The preparations began weeks earlier. My mother had air conditioning and cruise control installed in her red 1992 Dodge Shadow, a car purchased only a few months earlier. Neighbors agreed to take care of three cats while we were gone. I constructed slotted metal shields for the window screens so the neighbors could leave the windows open without fear of the cats tearing through the screens and escaping.
My grandmother lived with my uncle and his girlfriend in White Center, Washington, so we picked her up the day before. It was also my mother's birthday, which we celebrated with a dinner out. We packed as much as we could into the car the night before. We wanted to get on the road in the morning with a minimum of fuss.
The journey began around seven in the morning on May 25th at my mother's apartment on Mercer Island, Washington after a light breakfast of sweet rolls and packing the last few things into the car (including a cooler full of ice and beverages). Then the car was placed in gear and the road trip of a lifetime was underway.
The car was pointed west with my mother behind the wheel. She was the primary driver during the trip. When she needed a rest or didn't feel like driving, I took over, but I was primarily the navigator. I had a map for every state and province on our itinerary, not to mention a guidebook for every region. I'm proud to say we only got lost three times during seven weeks on the road.
We took Interstate 90 west over the floating bridge across Lake Washington to Seattle (approximately 6 miles/10 km), where we cut off onto Interstate 5 south for 60 miles (97 km) to the state capital, Olympia. The I-5 corridor was familiar. This part of the journey, at least, felt like a mere prologue for what was to come.
From Olympia we traveled west again, following State Route 8 29 miles (47 km) to Elma, followed by 21 miles (34 km) on U.S. Route 12 to Aberdeen.
We finally stopped for a proper breakfast at Duffy's Restaurant in Aberdeen, then we headed south on U.S. Route 101, the old Pacific Coast Highway and a major north-south route before Interstate 5 was constructed in the late 1950s to early 1960s.
I consider this the true start of our journey, because it was our first time on a highway we'd never been on before, so we were now in unfamiliar territory.
We followed the highway 77 miles (124 km) to Astoria, Oregon, crossing over the wide mouth of the Columbia River on the Astoria-Megler Bridge.
Stopping on the Oregon side and looking back across the river at Washington State, I recall feeling like I was saying farewell to an old friend, not knowing when we'd meet again. Then it was eyes forward to see all the new things the trip had to offer.
We stopped in Astoria to see the reconstruction of historic Fort Astoria, and then we were on our way south again.
Fort Astoria
My mother and grandmother at Fort Astoria
Along the Oregon coast, the highway alternated between running beside beautiful Pacific Ocean beaches and following the coastline on bluffs above the ocean, making for a scenic drive.
We made a memorable stop in the town of Tillamook (64 miles/103 km south of Astoria), home to the Tillamook County Creamery Association, a farmer-owned cooperative that produces quality dairy products. We toured the visitor center at their factory, observing cheesemakers at work.
The visitor center was well-stocked with free samples of their cheese products. Having not eaten in three hours, we made short work of the samples. As soon as employees brought more cheese out, we ate that, too. In retrospect, they were probably glad to see the last of us. Tillamook produces good cheese, so I would have consumed the samples even if I wasn't hungry. My name is Danielle and I'm a cheesaholic. We also purchased ice cream cones filled with their delicious ice cream on our way out.
Then it was back on the road. We stopped at a harborside diner for lunch somewhere along the way, but I don't remember exactly where.
108 miles (174 km) south of Tillamook, we visited the Sea Lion Caves, a colony of Steller sea lions living in a system of sea caves. We tried to visit the caves once before in 1981, but the car broke down on the way and we never made it. There's an elevated observation area that affords one a good view of the cave system and the wildlife.
Blurry shot of sea lions basking on a large rock in the cave
Sea lions basking outside the cave
Heceta Head Lighthouse seen from the Sea Lion Caves visitor center
11 miles (18 km) later, we reached our destination of Florence, Oregon, where we had rooms reserved at the Le Chateau Motel. We ate at a nice seafood restaurant across the street from the motel. We purchased more provisions for the next day at a nearby grocery store, and then we retired to our rooms for the night. We were tired after a full day out on the road, and we had many more yet to come.
Total Travel Distance: 376 miles (605 km)
I have many fond memories of trips to the Oregon coast with my folks as a kid. Some of the most scenic drives on the west coast. Still take my kids down there all the time.
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