San Francisco to Portland Road Trip: Day 3 (Redwoods to Southern Oregon)

Day 1: San Francisco to Sonoma
Day 2: Sonoma to the Redwoods
Day 3: Redwoods to Oregon
Day 4: Southern to Central Oregon
Day 5: Central Oregon to PortlandGeneral Notes/ Words of Precaution

My strategy for this journey was to limit the daily driving to less than 3.5 hours. That way we could wake up at a decent hour, take a leisurely lunch, stop at impromptu vista points and still fit in the driving during daylight. I also wanted to maintain a bit of spontaneity and flexibility (to the extent that I am capable of that) so I only booked the last two nights (Oregon locations) in advance. We reserved the two California overnights on site.

Not wanting to leave redwood country, we were lucky to find the quaint Miranda Gardens Resort in Miranda, California, along the Avenue of Giants. I was also partially drawn to the place as my mother, Miranda, recounted a surprise weekend getaway my father had taken her on to a place called Miranda! I doubt much has changed in the 40 years since they were here…

The morning view out of the cottage’s balcony was private and peaceful and well enjoyed after what would be my best sleep of the trip. On our way out, we decided to double up on caffeine and hit up the cute coffee stand, Sips, across the street from the hotel.

From Miranda we continued our drive through the Avenue of the Giants, I highly recommend this scenic bypass of Highway 101. There are many turnoffs throughout the drive where you can pull over and take a quick hike through the redwoods.

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Emerging from the mighty redwoods, Highway 101 heads toward a variety of eerie northern Californian Victorian towns. First up was Ferndale, a quiet town where we strolled the small main street and enjoyed a tasty snack at the Lost Coast Cafe & Bakery.

Ferndale had what I would call and eerie charm, read: looked like the set of a horror movie. Anyone who has driven on Highway 101 has dreamed of finally making it to Eureka one day. I have now achieved that dream, I’d like to say it was as exciting as I had envisioned, but let’s just blame that on the rainy conditions. We did make sure to check out the Carson Mansion and get a peek of the historic waterfront and marina.

California’s last major city before the border is Crescent City, best known for the damage suffered due to a Tsunami in 1964. We stopped here for lunch and had a perfectly acceptable meal at Tomasini’s Enoteca. After lunch we took a walk out on the pier to get a view of the harbor and see the sea wall, part of a recent $54 million project to help save this town from future seismically induced waves.

I was now getting eager to leave my home state behind and cross into Oregon. It wasn’t long before we crossed the border and headed towards our destination for the night, the Tu Tu Tun Lodge near Gold Beach, Oregon. This lodge was beautiful, at a price of $180 it was by far my favorite stay of the trip.

The rooms were lovely, they came equipped with wood burning fireplaces, heated bathroom floors and a basket filled with any item you could ever think of forgetting. The private balcony looked out over the misty Rouge River allowing for real relaxation.

That evening we started with the complimentary wine/beer and hor d’oeuvres happy hour in the lodge and then drove to town for dinner. During the non winter months the Lodge provides dinner, however, the kitchen was closed for our stay. No regrets here as I had some of the best smoked ribs of my life at The Barnacle Bistro.