After our successful detour to San Francisco, we tackled our last major section of the route: From our wonderful campsite in Petaluma - a good hour's drive from the center of the “City of the Bay” - we wanted to arrive in Seattle with five stopovers in 10 days. Once again, the journey is the reward.
We look back wistfully on the last 10 days of our 7-week motorhome trip through the west of the USA. We became more and more aware that every kilometer we covered brought us closer to giving up our beloved motorhome. It felt like an important part of our lives was coming to an end, even if that might sound a little exaggerated. This stage wasn't the end of our trip, as we were still heading to Canada and Hawaii afterwards, but it was still a turning point. It was somehow the beginning of the end and we planned to enjoy these ten days in particular.
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From Petaluma to Shasta Lake
San Francisco was great and we were even able to celebrate a birthday there, but as is the case on a trip: Every place is left behind at some point. In our case, we left Petaluma behind, a small but very appealing town in Sonoma County. The KOA San Francisco North campsite was a highlight of our trip. We were able to make two friends here, with wonderful people who we would love to see again and whom we invited to Vienna. As already mentioned: nowhere else can you get into conversation with other people as quickly as in the USA. We love that about this country, because we don't know that in Austria.
We drove for around four hours to our next stop shortly after Redding on Interstate 5, including a short break. Gradually, the landscape changed and the picturesque hills of California turned into higher mountains and dense forests. Finally, we reached our campground on the edge of the town of Shasta Lake - named after the lake of the same name and a popular excursion destination. We planned two nights here; once again far too short to even begin to get to know this magnificent area. Nevertheless, we gave it a try.
KOA San Francisco North, Petaluma - Redding Mountain RV Park
Distance: 222 miles / 357 kilometers
Travel time: around 3.5 hours
Natural paradise Shasta Lake
The Redding Mountain Gate RV Park was, compared to other campsites, rather below average but perfectly fine for 2 nights. At least there was a small pool, a whirlpool, water, electricity and a laundry room, even if everything seemed a bit dingy - but ok! The pool was refreshing and served us well, as it was surprisingly warm and hazy here. At the Shasta Lake Ranger Station, which is within easy walking distance of the campground, tourists can obtain all the important information about the area and get advice. The rangers are all very dedicated, child-friendly and happy to help. We picked up the necessary maps there and then knew what we wanted to do the next day. We wanted to go to Shasta Lake, where else?
Shasta Lake was created by the construction of the Shasta Lake Dam between 1938 and 1945 and is an extensive and widely ramified reservoir surrounded by beautiful nature. We drove about 20 minutes by motorhome to the Bailey Cove Day Use Area. You can park here for a small fee of around 10 dollars and use the infrastructure all day long. There is water and toilets as well as a few barbecues. We met a passionate angler here and got talking to him. He assured us that we were lucky. In some years, the water level is so low that you can't even see the lake from the day use area. When we visited, the water level was at its peak and Shasta Lake and the Shasta Trinity National Forest were at their most beautiful. What lucky bastards we are!
We walked once around the entire peninsula on the Bailey Cove Trailhead - a leisurely one to one and a half hour hike back to the Day Use Area. There we had a barbecue and enjoyed some tasty sausages with a view of the lake. It was a great day.
Tip: Here you can download the North State Visitors Guide with lots of tips for excursions around Shasta Lake, such as the impressive Mount Shasta, Burney Falls, Trinity Alps, Lassen Peak, Whiskeytown, of course the large reservoir and much more:
Lake Shasta is heavily branched and offers endless possibilities.
Our garage tip
When we wanted to continue our journey the next day, we had self-inflicted problems with the tire pressure and drove a few miles back to Redding in our rental motorhome. There we went to the car and RV workshop “All Wheel” and were helped incredibly quickly, friendly and competently. All 6 tires were professionally inspected and re-inflated and they didn't even want any money from us! We at least donated a few dollars for the garage dog.
