saskhab wrote:
The above trip won't happen as planned, definitely no Bay Area excursions. Maybe I'll be going to some coastal places in Oregon, I don't know. It'll be a smaller trip, that's all I know. Anyways, that's not what's on my mind anymore.
I've started telling people face to face my idea of doing a working holiday in Melbourne next year if things don't pick up for me career wise. My sort of roommate (living with his girlfriend now mostly, still paying rent so bonus) mentioned he and his lady are taking scuba classes for a trip to Hawaii in October, so I think I'll take them as well.
I'm kind of have a "fuck, why not?" look on life and am starting to plan for this. I'm going to put a couple grand aside immediately and see where I'll be by the fall. If I'm working two jobs all summer, that's what I'll do.
Time to get moving.
I've done the Oregon coast trip. I've probably covered more of North America on land than 99% of the population and this would probably be my favorite stretch of highway. Absolutely spectacular. If you are short on time though consider going to Astoria Ore. Great turn of the century architecture built from shipping money. Nice touristy waterfront and definitely spend a couple hours at the Coast Guard museum. The Columbia river pounds into the face of the Pacific creating the worlds most dangerous tidal waters. Fascinating history. Going south check out the Dunes for sure and seal park mating sanctuary.
If you're short on time then consider heading north up the Wash coast. The road doesn't stick to the coast like Oregon does but it intersects at some amazing beaches all the way up. If you do go this way consider heading north to Bellingham and taking the North Cascades highway back through Wash, another beautiful drive and from there you can veer up into the Okanogan in BC and take 3 highway back or go straight through to Spokane and then jog up to Calgary.
And if you do pick up your diving ticket, you may just want to head to BC, Vancouver island has the best cold water diving in the world and according to Jacques Cousteau is second overall only to the Red Sea.