photo ops San Jose CA to Vancouver BC?

foxglove · 07-09-2007, 11:03 AM

Hey gang-

I'm going to be in San Jose for a conference in early August, and when it's over my husband's coming out to join me and we're renting a car and spending a week or so driving up the coast, camping, probably going as far as Vancouver, and flying home. I'd love to hear your suggestions of obscure but wonderful photography spots, or camping spots, for that matter. I know it's a beautiful part of the world and I probably won't lack for photo ops, but it'd be nice to get off the beaten track. Thanks for any and all suggestions!

Julie

jsundin · 07-09-2007, 11:16 AM

Wow...There is a lot between those two destinations. It depends on if you take I-5 or Hwy 101 (up the coast) as to the scenery you see. Here are just a few high points I could think of.

Wine Country in Napa Valley
Mt Shasta
Ashland, Oregon (see a Shakespeare play in the outdoor theatre)
Lithia Park in Ashland
Jacksonville, Oregon
Crater Lake, Oregon
Silver Falls, Oregon (12 falls within short hiking range, lot's of trails)
Columbia Gorge
Portland Rose Garden
Portland Japanese Gardens
Cannon Beach, Oregon (and the coast lines)
Newport, Oregon
Mt. St. Helens, Washington
Olympic National Forest (by Seattle)
Music Experience and Space Needle in Seattle
I forget the name, but there's an outdoor art exhibit in Seattle
Puget Sound

That is a little to get your started. Get a AAA guidebook of the states and take a look at that also.

Jeff

Gaelen · 07-09-2007, 11:18 AM

well as far as vancouver, it's really hard not to find a place for good pictures if you're in downtown. Stanley park would be a great place if you like nature shots, as far as off the beaten track, maybe head out to the industrial sectors. The airport is actually a great place, there is park out there I go and sit in and take pictures (I'll post some later)

Matthew Roberts · 07-09-2007, 11:29 AM

Don't miss Mt. Rainier near Seattle, it boasts of the greatest geographical prominences of any mountain in the world. And there's a NP and lodge on it.

little laker · 07-09-2007, 12:11 PM

It should be a good trip foxglove.

Personally I think that if your driving as far as Vancouver you should go the little ways further and drive to Kelowna BC.
It's about 4 hours drive and they have a nice airport there.
Plus in my opinion the scenery is better than Vancouver

betsypdx · 07-09-2007, 07:42 PM

Originally posted by jsundin

Wow...There is a lot between those two destinations. It depends on if you take I-5 or Hwy 101 (up the coast) as to the scenery you see. Here are just a few high points I could think of.

Wine Country in Napa Valley
Mt Shasta
Ashland, Oregon (see a Shakespeare play in the outdoor theatre)
Lithia Park in Ashland
Jacksonville, Oregon
Crater Lake, Oregon
Silver Falls, Oregon (12 falls within short hiking range, lot's of trails)
Columbia Gorge
Portland Rose Garden
Portland Japanese Gardens
Cannon Beach, Oregon (and the coast lines)
Newport, Oregon
Mt. St. Helens, Washington
Olympic National Forest (by Seattle)
Music Experience and Space Needle in Seattle
I forget the name, but there's an outdoor art exhibit in Seattle
Puget Sound

That is a little to get your started. Get a AAA guidebook of the states and take a look at that also.

Jeff

Good start here. No way you're going to be able to see it all, but I'll add a couple just in case you decide to go for a month and a half.

Oswald West State Park/Shortsands beach for camping on the coast (south of Cannon Beach - campsites are 1/4 -1/2 mile down from the road, so no RVs - popular with surfers - popular overall, so hard to get a spot)

Chinese Garden in Portland - a block of peaceful quite in the heart of the city

Eastbank Esplanade and Waterfront Park - nice 3 mile stroll on both sides of the Willamette RIver in downtown Portland

Columbia River Gorge - tell me how far and how far up you would like to hike and I can give you some options (and links to pics so you can decide)

San Juan Islands (reached by ferry from Anacortes, Washington)

BTW - I'll be out of town - otherwise, you could have had the use of a futon.

foxglove · 07-10-2007, 03:45 PM

Originally posted by jsundin

Wow...There is a lot between those two destinations. It depends on if you take I-5 or Hwy 101 (up the coast) as to the scenery you see.

Whoops, I guess I should've mentioned that - we're definitely following the coast. You'd think I'd get enough ocean living beside the Atlantic, but I've heard too much about the Oregon coast to not go that route. Thanks for the suggestions, I knew I'd get overwhelmed!

