A few months ago, Alex and I started planning our (second) longest road trip of the year– driving up the West Coast in pursuit of Cape Kiwanda, Oregon. A couple of our closest friends (and their adorable son) had just moved out there, and we couldn’t wait to see them. And after surviving Death Valley, we figured we’d be up for the drive!
We took the 101 all the way to our destination– a small, sleepy beachside town in Oregon – spreading the road trip out over two days, so that we could actually enjoy it. Things tend to get a little blurry when you spend the whole day on the road.
On the way there we spent an afternoon exploring the Mendocino coast and offroading just a little bit before staying the night in Eureka. The second leg of our trip involved countless (amazing) detours through Redwood forests, a giant Paul Bunyon, and me driving through a tree (intentionally!).
By the time we made it to Oregon, we couldn’t wait to find our friends and get to the beach. We stayed in a small cottage and didn’t leave our little town until we had to. On the last day of our trip, Alex and I hiked up these giant sand dunes at sunrise to grab a few pictures, and that honestly had to be my favorite moment from the trip. Below are some of my other favorite moments, and some of the folks who made them so.
These Redwoods were the most massive trees I had ever seen, and they were just north of Eureka. Capturing them was near-impossible, but at least Alex provides a little scale.
I don’t fully understand what these statues were doing here, but they were quite the sight after driving through nowhere for a good few hours.
I told you I drove through a tree! If you’re a reader of CreativeStay, you probably know how much I love trees (and the amazing tones they bring into photos), so seeing the inside of such a vivid tree made me a little giddy.
Alex’s morning mug as we hiked around the cliffs of Fort Bragg. Tip for you and my future self: Time road trip detours as best you can, so that the sun isn’t too harsh in photos!
Alex having a moment with his godson. I love capturing small moments like these, especially when the subjects don’t notice 🙂
I love this little guy. I can’t wait to adventure more with him more as he grows older.
Hiking up the sand dunes at Cape Kiwanda was surprisingly hard, but everything looked completely different once we reached the top. It felt about as real as these photos look (so, not very).
I am definitely coming back to this place. With a camera that isn’t my iPhone, and for as many sunrises as possible.
Coastal dunes have so much beach grass, it can start to make you dizzy. Also, HI!
The West Coast is an amazing place, as I’ve always boasted, but seeing 640 miles of it is really something else. Tiring and hectic, but also really, really inspiring. It also feels great to see so much more of this state I call home. Cheers to seeing more of yours!
xo,
T
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