I had the best time on my road trip up the 101 freeway, I had to tell you all about it! I embarked upon a serious road trip along the entire West coast last week until today. I started my adventure in San Francisco and headed North all the way to Portland, Oregon via SUV. The last time I took this trip was probably over 10 years ago with the fam. We’d all pile in my family’s van, fully equip with an air mattress in the back, and drive from San Diego to John Day, OR. I was pretty young at the time and slept most the way, so now that I’m a bit older, and can appreciate pretty sceneries, this trip was a total blast!

Like I said, we started off in San Francisco. San Fran was amazingggg minus the freezing cold, windy weather. Think New York in the Winter. Well, not that cold, but pretty cold! Most definitely Winter coat cold. We stayed at the Mandarin Hotel, on the 45th floor, what an amazing hotel and view.

Next time you find yourself in San Fran with a couple hundred bucks to blow on a hotel, Mandarin is worth it. Check out the view from our room!

We went for a nice run along the Embarcadero one morning, but then spent the rest of the time in San Fran searching for Mexican food. Pretty hard to find in this town. **Tip when traveling to San Fran? Monday’s are DEAD past 10pm, and most restaurants close early. The only late night spot we found near the hotel? A place called Oola. It was actually pretty delicious, and open til midnight. I had a nice cheese plate and a fancy grilled cheese. Oink.

The next day we were determined to find Mexican food, so my sorority pal Meghan suggested Mamacitas. YUM! Definitely a great restaurant to have dinner at, one of the few places in San Fran that was suitable for dinner parties. We wanted a nice sit down place versus the typical San Fran hole in the wall joints. Mamacitas was perfect. Nice decor and delicious guacamole.

I had the cheese enchiladas which were amazing, endless chips and guac, and 2 skinny margaritas. The irony Their guac is just how I like it, nice and smooth versus big and chunky. No large chunks just whipped avocado and spices. So yum. It’s a good place to hit up for a dinner party, happy hour or just a simple date night. To read the yelp reviews click here.

We kissed San Fran bye, attempted to find the 101 North and ended up on 101 South for 30 minutes trying to turn around, and finally headed North… Oregon bound.

Rainbow tunnel!

We drove up the coast and passed through all the Redwood forests. Suchhhh a pretty drive. Every inch was perfect. From the beaches covered in plush Redwood trees, to the fog creeping through them, everything was picture perfect. So different than the pretty things I am used to seeing, it was a nice change of scenery.

We went up through Eureka and Humbolt, learned quick that all the crappy motels sell out fast, and ended up in an Indian Casino that was actually pretty nice. We had a great view of a farm and someones horse We continued on through CA and finally reached Oregon. Passed through Gold Beach which was a small beach community… Think Del Mar minus 500,000 people and businesses. Tons and tons of beach but no one really on them, a few people here in there. Most of the Oregon beaches were deserted. I suppose it’s because so much of the coast is in the middle of no where. The beaches are covered in old, worn down tree trunks and huge boulders. Pretty though.

We finally arrived to our destination, Coos Bay, OR. We again stayed in an Indian Casino because all the smaller hotels were booked. What is up with small crappy hotels like Best Western selling out in small towns like Coos Bay and Eureka? So odd… anyway our room here was soooo amazing and so affordable for all that it came with. A huge suite with a big bath that overlooked the river. We played with some horses, had a nice BBQ with friends and continued North, Portland bound this time!

We finally arrived to the last stop on our 101 coastal road trip and I’m not gonna lie, I was glad. Tooooo much car for the past few days, I needed to just relax. We stayed at a cozy little place on Lake Oswego, such a pretty town. So many active families with boats, it reminded me of growing up and my Summers on Greenville Lake in Michigan. Dock diving, wake boarding, those big tube thingies, so much fun! We even paddle boarded. I was a first time champ of course

Anyway, I’m back at the Portland airport waiting to head home now. There are 6 screaming babies around me, my plane can’t get here soon enough… overall an amazing road trip, I suggest everyone go on one! Even if it’s small. Drive somewhere you’ve never been, or drive somewhere far and stay with a friend. Super fun to see new places and cities! Til next time…

For the fully gallery, explore here!

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