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Post by aDave on Mar 22, 2019 19:10:20 GMT -5
The wife and I are thinking about doing a roadtrip from Southern CA into the Pacific northwest. It's looking like it will be a trip with no planned stops, no specific destinations, and no requirement(s) to get to a motel at a certain time. We'll start our trip by going up interstate 5. When we get into Oregon, we don't know where we'll head. We could go into Washington, but since there are no set plans, we don't know where we'll be. We're planning on anywhere from 1-2 weeks to do this.
One place I have in mind is Richardson Ranch if we end up in that area of Oregon. Other than that, are there any other stops we should make rock-wise?
We don't want to burn up days rockhounding. This would be a trip for us to see a part of the country we've never seen before as adults.
Thanks in advance.
Dave
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cosmetal
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since September 2018
Posts: 115
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Post by cosmetal on Mar 22, 2019 19:26:49 GMT -5
Dave, I've always been interested in trying to hunt for sunstones at the BLM site in Lakeview, Oregon Sunstone Collection Area
BLM open area plus private pay-to-hunt claims in the same area. Good luck, James
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cosmetal
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since September 2018
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Post by cosmetal on Mar 22, 2019 19:42:40 GMT -5
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jasperfanatic
spending too much on rocks
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Post by jasperfanatic on Mar 22, 2019 19:43:05 GMT -5
Agate Beach just north of Newport and some of the nearby beaches, some spectacular beauty on the coast...and if you had a bit of the fever (and timed it right), a stroll to stretch the legs might present some gifts. Gorgeous drive all the way up the coast from there. Mountains, at least the Cascades, have limited access in the north valley from when winter's recent death throws decided to dump some snow one last time. Columbia Gorge is always a go-to if your heading to the north part of the state. I haven't ventured over the Cascades to the eastern side yet, but there's a ton of amazing stops. If you go to Richardson's, you're also on your way to Bend, which is a nice visit as well. Just a few ideas for you.
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Post by oregon on Mar 22, 2019 19:54:02 GMT -5
We don't want to burn up days rockhounding. Without a thought to rocks then, The southern coast is pretty spectacular, but the 101 is out a bit North of Brookings currently. The Central coast is also great, Coos Bay (Cape Arago), Great Sand Dunes, Florence to Newport have great headlands. The Coast range has some hidden gems, the Willamette valley heaps of espresso and brew pubs. The central Cascades (volcanoes) are pretty unique, St Helen's isn't that far North of Portland) Lots of lakes/rivers/campgrounds in the cascade range. If the old McKenzie Pass is open by the time you're here, that's certainly worth a drive. Bend/Sisters are likely to have nice weather all summer on that side of the cascades. The eastern side (high desert) has it's own beauty, (and Rocks) There are Rock Powwows in Madras & Prineville in early/mid summer. The Columbia Gorge is also worth a day, esp if you like waterfalls. In NE Oregon, are the Wallowa mtns, granite, spectacular... and in the SE Steens Mtn is another spectacular (remote) place; both of those mtn ranges are >9000'. And of course you should fit Crater lake NP on your tour, still a breath taker every time I walk up to the rim, hike down and jump in the lake! With our Winter storms, be warned that heaps of Forest Service roads are likely to have trees down for a while this year, and there have been slips on several routes that are closed. Also the snow pack will be an issue for hiking until late summer this year I imagine. I wish I would have taken a screen shot of the Crater Lake forecast a couple weeks back, it literally said: Saturday evening: Snow. Total accumulation 4 feet. (that was not a typo!) Have fun.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2019 20:42:48 GMT -5
