Road Trip | Seattle to Santa Cruz on Highway 101
For years Kyle has had a dream to take a motorcycle trip down Highway 101 along the coast, and I gladly welcomed the idea. Visions of hugging the coastal curves, camping among the redwoods, and peering down the tall sea cliffs to the water below beckoned us west. We took the first week of September to meander our way down the coast, hitting some pretty great stops along the way.
Kyle is a member of Eagle Riders (they did not sponsor this post), a monthly subscription where you can earn motorcycle rental days from participating dealers across the country (primarily Harley dealers I believe).
Because Kyle’s current bike is too small to accommodate us both on a trip this size, we saved up our rental days so we could use a larger bike. Even with our large duffel and two side panniers, it was hard to fit everything. Because we knew we’d have diverse weather and planned on camping a good part of the time, we had a lot to load on the bike. I consider myself a light packer but this proved to be a good challenge. If you ever want a quick course in packing only the essentials, go on an extended motorcycle or backpacking trip - it forces you to decide quickly what is a “need” and what isn’t.
Seattle - Cape Disappointment (kind of)
Because we had to pick up the bike in Seattle, we left a day early and stayed with our good friends, Doug, Wendy, and Annabelle. Coincidentally, they had been thinking about a trip to visit family in the Bay area and were able to meet up with us in Santa Cruz for a couple of days. It was nice to have an Airbnb and friends to look forward to after a week of life on the road.
We had hoped to camp at Cape Disappointment on our first official travel day. Our first day started with a bit of rain while we loaded up, but the sun quickly burned through the clouds as we hit the road. We caught a ferry over to the peninsula and spent the day riding through rolling hills of pines and lush greenery. I expected the towns to be bigger than they were and was pleasantly surprised by the rural quaintness of our drive.
Because it was Labor Day weekend, Cape Disappointment was full and we had to settle for a small RV park right by the bridge to Astoria. While we were a bit disappointed, the facilities were nice and our campsite was surrounded by blackberry bushes - another pleasant surprise. I would have loved to go see the lighthouse and Dead Man’s Cove at Cape Disappointment, but the nearly 30-mile detour didn’t make sense for our timeline given the hike we had planned for later that day. We were looking forward to the Oregon Coast.
Lincoln City
Our destination for day two was Devil’s Lake State Park in Lincoln City. On the drive down we passed through several cute beach towns, many of which I’d love to go visit again. We stopped for lunch in Cannon Beach and were flooded with memories from our first trip there. Despite all the wonderful memories, the town was full of tourists - to the point it was almost anxiety-inducing. I don’t recommend visiting Cannon Beach on a holiday weekend.
We arrived in Lincoln City and set up camp in the mid/late afternoon. The Devil’s Lake campground was close to town, making it easy to find and close to all the good restaurants and places to sight see. This stop marked our first real excursion for the trip - although keep in mind we were on the motorcycle the whole time, so really the entire trip was one giant immersive experience.
The one thing I really wanted to do while in Lincoln City was a hike to God’s Thumb, a unique geologic feature hanging out high above the gorgeous coastline. The beginning of the hike is a little weird. You park at the public beach and then wind your way through a neighborhood of beach homes before finally getting to the trailhead. The hike is relatively short but there’s some decent elevation gain right from the start - I was also getting over a pretty bad cold so breathing seemed extra laborious.
The Oregon coast is magic. The light and sunsets, lush greenery and interesting geology are like nowhere else. Don’t get me wrong, I will always love my Idaho mountains, but being near the ocean is simultaneously relaxing and energizing. The perfect getaway.
We watched the sunset from the peak of God’s Thumb and meandered our way back to the car, headlamps in tow. The perfect way to end our first day in Oregon.
Gold Beach
The drive from Lincoln City to Gold Beach was one of my favorites. Yes, it was beautiful, but also we made time to stop and be tourists a bit more. It was impossible to see and do everything we wanted, but we did get to cross a few things off our list and take mental notes of stops we want to go back to.
The first stop we made was at the Devil’s Punchbowl, a natural recreation area near Otter Rock. The Devil’s Punchbowl was said to have formed when two sea caves collapsed, creating a giant bowl that the tide churns in. When the tide is low, you can go down into the punchbowl, but it can be very dangerous.
Off in the distance, we watched whales spouting, their giant fins slapping on the water’s surface. It was super cool to see.
In doing research for our stops, I got the impression these sites were a bit more rural than they actually are. I was expecting a hike in, with just a few other groups checking it out. That couldn’t be further from our experience. These areas were pretty much right off the highway and there were a ton of people. I would definitely still make the stop, but just be prepared to share the experience with others.
I found our next stop to be even more fascinating. Thor’s Well was a “must-see” stop on my list. Why would anyone want to skip out on seeing a giant sinkhole said to lead to the underworld? Not I.
Another unusual geologic feature, Thor’s Well has all kinds of stories surrounding. It’s located in Cape Perpetua Scenic Area, just three miles south of Yachats (a small town with surprisingly awesome food). Waves roll in, filling and overflowing the well, and then suck it all back out to sea. I would recommend going around sunset if you can, but it’s cool to see at any time of day.
