San Francisco in 5500 Kilometres
In July 2015 Sarah and I finally got the time to take a good long road trip together, after deliberating for a while we decided on San Francisco California. Our hope was to avoid interstates wherever possible and see some of those wonderful 'road trip' sights that only come along when driving the lesser know areas of the USA.
We covered 5500 km (3400 miles) with 10 overnight stops, 3 of which were in San Francisco. None of the days seemed overly long or short and they melted into each other seamlessly as we shared some wonderful sights and sounds of the US and Canada.
San Francisco really was a great choice and certainly worth visiting, as were all the other places we saw along the way. We found a bunch of locations that we would have liked to see more of too but that's always the case with a road trip, you always find a place where you could spend a few days.
The map below shows the route we took and the click-able balloons give more info and a selection of photos on certain points along the way, the map will open in a new full page if you click the empty white square in the right hand corner. If you want the whole story and all the photos keep on reading below the map and click any smaller image for larger captioned version with more details of an area.
We covered 5500 km (3400 miles) with 10 overnight stops, 3 of which were in San Francisco. None of the days seemed overly long or short and they melted into each other seamlessly as we shared some wonderful sights and sounds of the US and Canada.
San Francisco really was a great choice and certainly worth visiting, as were all the other places we saw along the way. We found a bunch of locations that we would have liked to see more of too but that's always the case with a road trip, you always find a place where you could spend a few days.
The map below shows the route we took and the click-able balloons give more info and a selection of photos on certain points along the way, the map will open in a new full page if you click the empty white square in the right hand corner. If you want the whole story and all the photos keep on reading below the map and click any smaller image for larger captioned version with more details of an area.
We left our home on Thursday 16th July around 2pm as soon as Sarah finished work. We followed the familiar route of highway 22 all the way down to Crowsnest Pass where we picked up the short hop to the US border at Chief Mountain. The crossing was easy even though we had some tangerines in the truck which were confiscated (we should have known that really) but I guess the border patrol guys got some fresh fruit for supper. In no time at all we were in St Mary Montana ready to take on the 'going to the sun road' in the morning. We had dinner in the hotel and sat on the balcony watching the golden sunset until it was curtailed by a storm moving past.
By morning the storms had passed and the sunrise illuminated the eastern flanks of Flattop Mountain across from the hotel, the mist still hung in the valley below where the 'going to the sun road' awaited. We were up and about early and had a nice breakfast after waiting for them to open the restaurant at 06:00, that got us an early start which really moved us on as the day went by.
Glacier National Park has a very different look and feel than Waterton just across the border but it is a wonderfully scenic place and the 'going to the sun road' makes the very best of it. In 1932 the US and Canada created the first international peace park by joining Waterton National Park in Canada with Glacier National Park in the US at their respective borders. The resulting park covers almost 5000 sq kms (1700 sq miles) so we weren't going to be seeing it all today but that was never the target, we really wanted to make the 2 hour scenic drive along the 'going to the sun road' and that is what we did.
Glacier National Park has a very different look and feel than Waterton just across the border but it is a wonderfully scenic place and the 'going to the sun road' makes the very best of it. In 1932 the US and Canada created the first international peace park by joining Waterton National Park in Canada with Glacier National Park in the US at their respective borders. The resulting park covers almost 5000 sq kms (1700 sq miles) so we weren't going to be seeing it all today but that was never the target, we really wanted to make the 2 hour scenic drive along the 'going to the sun road' and that is what we did.
We had another breakfast in a cafe beside lake McDonald before leaving the 'going to the sun road' and taking highway 2 to Kalispell where we could pick up another scenic route, US-93. We followed US-93 for just over 650 km (400 miles) to the Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho. Along the way we stopped and started at various roadside pullouts and soaked in the sunshine beside a desert river....until we came across a stinky dead fish and moved on!
The 400 miles from West Glacier passed quickly and soon we were arriving at the 'Craters of the Moon' park (something we had intended to do the next day but we travelled so far we decided to keep going. The park comprises a dormant volcano in the middle of a huge expanse of lava fields littered with cinder cones and occasional sagebrush, it's such a strange alien environment that you can't really pass by without taking a look. We climbed to the top of a dormant volcano and wandered around the lava flows. I stuck my head in a cinder cone cave and came out bat free while Sarah explored the larger lumps of cinder cone, some as big as houses. It's a great park to visit if you are in the area and it covers such an enormous amount of ground (2900 sq kms or 1100 sq miles)
After Craters of the Moon we continued to Twin Falls Idaho for an overnight stay, in the morning we continued along highway 93 for just over 100 miles to Wells Nevada where we picked up I-80 (though I'm not a lover of interstate travel) we took the interstate for about 100 miles to Battle Mountain where we took a minor route to Highway 50, the loneliest highway in the US (supposedly) Sarah and I thought some of the other roads we travelled were a damn sight less used but it was still nice to see the small towns and roadside 'attractions' of highway 50.
