Headed North for 4 weeks.

[stevepar]

In northern WA be sure to check out Lake Quinault. One of my favorite spots on Earth. The campgrounds on the Lake dont open up for a few more weeks and you are guaranteed rain this time of year. The rain Forest is amazing and lots of great hikes.The Lake Quinault Lodge has several rustic rooms that are nice respite from camping in the rain. Take the Port Angeles ferry to Victoria unless you want to hit the San Juan Islands.

Oh yeah... near Ft Bragg CA to the south is Wrights Beach a great spot. North of Ft Bragg is Westport Beach KOA also great beach front sites. Southern Oregon try Humbug State park and take the hike to some beautiful views. Check out Cannon Beach in north OR, a great little town...but no camping.

Did the same trip last year and will be repeating it in late May. Have Fun.

[Aldercrest]

You can find some photos of Lake Quinault Lodge here:

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=4257

We stopped in Forks where the Twilight book series is set, but we didn't find any vampires or werewolves on our trip. Maybe you will be luckier!?

From south to north on 101 in Oregon, consider Carl G. Washburne SP north of Florence, OR. The Cape Perpetua area between Florence and Yachats (Yah-hots) is a beautiful area of the coast, and you can access some nice beach walks from Washburne SP.

Stop in Depoe Bay to see the tiny harbor, and get some clam chowder at Mo's and salt water taffy at the candy shop. You can sometimes spot whales from the roadside there, or take a whale watching tour from the harbor.

In Pacific City, consider lunch and local brews at the Pelican Pub. You can drive onto the beach there if you're feeling adventurous. Don't forget to climb the dune. Cape Lookout SP is a few miles north on the Three Capes Scenic Route.

Stop by the Tillamook Cheese Factory for some free samples and an ice cream cone, but the best lunch in Tillamook is at the Blue Heron French Cheese Company. Great salads and sandwiches and lots of character in an old barn on the north side of town. Eat lunch at the Blue Heron and stop at Tillamook Cheese for dessert. Nehalem Bay as a good spot as previously mentioned. The town of Manzanita has a very nice wine bar, Vino. The hike up Neah-kah-nie Mountain from the south side is not too long and offers beautiful views of the coast. Another great, short hike is Cape Falcon from the Oswald West parking area.

If you like boats, check out the wreck of the Peter Iredale at Ft. Stevens SP near Warrenton and the maritime museum in Astoria. If you like airplanes and military history, consider the World War II air museum and blimp hangar south of Tillamook, or Battery Russell at Ft. Stevens SP.

As for your concerns about having too much of a plan, I took the forum's input on US 395 and just put a bunch of post-its on my map. We hit some and didn't hit others, but all the options sure made the trip fun!

[GreyDawg]

Originally Posted by Aldercrest

As for your concerns about having too much of a plan, I took the forum's input on US 395 and just put a bunch of post-its on my map.

Did you literally put post-its on your paper map, or do you have mapping /trip planning software that allows you to use electronic post-its?

I'm looking to upgrade from Streets & Trips 2005, and e-notes on the map are a feature that would be very useful.

Of course, if one noted all the great information from members of this form, you wouldn't be able to see the map...

[Christopher Thwaites]

Wrights Beach is in Sonoma county just north of Bodega Bay.You will need a reservation to stay there in most cases. It is small and on the beach. From there as you head up Hwy 1 to Fort Bragg you might like Gualala. There is a small Sonoma county camp ground on the Gualala River. Above Fort Bragg you can venture a few miles out to Usall Beach on Usall Road. Oregon Coast is wonderful,lots of camping. In Port Orford you can drive out onto the beach and head south a 1/4 mile to boondock on the beach. Pay attention to to the high tide line and be sure to air down.
We visited Vancouver Island last summer. We came in at Sidney. Just north of Sidney you can head west to Nitnat Lake. Bad road about 30 miles of it, but it is an interesting area. The camp ground is on an Indian Reservation, costs $10/night. The lake is famous for windsurfing. We didn't have time to go further west but the countryside is beautiful.
If you are going up hwy 101 and find yourself near Santa Rosa at the end of the day. I can offer a a flat spot under the trees and a hot shower with coffee in the am.
Have a great trip!
Chris

[daveb]

Jedediah Smith State park is busy during peak times of the year but is a fairly nice campground that has showers if you need a one night pit stop to cleanup. At least some of the spots have a bit of privacy because of the thicker cover. There is a super drive through big trees close by. Pretty good food at the Grotto in Crescent city.
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=413

Usal beach is my favorite by Fort Bragg.

[CJ]

Thanks, thanks, and Thanks again everyone for all the suggestions.

Now back to the pen and maps. Only a month to finalize our plan.

[daveb]

Originally Posted by CJ

Thanks, thanks, and Thanks again everyone for all the suggestions.

Now back to the pen and maps. Only a month to finalize our plan.

Hey CJ, if you plan to come through the central valley there is one state park that is a good pit stop close to Merced and below Yosemite. I was just down there yesterday and nobody was there. I suspect weekends are different but right now it's empty for the most part during weekdays. You can even probably sneak in for a shower W/O paying but I never said that

Here is the link:
http://autoramblings.com/sportsmobile/?p=325

[CJ]

Looks like a great find Dave. THANKS!! We are going to pin it as a nice lay over spot for the return trip.

Thanks Dave.

[daveb]

I'd call to make sure what the status is. As the weather warms it gets busy and can be a nightmare. 20 or 25 bucks per night and I'm not sure when the reservation thing starts but weekdays are not a problem most of the time. I'll bet this weekend will be packed because the locals will be there for the 5th of May party.

Turlock Lake SRA has a nice CG and gets way less traffic. The campground is located in dense cover along the Tuolumne River http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=555

Another SRA close by is George Hatfield but the camping is kind of exposed and no showers.
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=556

Los Banos Creek rec area off I-5 might be of interest to you as well but not so nice for camping at.

IMO all of these are alternatives to using highway rest stops and are not what I would call pristine. Just all places to stop for a night that are all located close to each other in the mid San Joaquin Valley. I'd rather stay at any SRA than a wal-mart parking lot

[CJ]

Excellent info thanks alot, Dave.