Southern Oregon Coast & Northern California Road Trip
Join Chloe and the PDX-TV crew as they visit a few of
the great vacation spots on Southern Oregon Coast and in Northern California.
More Road Trips
Fox 12 News Story Watch a news segment from Fox 12 Oregon and find out about just a few of the great destinations on the Southern Oregon Coast and in Northern California.
Travel Log for Southern Oregon Coast and in Northern California
The sun is coming out, the weather is heating up, and it’s a great time to plan a road trip! I’ve been telling everyone about the great locally owned restaurants to be found on DoItNW.com, and I’ve even tested their ability to find great places to eat all over Oregon and SW Washington…but could I plan an entire trip on DoItNW.com…including a place to sleep? The answer is YES!
If you’re looking for amazing scenery, and a drive that is as enjoyable as the destination, then the South Coast is definitely the destination you’re looking for! Our first stop on the trip is about four hours south of Portland. It’s a little town just off the ocean, but still right on the water, Coos Bay Oregon.
The Mill Casino was the first destination on our South Coast Road Trip. Sitting right on the water in Coos Bay Oregon (which is actually a bay), The Mill Casino is housed in a building that actually used to be…you guessed it…an old lumber mill! Now owned by the Coquille Indian Tribe, the Casino is also home to several restaurants a gaming floor and some fantastic accommodations. A feature you should be on the lookout for, that we didn’t get to talk about in our PDX TV Reports segments is how educational information and artwork from the Coquille Tribe’s culture is woven into the Casino. Dioramas depict the Tribe’s storytelling culture, and artwork in the lobby and in the rooms of the hotel are by local artists.
When we first arrived at The Mill Casino, my photographer and I were whisked up to suite 750. The hotel boasts 180 degree views of the Bay, and you have to see the bathrooms…they’re larger than my bedroom at home! After checking out the accommodations, we hit the gaming floor. The Mill Casino has 700 slot machines (Wow) Vegas-style table games, and a separate poker room! The Casino also allows drinks on the gaming floor, which is unusual here in Oregon. While the games were bright and shiny, I have to admit, I couldn’t wait to check out the restaurants! Because we found The Mill Casino on DoItNW.com, I was anticipating some pretty fantastic food...and I was right!
At The Mill Casino, you’ll find four restaurants, and a martini bar; The Saw Mill Buffet, Timbers Café, Warehouse 101, and Plank House Restaurant. Whether you’re looking for a seafood buffet or an Omelet bar in The Saw Mill Buffet, deli-style eats and finger-licking home-made pastries in Timbers Café, some first-class bar eats and entertainment in Warehouse 101, a relaxing martini with a great view at Whitecaps, or a sit down, fine dining experience in Plank House Restaurant, The Mill Casino has you covered.
One absolute must try when you visit: Chef Dan is the man at The Mill Casino (sorry couldn’t resist)! ;) He made us the most amazing Cioppino at Plank House Restaurant the bowl was overflowing with crab, clams, prawns and underneath that, a savory tomato broth that would be fantastic all by itself! Make sure you order extra garlic bread so you can sop up every last bite!
Coos Bay is also famous for amazing golfing and the Oregon Dunes, which are a huge attraction (literally). If you’ve never seen sand dunes taller than a house undulating outward as far as the eye can see, then it’s worth a drive to Coos Bay just to check these out (even better if you have some sort of ATV to take a ride out on the dunes, but they’re pretty amazing to walk on too)! Another nice thing about The Mill Casino is that they offer adventure packages that will get you a room at the casino and discounts on dining and attractions in Coos Bay!
After a four hour drive, eating amazing food, and checking out the sights, we were very glad to be staying in Coos Bay for the night. One more insider tip: the beds at The Mill Casino are some of the most comfortable beds I’ve ever slept in!
Video: PDX-TV Reports
Chef Dan at the Plank House | Fun & Friendly Entertainment | Timbers' Cafe
Oregon Coast Cioppino | Sunday Brunch | Warehouse 101 Sportsbar
Fun Area Adventures
The next morning, we jumped in our station car and were ready to head to the second destination on our South Coast Road Trip. Gold Beach is about 1 ½ hours further south from Coos Bay, but it is a very enjoyable 1 ½ hours! My photographer and I were both craning our necks and saying over and over again “wow” “look at that” “this is so pretty”! Boulders several stories tall rise out of the water, verdant tree covered mountains crest high in the sky and rush down in steep slopes to the ocean below, take advantage of the scenic turnouts and take lots of photos!
Gold Beach is a friendly town located right where the Rogue River meets the sea. We stopped at a fantastic restaurant located on a pier called The Port Hole Café. Tony owns the Port Hole now, but the restaurant is famous among locals and visiting fishermen alike. Open 28 years, and located in an old cannery building, the Port Hole gets fresh fish directly from the commercial fishermen who work out of Gold Beach. Everything is home made, from the tuna salad to the dizzying array of desserts. As we shot segments with Tony, several friends, family and long-time customers stopped by the restaurant to sample some of the food that Tony whipped up for the shoot, but also to tell us how much they love the Port Hole Café.
