The fresh breeze of ocean air is always a calling for us. We gravitate to the coast without even much thought. It is a refuge to escape the heat and the hustle and bustle of city life. We have been lucky enough to travel the entire West Coast. We have driven all the way down to the tip of Baja California Sur to Cabo and then back north to Port Angeles, Washington.
Mexico
Baja California and Baja California Sur, Mexico, in our opinion, are the best places for an RV winter escape. From the months of November to May the weather is a dream. If you far south first and then come slowly north you can catch a temperature of 75-80F during the day with endless sunshine throughout your whole trip. Down south in Baja, there are many amenities that are far cheaper than in the States. You can also boondock at secluded beaches, where you can have as much or as little contact with others as you’d like. There are tons of opportunities to meet other snowbirds escaping the cold and harsh winter. In Baja pretty much all the beaches are free to the public for access, and there are no restrictions on how long you can be there. We were in the same spot on the beach anywhere from 3-6 days, just parked in paradise as some would say, staying at a campsite until we ran out of resources.
We recommend Guerrero Negro for whale watching. San Ignacio is a cute little town with a beautiful church in the square and a daytime raccoon. San Felipe, Mulege, Loreto and Todos Santos are more of our favorite places to visit. We spent most of our time in Loreto and Todos Santos.
Southern California
As you head north of the coast, you’ll arrive in southern California. The beauty of southern California goes without saying. San Diego is a top destination year-round for food, RV parks, amusement, and nightlife.
Los Angeles
I would preferably skip all the hustle and bustle of LA in Santa Barbara and just go straight to Ventura. But if you do want to visit LA, our favorite park we would recommend is Griffith Park. We really enjoyed the tranquility and green scenery amidst the concrete jungle of metropolitan LA. The pier at the Santa Monica beach has so much to do. The amusement park and arcade run along the pier.
Don’t like the water that much? There are a ton of places to go on hikes around the greater Los Angeles area where you can get impeccable views of downtown LA or even the Pacific Ocean.
Northern California
San Francisco Bay Area
Northern California is quite a gym. It begins with the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. Sausalito might be the Bay Area’s best-kept secret. It is a cool town that is much warmer than its neighbor, the foggy San Francisco. I know many people have not traveled north of San Francisco but just when you thought you had enough of California, there’s still 5+ hours north of good ole California Redwood Highway via the 101.
Redwoods
The California Redwood trees are giants up in Humboldt County. Here you’ll find some of the oldest and most original trees in the history of the United States. We’d recommend a visit to Humboldt County Redwood State Park and Redwood National Park. One of Taylor’s favorite hikes is Fern Canyon, located in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.
Oregon
Oregon is by far in our top five favorite destinations. We really enjoyed ourselves in Oregon as it was simply beautiful all throughout the coast. Here we found some of the nicest locals we’ve ever met traveling on the road. Being that Oregon is a camp-friendly state, they were pretty accepting of campers. It made us feel really comfortable traveling, as people would greet us with a smile.
For about $32 you can get a discover pass which has exclusive access to some of Oregon’s (and Washington’s) hidden gems. Our favorite beach was Arcadia hands down. The views were something you would see in a movie. Ten minutes north and you find yourself at the iconic Cannon Beach, a touristy town located in northern Oregon. It has the most incredible Thai food along the coast and always hits the spot. The air doesn’t get better than the Oregon coast!
Washington
As we took the 101 up the coast into Washington, we were blessed with the opportunity to drive the van onto the beach. This is something we haven’t been able to do stateside. Long Beach, located in southern Washington, took us to a huge surprise – a road that led into a boardwalk that took you straight to the beach. There was parking available for over half a mile down the beach. We didn’t want to risk it so we parked near the first few cars we passed.
As you head north, you go into the Olympic National Forest, which is by far our favorite park in Washington. We were only supposed to spend one week and ended up turning into three weeks. In less than 30 minutes you pass by four different beaches. We really enjoyed ourselves at Ruby Beach. The fog is a lot thicker in Washington than in Oregon so being on the beach on a sunny day is the icing on top. If you’re a fan of Twilight then you’ll probably take a pit stop in the town of Forks, Washington!
I would advise you to check the weather ahead of time when visiting the Pacific Northwest. It can get extremely cold in the winter as well as the heat waves and wildfires in the summertime. We’re extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to explore the coast. If you have any questions or want details, message us on our website adventureallens.com or dm us on Instagram @adventureAllens. Don’t forget to Stay Trill and Chase Thrills!