I think it was after this stop when we pulled over to fuel up and I left my helmet on the back of the bike without telling Kyle. Well, needless to say, it rolled off and my new Sena helmet/comm system got it’s first scratch. Oops.
That night we stayed at Motel 101. It’s nothing special, or even mildly good, but it had a hot shower and a bed that wasn’t on the ground, so it worked. It was also within walking distance to a really awesome breakfast place (The Double D Cafe - so good!).
Humboldt Redwoods State Park
For some reason, it was oddly relieving to cross into California and officially be on Highway 1 - the Pacific Coast Highway. At this point, no longer in the Pacific Northwest, we felt like we were really doing it. Like the trip we had been planning for nearly a year was actually happening.
We were both looking forward to seeing the giant redwood trees, and cruise along the Avenue of the Giants (which turned out to be a really fun ride). Along the way, we stopped in Eureka as a pit stop and ate lunch at a place called the Nooner. It was the best food we had the entire trip. So good, and great gluten-free options.
I think the long days on the bike were catching up to me at this point - I remember wanting to stop a lot more than on previous days. Although the mileage we put in each day was about half to a third of what Kyle, Greg, and Tom did on their Alaska trip. Once we started rolling through redwood country, that all changed though. I love the smell of the damp air mixed with the bark and spongy ground. One amazing thing about traveling by bike is all the smells. You don’t get that in a car. We could smell the ocean, hear the waves, smell the trees and the leftover rain on the ground. So great.
We camped at Burlington Campground, about halfway into the park. I was chilled from the ride and looking forward to a nice campfire, but we didn’t have enough cash on us and of course, they didn’t accept cards. Instead of starting a fire, we decided to do a little nature hike into the park. It started with their educational nature walk and then we continued across the river and up a bit further. I remember visiting the redwoods as a kid, but their enormity was still shocking. Pictures don’t do it justice, go see it in person.
Fort Bragg
We didn’t initially plan to stay in Fort Bragg, but we wanted to push a little further so we could make it to Santa Cruz before dark the following day. Kyle found a hotel overlooking the water for a decent rate, and we heard about a glass beach worth checking out - sold.
On our way out of Humboldt, we made sure to do the touristy “drive through the tree” thing - which you now have to pay $10 to do. Lame. But we have this memory now, so I guess it was worth it.
It’s funny how the coastline changed so drastically from Oregon to California. We were up higher, with windier roads, more rock, and less greenery. Still gorgeous.
The glass beach was amazing. The story is, there once was a dumpsite where the current beach is. All the bits of glass bottles have been smoothed over by the waves and sand and are now mostly smooth to the touch. With the sun dipping down, the glass pieces caught little glints of light and appeared to be glowing after the waves retreated. While the town didn’t seem like much on its own, this beach was well worth the stop.
Santa Cruz
Cruising along the California coast was something else. The weather was perfect - warm sunshine and a cool ocean breeze. I think one of my favorite things about this trip was the random stops for a break. We didn’t plan those so we’d just stop in a cute little town and find a local place to grab a bite or use the restroom. One such place was the town of Jenner. It seemed like a tiny town but we stumbled on the cutest little coffee/sandwich place right off the highway. It’s called Cafe Aquatica - go there. We each got a crab sandwich and a drink, so, so good.
We wanted to stop and see Point Reyes, because we had heard how beautiful it is, but missed the turn somehow. We did go through the town and it was adorable. I want to go back and stay there so badly.
The roads leading to and from San Francisco were incredibly windy but so fun. I think this may have been Kyle’s favorite day of riding for the fun factor. We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, spotted Alcatraz off in the distance and hummed “I left my heart in San Francisco” all the way across.
We made it to Santa Cruz right around dinner time. We met Doug and Wendy at a restaurant just outside of town and enjoyed some Mexican food, drinks and live music before heading to the Airbnb. It was our anniversary that day and Wendy requested a song in our honor (which the hostess nearly spoiled about a thousand times). So sweet, and such a fun way to celebrate our ninth year of marriage.
Wendy introduced us to an interesting phenomenon that I’d love to see catch on near us - bathhouses. You can pay to rent a suite with a sauna and hot tub, drink yummy spa tea, and relax in the warm loveliness. There were several of these establishments in Santa Cruz and I think the idea is fantastic. Please, someone in Cd’A get on that!
The following day, we ventured down to Monterey and Carmel. We Kayaked in Monterey Bay and saw all kinds of sea life including otters, sea lions, a bunch of birds, and jellyfish. From there, we cruised down to Carmel and did the 17-mile scenic drive around Pebble Beach to see the beautiful coastline and famous cypress trees. Again this was much more touristy than I remember from when I was a kid, but it was beautiful nonetheless.
That evening we decided to hit the town. We found a yummy restaurant, a trendy bar for cocktails, and enjoyed possibly the best impromptu street concert ever (it was a bunch of college band kids playing something I’d liken to jazz - super rad).
Like all trips, it was hard to admit it was over and head home, but it was such a great experience. I know motorbike travel isn’t for everyone, but I’d certainly recommend it for a trip like this. There’s something really refreshing about having everything you need in one giant duffel. I’m looking forward to planning our next adventure.