Redwoods and Coastlines
After a few days in San Diego, and a couple exciting days driving along Hwy 101, our last leg of the trip had quite the itinerary. We spent the afternoon driving and hiking through the redwoods. We did the obligatory drive through a tree (a little underwhelming in my personal opinion) but had so much fun just walking the trails. Living in Oregon you're no stranger to big trees and forests but the redwood trees still amaze me to no end. It's one thing to feel small when at the edge of a cliff, looking at the ocean, or seeing grand mountains. But feeling so utterly dwarfed by trees is a different kind of awe-inspiring feeling. It's a little unnerving but also strangely grounding.
We came to a lookout with a river and spent some time talking about the trip thus far and what we'd most enjoyed. Driving for that long with somebody is a lot of one on one time. But it was so comfortable and fun. We ogled the views the 101 offers, sang to the best songs, and asked each other the most random questions, cause why not.
Our last night was spent in Gold Beach. Finding the airbnb with little to no signal just screenshots of directions and our map was very interesting. It had been a full day of driving without signal. But once we got settled in we had a relaxing night. The next morning we explored the grandiose landscapes that are along the southern Oregon coast and dipped our toes in the sand and water for the last time before making our way back to Portland.
As soon as we got back I immediately began dreaming up a longer, much slower trip along the west coast. Starting from Washington all the way down California. Ideally a surfboard strapped to the car, my camera gear, good music, and great company with my favorite person. Hopefully one day soon!
If you would like to read about the first parts of my trip along the coast and in San Diego, and stay up to date on my photography endeavours subscribe to my Patreon where I post more regularly! www.patreon.com/smjphoto