Compare On the Road: The Oregon Coast, California Redwoods and Crater Lake by Road Scholar vs USA Road Trip — Yosemite Hiking & Cali Surfing by G Adventures
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| Trip |
4.5 | Great
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 10 days | 6 days |
| Price From | $ 2,299 | $ 1,444 |
| Price Per Day | $ 230 | $ 241 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Group tour | Small group tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Camping |
| Physical Level |
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| Travel Themes |
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| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
| Activities |
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N/A |
| Meals Included |
24 meals: 9 Breakfasts, 7 Lunches and 8 Dinners |
3 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 3 dinners |
| Description |
From the jagged alpine terrain of the Cascade Mountains to mossy rainforests and wave-battered headlands, discover why the Northwest landscape is as awe-inspiring as it is unique. Learn alongside experts as you explore some of the world’s grandest natural wonders. |
Get both your hiking and beach fix with this six day trip through some of California’s most beautiful scenery. Discover the majesty of Yosemite National Park with hikes through the most scenic areas, grab a surfboard and catch some waves along the southern California coast, and rest up at a hostel just steps from the beach. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to get back out there, have some fun, and make some lasting memories along the way. |
Day 1: Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Buffet
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Holiday Inn Portland Airport (I-205)
Dinner: A buffet dinner will be served in our meeting space at the hotel, followed by a chance to make new acquaintances.
Evening: Take a close look at our plans for the next 9 days. Our group leaders have a wealth of information to share.
Day 2: Lighthouses, Sea Lions & Surf- the Oregon Coast comes alive!
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Driftwood Shores
Breakfast: Enjoy a hot buffet breakfast at the hotel.
Morning: Our trek down the Oregon Coast, with it's ever-changing spectacular viewpoints, begins as we travel to Newport, stopping at Yaquina Head Lighthouse.
Lunch: Lunch at Izzy's with a variety of choices.
Afternoon: Prepare for our upcoming beach explorations with a trip to the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Walk through acrylic tunnels surrounded by several feet of sea water and come face to face with large sharks, rockfish and bat rays. Explore the many exhibits and enjoy the charming sea life of the northwest coast.
Dinner: Arrive in Florence and enjoy dinner overlooking the waves.
Day 3: Travel down the Oregon Coast: Lighthouses, Capes and Bays
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Accommodation: Driftwood Shores
Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.
Morning: Start your morning with a lecture on Oregon's Coastal Geology, then depart the hotel to begin your day's adventure.
Lunch: On your own in Florence.
Afternoon: Take in the view from atop Cape Perpetua, which rises 800 feet above the sea. Learn about the wildlfowers, trees and animals along a 1/2-mile trail on the summit during an interpretive walk led by our group leader, a marine biologist.
Dinner: Enjoy a plated dinner at the hotel.
Evening: Following dinner a lecture on Coastal Natural History will be proved at the hotel.
Day 4: Cruise the Dunes, Explore the Southern Oregon Coast
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Gold Beach Resort
Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel
Morning: The Oregon Dunes, the largest expanse of coastal sand dunes in North America, extend 60 miles along the coast from Florence to Coos Bay. You can't see these dunes from the highway, so climb aboard a giant dune buggy for a thrilling ride over the mountains of sand. The ride will culminate in a stop atop one of the highest dunes in North America, a whopping 600 feet high!
Lunch: Lunch at Lord Bennett's restaurant overlooking the scenic Oregon Coast
Afternoon: After lunch travel on to Gold Beach, where the Rogue River meets the Pacific Ocean. Spend the night here in this remote little sea town.
Dinner: Dinner at Spinners in Gold Beach.
Day 5: Oregon's rugged South Coast gives way to towering Redwoods
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodation: Best Western Bayshore Inn
Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.
Morning: Hang on for a thrilling ride up the Wild and Scenic Rogue River aboard a jet boat. See Osprey and other wildlife as your jet boat captain negotiates the rapids of one of the world's most beautiful river valleys. The jet boat ride will be a dynamic introduction to the southern Oregon Coast's backcountry.
Lunch: Lunch in Agness, a charming town of 75 people.
Afternoon: Travel South continuing with our onboard lecture by our group leader and biologist as you meet the giants of the coast as you encounter the first of the area's majestic Redwoods on your way south. Enter California and see some of the world's tallest trees.
Dinner: Dinner on your own to explore local fare.
Day 6: Walk among the Redwoods, focusing on regional ecology
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Best Western Bayshore Inn
Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel
Morning: Our Redwoods expert meets us this morning and continues with us throughout the day. Travel on the world-famous scenic drive, The Avenue of the Giants, 31 miles of redwood groves. It is by far the most outstanding display of these giant trees in the entire 500 mile redwood belt. Take a 1/2 mile loop walk overshadowed by these giant redwoods...a perfect picture taking opportunity!
Lunch: Picnic lunch in the Redwoods.
Afternoon: Continue your exploration of the Redwood forest with our local expert as she points out interesting aspects of this forest of giants. Make a stop at a scenic Victorian village.
Dinner: Dinner at the historic (and rustic) Samoa Cookhouse, where Eureka's loggers and lumbermen have enjoyed hearty family-style meals for generations.