If you are in the area and need help, we can recommend the All Wheel workshop in Redding with good knowledge: https://allwheelinc.com/
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From Shasta Lake to Klamath Falls
The next stop has the promising name of Klamath Falls. This small town is located in Klamath County in southern Oregon - so we had to leave California again. Oregon is the ninth largest state in the USA in terms of area and is nicknamed the “Beaver State”, probably from a time when forestry was much more important here. Today, Oregon's economy is primarily shaped by the technology companies in the so-called Silicon Forest, but Oregon is also known for its good wine, large forests and a particularly beautiful coastline. The indigenous Klamath people have also lived here for several centuries.
In Klamath Falls we had booked a KOA site again - we have always done well with these campsites and were lucky this time too. However, we were only passing through Klamath Falls; we spent one night here, although there was plenty to do in the area, from hiking trails to museums such as the Favell Museum or the Baldwin Hotel Museum. The KOA campground is close to the OC&E Trail, a 100-mile biking, hiking and rollerblading trail built in an old railroad bed.
Other attractions near Klamath Falls:
Crater Lake National Park: Crater Lake National Park offers a variety of activities. Hiking in summer, cross-country skiing in winter - everything is possible.
Lava Beds National Monument: Volcanic eruptions from the Medicine Lake shield volcano have created an incredibly rugged landscape dotted with cinder cones, lava flows, spatter cones, lava tube caves and pit craters. Visitors can take in both the geological and historical wonders of this unique landscape.
Spring Creek: Enjoy an easy kayak trip to the actual headwaters of this pristine and cool creek. Crystal clear water and beautiful scenery make this a must-do. This spot is equipped with a convenient kayak dock that makes getting in and out much easier.
Spence Mountain: The Spence Mountain project involves the phased development of a network of trails on a beautiful 7,400-acre site just 15 minutes from downtown Klamath Falls. The trails are versatile and suitable for mountain biking, hiking, trail running and even cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter.
Crater Lake Zip Line: Zip line for adults and children, just a short drive from KOA Klamath Falls. Kayak tours can also be booked.
Not far from the campground is a branch of the friendly and well-equipped RV dealer RV Country. If you like looking at luxurious American camping trailers, you'll get your money's worth here. We acquired a taste for it here.
Redding Mountain RV Park - KOA Klamath Falls
Route length: 133 miles / 214 kilometers
Travel time: around 2.5 hours
From Klamath Falls to Redmond
The next trip took us to the Central Oregon KOA Redmond in Oregon. The children also felt very comfortable at this campsite and we spent two nights here. On the day we arrived, we took a walk around the idyllic Haystack Reservoir. This small reservoir can be reached on foot from the campground in around 30 minutes and is a wonderful excursion tip. But there is also plenty to see in and around Redmond:
Lake Billy Chinook: This lake is around 9 kilometers away and is known nationwide for water skiing and boating. There is a marina with boat hire.
Smith Rock State Park (18 kilometers): Smith Rock State Park offers world-class rock climbing and views of the Crooked River, which winds in serpentine loops around the base of colorful Smith Rock.
Peter Skien Ogden State Wayside: Vertical basalt cliffs and scenic river gorge, visible from the old Highway 97 bridge and about 10 miles away.
Henderson Flat OHV Trail System: Henderson Flat is located approximately 5 miles from the KOA on Crooked River National Grassland with open juniper vegetation that ranges from steep to rolling hills and is interspersed with dramatic red rim rocks. It offers 27 kilometers of trails.
Haystack Reservoir is definitely worth a trip.
KOA Klamath Falls - KOA Redmond
Distance: 172 miles / 277 kilometers
Travel time: around 3 hours
From Redmond to Cascade Locks
The area around Cascade Locks is once again one of the absolute highlights of our entire trip. Cascade Locks is a historic town in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge and the Cascade Mountains in Oregon. It is one of the oldest towns on the Columbia River. The Gorge is the only National Scenic Area in the entire country and a wonderful place for some extraordinary outdoor experiences. We had a great time here and spent four nights at Cascade Locks / Portland East KOA Holiday, a really great campground.
