Suggestions along I-5 between LA and northern border

I'm delivering a car to Portland this weekend, was going to stop at Crater Lake, but the weather there is snowy and I am not going to have the proper car or chains.

So if you were driving up north, and had one day (one afternoon and morning) to shoot somewhere, not far from the interstate (100 miles or so), where would you stop? I could take alternate routes, including 99 or possibly 395, but the latter would cause me some concern getting back over the Sierras to finish going north.

I'm going to post this in the PNW forum too, to get Oregon people's suggestions.

Thanks!

Rodney
http://www.naturalimages.com

Rodney, for me a no brainer, 395 to Reno. I do share your concerns on the snow in the passes though, but 395 usually stays open unless there is a major storm.

Oh Man,

You have So many great choices it is hard to narrow it down. And the fact that you are covering all of Oregon as well the list could be endless. I spent two weeks last Spring driving the Oregon Coast and it was one of the best trips I have taken.

So if I were taking this trip it would be a tough choice. Here are just few that would be high on my list:
* New wildflowers reported off HWY 99 near Kern River Canyon. See : http://www.calphoto.com/wflower.htm
* Poppies recently seen blooming between Mariposa and El Portal off the 140.

You didn't say where you live. So I have to guess CA. If that is correct I would really concentrate on Oregon (sorry Californians ). You can always shoot stuff closer to home later.

From Grants Pass head to the coast for the best stretch IMO from Brookings to Bandon. Then if there is any time left while on the way to Portland go to Silver Falls SP just east of Salem. That is one of my favorite waterfall areas. But of course there is the Gorge as well!

If you want to see my Oregon shots from last year which includes these spots and more you can check them out here. It was so beautiful I almost moved there! http://landandseaphoto.smugmug.com/gallery/5013181_7nmjX#300763699_wdT4n

Have fun and post some pics upon your return.

Derek

Thanks for the suggestions. I wish I had more time, but I just don't. I have a flight home my third night, so I have one full day to get to a cool location, the next day to shoot, and the third day to hurry and get to Portland.

Paul, I love the eastern Sierra, I usually visit Mono Lake, so I would probably stop in Lee Vining, then I would have a long haul on my last day from there to Portland, have to think about this.

The Carrizo Plain National Monument is just off the 5 after you pass the Cajon Pass. It's not on the icon list but I find it to fantastic and good reasoning for it being a monument. Just watch out for the mud! It might be full of early blooming wildflowers. If you do head out that way gas and food are a must before hand.

395 is an attractive alternative if you check the weather and are sure you can get back over to 5 to finish up the drive. I5 goes right past Shasta (well, pretty much) so you can try and time that stretch with some nice light. Mossbrae Falls in Dunsmuir is also a beautiful location and very close to the interstate. If you are into wildlife photography there are quite a few Wildlife Reserves along the way (Merced, San Luis, etc..). Carrizo Plain is a very intriguing location but I presume too early for wildflowers which is one of the main attractions to the area. Lassen is a teeny bit off track but just another option to consider (of course roads could be a concern this time of year).

Thanks again for all the suggestions. I ended up taking I-5 as far north as Williams, CA, then headed west all the way to Ft Bragg, then north along HWY 1 and 101. The winds were so strong at Ft Bragg that I could barely stand, and my lens was coated with spray after one or two shots. It was basically impossible to frame anything or do any meaningful coast shooting.

Then I spent the better part of day two in Humboldt Redwoods Park. Those trees are amazing, but a challenge to photograph. Then I traveled north to Florence, OR, where I turned east again to return to I-5 in Eugene.

I then stopped for a short shoot in Silver Falls state park near Salem. there was a lot of fresh snow, and I was limited on time, so I got some shots of the falls and finished my trip and flew home.

I'll work on a few shots and post them when I get a chance.