I agree that Richardson's is a must if you've never been. The nearby Polkadot agate dig is also worth a visit if you are in the area for more than a day. If you are in that area mid-late June, then the Prineville Rock Pow Wow and Madras All Rockhound Pow Wow shows will be on-going. You can join their special digs for a low sign-up fee, plus the shows themselves are always worthwhile. There are several public digs northwest and southwest of Prineville that are worth visiting (Maury Mt. Moss, Bat Cave jasper area around Ochoco Reservoir, agate and jasper thundereggs, etc. - an Oregon Rockhound guide will get you to them). If you go to get Oregon Sunstones, then be sure to visit Hampton Butte for petrified wood and Glass Buttes for obsidian on the way between Bend/Prineville and the Plush/Warner Valley Sunstone mines. From the Sunstone area, a side trip to Fort Rock is worth it (the rock itself is spectacular, plus there is a little ghost town museum near the base), and if it is a hot day, a side jaunt to Crack-in-the-Ground will allow you to cool off. All places I repeatedly visit. The Newberry National Volcanic Monument, just south of Bend is also interesting. It is Oregon's other "Crater Lake" with 2 lakes inside its vast caldera. Also lava tube caves, a massive obsidian flow (no collecting), waterfall and some great fishing, lava tree casts, etc. I'd also agree with oregon that the McKinzie Pass route is a wonderful drive for crossing the Cascades. An exciting drive, and don't forget to stop and visit the waterfalls along the way. It is usually closed until sometime in June. The Santiam Pass (from which McKinzie branches off) is nearly as pretty. Consider getting a Northwest Forest Parking Pass which will allow you to park at National Forest day-use areas and trailheads throughout Oregon and Washington.
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,170
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Post by RWA3006 on Mar 22, 2019 20:45:42 GMT -5
Wife and I stayed in Burns and drove out to Glass Buttes. Really enjoyed getting some obsidian.
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Post by aDave on Mar 22, 2019 21:09:15 GMT -5
I appreciate all of the info thus far. You're giving us quite a few options. We're going to take this trip with no known destinations, and we'll just end up where we end up. To be honest, I don't know how much hounding will take place, as we don't know how this will play out just yet. We've never been in the Pacific Northwest as adults, so this might be more of a sightseeing trip than a hounding trip. But, we don't know yet.
I appreciate all of the input that has been provided thus far. Anything we see here will only give us options as we make our way up north.
Thank you for the help.
Dave
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
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Post by quartz on Mar 22, 2019 22:17:01 GMT -5
Richardson's is on hwy. 97 N. of bend . South of Bend on 97 is High Desert Museum, Lava River Cave, and Lava Butte, three "can't miss " places that aren't far apart.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Mar 22, 2019 23:39:23 GMT -5
aDave , I hope your weather/Acts of God luck is better than ours. My wife and I made the same trip last summer mainly with sightseeing in mind (and visiting our daughter near Eugene). Bad timing. The trip north from Sacramento was just in time for the big fires near Redding. We ended up in a smoky haze following a seemingly endless line of trucks that had to take a long detour. We could barely make out Shasta peak. We decided to take the scenic coastal route on the way back. Nothing but fog, fog, fog. I will say the drive on Highway 299 from the coast back to Redding through the Trinity Wilderness was absolutely stunning! But the miles of burned trees as we drove through Whiskeytown onward was depressing. Best wishes for your trip. Hoping all goes well for you -- there's some beautiful country to enjoy despite the long, boring haul on Interstate 5. We flew to Sacramento and took a rental car for the rest of our journey.
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Post by aDave on Mar 23, 2019 12:37:33 GMT -5
Thanks everyone. Forgot to mention we are thinking about doing this the first week of April. Will snow still be a concern? Any other cautions or concerns for that time of year?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2019 14:04:31 GMT -5
Forgot to mention we are thinking about doing this the first week of April. Will snow still be a concern? Any other cautions or concerns for that time of year? Yes, there will be seasonal things to take into account. It will still be Spring Break for many west coast schools, so there may be some booked up places near ski areas (not nearly as crowded as later holidays, however). Bring wet-weather gear and warm clothing for anywhere west of the Cascades. Higher elevations will still have some snow, which means many Forest Service and BLM roads and campgrounds may still be closed. Most fee digs are closed until Memorial Day. Richardson's is always open, but if their roads are wet, the digs will be closed (still worth visiting just for the rock shop and little museum). East of the Cascades temps will range from warm days to below-freezing nights - much less chance of prolonged rain or showers, however.
