North to Seattle

[Hollis]

Hello all,

I am currently in the LA area and in about a week and a half I will be heading north towards seattle and into Canada. The purpose of this trip is to shoot and only to shoot. I have roamed all over washington and some in northern oregon but none whatsoever in Nor. Cal.

I was wondering if anyone could suggest a good route, detours included to take me through the state? I know there is a ton I will miss due to the size of the place but I for sure want to hit the redwoods (least crowded if possible) and the lost coast. Otherwise, Im fair game. I have about a week to a week and a half to meander until I am expected in southern Washington.

What about the Oregon coast? Ive never seen that either.

Hollis Bennett

[Sheldon N]

Lots of interesting things to see on the Oregon coast. That has been my latest shooting project.

Check out some of the things on my flickr page for a quick run through of locations. I'd say Bandon, the central oregon coast, and Canon beach areas are all good choices. I have a fondness more for the central/southern coastline though.

[Hollis]

Ah, yes indeed. That is what I am looking for. I have been doing a bit of the ND + long exposure water thing. A couple are on my flickr site...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27339401@N02/

Thanks a ton, I might pick your brain later for more info.

Hollis

[windpointphoto]

What a dream trip.

[Jon Wilson]

I Just got back from a trip along the Northern CA area (Klamath, CA) through Lincoln City, OR and my favorite area was Brookings. I would also specifically recommend Cape Sebastian State Park, Oregon. You might pick up the book "The Photographer's Guide to the Oregon Coast," by David Middleton and Rod Barbee. I got the book through Amazon.com and found it to be very helpful and planning our stops. If you decide you wish to stay in the Klamath, CA area, I highly recommend the Ravenwood Motel <www.ravenwoodmotel.com>
Best wishes on your photographic journey....

[Hollis]

Thank you for the info. Im not worried about lodgings as I will be camping out the whole time. This is just one leg of my 'travel for a year, work when I can, shoot constantly and figure out what the hell I am doing' trip that I am currently on. So far, 8000 + miles and about 30k more I would guess, at least.

[John Kasaian]

For sure have breakfast at the Samoa Cookhouse! The whole length of the coast highway North of San Francisco and into Oregon and Washington is fertile ground for photography. If your return trip takes you on an inland route, The Dalles and Crater Lake are certainly worth exploring.

There is also a concrete castle (called Mary something or other) in Oregon that has a tremendous art collection. If my story is correct is was a commune founded by a U.S. Army engineer who built cement roads for the Queen of Romania (? I think? Or Bulgaria??) during WW1. She was so happy with the engineering that she endowed the fellow's dream of creating a concrete utopia and embellished it with extraordinary works of art.
I probably got the story all wrong, but the castle is still pretty cool looking. It might be fun to look it up if you have the time.

[Vaughn]

In Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, take the Davidson Road out to Gold Bluff Beach -- nice little campground out on the beach, but getting a site will be iffy -- forget it on a weekend. Fern Canyon is just up the road from the campground. Otherwise, take the Drewry (sp?) Parkway (the old Highway) thru the redwoods. Lots of trails go off into the redwoods from the Parkway.

In Southern Humboldt, the Avenue of the Giants is great (it is the old highway also). Check out Lower Bull Creek Flat. Watch out for the poison oak -- none up in Prairie Creek. Farther north is the Smith Redwoods. There is a dirt road that winds thru the redwoods that is great -- it cuts off just before Cresent City and connects with Hwy 199.

Have fun -- I'll be out of town, or I'd offer to show you around.

Vaughn

[Frank Petronio]

I've done that trip a few times and I like Coos Bay and Shore Acres State Park a lot. I'd stick to the coast in general, but I think it is worth the jog inland to visit Ashland, a wonderful community off Rt 5. I also like the wider landscapes off Rt 395 in Northern California (bordering the Sierras and the desert) and North into Southern- Central Oregon all the way up to Bend.

The nice thing about Oregon is that you have a little of everything within a few hours - coast, farmland, mountains, desert all within a 150 mile swath, with more extremes than California or Washington.

