Reno to Portland Oregon Driving Trip

 Here's our driving trip from Reno to Portland with plus trips from Portland.

Flew into Reno & stayed 2 nights.

Full day at Lake Tahoe – drove around the lake – hikes: East Shore Trail, Eagle Rock Trail, Emerald Bay Hike, Cascade Falls, Eagle Falls & Lower Eagle Falls (across the road), Inspiration Point, Sand Harbor

Lassen Volcanic National Park (pleasantly surprised) – Bumpass Hell Hike (favorite), King’s Creek Falls, Devasted Area, Lassen Peak & Reflection Lake

Redding (stayed one night after Lassen) – Whiskeytown Lake – Boulder Creek Falls – needed 4x4, Crystal Creek Falls

Redwoods – we stayed 2 nights in Arcata

Rockefeller Forest, Avenue of the Giants – Drury-Chaney Trail, Trinidad State Beach Sunset, Tidepooling at Luffenholtz Beach (favorite – we went twice), Fern Canyon -requires reservation, Trillum Falls – do the loop counter clockwise, Lady Bird Johnson Trail.

Beautiful drive to Grant’s Pass.  We stayed in a Yurt with a hot tub

Crater Lake – Vidae Falls, Phantom Ship viewpoint Sun Notch Trail, any viewpoint, drive around the lake, We were considering Watchman Peak but it was raining & lightning

Bend Oregon – stayed 1 night. Hikes – 3 in 1 Tumalo Falls, Double Falls, & Upper Double Falls, Paulina Falls, Obsidian Flow Trail

Smith Rock State Park – on the drive to Portland.

Portland Area – Silver Falls State park -10 waterfalls, Columbia River Gorge Falls, Fort Vancouver, Fruit Loop Tour if berry season, Lucia Falls, Moulton Falls

Oregon Coast – Haystack Rock, Bandon and Brookings.

Mt St Helens, Ape Caves at Mt St Helens

Other ideas - Circle of Discovery - Redwood National and State Parks (U.S. National Park Service)

2 Arizona Itineraries from Phoenix

Phoenix & North

• Papago Park - hike, Hole in the Rock
• Cleveland Guardians spring training game
• Apache Trail - rough drive.  Be sure to from west to east on the trail. That way you are on the inside of the road that has no guard rails and is almost one lane at times. 
• Organ Stop Pizza

Sedona

• Chapel of the Holy Cross
• Airport Vista – great for sunset
• Airport Summit View
• Fay Canyon
• Coffee Pot Rock hike

 

Flagstaff – good central location for Grand Canyon & Petrified Forest/Painted Desert

• Buffalo Park
• Lowell Observatory

Grand Canyon NP

• Overlooks
• South Kaibab Trail
• Desert View

 

Route 66 - Winslow

 

Petrified Forest NP

• Agate Bridge
• Blue Mesa
• Pueblo

 

Painted Desert NP

Overlooks

 

South of Phoenix - Tucson

Pinal Airpark – commercial airplane “boneyard”

Saguaro NP West Entrance - Bajada Loop Drive, Valley View overlook, Signal Hill Trail, Petroglyphs

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum – animals, botanicals

Saguaro NP East Entrance – drive & short hikes

Tanque Verde Falls Trail

Drive up Mt Lemmon – giant cookie

Garden of Gethsemane

Historical Tucson walking tour

Sentinel Peak – Hike to the A

San Xavier Del Bac Mission

Titan Mission Museum

Central California Itinerary

 

California Itinerary – we had a free National Park pass for having a 4^th grader

Day 1 – we were able to get a direct flight to San Francisco.  We picked up our rental car & drove to Point Reyes.  We walked Earthquake Trail, Chimney Rock, saw Elephant seals, & Cypress Tunnel.  We wanted to stop at Muir Woods but the parking lots required reservations & it was full.  On our way back to the city, we stopped for views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Day 2 – We spent the day in San Francisco.  We parked the car & explored the city starting at the ferry terminal & then Pier 39 to see the sea lions & Alcatraz.  We took a cable car ride. We ate lunch at The Codmother Fish & Chips and then walked to Fisherman’s Wharf.  We went to the National Park Museum and Maritime National Historic Park (using our park pass).  We walked through Ghirardelli store.  We hiked up to see Lombard Street & then Coit Tower.  We went to the Cable Car Museum & saw China Town.  We walked close to 11 miles.  After supper we went to Half Moon Bay to see where we got engaged.

