Travel advice - Northern California and Oregon

[sagittariansrock]

I actually drove from Eugene, OR to Houston, TX about 2.5 years back and plan to go the opposite route in about 6 months.
It takes about 3 days straight to drive from El Paso, TX to Portland, OR. going via Denver, or Salt Lake City or Reno, NV or Sacramento, CA. I am excluding the route via LA because the South-North part isn't that scenic. So you have about 7 days worth of sightseeing- not bad at all.
Things to see in Oregon:
1. Crater Lake will be mostly closed in November, but they might have the Snowshoeing trips on. It is quite nice, actually, and I liked it more than Crater Lake in summer bustling with people. But check on the entry routes. I believe one of the entrances is closed in Winter, and if it is the South one, then it will be too much of going around to make it worthwhile for you. So, check with the Park authorities.
2. I would recommend hitting the coast early around the Redwoods, then go North up to Coos Bay. The coast will be much cooler North of that. Then cross over East via 42 and then 62 to Crater Lake. Then from there you can go North to visit Bend, and then Columbia River Gorge and Portland.
I am not very familiar with vistas in North Cali, but I am sure you've got a lot of ideas re that already.
Happy driving!

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Watch the weather reports and have plan b and even plan c. Right now its very gray and a lot of rain in places. That changes every few days. If the weather is going to be soggy and miserable, stop and visit places that have better weather. You can run into major snow storms in the passes in November, so keep a eye on pass reports. You can usually get thru ok, but might have to wait for the roads to be cleared.

http://www.nwcn.com/weather/loc/Portland-OR/

 

[sanjosedave]

Some ideas (I live in San Jose).

Option 1: spend more time in Monument Valley, Page, AZ, St. George, UT and Death Valley, then go straight to Portland

Option 2: Drive from Death Valley/Vegas to Los Osos, CA. visit San Simeon; drive up Highway One, through Big Sur, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay, Selfies at Google/Apple, San Francisco, Pt Reyes, Ft Bragg (skunk steam train), Redwood National Forest, Portland

 

[Halfrack]

I just did SFO-Fort Bragg and back - lots of driving and it is mighty dry. I'd plan a night or two in SFO, lots of options, but also lots to see. I would skip Point Reyes unless you're a diehard lighthouse fan. There's a whole lot of nothing between Reyes and Mendocino.

You didn't say what you like to shoot, so there are some things you may or may not be interested in. I mean, the Glass Beach in Fort Bragg is really cool for the right person, but so is Treasure Island and Twin Peaks in San Francisco. Crater Lake and Kalmath Falls would be on my list, but I'd also circle out to Seaside and Cannon Beach.

http://www.nps.gov/pore/index.htm
http://www.pointlobos.org/general-info/trail-maps/cypress-grove-trail
http://www.streetartutopia.com/?p=13307
http://www.7x7.com/arts-culture/100-things-do-sf-you-die

 

[NorbR]

Well I don't know what everybody was worried about, I've been in Portland for 5 days and tonight is the first time I see a drop of rain ;D

Seriously though, I guess I've been pretty lucky with the weather (although it's been quite cold). I've had some rain on the way in driving up the coast, but even then it was on and off, and never really bad.

So tonight is my last night in Portland, and before I head back to Europe and tend to all the pictures waiting on my memory cards, I just wanted to thank everyone again for all the advice, I've had a fantastic trip

If anyone's interested, here's the route I ended up taking:
http://goo.gl/AIecV8
(don't mind the markers too much, they don't mean anything specific, they're juste here to force Google to choose the correct route)

I did end up hitting the coast fairly early and hugging it for a while, but honestly, after all those days in the desert I was feeling an urge to see the ocean ;D

So thanks again all. And to all you Portlandians out there, this is a pretty awesome city you live in, I wish I can come back soon!

 

[dgatwood]

... there's little I like more than the beach in winter (although it'll be a first for the Pacific Coast)

If you get to the Monterey Bay area, be sure to dip your feet in. You’ll soon discover why they don’t swim in Maine.

And in the unlikely event that you have a few hours to spend, the whale watching trips from Moss Landing are an experience. Bring a long lens (I mostly shot with a 70–300L and a 1.4x Kenko TC on my 6D).

 

[Tanispyre]

Southern Oregon is a fantastic place to visit in the fall and winter. I would start with Crater Lake, clearly the gemstone of the area. If you are interested in landscapes I would visit Lava Beds National Monument, and Captain Jacks Stronghold.

It is a little bit out of the way, and a short hike in, but Toketee Falls is a beautiful double waterfall flowing over a lava cliff. Google it. It is worth it.

If you want do so some people or architecture, I would visit Ashland, OR. The Oregon Shakespearean Festival is located there, and you can find interesting folk all year round.

Medford is your gateway to the Table Rocks, and the Wild and Scenic Rogue River. You can then go to the Oregon Caves, and over to the coast via Grants Pass.

If you get tired of all the beautiful photos you are taking, you can always enjoy some of the best wines and craft beers in the world. Southern Oregon is the Artisan Food Capitol of the West.