[Brian Ellis]

There's so much in Oregon that it's difficult to say what to do, just driving up the coast from California to Washington is a spectacular experience and you'll have no trouble finding things to photograph all along the way. My favorite part of the Oregon coast is the southern part, from about Brookings up to about Bandon, and then Cannon Beach/Ecola State Park in the northern part. Shore Acres, which someone else mentioned, is one of my favorite spots. It has hours and a gate that aren't conducive to photography but I park on the road side outside the gate before it opens and just make the short stroll down to the ocean. I asked a Ranger once and he said it was o.k. to do that. When you get near the ocean, turn right instead of left. Left is where most people go but right will get you to some incredible rock formations and tide pools created by thousands of years of the ocean beating against the coast. I've spent days photographing just in that relatively small area.

From Florence on the central part of the Oregon coast it's about a 4 1/2 hour drive east to Bend and the High Desert of Central Oregon, which is where I live (and you could hit Silver Falls State Park more or less on the way). If you're interested in that part of the State send me an email message and I'll suggest some places to go.

There's a set of publications from Photograph America on the Pacific Northwest called "The Pacific Northwest Collection" that deal with photographing in Oregon and Washington. I think I paid about $50 for the set and for that you get 12 of their issues covering different parts of Washington and Oregon (and Alaska). IMHO it's well worth it for someone who's photographing in those States for the first time. Also, if you search here for "Oregon" you'll find a lot of posts that deal with photographing in Oregon.

If you camp in campgrounds you might want to plan ahead. I don't camp so I have no experience but the time of year you're talking about is the absolute height of the tourist season on the Oregon coast so I don't know how easy it is to find camping spaces.

[DarkroomDan]

There is also a concrete castle (called Mary something or other) in Oregon that has a tremendous art collection.

The castle is called Maryhill and is on the Washington side above the Columbia River. Next to it is a recreation of Stonehenge. All this is not far from Goldendale where there is an astronomical observatory the is open to the public. And, if memory serves, there are also wind generators. It is worth a stop if you are in the area.

There are highways along both the Washington and Oregon sides of the Columbia. There are many waterfalls along the gorge on the Oregon side.

Dan

[Steve Feldman]

H.,

I, too, live in L.A. and love Oregon. I've made photographs in Oregon several times. Having done the traditional coastline, waterfall photos, I wanted something new on my last trip, so I decided to not have an agenda. No pre-conceptions. The result was finding a subject that I never knew was there. Covered bridges. There are lots of them covering the state. I strongly suggest searching the internet for the locations. Cottage Grove has several and all very accessible. IMHO the best was in a little coastal town called Yahacts (pronounced ya-hotz). Follow the winding narrow roads. It's all the way at the end and on private property. But the owners don't mind the tourists.

BTW - Ferndale is a great place, but it's in N. California.

If in Eugene, head due west on 126 20-30 miles to Fern Lake. Really neat! In Florence is a diner with cars popping out of the roof.

Where abouts in L.A. are you?

[rcjtapio]

I just returned to Chicago from the southern Oregon coast. I was there for a wedding last Saturday in Ashland.

The coastline is wonderful. I was still shooting at 10 pm after the sun set.

There is a redwood forest on US 199 (in California, just south of the border) that is just spectacular & may not be as crowded.

I have just posted a few images from this trip at www.midwestlargeformat.com. Go to FORUM. Go to GALLERY (hit the BLUE BUTTON). Go to B&W images.

The snow is still melting from Crater Lake & the rivers are gushing.

You are in for a treat!

[Turner Reich]

Don't forget to stop off at Tillamook and get some icecream and lunch at the Tillamook cheese factory in Oregon while you are on the coast road. Free tour and great products and restaurant in house.

http://www.tillamookcheese.com/

[Hollis]

WOW! tons of good stuff here, thanks folks. Just got back from a nasty, shitty shoot and am cocktailing (yes, it is a verb) at the moment. Ill read in depth tomorrow.

Keep the suggestions coming, Im already inking up my topo atlas.

H.