Still rolling along highway 50 just outside Middlegate Nevada is a 'Shoe Tree' these things are dotted around the US like confetti and can look pretty scruffy to be honest. The one outside Middlegate must have annoyed someone as they came along on the night of December 30th 2010 and cut it down. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on your point of view) another cottonwood tree close by has taken on the role of 'Shoe Tree' and is already heavily adorned with shoes of all kinds. I could almost see the despair on Sarahs face as she took pictures of the graveyard of shoes. "some of these are still good shoes" was the first thing she could bring herself to say and "why would people throw away good shoes like that". There is a story to the site but I'm not sure of it's validity, the basics are a couple got into a fight while sitting under the tree, she threatened to walk away so he threw her shoes up there to stop her from doing so, they reconciled and when they had their first child they threw his shoes up there (for some unknown reason) maybe the reconciliation under the tree was also the point of conception. Anyway, since then folks have been throwing their shoes up the tree. Whatever the reason behind this, it is one of those roadside america things that road trips are built on and it was great to see and experience. Did we throw shoes up there......get serious, Sarah, throw shoes away.....not in your lifetime.
Around 20 miles west of the 'shoe tree' on highway 50 is Sand Mountain, a singing sand dune that is 3 km (2 miles) long and 180 m (600 feet) high. The dune began its formation over 10,000 years ago as glacial movement ground quartz crystals from the granite of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The crystals were then washed east along the walker river into a massive ancient lake called Lake Lahontan. When the lake dried up wind picked up the sand and carried it until the Stillwater mountains broke the wind causing the sand to fall where it lies today, the process still continues and Sand Mountain may be a little taller if we ever visit again.
We were not able to hear any 'singing' from the sand dune due to the quad bikes racing about on it which is a shame, I think if I was in the area again I would try to get down here very early in the morning and walk on the dune to hear the singing. 'Singing Dunes' are caused when a number of criteria occur together including particle size, silica content of the sand and humidity. With the right combination of these the sand will emit a sound around 450 Hz and up to 105 decibels. The US has several locations including this one, three in California and one in Michigan, back home in the UK we have just one known location at Aberdaron in Wales which we've never visited. The dune itself is a magnificent sight and the long road leading into it from highway 50 makes a perfect photo opportunity.
We were not able to hear any 'singing' from the sand dune due to the quad bikes racing about on it which is a shame, I think if I was in the area again I would try to get down here very early in the morning and walk on the dune to hear the singing. 'Singing Dunes' are caused when a number of criteria occur together including particle size, silica content of the sand and humidity. With the right combination of these the sand will emit a sound around 450 Hz and up to 105 decibels. The US has several locations including this one, three in California and one in Michigan, back home in the UK we have just one known location at Aberdaron in Wales which we've never visited. The dune itself is a magnificent sight and the long road leading into it from highway 50 makes a perfect photo opportunity.
After sand mountain we continued west along highway 50 to Carson City close to the California/Nevada border, we stayed overnight in Carson to give us early access to Sand Harbour in Lake Tahoe (Nevada) State Park. The spot is an absolute tourist mecca and it's easy to see why. With this in mind we rose early and after breakfast made the 25 minute journey west to Lake Tahoe and the parking area at Sand Harbour, it was already busy but we were parked easily in a nice shaded spot very close to the beach and boardwalk, less than 1 hour later the car park was closed and all access to Sand Harbour cut off by the rangers due to heavy traffic, it was a good job we got in early!
We had brought along our swimming gear on the trip specifically to take a dip in lake tahoe and after a walk around the boardwalk we wasted no time in getting changed, once we were geared up I tucked the truck keys up under the bumper out of sight and we splashed our way into the cool clear water of the lake.
We had brought along our swimming gear on the trip specifically to take a dip in lake tahoe and after a walk around the boardwalk we wasted no time in getting changed, once we were geared up I tucked the truck keys up under the bumper out of sight and we splashed our way into the cool clear water of the lake.
