After spending months cooped up at home, we find our thoughts drifting to enjoying the freedom of travel again. Home used to be a place of respite, our own comfortable nest to come back to at the end of a hard day. Now, with the pandemic, our house or apartment has become a very crowded space. Many offices have closed and workers have had to set up a desk in a corner at home or commandeer the kitchen table for the job-related tasks they have to do. On top of that, our house has become a school classroom too as kids transitioned to the tedium of learning via Zoom.
While there are many great destinations across the land, you’ll want to look for more remote places if you want to stay away from lots of people when you travel now. One of the most beautiful areas that offer picturesque towns far away from the maddening crowd is the Pacific Coast regions of northern California and Oregon. There are lots of small oceanside villages that can accommodate visitors and give them plenty of space to stay safe. You can easily set up a custom itinerary that lets you visit several of these beautiful towns.
Saving Money to Pay for Your Travel Dreams
One of the best ways to be able to afford travel to exciting destinations is to trim your monthly expenses. By doing a careful review of each and every expenditure, you’ll be able to find costs that you can reduce if you think creatively. When you reduce these monthly expenses, you’ll find you can pay your debts faster and can put aside money for travel too.
If you are a recent college graduate it’s likely that you have substantial student debt. Rather than making payments on your existing high-interest student loans, you should consider refinancing at today’s lower rates. You’ll be able to work with a private lender to get the payment flexibility you need. When you refinance, your lender can consolidate your existing notes so that you can make one, easy payment each month.
Exploring California’s Coastal Towns
If you want to get away from the hustle-bustle of the cities and head for wide-open spaces and scenic coastal shores, start your journey in Jenner, California. From there you’ll head up the coast on Highway 1. Mile after mile, you’ll watch the ribbon of the highway follow the cliffs far above the sea. Every turn will reveal stunning vistas that will leave you in awe.
While there are many villages to choose from, two stand out from the rest. First is the seaside enclave of Gualala, where you’ll be able to rent a wonderful hotel room with a jacuzzi tub for two and a private deck or balcony. Time seems to stand still in Gualala, and you’ll be able to explore the beaches by day and return to soak the night away. You’ll come to another gem as you head north along Highway 1. Mendocino, a picture-postcard town, is a beautiful artist village set along the coastal bluffs. Be sure to grab a glass of wine and enjoy the magnificent Pacific sunset there.
Enjoying the Wild Oregon Coast
Travelers who love magnificent forests, rocky shores, and the wild ocean have been coming to the Oregon Coast for years. As you journey up the coast, you’ll see pristine beaches nestled against Pacific Northwest forests that kiss the shore. Huge rocks, or haystacks, often pierce the ocean waves like sentinels from another world and time. From Brookings at the south end of the state to Astoria up north, you’ll find many picturesque seaside hamlets along the way.
In Brookings, you’ll find great places to stay or to camp. There is also a redwood forest there, the furthest north you can see redwoods in the United States. As you continue north, you’ll drive through dense forests and come to a new coastal town about every 30 minutes or so. One of the highlights of the Oregon coast is Cannon Beach. The beaches are truly mystical here, and you’ll be mesmerized by the sight of world-famous Haystack Rock towering skyward above the sea. There are many great places to stay and wonderful restaurants if you want to get take out and enjoy a picnic on the beach.
