West Coast Road Trip: Oregon to San Francisco on Hwy 101

Leaving Brookings, Oregon, bright and early, our goal is to coast across the Golden Gate Bridge in time for dinner in the city. There is so much to see along this stretch that we might not make it for dinner; we’ll see.

There are many places to see the coastal giant redwoods along the northern California coast, the world’s tallest trees. Redwood State Park and Redwood National Park are in the same area and offer five different visitor centers. There are numerous hikes and drives that are fantastic. Since we are limited on time, we stopped for an hour or two at the Trees of Mystery roadside attraction off Highway 101. I hadn’t been here since childhood and thought my daughter would enjoy the canopy trail up in the trees and the gondola that takes you through the forest. It offers fun for all ages, and the trails on the ground are wide and fairly smooth.

It’s a LONG side trip off 101, but we are both so curious about Glass Beach in Fort Bragg! It must have taken an hour and a half each way, through hairpin turns and white knuckles, but it was worth it! The quantity of sea glass here is mind-blowing, and the beach is rocky but very nice.

We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge before dark, in a thick, dense fog with pouring rain that came on all of a sudden. It was a frightening drive through the narrow lanes across the bridge in pea-soup fog. We were both ready to call it a day.