We spent the whole morning at Lake Tahoe before having lunch in the cafe there and then heading west to San Francisco via Sacramento. It was an easy drive on interstates most of the way but traffic from Oakland across the bay was at it's peak when we arrived at 17:30 so we had some delay for a while but the views were good as we waited to pay the toll on the Bay Bridge. Once into the city we found our hotel easily and got settled in. We left the truck in their car park for the whole visit and just used public transport to get around. One morning we rented a little 'Go-car' which is basically a 150cc motortrike with twin seats, we bombed around the city seeing all the more remote places with ease, if heading to SF I would strongly suggest you rent one of these things. They come with a preprogrammed GPS which provides a guided tour as you drive around including shouts of "yeeehaaa" when you go through a tunnel and "fore" when you pass a golf course, it's a good fun little thing to do and cost little (around $60 per hour including tax and insurance)
Riding the trams is part of any visit to San Francisco and we enjoyed multiple trips around the city including one where we stood on the side boards as we rattled along, Sarah was both terrified and loving it at the same time. The captioned shots below tell the whole story of our 3 day visit to San Francisco.
Riding the trams is part of any visit to San Francisco and we enjoyed multiple trips around the city including one where we stood on the side boards as we rattled along, Sarah was both terrified and loving it at the same time. The captioned shots below tell the whole story of our 3 day visit to San Francisco.
After a great 3 days in San Francisco we set off again to tour the pacific coast highway, but first we wanted to walk out onto the bridge so we stopped in Vista Point on the north east side of the bridge and set off for the tower. After our walk we returned to the truck and headed out to the Golden Gate Recreation Area on the north west side of the bridge to get that iconic shot with the city behind, what we got was a misty bridge and an even more misty city, it didn't matter though somehow.
After walking the Golden Gate Bridge we took the original Pacific Coast Highway (highway 1) to Fort Bragg. Many people take US-101 and don't actually see the coast until reaching Eureka in Northern California, in doing so they miss some wonderful coastal scenery along highway 1 even if it is a very slow route it is stunning. We only covered about 200 miles to Fort Bragg but we saw so much in that distance and really enjoyed it.
When we awoke in Fort Bragg we had one more thing to see before continuing along the coast. From the early 1900's to the late 1950's the beach at Fort Bragg was used as a dumping ground and over time the garbage has washed away and all of the broken glass has been ground down by the waves leaving an incredible sight on the beach. Covered entirely by coloured glass pebbles the beach has become a tourist attraction all on its own, how strange that a refuse site became a tourist attraction without any human intervention. The downside of the current human intervention is the amount of glass that is leaving the beach, with 1500 tourists per day visiting and each taking at least one piece (and usually much more than that) the glass is rapidly diminishing. There are a few other 'glass beaches' but this one in the MacKerricher State Park is a stunner and well worth a visit before it's all all spirited away. It's a strange cycle that sees humans throw away their rubbish and then come back and collect it decades later.
After Glass Beach we continued north along the pacific coast highway stopping in MacKerricher State Park a couple of times for coastal views and a cold paddle in the lovely pacific waters
It's about 50 miles north from Glass Beach along the pacific coast highway to the small town of Leggett California where the "Drive Thru Tree" is located. To be honest, if you are in the area you have to go don't you, I mean....it's a tree...and you can drive through it, why wouldn't you go? I'm not sure the people who made the initial cut were anticipating the monster size that modern vehicles would reach, but as the images below show it will fit....just. It is worth the $5 entrance fee for the uniqueness of the thing and they do have a gift shop with coffee/ice creams etc and a few picnic tables close to a lake as well as some nice short hikes....$5 well spent I think.
On leaving Leggett the narrow winding highway 1 joins a more robust highway 101 north for a stunning drive up through the giant forests of northern California. First is the Humboldt Redwoods State Park then a wonderful coastal section is followed by the Redwoods National Park and soon after that is the Praire Creek Redwoods State Park. 150 miles slip by unnoticed until we are crossing the Klamath river and closing in on our overnight stop, Crescent City.
I've stayed here before and was saving the best of the redwoods hiking for here, to the south of the city is the 'Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park' which has some giants among its numbers, but as we drove through and admired them we waited. We located our hotel which had wonderful views over the bay and dropped off our bags before heading out for a short 7 mile jaunt through the 'Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park' where the incredible giants of 'Stout Grove' stand together in a small group of massive Redwoods worth every second of the journey to get there. You can't help but feel humbled by these leviathans, up to 350 feet tall and 25 feet in diameter, capable of living for 2000 years they are an incredible phenomenon found only in the pacific northwest California. From the whole trip this is the thing that Sarah keeps returning to, she was blown away by the giant redwoods and I'm sure would go back to northern California anytime to revisit them.