Day 3 – Since we didn’t get to see the big trees at Muir Woods, we went to Big Basin Redwoods State Park.  We drove down Highway 1 and did the 17 mile drive at Pebble Beach.

Day 4 – We saw Monterey Harbor before heading to Pinnacles National Park.  We did the Bear Gulch Hike and hike to Condor Gulch Overlook .

Day 5 – Drove to Yosemite – stopped at the overlook, Bridal Veil Falls, Upper Yosemite Falls, hiked to Vernal Falls, hiked around Mirror Lake (water was so high over the trail, we ended up walking through it to get to the other side), stopped to see Upper & Lower Yosemite Falls.  Over 12 miles hiking.  Only the valley area was open.  We drove to Fresno.

Day 6 – We went to Kings Canyon National Park & saw General Grant tree.  We did the Hume Lake trail in Sequoia National Forest.  We went to Sequoia National Park & saw General Sherman tree.  We were there in April so a lot of the park was still closed.

Day 7 We flew home from Fresno

New York Finger Lakes Area Itinerary

 

I think this trip is when I developed the love of waterfalls

Finger Lake Area

Day One Letchworth State Park – Lower Falls, Inspiration Point, Upper Falls, Middle Falls, Wolf Creek

Day Two – Taughannock Falls, Ithaca Falls, Hike toCascadilla Falls – 9 falls ending at Cornell University, Cornell Lab of Ornithology to see birds, Buttermilk Falls, Robert H Treman State Park Lower Falls, Lucifer Falls.

Day Three – Watkins Glen State Park, Hector Falls, ExcelsiorGlen, Seneca Lake, Aunt Sarah Falls, Shequaga Falls, Deckertown Falls, Havana Glen– Eagle Cliff Falls, Town of Cornell

Day Four – Jamestown NY – home of Lucille Ball – museum, burial, & murals around town.

Rapid City and South Dakota 3 Day Itinerary

 

South Dakota

We flew into Rapid City on a Wed night.

Thursday – Mount Rushmore National Memorial ($10 to park).  Make sure you walk The Presidential Trail.  I recommend doing it clockwise.  Check out the tunnel views back at the memorial.  We drove to Custer State Park ($10 for a day pass).  We saw lots of animals on the drive.      We did a little detour to Wind Cave National Park and did Rankin Ridge hike.  The caves were closed to tours at the time.  The Needle’s Eye Tunnel & Needles Highway are beautiful.  We hiked around Sylvan Lake.  We went back to the Memorial to see it lite up at night.  In the summer they do a program, but we were there in October.

Friday – Spearfish Falls.  Roughlock Falls.  Devil’s Bathtub.  Bridal Veil Falls.  Belle Fourche & the geographic center of the US.  In Rapid City they have statues of presidents through Obama.  It was fun to walk around & see them.

Saturday – Badlands – Window & Door Trail, Saddleback Pass, and Overlooks.  It was cold & snowy when we were there so we didn’t do the longer hikes.  Wall Drug is a fun stop on the way back to Rapid City

Utah Itineraries - 4 of the Mighty 5 National Parks & a few state parks

 

For Bryce & Zion we flew in and out of Las Vegas.

