Sunday, September 19, 2010

Pacific Coast Road Trip






That wander lust in me never seems to abate. When life gets tedious and I begin to feel stifled and claustrophobic, there's nothing to beat a wonderful, relaxing road trip. Road trips afford perfect mini adventures that are new, energizing, and cost effective to boot. Visiting cities not far from home, taking off to parts unknown, or stepping on the gas pedal down the scenic byways and going off the beaten track has something innately romantic and adventurous about it. Just viewing the landscape whiz past through the windshield of the car lifts up my spirits, and when the scenic vignettes include ancient forests, pristine waterfalls, and the rugged coastline, there's that extra element of magic added to the whole experience. The kid had just returned from India and shot down the idea of a trip to Las Vegas because he didn't want to get onto another plane just yet, making it the perfect time for me to hatch plans for yet another road trip during my 3-week summer break. Thus was born the idea of a three day trip southwards along the Pacific Coast.

Travelling from California up north, or going down south to California from Vancouver, we'd always taken Interstate 5 and driven through the hustle and bustle of the cities. For a change we decided to take the scenic Pacific byway, Highway 101, that starts from Port Angeles in British Columbia and hugs the Pacific Ocean and winds down south all the way to San Diego, California. The plan was to take each day as it went, stopping wherever we fancied and taking in all the sights along the way. The only planning of any sort we did was deciding on where to stop for the night, and the consensus was that we would avoid the fancy hotels in the cities, but opt instead for the quaint oceanside inns on the coast itself, right next to the mighty Pacific. The foodie that I am, I also decided to take some home-cooked food along, an idea that was vetoed very strongly by the kid!

So off we went, on a balmy summer's morning, with the sun roof down and the wind in our hair. Crossing the border was uneventful and the drive got more and more interesting as we went up the hills and down the valleys, till we actually touched the coastline. Long Beach, Washington was our first major stop for the day. We were completely taken unawares by the sudden drop in temperature, the low clouds moving just above our heads, the very poor visibility, the wind whipping the hair into our faces, the chilly salt spray, the cackle of the seagulls perched on the sandbars like sentinels guarding the ocean, and the eerie sound of the ocean that could not be seen at all but only heard through the mist. There was an other-worldliness to the whole scene. I felt I had stepped into a primordial setting, rugged, elemental, and fearful in its might and magnificence. When the husband and kid started walking towards the water, I was overcome by fear that they would be swallowed up by this unable-to-be-seen, raging monster of an ocean, and kept yelling at them to come back. The birds on the sandbars in the distance appeared like gargantuan apparitions through the mist, and in the darkness of the evening, it seemed like an eerie Galapagos of sorts!

We returned to the town of Long Beach at a distance of maybe four blocks, and could still hear the raging sound of the ocean. I was wondering what would happen if a tsunami were to occur ... no high rises, no way to escape! We did the usual souvenir shopping and strolling downtown (which was just one long street), and after some hot clam chowder to beat the cold, hurried to our room in the oceanside inn. The next day was a revelation in itself. With the sun beating down upon us, and the ocean gleaming in the sunlight, it was very difficult for me to reconcile with my previous day's impression of it. Kite enthusiasts, barbecue lovers, joggers, parents with kids and other sundry people dotted the beach, as we said goodbye to the world's longest beach, as the Americans claim it to be!

The Oregon coast has to be seen to be believed! The drive through old-growth forests and mountain passes as we never lost sight of the ocean was absolutely phenomenal. We stopped along the way at sights that caught our attention - Columbia Fort, Oswald West State Park, Cannon Beach, Rockaway Beach, Oceanside, Tillamook, Sandlake, etc., to name a few. Lincoln Beach was where we stayed the second night before we took the road back home again the next day. It was a wonderful experience for the three of us, as we laughed and joked and chatted on our three day drive. Do you think I might have had enough? Not at all! I'm already planning the next road trip, perhaps this time to the Canadian Rockies, just waiting for us in all its splendour and glory, a glimpse of the eternal!!!

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