Julie

foxglove · 07-10-2007, 03:49 PM

Originally posted by Gaelen

well as far as vancouver [...] The airport is actually a great place, there is park out there I go and sit in and take pictures (I'll post some later)

I'd be interested in the airport park - we're probably going to give Vancouver proper a miss, and go straight to the airport. I actually lived in Burnaby for a while, so I'm a little familiar with the area. I had no idea that there's a park near the airport, though, it sounds like an ideal place to relax before flying out, if we don't have a flight at a totally stupid time of day.

Julie

foxglove · 07-10-2007, 03:53 PM

Originally posted by Matthew Roberts

Don't miss Mt. Rainier near Seattle

I fear that may be a little too far inland for our (extremely tentative and changeable) itinerary. Idiot that I am, I passed up a chance years ago to spend a weekend at someone's cabin on the mountain. How stupid is that?

Julie

foxglove · 07-10-2007, 03:57 PM

Originally posted by little laker

Personally I think that if your driving as far as Vancouver you should go the little ways further and drive to Kelowna BC.

Ten years or so ago, we bought a little pickup on the west coast and drove across the country, and very much enjoyed the Okanagan, although we went through Princeton and Osoyoos rather than Kelowna. I really wish we had time to do it again, it was an amazing trip - three weeks just sort of wandering across the continent, looking for fossil sites. We'll make it back to the BC interior some day, but not this trip, I'm afraid!

Julie

foxglove · 07-10-2007, 04:08 PM

Originally posted by betsypdx

Good start here. No way you're going to be able to see it all, but I'll add a couple just in case you decide to go for a month and a half.

Would a month and a half even be close to enough?

I'm a typical Maritimer, always being drawn back here, but I liked the west coast and sometimes think I'd like to go back at least for a while. Need more time to explore!

Originally posted by betsypdx

Oswald West State Park/Shortsands beach for camping on the coast (south of Cannon Beach - campsites are 1/4 -1/2 mile down from the road, so no RVs - popular with surfers - popular overall, so hard to get a spot)

Thanks - it's good to know which are the pleasant campgrounds. We've ended up in some pretty dodgy places in areas we're unfamiliar with.

Originally posted by betsypdx

Chinese Garden
Eastbank Esplanade and Waterfront Park

We may end up avoiding major cities, but it's good to have interesting urban destinations.

Originally posted by betsypdx

Columbia River Gorge - tell me how far and how far up you would like to hike and I can give you some options (and links to pics so you can decide)

When our itinerary is coming together more, I may take you up on that - it looks stunning, and I know I'll be itching for a good hike.

Originally posted by betsypdx

San Juan Islands

Already on the itinerary - there's an old family friend on Orcas who might be receiving visitors. And it means taking ferries! We both love ferries.

Originally posted by betsypdx

BTW - I'll be out of town - otherwise, you could have had the use of a futon.

Ah, too bad, but thanks very much for the offer. I think we're doing pretty well with two crash pads en route (friends in Little River CA and Orcas Island), pretty good for not having many contacts in the area.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Julie

Kami · 07-10-2007, 07:46 PM

If you're coming up the Oregon Coast, stay in a B&B in Astoria and then cross the Columbia and head towards Ocean Shores. 26 miles of sandy beach! Best clam chowder that I ever had was here.

You can then head straight east to Olympia and then north along I-5

If you are headed to the San Juan Is. you may want to wander around Anacortes. Then take a very scenic detour called Chuckanut Drive up to Bellingham. There are a number of great (but pricey) restaurants with excellent oyster dishes

Enjoy the drive

PDL · 07-12-2007, 10:45 PM

Some things to see up here (from my cr*p site that will soon be going away)
Pike Place Market - Seattle, WA check out the coffee shop "Local Color" they have some great images there.
Seattle Public Library
Skagit Valley Tulips

Lots of stuff to shoot, Seattle Center, The water front, The Arboretum, University of Washington, Museum of Flight, Alki beach, the Fremont bridge Troll, Greenlake, the mountains, the beaches, the sound, the Ballard Locks - lots of stuff.

PDL - have a safe trip - go slow and enjoy (traffic is terrible so turn up the CD and relax)

jnorth · 07-17-2007, 12:13 PM

Whytecliff catches ferries coming and going from the Horshoebay ferry terminal.

Lighthouse Park nice view of the Vancouver and depending on atmospheric conditions you can catch Mt. Baker in the background. Also in the evening 5-6:30 ish you can catch the cruise ships leaving.

Ambleside Park in West Vancouver gets you a view of Stanly Park and Lions Gate Bridge and also the Cruise Ships leaving.

Ambleside being closest to downtown Vancouver and Whytecliff the farthest - 10-20 minutes.