Day 1 Red Rock Canyon

Day 2 Valley of Fire - Atlatl Rock, Arch Rock, Balancing Rock at Visitor Center, Rainbow Vista, Fire Canyon Overlook, White Domes Loop, Seven Wonders (favorite), Fire Wave, Pink/Pastel canyon, Elephant Rock

Day 3 Hoover Dam - park on Arizona side for free

Ethel M Chocolate - free sample, cactus garden

Strip

Day 4 Drive to St George 

Snow Canyon - Johnson Canyon, Jenny Canyon, Hidden Pinyon, lava flow, Whiterocks Amphitheatre (great at sunset)

Day 5 Zion - Riverside walk, Kayenta to Emerald Pools (3 waterfalls - upper, middle, & low) to Sand Bench  trail, court of patriarchs ( we stayed that night at Panguitch)

Day 6 Bryce - Queen's Garden to Navajo Loop, Agua Canyon, Ponderosa Canyon, Natural Bridge, Bryce Point, Inspiration Point.  All overlooks are good.  Cedar Breaks, 

Day 7 Kolob Canyon

For Arches & Canyonland we flew in & out of Durango.  We stayed at Monticello - much cheaper than Moab when we were there.

Day 1 Stopped at Mesa Verde on the way to Monticello

Day 2 Arches - Landscape Arch, Partition Arch, Double O Arch, Private Arch, Sand Dune Arch, Broken Arch, Delicate Arch, Windows Section & Turret Arch, Double Arch

Day 3 Dead Horse Point State Park, Canyonland - Mesa Arch, Upheaval Dome, Green River Overlook, Buck Canyon Overlook, Grand View Point Overlook, Aztec Butte

Day 4 Canyonlands - the Needles - Elephant Hill, Big Spring Canyon, Pothole Point, Cave Spring

Day 5 Natural Bridges - Kachina Bridge, Sipapu Bridge, Owachomo Bridge, Muley Point, Moki Dugway, Valley of gods, Goosenecks State Park, Mexican Hat

Day 6 - Bluff Fort, 4 Corners, Cortez Colorado - unique sculpture garden

Iceland Itinerary

 

Iceland – 4 hours ahead of Ohio, Watch speed cameras, safetravel.is

Parking On Air Globe Airport Parking PIT parking

Icelandair

Firefly rental care - If you book via www.firefly.is you will have CDW included.  Additional driver is ISK 1050 per day or max ISK 8050 per rental.

Tuesday

Flew PIT-KEF at 8:30 pm Tues evening and arrived at 6:00 am. 

Wednesday -14,520 steps

rental car from Firefly (Hertz).  We got a 4x4 standard Dacia Duster. 

Seltun for a thermal area.

P2 area nearby to see the 2021 eruption area of Hagafell volcano. 1000 ISK.  Longer hikes to see more recent areas.

Reykjavik- Hallgrimskirkja – church.  It was free to go inside but cost to go to the top of the tower. 

Porufoss and a gravel road to Pokafoss. 

Laxafoss. Fossarett waterfall, and Fossardalur waterfall trail. 

Prandastadir, Skorhagafoss and another on the way to Sandsfoss.

Stayed outside of Mosfellsbaer

 Thursday – 10,341 steps

Roadside waterfalls

Borgarnes lunch from Bonus store.  

Snaefellsnes Peninsula – Snaefellsjokull National Park 

Selvallafoss – short hike from pull off

Grundafjordur church Kirkjufellsfossar.

Grundafoss

Kirkjufellsfoss (1000 ISK to park) Too cloudy to see Kirkjufell. 

Svodufoss near Rif

Skardsvik beach 

Saxholl Crater 360 stairs

Djupalonssandur – shipwreck, cool rocks & pebble beach 

Londrangar from road. 

Artnastapi Cliff viewpoint – missed the arch

Bjarnarfoss & Kalfarfoss from the road.

Borgarnes for pizza.  Lunch at Bonus for next day.

Stayed near Borgarnes

 

Friday – 11,433 steps

Hruanfossarand Barnafoss.  It was a little out of the way but very good falls. 

Glanni waterfall at a golf course.  Cost 1000 ISK. 

Hvammstangi - tried to see seals but there weren’t any. 

Kolugljufur canyon & waterfall. 

Reykjafoss, saw hot springs but didn’t go in.  1000 ISK cash to park. 

Akureyri, got lunch for the next day and fish & chips to heat up. 

Stayed in RV in Svalbaroseyri

 

Saturday – 19,075 steps

Hverir,thermal area. (1200 ISK) near Lake Myvatn. 