Day 7: From the Coast to the Caves, Voyage to the Oregon Caves
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Oregon Caves Chateau
Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.
Morning: Wind north through the spectacular Redwoods, stopping at the Jedediah Smith State Park, renowned for its beauty.
Lunch: Picnic lunch at the Park.
Afternoon: Venture deep inside the earth to explore a marble cave at the Oregon Caves National Monument. Learn of the geology, history and science of this cave recognized as one of the most geologically unique and botanically diverse in the U.S. The cave walk and return trail require good mobility and a sense of adventure!
Dinner: The Oregon Caves Chateau is one of Southern Oregon's most charming lodges. With rustic rooms, this unique 5 story historic landmark, covered with beautiful bark siding, is one of the West's most intriguing lodges. The Oregon Caves Chateau was featured in the PBS TV special and book "Great Lodges of the American West" for it's old fashioned charm and architectural elegance. Take a tour and then sit down to a great dinner in their restaurant.
Evening: Rest or explore on your own.
Day 8: A Natural Wonder of the World, Crater Lake National Park
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Best Western Newberry Station
Breakfast: Breakfast at the Chateau to get us started.
Morning: Travel to Crater Lake via our motorcoach with lecture en route.
Lunch: Lunch at Annie Creek.
Afternoon: Crater Lake: overwhelmingly yet sublimely beautiful! Take a breathtaking look from the brink of this 6-mile wide caldera, surrounded by a 36 mile circle of cliffs. Drive part of the Rim of the lake which was created by the eruption and collapse of Mt. Mazama almost 7,700 years ago.
Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 9: Discover Oregon's Dry Side, Transfer to Portland.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Holiday Inn Portland Airport (I-205)
Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.
Morning: Travel to Newberry National Volcanic Monument's Lava Lands Visitor Center for a walk through a lava flow with your group leader and private intrepetive guide. This visit ties together much of what you have learned throughout your travels.
Lunch: Lunch along the way.
Afternoon: Explore the wonderful museum at the Warm Springs Indian Reservation before skirting the flanks of Mt. Hood on your way to the Columbia River Gorge and thundering Multnomah Falls, the state's highest.
Dinner: Enjoy dinner as we share favorite experiences with each other from our journey, and stay to chat just a little longer!
Day 10: Program Concludes
Meals: Breakfast
Breakfast: Hot breakfast at the hotel, followed by independent departures! We wish you a safe journey home and thanks for enjoying our wonderful Pacific Northwest with us! Come back for one of our many other programs!
Day 1 San Francisco/Yosemite National Park
The adventure begins this morning with the drive to Yosemite National Park. Along the way stop for some fresh produce at a farmer’s market in the central valley. Once in the park hike to Tuolumne Grove to see massive Giant Sequoias. Finish the day with a stop to see El Capitan and Bridalveil Fall en route to your camp for the night.
Day 2 Yosemite National Park
Enjoy free time to navigate the majestic Yosemite Valley at your own pace. Walk the Lower Yosemite Fall Trail or Swinging Bridge Loop Trail. Relax under the towering granite monoliths of Half Dome or El Capitan. Up for more of a challenge? Test your endurance on a more challenging hike like Upper Yosemite Falls or Four Mile. On the way back to camp, search for climbers on the sheer rock face of El Capitan.
Yosemite Village is a great starting point for launching into your adventure. Your CEO will help you get oriented to visit the Ansel Adams gallery, Ahwahnee Museum and the Yosemite Visitor Center. Here you can start a valley hike or catch a free shuttle around the park.
Day 3 Yosemite National Park
Today is all about getting active and exploring the landscapes of Yosemite. Head out on a hike to Vernal or Nevada Falls or opt to rent bikes and cruise around the valley. This park is a hiker’s paradise filled with different options for every skill level. From miles of trekking to short walks featuring amazing views, you won’t have a hard time finding a trail to set out on and enjoy. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife and make sure to take plenty of pictures. In the evening relax around the fire and swap stories with your group.
Day 4 Yosemite National Park/Hermosa Beach
Bid farewell to Yosemite this morning and get ready for some ocean waves and sand between your toes as the group heads south to Hermosa Beach. Travel through the rolling hills and vastness of the Central Valley and arrive at the Pacific coast just in time to walk the beach during golden hour and grab some delicious dinner by the sea.
After the forests of Yosemite the beaches of southern California will be a welcome change for some time to relax and recharge. So suit up, grab a towel, find a volleyball, and live out those California beach fantasies with your friends.
Day 5 Hermosa Beach
Live the California dream as you wake up to the distant sound of waves crashing against the sand. Then, suit up and get ready for your surf lesson where you'll learn a thing or two about what it takes to make riding those waves look so easy. Afterwards, enjoy free time on Hermosa Beach to lounge in the sun, walk out to the pier, or find a beachfront cafe with a table outside for some people watching. Or choose to rent bikes or surf boards and continue the adventure. Your only dilemma today should be deciding which burrito place you want to eat at.
Day 6 Hermosa Beach/Los Angeles
In the morning travel to Los Angeles. The adventure ends upon arrival.
