Going Coastal

Crater Lake National Park
Of the three roads leading into Crater Lake, the southern entrance is the park’s least used access point.

Crater Lake National Park
Crater Lake’s southern panhandle is home to wonderful stands of giant yellow ponderosa pines.

Location: Crater Lake National Park, Watchman Peak
Factoid: Watchman peak is one of the best places in the park to watch the sunset. Unfortunately, during my visit this August, a rash of forest fires obscured the view.

Crater Lake National Park, summit of Mount Scott.
Sittin’ on top of the world—or least Crater Lake. Mount Scott is the highest point in the park, and one of the only spots where you can wedge the whole caldera into your camera frame.

Crater Lake National Park, Pinnacles Hike
An easy mile-long hike near the park’s southeastern boundary leads to the Pinnacles. These spindly hollow towers were formed by gases as they escaped from molten debris leftover from the eruption of Mount Mazama some 8,000 years ago.

Crater Lake National Park
Crater Lake as seen from the Pumice Castle overlook.

Jacksonville
Many of the buildings, such as the JVille Tavern, sport vintage signage. Jacksonville was the first National Historic Landmark District in Oregon; more than a hundred of the town’s buildings date back to the 1850s.

Britt Pavilion, Jacksonville
Drop by the Britt Festival grounds early in the day, and you might catch acts warming up for their evening performance. Here the Britt Orchestra, along with acclaimed violinist Anne Akiko Meyers run through Prokofiev’s lyrical Violin Concerto No. 1 before gussying themselves up for the real deal later in the evening.

Location: Jacksonville Pioneer Cemetery
Factoid: Just a short walk away from the Britt Festival grounds, the Jacksonville Pioneer Cemetery is filled with ornate headstones made of white marble.

Cowhorn Vineyard, Applegate Valley
Home to dozens of wineries such as Cowhorn (pictured) the Applegate Valley offers a spectacular setting for wine tasting.

Oregon Redwoods Trail
Pictures don’t do them justice—these trees are enormous. Some coastal redwoods soar up to 370 feet tall and are a thousand years old.

Oregon Redwoods Trail
Told ya they were big!

Redwood National and State Parks
Of course, when you’re down this way, you might as well check out the “official” redwoods in California. The Simpson-Reed Nature Trail is barrier free and easily accessed off Highway 199.

Curry Country
Holy crap! It’s the (former) World’s Largest Monterrey Cypress—stop the car!

Prehistoric Gardens
If an 11-foot-long, meat-eating Dimetrodon happens to wander into your viewfinder, there’s a good chance you’ve stumbled upon Prehistoric Gardens, a kitschy 1950s-era roadside attraction outside of Port Orford.

Prehistoric Gardens
Apparently, the Ichthyosaur, which thrived during the Jurassic Period, was not well adapted to life on land.

WildSpring Guest Habitat, Port Orford
Cedar-chip paths lead to five of the coolest cabin’s on the coast.

Port Orford
Looking south from Port Orford Heads State Park toward Humbug Mountain.

Port Orford
Port Orford claims one of only two dolly docks in the country. Because the harbor is too shallow for vessels to moor safely, boats must be hoisted out of the ocean with a large crane.

Humbug Mountain State Park
View of Port Orford from the trail leading up Humbug Mountain. At 1,756 feet, Humbug is the tallest peak on the southern coast.

South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve
The boardwalk along the Hidden Creek Marsh Trail, with Hidden Creek Marsh in the distance

Charleston to Bandon Scenic Tour Route
Whiskey Run Beach is a nice stretch of expansive, sandy beach located off the Charleston to Bandon Scenic Tour Route.

John Dellenback Dunes Trail
Finding my way back along the Dunes Trail

John Dellenback Dunes Trail
Known as oblique dunes, the sandy mounds here are the largest dunes on the coast.