2.5 mile hike around Leirhnukur volcano area 

Krafla Crater

Grjotagja cave

Hverfjall volcano – hike to top (1000 ISK) 

Dimmuborgir lava field 

Drove around Lake Myvatn 

Godafoss – both sides

Stayed in RV in Svalbaroseyri

 

Sunday – 15,070 steps

Rough road to Hrafnabjargafoss & Aldeyjarfoss.  90 km off of the ring road.  We had to open & close 2 sheep goats.  Beautiful falls. 

Jokulsargljufur for some cool rock formations & a canyon and waterfall.  

Dettifoss & Selfoss.  Recommend Selfoss first so you aren’t so wet for pictures. 

Airbnb in Vopnafjordur – out of the way but couldn’t find anything reasonable

Monday – 11,182 steps

Rijukandi waterfall along the road, along with some other roadside falls. 

groceries in Egilsstadir. 

Hengifoss - hike, over 800 feet of elevation. 

gravel road through very scenic mountain pass. Faster than the Ring Road.  Lots of waterfalls to see

Ate in Hofn

Stayed in Hali – couldn’t find anything reasonable in Hofn

 

 Tuesday – 20,552 steps

Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon & Diamond Beach – 1000 ISK. 

Svinafellsjokull glacier – easy hike to view it up close

Svartifoss & saw Hundafoss along the way (500 ISK). Short but steep.  Viewpoint too cloudy. 

Stjornarfoss near town.  

Systrafoss and hiked to the top to see Systravn (not worth the hike to the top). 

Fjadrorglijufur and saw Mogafoss.  park close for free if you have 4x4 – rough road

Vikurfjara beach, not much to see.

Dyrholaey - saw puffins & arch rocks

Stayed in Hvolsvollur

Wednesday – 16,125 steps

Skogafoss.  planned to do a 10 mile, 25 waterfall hike but it was raining too much & too cloudy, so we only Skogafoss, Hestavadsfoss, Fosstorfufoss, Steinbogafoss, plus unnamed ones before turning back. 

Seljalandsfoss (900 ISK).  We walked to the falls & behind it.  Saw smaller ones & Gljufrabul.

Hvolsvollur for gas & groceries. 

Urridafoss

Gullfoss, massive waterfall 

Geysir & saw Strokkur erupt

Airbnb in Reykholt 

 

Thursday – 15,713 steps

Rough road to Bruarfoss (1000 ISK).  2 mile hike to see Midfoss & Hjauptungurfoss too. 

ThingvellirNational Park (1000 ISK) - tectonic plates, Logberg (law rock), & church, Oxarafoss.

Kerid Crater & down to the lake (600 ISK per person).

Eyrarbakki & Stokkseyri – heard they were cute fishing towns but didn’t see much. 

Airbnb near Selfoss.  We picked up Domino’s & groceries. 

 

Friday – 10,402 steps

Reykjavik - Ellidaardalur park to see Kermoafoss. 

Downtown to do some shopping & lunch. 

Airport, returned the car, & flew back to Pittsburgh at 4:55 pm.

 Drove 3065 km

Alaska Land Tour Itinerary

 I'm not a travel agent but I enjoy planning trips.  Here's our itinerary from our almost 2 weeks in Alaska

7/26 CLE-DFW-ANC 6,533 steps

7/26-28 ANC Comfort Suites Airport

7/27 – 19,841 steps

8am Budget Rental Car - Anchorage

Flattop Trail 3 mi RT, 1500 ft gain, back side better – Sunnyside trail $5 parking – saw top of Denali

Earthquake Park

Point Woronzof – watch planes, beach

Ship Creek Overlook – salmon

King’s Landing – Ulu factory (Knives)

Moose’s Tooth Pizza for supper

7/28 - 14,932 steps

Potter Marsh – Mile 117 S Hwy

Beluga Point S 110.3 – Bird Point S 96.5 - views

Wildlife Conservation Area 9-7 14/18

Seward HWY to Turnagain Arm mile 48

Kenai River fish walk .25 mi by VC Soldotna

Tern Lake – junction of Seward/Sterling Hwys - swans

Anchor Point Beach, Western sign – saw an eagle

Anchor Point 36037 Old Sterling Hwy #3– tiny house

7/29 - 18,867 steps

Anchor Point Beach, Western sign – saw an eagle

Homer - Overlook Mile 170 – Homer sign

Homer Spit - Salty Dog Saloon, Halibut Hook, Tidepooling – saw starfish

Bishop Beach – Diamond Creek Trail

Lunch – Thai Cosmic Kitchen

Ninilchik Russian Orthodox church

Russian River falls – salmon $11 parking

7/29- 8/1 Cooper Landing 16938 Sterling Hwy – tiny house; separate toilet & shower