07-09-2007, 11:03 AM	#1
foxglove Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Atlantic Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,049	photo ops San Jose CA to Vancouver BC? Hey gang- I'm going to be in San Jose for a conference in early August, and when it's over my husband's coming out to join me and we're renting a car and spending a week or so driving up the coast, camping, probably going as far as Vancouver, and flying home. I'd love to hear your suggestions of obscure but wonderful photography spots, or camping spots, for that matter. I know it's a beautiful part of the world and I probably won't lack for photo ops, but it'd be nice to get off the beaten track. Thanks for any and all suggestions! Julie

07-12-2007, 10:45 PM	#13
PDL Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: PNW USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,127	Some things to see up here (from my crp site that will soon be going away) Pike Place Market - Seattle, WA check out the coffee shop "Local Color" they have some great images there. Seattle Public Library Skagit Valley Tulips Lots of stuff to shoot, Seattle Center, The water front, The Arboretum, University of Washington, Museum of Flight, Alki beach, the Fremont bridge Troll, Greenlake, the mountains, the beaches, the sound, the Ballard Locks - lots of stuff. PDL - have a safe trip - go slow and enjoy (traffic is terrible so turn up the CD and relax) Last edited by PDL; 07-12-2007 at 10:50 PM. Reason: formatting - added in local color*

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07-09-2007, 11:16 AM	#2
jsundin Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Hillsboro, Oregon, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 276	Wow...There is a lot between those two destinations. It depends on if you take I-5 or Hwy 101 (up the coast) as to the scenery you see. Here are just a few high points I could think of. Wine Country in Napa Valley Mt Shasta Ashland, Oregon (see a Shakespeare play in the outdoor theatre) Lithia Park in Ashland Jacksonville, Oregon Crater Lake, Oregon Silver Falls, Oregon (12 falls within short hiking range, lot's of trails) Columbia Gorge Portland Rose Garden Portland Japanese Gardens Cannon Beach, Oregon (and the coast lines) Newport, Oregon Mt. St. Helens, Washington Olympic National Forest (by Seattle) Music Experience and Space Needle in Seattle I forget the name, but there's an outdoor art exhibit in Seattle Puget Sound That is a little to get your started. Get a AAA guidebook of the states and take a look at that also. Jeff

07-09-2007, 11:18 AM	#3
Gaelen Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Coquitlam, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 749	well as far as vancouver, it's really hard not to find a place for good pictures if you're in downtown. Stanley park would be a great place if you like nature shots, as far as off the beaten track, maybe head out to the industrial sectors. The airport is actually a great place, there is park out there I go and sit in and take pictures (I'll post some later)

07-09-2007, 11:29 AM	#4
Matthew Roberts Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bertram Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 584	Don't miss Mt. Rainier near Seattle, it boasts of the greatest geographical prominences of any mountain in the world. And there's a NP and lodge on it.

07-09-2007, 12:11 PM	#5
little laker Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,697	It should be a good trip foxglove. Personally I think that if your driving as far as Vancouver you should go the little ways further and drive to Kelowna BC. It's about 4 hours drive and they have a nice airport there. Plus in my opinion the scenery is better than Vancouver

07-09-2007, 07:42 PM	#6
betsypdx Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Portland, Oregon Photos: Gallery Posts: 475	Originally posted by jsundin Wow...There is a lot between those two destinations. It depends on if you take I-5 or Hwy 101 (up the coast) as to the scenery you see. Here are just a few high points I could think of. Wine Country in Napa Valley Mt Shasta Ashland, Oregon (see a Shakespeare play in the outdoor theatre) Lithia Park in Ashland Jacksonville, Oregon Crater Lake, Oregon Silver Falls, Oregon (12 falls within short hiking range, lot's of trails) Columbia Gorge Portland Rose Garden Portland Japanese Gardens Cannon Beach, Oregon (and the coast lines) Newport, Oregon Mt. St. Helens, Washington Olympic National Forest (by Seattle) Music Experience and Space Needle in Seattle I forget the name, but there's an outdoor art exhibit in Seattle Puget Sound That is a little to get your started. Get a AAA guidebook of the states and take a look at that also. Jeff Good start here. No way you're going to be able to see it all, but I'll add a couple just in case you decide to go for a month and a half. Oswald West State Park/Shortsands beach for camping on the coast (south of Cannon Beach - campsites are 1/4 -1/2 mile down from the road, so no RVs - popular with surfers - popular overall, so hard to get a spot) Chinese Garden in Portland - a block of peaceful quite in the heart of the city Eastbank Esplanade and Waterfront Park - nice 3 mile stroll on both sides of the Willamette RIver in downtown Portland Columbia River Gorge - tell me how far and how far up you would like to hike and I can give you some options (and links to pics so you can decide) San Juan Islands (reached by ferry from Anacortes, Washington) BTW - I'll be out of town - otherwise, you could have had the use of a futon.

