San Francisco to Portland Road Trip: Day 5 (Central Oregon to Portland)

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.>

Day 5: Central Oregon Coast to Portland

Day five began in Yachats as we woke to the sound of waves crashing against the shore outside our window at the quaint SeaQuest bed and breakfast. Bed checked out and the SeaQuest breakfast did not disappoint either! From the comprehensive holiday decor, to the unobstructed coastal view, we were in heaven even before our food arrived!

Our meal began with a broiled grapefruit, a unique take on a fruit plate and a recipe I’d love to try at home. The second course actually consisted of five separate components: a zucchini cake, candied bacon, tomato salad, homemade jam and an egg dish filled with cheesy delight.

On a side note, our breakfasts on this trip were so good and filling that we did not need to eat a proper lunch the entire drive.

Time to start our final day of driving. Our hosts at the inn recommended a vista point 4.5 miles north, at the turn off to Cape Perpetua campgrounds, note that this is the second turn off for the park. We took the turn and stayed to the left to follow the road to the top of the hill. A spectacular view awaited us, I can only imagine the distance we would have been able to see had it not been pouring down rain.

Our final stop before saying goodbye to the coast and heading inland was an impromptu “we must stop now” in Depoe Bay, Oregon. As the highway enters the small town it is impossible to miss the sound of crashing waves and massive sprays of water up above the main street. The main street runs along a huge sea wall in this “whale watching capital of the Oregon coast”. Definitely a nice place to bid farewell to the rocky coastline, along which we had spent our last four days.

We chose to take highway 18, at Lincoln, inland so that we could make a quick pit stop in wine country. Having a taste of Oregon Pinot Noir at Four Graces Winery and a snack at Red Hills Market was sufficient to re acclimate ourselves to the city living that awaited us in Portland.

General Notes/ Words of Precaution

When driving up the coast of Northern California and Oregon there are two precautions to keep in mind. (1) The danger of having only one north south route is that when weather or other incidents get in the way, you may see yourself facing 2-4 hour detours (I used my editorial discretion to remove our 4 hour detour from the narrative above). The best way to avoid these situations is to check your driving route on TripCheck.com, this site is the Oregon Department of Transportation’s up to date map of road closures.

(2) The other looming threat is Tsunami, I know it seems extreme and unlikely but this portion of the coast is particularly vulnerable to large earthquakes and a Tsunami strike with little warning (could be as quick as 15 minutes after a quake). The highway is very well signed, you will know when you are entering and exiting Tsunami threat zones.

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

Click here for my post on a perfect morning in Portland!