Everything we tried at the Port Hole was delicious unpretentious and home made, but there were a couple of items in particular that captured our fancy! The Tuna Melts: Tony and his crew don’t use any canned tuna, they bake off Tuna filets, flake them and make the most amazing tuna salad you’ve ever had. It is fresh, light and absolutely wonderful! The fish n’ chips are also crispy hot and made with cod fresh out of the ocean! Tony told us that he’s been nicknamed “The Codfather” for his famous fish n’ chips, and he wasn’t joking…he actually had a plaque to prove it! Finally, we loved the home-made desserts. On any given day, you’ll find at least 10 different pie and cake selections and every single one of them is made by hand; some of the berries are even picked locally and then made into pies and cheesecakes. My photographer, Chris almost couldn’t stop eating his blackberry pie long enough to shoot any footage! Thankfully, the desserts were almost the last thing we taped! ;)
Video: PDX-TV Reports
Hanging Out With Tony | How Fresh Is It? | Local Seafood Favorites
Comfort Food Favorites | It's a Gold Beach Hotspot | 'The Codfather'
Twenty Different Desserts
With full bellies and warm smiles from the folks at The Port Hole, we jumped in the car and drove further south to our very last destination on the DoItNW.com South Coast Road Trip…Crescent City CA…yep! This time, we broke the border! DoItNW.com is officially a tri-state website! =)
Crescent City CA is home to the amazing California redwoods, and some of the most beautiful hidden beaches in the country. We had two stops scheduled here, along with some required sight seeing!
The Elk Valley Casino was our first destination in Crescent City CA. Currently, the casino is located off the beaten path, in the redwoods, but soon, groundbreaking will begin to build a much larger casino and hotel right on Highway 101. If you visit now, the casino offers 300 slots and a long list of table games in addition to an extensive and delicious menu at the Full House Bar & Grill. The people at Elk Valley Casino are incredibly friendly, and they make some very good food! We got to try their full pound burger (yes…it’s huge)! Their Smoked BBQ plate, a mound of brisket, pork, chicken and ribs all smoked in house, a Steak & lobster special that had the whole restaurant drooling, and we also tried out a couple of dishes, that were delicious and fun! You know I love menu items with funny names, so when I saw the redwood dog and the Sasquatch sandwich…we had to see them both! The redwood dog is ½ pound and almost as large as the trees themselves! The Sasquatch sandwich features ½ pound of smoked pulled pork sitting on a bed of coleslaw all atop a giant toasted garlic bun! This one was a definite crowd pleaser!
The Elk Valley Casino also owns several other attractions to keep you entertained in Crescent City, a bowling alley called Tsunami Lanes, the Del Norte Golf Course, and the Hiouchi RV Resort.
Video: PDX-TV Reports
Getting a Little Hungry? | 24 oz Steak | Steak & Lobster | Win a New Car
Smoked Ribs, Chicken & Beef Brisket | Colossal 1 lb Burger | The Mighty Sasquatch
After waving a redwood-sized goodbye to the very nice folks at Elk Valley Casino, we took a quick five minute drive to a beautiful pier and The Chart Room Restaurant.
The Chart Room is a local legend and a true destination for visitors to Crescent City. With a guest book listing visitors from around the world, a sea worthy menu of famous dishes, and an amazing view wrapping entirely around the restaurant, the Chart Room is a definite must-see!
Pat and his wife Jennifer threw open the kitchen doors and dished up pretty much everything on the menu for us! I got to try their signature fish n’ chips (which were fantastic), but also on the menu, were seafood linguini, steamer clams, tuna and crab melts, huge Louie style salads, and steak and lobster! After eating ourselves silly, and enjoying every minute of it, we finally got to enjoy the views from the Chart Room! The restaurant itself is very nautical; all windows, brass and softly polished dark wood. The views are amazing. Short of eating on a boat, this is the best view you could possibly have of the ocean in Crescent City. On one side of the restaurant a sandy white beach and surfers enjoying the waves, on the other, sea lions and harbor seals sun themselves on floating docks, as fishing boats sail in and out of the marina.
Truly a great family experience, the Chart Room even displays wooden mermaid and dolphin sculptures in front of the restaurant which seem destined for many a family portrait.
Video: PDX-TV Reports
A Fantastic Ocean View | Famous Fish & Chips | Just Twenty Minutes From Oregon
Impressive Shrimp & Crab Louie Salads | Steak & Lobster | You've Been Open How Long?
It's Seafood Heaven!
My photographer and I hated to leave the Chart Room, and the ocean, but the promise of a primeval forest was too tempting to pass up. Just a short 10 minute drive from Crescent City, a quick turnoff from 101, and you’re surrounded by giants. Redwoods crowd the highway on each side, some even forcing the road to wind around them. These trees range in age from 500-700 years and to walk among them is to feel truly awed and very tiny at the same time! We even had some fun with the redwoods as we snapped pictures of our tiny station car parked next to these massive trees!
While we hated to leave the South Coast, we had to get home to tell the fine folks of Portland about it, so, about six hours later, my photographer and I drove into the gates at the station, unpacked the gear and while I can’t speak for him, I went home and dreamed of clam chowder and sea air and beautiful views!
The South Coast would make a wonderful road trip with the family, friends or even with that special someone! The great spots we visited are just a starting point, there are so many places to see on the South Coast! If you want to plan your own road trip, start on www.doitnw.com, you can decide how far south you want to drive, click on that region and see a list of great options. All of the attractions and restaurants listed on www.doitnw.com are locally owned, so not only are you finding high-quality locations, you’re also supporting the local economy!
I hope you get a little inspired to take a road trip, and if you do, keep in touch! www.doitnw.com is on Facebook, and they’d love to hear about your travels!
