Road trips from Southern California: Oregon
After spending most of the 20th century as a haven for hazelnut growers and turkey farmers, this territory now belongs to the Pinot grape and those who admire it.
(Shane Young / Associated Press)
Distance: 881 miles one-way. A geological phenomenon made Oregon’s central coast a paradise for sand sport enthusiasts, and that’s the reason an estimated 2 million people each year lug sandboards and transport ATVs, motorcycles, quads and dune buggies to these parts. The hub of this sand playground is Florence, once rated the nation’s top retirement town. Now the streets rumble with trucks, RVs and trailers loaded with knobby-tired motorcycles, ATVs and dune buggies, nearly all plastered with a bumper sticker that reads: “Got Sand?†Whether it’s on fat tires or waxed boards, sand is the attraction. And there’s tons of it here. --Hugo MartÃn (Michael G. Halle / For The Times)
