[Our03z4]

Originally Posted by M_Six

Mount St. Helens is north of Portland, but not that far. Very impressive place.

Unfortunately we are going to be too far south from there but it is on our list for the future. Thanks for the reply!

Originally Posted by chassis

Mt. Rainier - might be outside of your geographic window
Mt. St. Helens
Redwoods in NorCal
Yosemite - also might be outside of your window

Issue with those parks is they don't allow dogs but in parking lots and roadways, no trails. My wife says if they allow kids they should allow dogs, ours are better behaved lol

Originally Posted by sygazelle

If you stay on Hwy 101 in Oregon and Hwy 1 in California, you will be on or close to the ocean the whole way. The entire drive is a park! There will be endless places for you to get out and walk your dog and enjoy the outdoors.

In California, there are many state beaches. They each charge a fee but there might be a week pass or a pass where you can visit multiple places on the same day on the same pass.

It's hard to pick a specific place to recommend since the entire trip is so special. Personally, I love Hwy 1 between the town of Mendocino and Bodega Bay. The lighthouse at Point Arena is very cool. Jenner is where the Russian River meets the ocean. If you stop at one of the lookouts, you can see hundreds of Pelicans flocking and a bunch of sea lions. It's quite a sight to see. Keep going south across the bridge at Jenner and one of the first turnouts to the right is Goat Rock Rd to Goat Rock Beach. Amazing views and places to walk and hike with your dog.

For food, if you like fresh fish, go to Fisherman's Cove at 1850 Bay Flat Rd, Bodega Bay, CA 94923. Not fancy at all but the fresh fish is amazing.

Have fun!

Mendocino is on our list, we plan to hit up the botanical gardens there (they allow dogs!). Apparently it's also a good place to whale watch.

I don't know how I missed Jenner but I just looked that area up and it looks like a perfect place to stop and check out!!!

Thanks so much for your advice and ideas!