07-10-2007, 03:45 PM	#7
foxglove Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Atlantic Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,049 Original Poster	Originally posted by jsundin Wow...There is a lot between those two destinations. It depends on if you take I-5 or Hwy 101 (up the coast) as to the scenery you see. Whoops, I guess I should've mentioned that - we're definitely following the coast. You'd think I'd get enough ocean living beside the Atlantic, but I've heard too much about the Oregon coast to not go that route. Thanks for the suggestions, I knew I'd get overwhelmed! Julie

07-10-2007, 03:49 PM	#8
foxglove Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Atlantic Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,049 Original Poster	Originally posted by Gaelen well as far as vancouver [...] The airport is actually a great place, there is park out there I go and sit in and take pictures (I'll post some later) I'd be interested in the airport park - we're probably going to give Vancouver proper a miss, and go straight to the airport. I actually lived in Burnaby for a while, so I'm a little familiar with the area. I had no idea that there's a park near the airport, though, it sounds like an ideal place to relax before flying out, if we don't have a flight at a totally stupid time of day. Julie

07-10-2007, 03:53 PM	#9
foxglove Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Atlantic Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,049 Original Poster	Originally posted by Matthew Roberts Don't miss Mt. Rainier near Seattle I fear that may be a little too far inland for our (extremely tentative and changeable) itinerary. Idiot that I am, I passed up a chance years ago to spend a weekend at someone's cabin on the mountain. How stupid is that? Julie

07-10-2007, 03:57 PM	#10
foxglove Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Atlantic Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,049 Original Poster	Originally posted by little laker Personally I think that if your driving as far as Vancouver you should go the little ways further and drive to Kelowna BC. Ten years or so ago, we bought a little pickup on the west coast and drove across the country, and very much enjoyed the Okanagan, although we went through Princeton and Osoyoos rather than Kelowna. I really wish we had time to do it again, it was an amazing trip - three weeks just sort of wandering across the continent, looking for fossil sites. We'll make it back to the BC interior some day, but not this trip, I'm afraid! Julie

07-10-2007, 04:08 PM	#11
foxglove Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Atlantic Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,049 Original Poster	Originally posted by betsypdx Good start here. No way you're going to be able to see it all, but I'll add a couple just in case you decide to go for a month and a half. Would a month and a half even be close to enough? I'm a typical Maritimer, always being drawn back here, but I liked the west coast and sometimes think I'd like to go back at least for a while. Need more time to explore! Originally posted by betsypdx Oswald West State Park/Shortsands beach for camping on the coast (south of Cannon Beach - campsites are 1/4 -1/2 mile down from the road, so no RVs - popular with surfers - popular overall, so hard to get a spot) Thanks - it's good to know which are the pleasant campgrounds. We've ended up in some pretty dodgy places in areas we're unfamiliar with. Originally posted by betsypdx Chinese Garden Eastbank Esplanade and Waterfront Park We may end up avoiding major cities, but it's good to have interesting urban destinations. Originally posted by betsypdx Columbia River Gorge - tell me how far and how far up you would like to hike and I can give you some options (and links to pics so you can decide) When our itinerary is coming together more, I may take you up on that - it looks stunning, and I know I'll be itching for a good hike. Originally posted by betsypdx San Juan Islands Already on the itinerary - there's an old family friend on Orcas who might be receiving visitors. And it means taking ferries! We both love ferries. Originally posted by betsypdx BTW - I'll be out of town - otherwise, you could have had the use of a futon. Ah, too bad, but thanks very much for the offer. I think we're doing pretty well with two crash pads en route (friends in Little River CA and Orcas Island), pretty good for not having many contacts in the area. Thanks for the suggestions! Julie

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07-10-2007, 07:46 PM	#12
Kami Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 81	If you're coming up the Oregon Coast, stay in a B&B in Astoria and then cross the Columbia and head towards Ocean Shores. 26 miles of sandy beach! Best clam chowder that I ever had was here. You can then head straight east to Olympia and then north along I-5 If you are headed to the San Juan Is. you may want to wander around Anacortes. Then take a very scenic detour called Chuckanut Drive up to Bellingham. There are a number of great (but pricey) restaurants with excellent oyster dishes Enjoy the drive

07-17-2007, 12:13 PM	#14
jnorth Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Vancouver BC Posts: 230	Whytecliff catches ferries coming and going from the Horshoebay ferry terminal. Lighthouse Park nice view of the Vancouver and depending on atmospheric conditions you can catch Mt. Baker in the background. Also in the evening 5-6:30 ish you can catch the cruise ships leaving. Ambleside Park in West Vancouver gets you a view of Stanly Park and Lions Gate Bridge and also the Cruise Ships leaving. Ambleside being closest to downtown Vancouver and Whytecliff the farthest - 10-20 minutes.