7/30 - 20,912 steps

Juneau Falls via Bear Creek on Slaughter Ridge Rd

Exit Glacier – 20 min drive Glacier view 1 mi onto Overlook hike 1 mi

Two Brothers for supper – giant nachos - enough to feed 3+ people

7/31 - 6,764 steps

Major Marine Tour check in 8:30, 9:30 – saw 3 types of whales, porpoises, puffins, seals, sea lions, otters, 2 glaciers calving.  Discount tickets from TourSaver

Breeze Inn for supper

2 lake trail & a waterfalls – 1 mile

8/1 – 2,413 steps

Tried to go to Byron glacier but cold & rainy. Saw an eagle on the way to VC

Car had issues so had to go to airport to switch cars

Palmer 11980 Shooting Star Circle RV

8/2 – 11,042 steps

Independence Mine Park – 9-6 $5 to park

April Bowl hike at Hatcher pass – too foggy to all of it

South View Denali Mile 135, North view closed

Denali State Park Moose Flats Loop trail .75 mi K’esugi Ken

8/2-4 Cantwell Jack River Canyon Rd Yurt – outhouse, no shower

8/3 4,670 steps

Denali NP 9:30 Shuttle non-narrated – 2 grizzly bears, Dall sheep, moose, 4 caribou

Movies in Visitor Center

4:00 Sled puppy show at park headquarters

8/4 – 9,030 steps

Drove to Mile 15 in NP, did Savage River loop 2 mi

Saw a porcupine on the way out

Nenana – free RR museum – not worth the stop

Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitor Center, Antler arch by the center

North Pole 1997 W Athena Circle RV

8/5 – 3,751 steps

Beaver Slough trail – started but too wet

Santa Claus house & reindeer – wasn’t open yet

Alaska pipeline view – V 243.5

Wrangell-St Elias Copper Landing VC – sign but park was closed

Tok Cutoff overlook

Gakona 0.1 Tok Cutoff First Driveway South Log cabin. Saw black bear by the cabin in the morning

8/6 – 4,898 steps

Wrangell-St Elias Copper Landing VC – bluff trail

Drove to Valdez – raining but saw Worthington Glacier, Bridal Veil falls, Horsetail falls, other falls

Solomon Gulch Fish Hatchery – salmon, seagulls, sea lions, waterfall

Lunch – The Potato

Matanuska Glacier – view A 101.5, 99.3

Palmer 11980 Shooting Star Circle RV

8/7- 11,933 steps

Thunderbird falls - $5 parking

Barbara/Southfork Falls 10-15 min walk, .9 mi

Eagle River Nature Center – Rodak Nature trail

McHugh Creek waterfall

ANC Comfort Suites Airport

8/8 ANC-ORD-CLE 

Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Washington Road Trip Itinerary

 

Flew CLE-DFW-BOI Twin Falls 9,074 steps

Drove to Twin Falls

Thousand Spring State Park – Malad Gorge, Niagara Springs

Perrine Bridge

Shoshone Falls

 Twin Falls 13,399 steps

Sawtooth National Forest – Ross Falls, TeePee Rocks- awful dirt road

Caldron Linn

Shoshone Falls & Dierkes Lake

Centennial Park – falls, Perrine-Coulee Falls

 Driggs 10,639 steps

Perrine-Coulee Falls

Craters of the Moon – Devils Orchard, Inferno Cone – hiked up, Spatter Cones, Snow Cones, Big Craters, Broken Tops

