Roadtrip: San Francisco to Vancouver (2 of 5)

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Portland, Oregon

Crossing into Oregon late at night wasn't as exciting as I had expect.  The only big thing is that you don't fill up your own fuel!  That was a surprise coming from California and fueling up on my own as far as I can remember. So, no taxes AND full service at the pump!  Oregon 2 : California 0

Oregon was full of trees and green everywhere.  Big open roads with very little traffic and cars.  Makes for a very nice drive.

We got to Portland around breakfast time on Christmas morning.  Everything was closed and the only restaurant opened in downtown was The Original, a popular breakfast joint.  The wait was a little long and my chicken was served undercooked.  Oregon 2: California 1

Wish we could have tried these food trailers

Empty as can be in the Financial District

My undercooked chicken

After breakfast, we headed east to two nearby waterfalls (Wahkeena Falls and Multnomah Falls), just a 30 minute drive from Portland!  How remarkable is that??  Oregon 3: California 1

Wahkeena Falls, OR

From the bridge, Multnomah Falls, OR

Multnomah Falls, OR

Multnomah Falls was a spectacular waterfall just a half hour from Portland.  It wasn't too crowded there as it was Christmas Day but still enough people passing by along the hike up to the bridge section.  Some even climbed their way to the top for a higher view.  It was cold and hailed a bit so we quickly got back down and headed back to town.

We were still early for check in time so we stopped and got ice cream at Salt and Straw, just what we'd expect from Portland!

We soon found our studio rental and it was a cool little place with a great welcoming gift!  A local place in NE Portland in a nice neighborhood!

The welcoming gift!

Two houses in one, split housing

It was nice to be out of the cold and in a warm place.  No restaurants were opened except for one Thai restaurant nearby so we got food to go and enjoyed the night in our little space in Portland.

Tomorrow, we head up to Seattle, WA!

To be continued....

Roadtrip: San Francisco to Vancouver (1 of 5)

This winter vacation we got some more time off, enough to plan for our long awaited road trip to Vancouver!  I've always wanted to see the Redwoods and to be able to continue north all the way to Vancouver was a dream!

We spent 9 days total for this trip and whole lot of driving.  We avoided the snow by staying along the coast most of the way and that plan went well.  No snow chains or icy conditions on the road.  This dumb luck made for a successful winter road trip up north.

Our first night was a stop at a cabin in Mendocino, CA, about 4.5 hours drive along the coast from San Francisco.  Well, let's go!

The best crab mac 'n cheese we have ever had!

We had an excellent lunch stop at Nick's Cove, particularly their crab mac 'n cheese.  It is the best mac 'n cheese we have ever had to date.  I can't wait to go back just for that!

One of my favorite part of the drive

There was heavy flooding along one section of the drive after the restaurant so we had to detour.  That added a few more hours to the route.  Overall, the drive along the coast was just amazing.  The view from Highway 1 is absolutely spectacular and highly recommended!

The sun had set and we probably got to the cabin around 7pm or so.

The Andiron in Little River, CA.

Lovely decor for the holidays

Happy Hour at the reception room

Our cabin for the night

The cabin was excellent and a perfect getaway place.  Unfortunately, we got there late last night and didn't have much time to fully enjoy it...maybe next time.  We got some toast and were on our way to see the Redwoods!

Quick lunch break in Eureka, CA

We drove through Avenue of the Giants and stopped at Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park for a short hike.  The air was so crisp inside the forest we were high from it I think!  Being so close to the Redwoods was such a unique and wonderful experience.

After the hike, we continued north and crossed the border to Oregon! We stayed in Coos Bay, OR for the night.

Next stop is Portland!  Can't wait to see it!

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