After wrapping up our Canadian snowboarding leg, we swapped powder for pavement and kicked off the next phase of our journey: a road trip down the Pacific Coast Highway, starting just outside Seattle and winding our way through Oregon, Northern California, and into Monterey.
Planes, beaches, and Pirate Coffee: welcome to the Oregon Coast
We began our U.S. adventure at the Boeing Museum of Flight near Seattle. Darryl, ever the aviation nerd, was in his element (I was too, to be fair). A highlight? The DIY flight simulator where we learned that I’m apparently Tom Cruise now—346 knots and all. Not bad, right?
From there, we made our way down to the Oregon Coast, where wild surf, moody skies, and rugged little beach towns set the tone. We picked up our tiny motorhome rental (you’ll see it featured throughout the trip) and hit the road, stopping for a coffee at the Pirate Coffee Company. Review: a hot, perfectly average 5.5/10—but the coastal views made up for it.
The stretch from Lincoln City to Newport was full of cute roadside stops and coastal charm, even if the towns leaned a little more “gritty coastal micro-town” than postcard-perfect.
Gusty detours and Redwood magic
On day three, our plan was to hug the coast all the way south—but somewhere south of Bandon, the road was closed due to weather damage. Cue a 3-hour inland detour to a Home Depot car park in Grants Pass (highly recommend for its surprising Wi-Fi quality).
We finally made it back out to the coast near Eureka, but with more closures and gusty conditions, we stayed flexible. Despite the stormy weather, we managed to squeeze in a magical stop among the Redwoods.
Walking beneath those towering trees, soaked through and slightly muddy, was genuinely awe-inspiring. Even Darryl—who I didn’t expect to leave the van—was enchanted. How did I feel – this quote captures it all; “I don’t usually like nature,” I said, “but I really like it here.”
Glass Beach… or Not
From the Redwoods, we made our way to Fort Bragg’s Glass Beach, only to discover that—well—access wasn’t exactly easy. With the tide high and the trails steep and slippery, we decided against the scramble.
Fun fact: the beach is famous for its smooth, sea-glass-covered shoreline, created from years of local rubbish tumbling in the waves. Romantic? Kind of. Gross? Also kind of. We gave it a miss this time but can still say we’ve been.
Wine Country, City Views and Pie Regrets
From Fort Bragg, we headed south through Mendocino and into California wine country—a total shift in landscape. Gone were the rugged cliffs and misty forests; in came rolling hills and vines.
We skirted around San Francisco (no city stops this time!) and finally did something we didn’t manage a decade ago: we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge. It was windy, dramatic, and totally worth the wait. We skipped the love locks (even after 23 years together), but admired the chaos of combination padlocks and discarded socks.
We detoured to Pie Ranch, a spot I’d read about in Pacific Coast Highway guides. Sadly, the highly anticipated lemon buttermilk pie was… underwhelming. But later, we redeemed the experience with a pecan-something-sugary pie, which made up for the earlier disappointment—mostly.
As we drove into Monterey, we passed deer wandering roadside parks, rain-slicked beaches, and sweet little coastal towns. Monterey itself felt a bit like Queenstown’s smaller, American cousin. Pretty, a bit touristy, but still charming.
What’s Next?
This post marks the halfway point of our Pacific Coast Highway road trip. As the weather improves, so does the filming, the wandering, and the pie selection (hopefully). We’ll share the rest of the journey—including Big Sur, Santa Barbara, and beyond—in the next post.
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The Peterson Odyssey 