Grand Teton – Mormon Row, Moulton Barn, Overlooks, Oxbow Bend, Cascade Canyon

 Driggs 26.859 steps

Grand Teton

Jenny Lake to Hidden Falls & Inspiration Point – saw a moose

Signal Mountain – elk

Swan Lake to Heron Pond

Float trip – 4 eagles, 2 beavers, ducks, geese, heron

 West Yellowstone (White Buffalo) 11,258 steps

Mesa Falls lower, upper, hike to lower falls

Yellowstone – Old Faithful, Firehole Lake Dr – Great Fountain Geyser – elk, bison crossing the bridge in front of us

West Yellowstone - 32,098 steps

Yellowstone

Firehole Canyon & waterfall

Grand Prismatic boardwalk

Biscuit Basin – hike to Mystic Falls & Overlook

Old Faithful boardwalk trails, Geyser hill

West Thumb Geyser Basin – boardwalk

Kepler Cascade

Black Sand Basin

Grand Prismatic Overlook

West Yellowstone 19,614 steps

Yellowstone

Gibbon Falls

Artist Paint Pots

Virginia Cascade – fox

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – North Rim - Lower Falls, Inspiration Point, Upper Falls, Crystal Falls, South Rim – Artist Point

Hayden Valley – 150+ bison

Sulfur Caldron, Mud Volcano

Lee Hardy Rapids

West Yellowstone 12,624 steps

Yellowstone NP

Lamar Valley – 1000’s bison, 1 coyote, 5 pronghorn

Trout Lake

Petrified tree

Wraith Falls

Undine Falls

Roosevelt Arch

Mammoth Hot Springs – 50 elk

Missoula 7,006 steps

Ousel Falls – Big Sky

Kalispell 15,367 steps

Glacier NP - Going to the Sun Road

Waterfall hike – Baring Falls, St Mary Falls, Virginia Falls - deer

Jackson Glacier overlook

Lunch Creek – 4 bighorn sheep

Kalispell 14,285 steps

Glacier NP

Logan Pass – Hidden Lake hike – 10 mountain goats – 7 right in front of us, marmots

Lunch Creek – Bighorn sheep right in front of us, hike to falls

Bird Woman Falls overlook

Heaven’s Peak

Trail of the Cedar – Avalanche Creek

Sacred Dancing Cascade

McDonald Falls

Yakima 6,187 steps

Spokane Falls

Olympia 17.277 steps

Mt Rainier NP

Sunrise Nature trail & Emmons Vista

Silver Falls

Cougar Falls

Box Canyon

Ruby Falls

Reflection Lake

Paradise– Nisqually Vista, Myrtle Falls

Narada Falls

Christine Falls

Forks 14,590 steps

Olympic NP

Hurricane Ridge – Sunrise Point

Madison Falls

Marymere Falls

Lake Crescent

Salmon Cascade

Sol Duc Falls

 Portland 13,671 steps

Olympic

Rialto Beach

Hoh Rainforest – Spruce Nature Trail, Hall of Mosses

Ruby Beach

Home 4,539

Fly PDX – DFW-CLE

3404 miles driving

4930 miles flying

228,487 steps

2085 pictures

33 named falls

New York City Highlights & One Day Itinerary

 Last week I joined Keith in NYC for an overnight there.  I had the morning on my own & then the evening with Keith.  My phone said I walked 13.7 miles

 I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge

 City Hall Park

 Staten Island Ferry - A great free way to see the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island

 Ellis Island

 9/11 Memorial area

 Washington Square Park

 Chrysler Building

 St Patrick's

 Rockefeller Center

 Carnegie Hall

 Central Park

 Times Square

 Grand Central Station

One Day in New York City

I took the bus & metro from the Airport to Brooklyn Bridge.  I walked acrossed the Brooklyn Bridge.  Then I walked down to the Staten Island ferry, by City Hall.  I took the free ferry by the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island and then the return trip back.  My husband's hotel was near Grand Central Station.   I started walking there by the Stock Exchange, 9/11 Memorial, St Paul's Chapel, Washington Square Park, Union Square to Grand Central Station.  After meeting my husband we went to St Patrick's Cathedral, by Rockefeller Center, Carnegie Hall, Central Park to Times Square.