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June 13, 2008
On the road to Las Vegas
Gas may be expensive, but driving's cheaper than flying.
STEPHANIE RAMSAY
Although there is no better way to celebrate the summer than vacationing with family and friends, planning a holiday can be a daunting experience. Regardless of the destination, accommodating different people's schedules, interests and budgets is never an easy feat.
The challenge of planning a vacation is even more formidable when your holiday is a two-week, multi-city road trip down the Oregon and Pacific coasts of the United States. However, when my sister called me last month and proposed the trip, I didn't hesitate to jump on board. Although not quite sure what I was getting myself into, it seemed like the perfect way to end the summer; not only would I get to travel and spend time with my sister, but I would also get to unwind before starting law school in the fall.
To begin, I jumped on the web and Googled "Oregon Coast road trip." My quick search not only yielded personal accounts of road trips down the coast, complete with helpful advice and color photos, Google also led me to www.traveloregon.com, the official online guide for planning a vacation in Oregon.
If the prospect of taking two weeks off work wasn't enough to sell me on this trip, the stunning pictures from the Travel Oregon website certainly did the trick. With a diverse terrain that ranges from evergreen forests to pristine beaches to rocky cliffs (and even sand dunes!), the Oregon coast suddenly seemed like the perfect vacation spot.
With Los Angeles in mind as our southernmost destination, I planned our route down the expansive and beautiful west coast of the United States. With the help of Travel Oregon's website, I researched the many attractions that the state has to offer, which are as thrilling and diverse as its terrain. With plenty of national parks, beaches and unique attractions like the renowned Sea Lion caves, it was immediately apparent that my sister and I would not be short of things to do when not driving.
After noticing that many of Oregon's main attractions were located in or around the cities of Astoria, Newport and Florence, I created a route that included overnight stops in each city.
Looking southward, I also considered our time in California, with my focus shifting from Oregon's array of outdoorsy activities to the wide range of cultural attractions in San Francisco and Los Angeles. As both cities boast emerging contemporary art scenes, it became increasingly clear that our road trip could include many indoor activities as well.
With planned visits to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Getty and the recently opened Broad Contemporary Art Museum, our anticipated journey includes ample opportunity to enrich both body and mind. And, for a first-timer like myself, no trip to Los Angeles would be complete without the requisite stops at the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Rodeo Drive.
After viewing photos of other people's trips down the coast, I saw that many vacationers also included a side trip to Las Vegas and quickly proposed the slight detour to my sister. Having been to Vegas before, she confirmed that it was indeed worth the extra time and, suddenly, our vacation included another state (and presumably, a lot more poolside sunbathing, not to mention a little gambling).
Although mapping out our coastal route was fairly straightforward, deciding on a way back home was more of a challenge. As we will be driving back to Canada from Vegas, deciding where to stop has been largely a question of driving distances, as opposed to tourist locales. However, we have decided to return to Vancouver via Reno – "the biggest little city in the world" and another gaming hotspot – and an undetermined location in Oregon, preferably with beautiful scenery and, even better, wine, to drink in.
As my sister and I are planning this trip from different cities (I am currently in Ottawa, while she is in Vancouver), the Internet has made both organization and communication a breeze. Not only can I research hotels online, but I can also send the promising links to my sister, who is quickly able to provide feedback and a few ideas of her own – since many Vancouverites have taken this trip before.
While our vacation is still several weeks away, my anticipation is undoubtedly mounting, as I scout out everything from accommodations to directions (courtesy of Google Maps) to audio books to keep us entertained along the way.
Planning a summer vacation may be a formidable task, but technology has made it easier and more exciting than ever before. I know that, by the time it rolls around, my Oregon coast road trip will be one sweet ride.
Quick Links
Travel Oregon: The Official Online Guide to Planning your Trip in Oregon
www.traveloregon.com
Historic Nye Beach (Newport, Ore.)
www.nyebeach.org
Sea Lion Caves (Florence, Ore.)
www.sealioncaves.com
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
www.sfmoma.org
The San Francisco Zoo
www.sfzoo.com
LACMA: Los Angeles County Museum of Art
www.lacma.org
The Broad Art Foundation
www.broadartfoundation.org
The Mirage Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas, Nev.)
www.mirage.com.
Stephanie Ramsay is a former writer and editor with the University of Western Ontario's Gazette. She starts Osgoode Hall Law School at York University in the fall.
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