On the Road Nomad Life: The Oregon Coast and Lassen Volcanic National Park California
This series is written from the perspective of a Nissan Rogue while driving two nomads around the US! If you missed the last installment of my Rogue Life series, which was a quiet time for myself, then you can head HERE! In this installment we on the road to the Oregon Coast and Lassen Volcanic National Park in California!
We hit the road and raced out of Seattle/the state of Washington to head down to the Oregon Coast. Then we visited our 51/66 US National Parks (we have not been to 56/63) as we entered the state every Nissan Rogue dreams of cruising around in…California! Scroll on down to learn more about our lovely week!
The combination of the Oregon Coast and Northern California is hard to beat for a US Road Trip!
The Oregon Coast is iconic, well if you visit at the right time of the year. Several Honda’s and Subaru’s I have met on the road told me that I was going to the Oregon Coast during the prettiest time of the year (mid to late August.)
They said that at other times I should be prepared to take a lot of showers because it rains all the time. Which is okay by me because I get covered in bugs, dirt, and sand pretty much every day! When we on the Oregon Coast though it was gorgeous and Rita V had recommended two different places to stay at on Northern and Southern Coasts.
We spent one day driving through a few highlights like Astoria (where they filmed a lot of the 80’s cult classic The Goonies!) and then stopped at some of the beach towns like Seaside & Cannon Beach. It was a gorgeous day and we had a lot of fun moving somewhat quickly but methodically down the coast.
If you get the chance to stop in Astoria and you need groceries the Astoria Co-Op Grocery was amazing, they had all the healthy and local treats my Dad loves to find when we are on the road!
Cannon Beach.
We made it the small town of Manzanita Oregon where we set up our tent for three nights at Nehalem Bay State Park.
Manzanita was one of our favorite places so far in the Rogue Life Road Trip! It had a bike path that ran from the state park to the town. It had great coffee shops and restaurants and wineries and the beach was out of this world!
In addition to that Nehalem Bay State Park took outstanding care of their facilities during COVID19 and we felt really safe being there. They had a hiking trail that wrapped around the park that was a great way for my Dad to start the day, I was stationary in a grassy parking spot right by the beach for three days and was thrilled!
If you get the chance to visit Manzanita Oregon we would say DO IT DO IT DO IT! It’s a really underrated town compared to Seaside & Astoria but was just the best. In fact it has been our favorite new town discovery so far on the trip.
Haystacks Rock.
We left Manzanita & Nehalem Bay (I wish we hadn’t had to go so soon!!!) to head south to spend three days on the Southern Coast in Gold Beach. But first we got the chance to spend a day exploring the Central Coast. The Central Coast of Oregon was a favorite of mine! We stopped for some great hiking in the coastal growth woods, beach views like this one at Haystack Rock (even though it was a little foggy for Haystack) and had amazing views of the Sand Dunes that ran into the ocean. It was truly one of my favorite drives of my life!
And I have over 95,000 miles on me so I am not exactly a toddler. My dad definitely wants to make a return trip and spend a few days exploring the Central Coast like we did on the North & South Coasts.
Our next stop was three nights in Gold Beach Oregon!
We stayed at the Indian Creek RV Campground in Gold Beach where I was once again given a three night rest and let the bicycle that is strapped on my back do the exploring with my Dad. I watched the fishermen head to the Rogue River every day to try to catch Salmon & Steelhead.
Gold Beach wasn’t as iconic as Manzanita was, but nothing has been so it’s hard to compare! The campsite had a great breakfast, phone chargers, clean bathrooms/showers, and even a gazebo that my Dad could take and teach his yoga classes when it was raining out.
We swung twice on the Oregon Coast and connected both times, thanks to Rita V. It also allowed us the chance to drive and see the entire Oregon Coast. Not many Nissan Rogue’s that I know have been to Yellowstone, Glacier, Yosemite, Redwood, North Cascades, Seattle, San Fran, and the whole Oregon Coast in one summer!
The Rogue River Siskiyou National Forest
My dad and the bicycle took a pretty rad day trip that they told me about. They rode a gnarly 10 miles each way on a windy country road to a spot where the tallest Myrtle Wood Tree in the state of Oregon resides.
Look at the picture below, it’s HUGE! Also he took a dip in the Rogue River in the nearby National Forest and it was just peaceful, tranquil, and the right temperature. Seemed like a great day but I enjoyed talking to all the pickup trucks & RV’s at the campground while their parents went fishing, hiking, or slept inside of them. (RV’s can’t figure out what their parents do ALL DAY long sitting inside of them.) But whatever, that’s not our problem to figure out!
The tallest Myrtle Tree in Oregon.
From Gold Beach Oregon we headed South, then North, then East after leaving at 330am to get to the least visited of California’s 9 National Parks by 10am! That park is Lassen Volcanic National Park, somewhat near Reno & Tahoe & Redding California.
This is an underrated National Park and I couldn’t believe how much it had going on inside of it. The highest point rose to over 10,000 feet (of course my Dad went up to summit Lassen Peak right when we got there.) It has black bears, endless amounts of tree groves, alpine lakes, geothermal activity, and boiling mud pots!
Below are a few of my favorite pics from Lassen Volcanic National Park.
The Trail heading up to Lassen Peak.
In visiting this National Park we are down to just three in the lower 48 of the United States we haven’t been to. (Well I didn’t go to the islands of Isle Royale or Channel Islands but I was in the visitor center parking lots so just give me a break and quit calling me on all my shit please! Cars don’t swim and you know that.)
By the end of this road trip we will have visited those three and all that will be left is Volcano National Park in Hawaii, American Samoa in (yep you guessed it) American Samoa, and SIX in Alaska. Who knows if we will go to all of these either?! We are kind of on a big National Forest kick lately so maybe some of those really hard ones to reach in Alaska won’t be doable. One day at a time friends!
Bumpass Hell Trail Lassen Volcanic National Park.
I think that’s all we got for now friends! I appreciate you following along as my wheels roll across America on a mega road trip during a global pandemic.
We are doing it safely and having fun in wild and socially distanced places. We hope that whatever you are doing is bringing you joy, pushing your buttons a little, and challenging you to be the best and most authentic version of yourself.
That’s what I have found out here on the road and it’s the perfect way to explore life. One present moment at a time. Nothing else really matters.
Because Adventure Feeds the Soul,
The Rogue
Lassen Volcanic Panorama Drop.