The Cascade Locks KOA is a campsite for nature lovers, as it is surrounded by large trees and yet offers all kinds of amenities such as a pool, a heated hot tub, corn hole, a recreation room with billiards, table tennis, air field hockey, a well-stocked store (with very friendly staff), a treasure hunt for children and children's buggies to borrow. The only downside is the loud honking train that passes by several times a night. However, there are free earplugs in the store!
Cascade Locks is a must-see on any Oregon trip.
The area around Cascade Locks offered us a wonderful selection of excursion destinations, hiking trails and activities, on foot or by car:
Spectacular waterfall tour with the Waterfall Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley: In the river gorge of Cascade Locks there are at least 7 breathtaking waterfalls virtually next to each other and a day trip there is an absolute must. Buses even arrive daily from Portland to admire this natural jewel on the Columbia River. We opted for the more expensive trolley tour, as the road through the gorge is very narrow in places and there are not many parking spaces.
Walk to the village of Cascade Locks and visit the Bridge of the Gods. You can also go shopping, eat out or take a leisurely trip to Cascade Locks Marine Park.
Walk to Blackberry Beach and Kite Launch Beach. These two small river beaches are within walking distance of the campsite and are located on an exposed peninsula in the Columbia River. A nice excursion!
Play golf: Enjoy a game of golf at Beacon Rock Golf Course or Skamania Lodge Golf Course on the other side of the Bridge of the Gods in Washington or at Indian Creek Golf Course in Hood River, Oregon.
Vista House - national historic landmark: The view from Crown Point is one of Oregon's most beautiful and inspiring sights. It was officially dedicated on May 5, 1918 as a memorial to Oregon's early pioneers and is also a stop on the Trolley Tour.
Mount Hood Scenic Railroad: The railroad offers charter and day trips. Built in 1906.
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Anecdote: We originally wanted to visit the city of Portland, but then decided to skip it - with good reason. On a trip to Costa Rica, we met a very nice American couple with two daughters from Bishop in California. The father was a cop, gave us some travel tips and even invited us to Bishop, which unfortunately didn't work out. However, one phrase stuck in our minds: “Stay out of Portland!”
Portland apparently has a major drug and crime problem and a visit to the city, especially in your own car or camper van, is not recommended. We listened to him.
KOA Redmond - Cascade Locks, Portland East KOA Holiday
Route length: 128 miles / 206 kilometers
Travel time: around 2.5 hours
From Cascade Locks to Seattle
The last leg of our seven-week RV tour finally took us to Seattle. At Lake Pleasant RV Park we spent our last two nights in an RV for a long time, somewhat sadly. Here we simply relaxed, took short walks across the beautiful campground pond and prepared the RV for return. The drive from the campsite to the Cruise America drop-off point in Seattle took about 15 to 20 minutes. The return itself was no problem and we took an XL Uber and all our luggage from there to our booked AirBnB in Lake Forest Park just outside Seattle.
Lake Pleasant RV Park near Seattle was a wonderful ending.
We will write about our one-week stay in Seattle in our next blog article.
Cascade Locks, Portland East KOA Holiday - Lake Pleasant RV Park
Distance: 231 miles / 372 kilometers
Travel time: around 3.5 hours
This was our route from San Francisco to Seattle.
Conclusion
Our very last stage proved to us once again how much we enjoy traveling by motorhome in the United States. One thing is certain for us: if nothing comes up and we can afford it, we will certainly do it more often. We're even toying with the idea of buying a second-hand motorhome and going on a tour once or twice a year. But that won't pay off until we have more than just 5 weeks' vacation a year.
The return made us a little sad, but we want to come back.
The route from San Francisco (Petaluma) to Seattle took us through a total of three states and took us 10 stress-free days - it can certainly be done quicker, but we don't recommend it. The further north you go, the more forest-heavy the nature becomes and you realize that you are heading towards Canada. We really enjoyed it and would have liked to stay longer anywhere. The absolute highlight was our trip to the waterfalls in the gorge at Cascade Locks on the Columbia River, the border between the states of Oregon and Washington. Next time, we definitely want to make a detour to the beautiful Oregon coast.
Steffi and Max hope you enjoy our blog and have even more fun traveling yourself. If you want to find out more, just follow us on Facebook or Instagram.
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