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hnhstngs
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Post by hnhstngs on Mar 23, 2019 16:42:53 GMT -5
If you are heading up Rt 101, Yachats (between Florence and Newport) is a cool little town. Luna's Fish Market is a fantastic spot to have a meal and has the best salmon I've ever tasted.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2019 17:23:10 GMT -5
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Mar 23, 2019 18:08:22 GMT -5
If you are heading up Rt 101, Yachats (between Florence and Newport) is a cool little town. Luna's Fish Market is a fantastic spot to have a meal and has the best salmon I've ever tasted. Is the exterior of the restaurant painted blue? I recall a place in Yachats that served the best fish & chips I've ever had. But I can't remember the name of the place, just the exterior color.
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hnhstngs
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since September 2018
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Post by hnhstngs on Mar 23, 2019 18:38:29 GMT -5
If you are heading up Rt 101, Yachats (between Florence and Newport) is a cool little town. Luna's Fish Market is a fantastic spot to have a meal and has the best salmon I've ever tasted. Is the exterior of the restaurant painted blue? I recall a place in Yachats that served the best fish & chips I've ever had. But I can't remember the name of the place, just the exterior color. That's the place! If you're ever back there in time for breakfast you've got to try their salmon hash ......
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Post by aDave on Mar 23, 2019 18:59:39 GMT -5
Thank you everyone! You've given us some great ideas thus far. We're not sure of the route we're going to take after staying overnight to visit friends in Redding, but Rick's @gemfellar idea about heading northwest toward the coast has us intrigued. As much as I'd like to see snow-covered Mt Shasta and the mountains, I guess our travel will be dictated by road conditions heading into Oregon. We do have the benefit of a 4x4 pickup with mud/snow AT tires. I wanted to make as much of a loop as I can, so maybe going up the coast and coming back down through the middle/east side of the state (or visa-versa) will allow us to do that. I appreciate all of the pointers and tips. Keep 'em coming if you have them, including for Washington. We really don't know how long we'll be going, and we really don't have an end destination. I guess we'll go as far as we can midway through the trip and then turn around. Never have done a trip like this...at all. It won't be in a motor home. We'll just be looking to pick up motels every night. Thanks again. Dave
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Post by oregon on Mar 23, 2019 21:49:23 GMT -5
April is a bit early; even June is often hit/miss around here. www.tripcheck.com (ODOT) would be good to bookmark. They have the road closures, NOAA forecasts for the various areas, and road cameras - so you can see if it's foggy on the coast and sunny in the mtns before driving! Areas have very different climates, east side/vs west, coast etc. It is often raining in the valley and sunny on the coast or mtns, and vice versa. Follow the 'best' weather if you can. April you might be able to hit the tulip fields near Woodburn, or the apple blossoms in the Hood River Valley. Old McKenzie pass will still be snowed under, if the drive to the rim of Crater Lake opens back up, I'd still put that on top of your list, 97 is a fine hwy down the east side, drops down to Weed without too much trouble. (Crater Lake's north entrance will also still be closed) so you'll have to enter from the south, Klamath Falls. Double check 101, as there was a major slip a few weeks back, and it was closed down south. But yeah, pull out a road map for Oregon, check out how many public access points there are, It gets tempting to stop frequently! I think in April you should be ok finding accommodations, gets tough during the summer months. Bring Warm clothes, you won't be happy if you need them and don't have them.
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sactorick
having dreams about rocks
gemfield
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Post by sactorick on Mar 28, 2019 9:01:29 GMT -5
We're headed up there in June. We want to go to the Hollywood Ranch near Sweet Home for Pet Wood. Glass Buttes for Obsidian, Richardson Rock Ranch for Thundereggs and maybe Polka Dot Agate Mine. Also the Spectrum Sunstone Mine if we can. You might check these out.
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Post by 1dave on Mar 30, 2019 15:01:50 GMT -5
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