I've stayed here before and was saving the best of the redwoods hiking for here, to the south of the city is the 'Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park' which has some giants among its numbers, but as we drove through and admired them we waited. We located our hotel which had wonderful views over the bay and dropped off our bags before heading out for a short 7 mile jaunt through the 'Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park' where the incredible giants of 'Stout Grove' stand together in a small group of massive Redwoods worth every second of the journey to get there. You can't help but feel humbled by these leviathans, up to 350 feet tall and 25 feet in diameter, capable of living for 2000 years they are an incredible phenomenon found only in the pacific northwest California. From the whole trip this is the thing that Sarah keeps returning to, she was blown away by the giant redwoods and I'm sure would go back to northern California anytime to revisit them.
Morning in Crescent City sees us responding to the call of the sea once again as we take our time exploring the beach and rockpools along the shore. The water is cold but the day is already warm and getting warmer, as always with the beaches we could have stayed all day but we loaded up and set out to the north once more on the short hop to Oregon.
From Crescent City to the Oregon border is just 20 miles and we were soon crossing and pulling into the welcome centre on the edge of Crissey Field State Park where we stopped in for free maps and other info before taking to the beach around the mass of driftwood that is always there. From here we continued our coastal trek north to Oregon Dunes where we stopped for our last freezing paddle of the trip. The sand was burning hot on our feet but the sea was really cold resulting in steam being emitted with every wave that lapped onto the hot sand, something we've never seen before.
After our paddle by the dunes we continued north toward a roadside attraction that is easily missed. Thors Well is located 3 miles south of Yachats on the Pacific Coast Highway but the small roadside pullout is signed 'Cooks Chasm', it's approached on a series of bends in the road and has very limited parking, what I would say is make sure you get to see this if you are in the area. The 'well' is a sea cave with an open top so the waters of the Pacific are funnelled inward and upward by the force of the tide. If your timing is right (with the tides) it will blow out of the top before receding back into the hole like a giant drain, it's and incredible sight and at the same location a small inlet which is heavily undercut by coastal erosion causes a huge spray as the waves hit it, the spray rises against a sheer wall before expanding into the open air above the wall where a rainbow will form (if you sit in the right place). As you will see in the shots below the occasional wave will catch you out so tread carefully at both sites.
From Thors Well we travelled a little further north to the town of Newport for an overnight stop. After unloading the bags at our hotel we set out to the harbour for dinner where we sat watching the local fishermen clean and fillet their catch while others boiled and dressed crabs right there on the boardwalk. The town had a very picturesque 'historic centre' which was reminiscent of a cornish fishing village back home in the UK.
When we woke up in Newport the weather had taken a turn for the worst, huge thunderstorms and heavy rain were going to be hammering the coast all day so we ditched our intended plans (to follow the coast to Seattle) and cut inland to the interstate where we drove directly to the Canadian border and, after stopping in Abbotsford for a wonderful chinese meal that tasted just like home, we followed the TransCanada highway east through Chilliwack to the town of Hope in British Columbia where we had booked a room ready to visit the Othello Tunnels in the morning.
I'd stayed in Hope before and made this lovely hike through the Othello Tunnels and along the old Kettle Valley Railway, it's a stunning location made famous by the first Rambo movie (First Blood) where the majority of the filming was undertaken. Sarah was keen to see it having seen previous photos and she really enjoyed the walk.
When we woke up in Newport the weather had taken a turn for the worst, huge thunderstorms and heavy rain were going to be hammering the coast all day so we ditched our intended plans (to follow the coast to Seattle) and cut inland to the interstate where we drove directly to the Canadian border and, after stopping in Abbotsford for a wonderful chinese meal that tasted just like home, we followed the TransCanada highway east through Chilliwack to the town of Hope in British Columbia where we had booked a room ready to visit the Othello Tunnels in the morning.
I'd stayed in Hope before and made this lovely hike through the Othello Tunnels and along the old Kettle Valley Railway, it's a stunning location made famous by the first Rambo movie (First Blood) where the majority of the filming was undertaken. Sarah was keen to see it having seen previous photos and she really enjoyed the walk.
The next stage of our road trip was to follow highway 3 to Penticton in the Okanagan region of British Columbia where wine growing and fruit farms are the norm. An incredible micro climate here beside the huge Okanagan lake provides the perfect conditions for vinyards and orchards and they dot the route for miles. There are wonderfully colourful fruit stands by the roadside too and the occasional old car for decorative purposes.
When we had settled into our hotel we had a short walk around Penticton to explore the place a little. It does look like a really nice family friendly location with good beaches and some interesting additions including this old paddle steamer that used to carry people from Vancouver to Victoria before being transferred to this huge lake where it now sits as a museum.
After a good breakfast and more poking around the next morning we made the final 7 hour drive through the Canadian Rockies back to our home in Cochrane, stopping off along the way to photograph the beautiful blue of Kalamaka Lake before ending our spectacular road trip covering 5500km of some of the very best of North America.