coast Archives - Unique America

Photo by Flickr/Kirt Edblom

Take This Scenic Side Trip Off The Oregon Coast Highway

By uniqueamerica on March 20, 2017 Oregon

Even if you’ve driven it before, the Oregon Coast Highway will surprise you time and time again with its natural beauty. The route passes by several parks where you can go hiking and camping, sandy beaches where you can stroll by the ocean and through charming small towns where there’s plenty to see and do. But on the central coast, between Depoe Bay and Otter Rock, there’s a short and sweet side trip you take just off the highway known as Otter Crest Loop for even more amazing views. The 4.2-mile detour first branches off Highway 101 south of Depoe…

Photo by Pete Lamotte on Flickr

This 12-Mile Stretch Of The Oregon Coast Has The Most Amazing Views

By uniqueamerica on March 15, 2017 Oregon

The entire Oregon coast is beautiful, but there’s something especially dreamy about the southern end – where the landscape becomes more rugged with steep cliffs, sea stacks, and forested headlands. A perfect example of this is Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor. This linear park stretches for twelve miles near Brookings, in-between Highway 101 and the Pacific Ocean, with several places to pull-off and walk down to get breathtaking views. Along the road, several lookouts are marked by signs and have pull-off areas where you can park for free and walk down. Some of the key spots include Arch Rock (near…

Photo by Wikipedia/King Of Hearts

A Sneak Peek Inside Hearst Castle On The California Coast

By uniqueamerica on February 20, 2017 California

Unless you already own a mansion, it’s not everyday you get to wander an elegant piece of architecture like Hearst Castle. The 56-bedroom estate sits on top of a hill just off the Pacific Coast Highway in San Simeon, and offers daily tours for visitors interested in a closer look. The castle was designed by Julia Morgan from 1919-1947, and built for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. After 28 years of total work the estate cost about $6.5 million to build and another $3.5 million for the artwork inside. After Hearst later died in 1951, the grounds became a state…

Photo by Flickr/Kārlis Dambrāns

This Wave Organ On The California Coast Makes Music From The Ocean

By uniqueamerica on February 15, 2017 California

Sitting out on a jetty in the San Francisco Bay, the Wave Organ is a unique sculpture that blends art, music and nature. The installation was built with 25 organ pipes – made of PVC and concrete – at various elevations, which become activated and make incredible sounds when the ocean waves come crashing in. The piece was built in 1986 as a collaboration between artist Peter Richards and sculptor and master stonemason George Gonzales. Inspiration came from the sounds produced by a vent pipe off a floating concrete dock in Sydney, Australia. It’s located out on a jetty that…

Photo by Pawel Grudysz/Flickr

The Wild Sea Lion Caves You Need To Experience On The Oregon Coast

By uniqueamerica on February 13, 2017 Oregon

Watching sea lions in their natural environment on the Oregon coast is just magical. You don’t only get to see them swimming in the ocean current and resting on top of rocks, but also watch as they interact with each other. About 11 miles north of Florence off Highway 101, the Sea Lion Caves are renowned as the largest sea caves in the country. It’s a decent walk about 37 steps down from the parking area to an elevator that will descend you into the caves. Once inside you can also take 63 steps in the cave to reach a…

Photo by Wayne Stadler/Flickr

The 5 Coolest Ghost Towns To Explore Outside Of L.A.

By uniqueamerica on February 10, 2017 California

Los Angeles is such a hectic city, it’s hard to imagine there would be any towns even close that are totally deserted. But still, there are some areas within a day’s drive that were once thriving and now just sit quiet and long abandoned. These ghost towns may not have residents anymore but they’ve still got many old buildings and relics that are fascinating to explore. 1. Pioneertown Only two hours east of L.A., just outside of Joshua Tree National Park, Pioneertown isn’t like any ghost town: it was originally built in the 1940s and had been used as the…

Photo by Albert Lam

This Mysterious Tower Has Been Hiding On The California Coast For Years

By uniqueamerica on February 7, 2017 California

Laguna Beach is famous for their sun-kissed, palm tree-lined coastline, but many people don’t know they’re also hiding a slice of Rapunzel. This castle-inspired structure – known as Pirate Tower (or La Tour in French) – stands about 60 feet tall on the base of a cliff overlooking the beautiful Victoria Beach. It was originally built in 1926 – around the same time as the house at the top of the bluff – and provided easy access to the beach down below. The home (known as the Norman House) and tower were both made for California State Senator William Brown and his…

via Google Maps

The Oregon Coast Road Trip You Need To Take This Spring

By uniqueamerica on February 1, 2017 Oregon

With spring around the corner there’s no better time than ever to drive up the Oregon coast. Highway 101 has seemingly endless places worth stopping for: sandy beaches, scenic viewpoints, state parks and charming seaside villages. And during the spring when the weather is just right, and the wildflowers are starting to bloom, the trip becomes an even more wonderful experience. We went ahead and mapped out some of the key stops you won’t want to miss – which you can get the directions here, and of course adjust to include any other places you’d like to see. Remember to…

via Flickr/Stanislav Sedov

8 Hidden Gems You Need To Experience Near Santa Cruz, California

By uniqueamerica on January 30, 2017 California

There’s always something to do around Santa Cruz. This California beach town has everything from an oceanside amusement park to the historic Santa Cruz Wharf. But as amazing as they are, sometimes it can be nice to venture from the crowds and check out the equally wonderful hidden gems in the area – like these eight underrated spots. 1. Shark Fin Cove, Davenport Shark Fin Cove has amazing views and photo opportunities, just off the Pacific Coast Highway south of Davenport. The cove features a small beach area that’s perfect for afternoon picnics and a huge rock off-shore that looks…

via Ian D Keating

These 8 California Beaches Are Even More Beautiful At Sunrise

By uniqueamerica on January 26, 2017 California

California is one of the most beautiful places to wake up. Every morning, when the sun rises and fills the sky with pink, orange and purple hues, our landscapes could not get any more gorgeous – especially out by the coastline. Throw in some palm trees, curious seagulls, ocean waves & surfers and the scene becomes even more lovely. These are just eight of the many beaches that are worth getting up early for to watch the sunrise. Our friends at California Beaches has helped us put together this list. 1. Huntington Beach Huntington City Beach is a place for…

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