Driving the Pacific Northwest Coastline

One of the biggest motivators for taking a road trip around the Pacific Northwest was my desire to drive the coast highway through Oregon and Washington. It was with my friend Dave in 2010 that I drove the PCH in California from L.A. to San Francisco. I described the journey through Big Sur as a near perfect drive. It was only natural that I'd be inspired to see what the rest of the road was like.

Driving along the coast in the Northwest was just as beautiful and photogenic as I imagined it would be. Mike and I spent a lot of time touring various sites from the Cape Meares Lighthouse to Oceanside Beach in Oregon, crossing the Astoria-Megler Bridge, and exploring the North Head Lighthouse and Seaview Beach in Washington.

We also drove an absolutely gorgeous back road through Oregon as we cut across from McMinnville on our way to Tillamook. The road twisted and turned through a canopy of massive trees, and because we were essentially in the middle of nowhere we had the road almost entirely to ourselves. This kind of driving was what this trip was all about. We had nothing but time to kill, and the freedom to get lost.

Having now driven the 101 in all 3 states, I'd happily go back and do it again - explore more lighthouses, walk barefoot on the beach, stare in amazement at the cliffs as they disappear behind the fog rolling in, etc. There are so many interesting places to see as you go, and honestly, that view never gets old.