Crescent RAN from Coos Bay without any problems but unless you retrace your steps, you might have issues going from Klamath Falls RAN back to Coos Bay RAN.

 

[srnyoung]

Nice trip!
Looks like Crater Lake is closed as of Sunday due to snow:
https://www.nps.gov/crla/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

TripCheck is invaluable when considering winter pass driving in OR:
https://tripcheck.com/

I'd highly recommend a stop at Cape Blanco State Park, ~50 mi south of Coos Bay. Lovely beach, cool plateau with the lighthouse at the other end of the park. Also good for camping if you need another spot to stop.

If you do head back in to I5, Ashland is worth a day, good breweries, cute mountain town in the desert.

 

[WSea]

While heading to socal in december we spent a night in Grants Pass. The Riverside inn has free charging. Their chargers were down but their sister hotel, the lodge at riverside, had working chargers so we charged there...about a block away. Pet friendly too!

 

[mikehmb]

Thanks for the ideas everyone!

The weather is definitely going to make this adventure more … adventurous. I’m perfectly comfortable driving in crazy storms having grown up and learned to drive in them, unless of course Oregon DoT gives me a big Nope.

 

[CharonPDX]

Oregon Vortex is a fun/funky little stop.

Wildlife Safari is a nice drive-through "zoo".

 

[Legi0n]

I used RAN to get from Renton (Seattle) to Fortuna CA a week or so ago. My favorite stop was a bit out of the way north of Crescent City CA. Jedediah Smith Redwoods state park. Specifically the stops off 199. Amazing trees! I would also take the 1 block detour in Eureka CA to the Carson mansion or maybe a drive by of the Gingerbread mansion near Fortuna CA in Ferndale. The rest of my favorite stops are in N. Oregon coast. Regardless you will pass through beautiful county. Early in the year I expect, as others said, for Crater lake. Don't think I spent more than 25 minutes at any RAN charger. They are great! I didn't make it this far but Avenue of the Giants is worth a stop North of Myers Flat.

 

[WSea]

Huge redwoods along 199! Also, Avenue of the giants that roughly parallels 101

 

[AllInev]

Hey Internet Friends and Strangers - I’m taking a “for the hell of it” road trip this coming weekend. Leaving San Francisco on Friday morning, heading up to Coos Bay, over to Crater Lake (if we can get there), then blasting back over to 101 and home. Assuming we’ll cover about 1300 miles over 3 days (coming home Sunday).

The intent of the trip is … taking the ride (and only using RAN as an experiment). We have no agenda, except drive and enjoy. My daughter is coming along with me.

If any of the Oregonians here have recommendations on stuff to do in/around Coos Bay or Klamath Falls, that would be awesome. Or anywhere along the way. I’ve been up north of Leggett before, but not much further than that along 101. Thanks!

I’m super jelli! Go Owls !

 

[Riviot]

Jedediah Smith Redwoods state park.

This!!! My favorite drive in my SF-Seattle trip a few years back. It's how my hound dog got his name

 

[k3g]

Up near Klamath, you can head down to the Gold Bluff beach day use lot, and hike around Fern Canyon. It's a pretty cool area!

 

[skunn]

@mikehmb did you end up doing this trip? Where did you go?

I'm also planning a short notice 3-4 days with my daughter first week of April and thinking of heading up into this area given the mountain ranges have so much snow.

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