Oregon's Highway 101. Headlights weave a path along Highway 101 south of Gold Beach, Oregon,
in this time exposure. The historic highway was commissioned in the 1920s and runs along the coasts
of Washington, Oregon, and California.
Santa Ynez Valley. A path winds through a vineyard in California's Santa Ynez Valley. The Santa
Ynez Mountains parallel the Pacific Ocean coastline, a long stretch of rugged cliffs, windswept beaches,
and sometimes lonesome beauty.
Sands Beach on Gaviota Coast. Five friends ride horseback along Sands Beach in Santa Barbara,
California. Santa Barbara beaches, most of which face south and not west, are part of the 18,000
acres (7,000 hectares) of park space created by the city.
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The Giant Dipper roller coaster is the star of the show at California's
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. This classic wooden thrill ride, a designated National Historic Landmark,
was built in 1924, making it the sixth oldest continuously operating roller coaster in the United States.
Surfers in Bolinas, California. On a quiet beach near Bolinas, California, a group of beginning surfers
enters the water. Marin County, just north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge, is surrounded
by water on three sides, allowing for a variety of beaches, tidal pools, and lagoons.
Cape Arago State Park Shore. Pieces of driftwood lie washed up on the sandy beaches of Cape
Arago State Park in Oregon. Cape Arago, which juts out into the Pacific Ocean, was first sighted by
one of Sir Francis Drake's expeditions in the late 1500s.
Olympic Mountains, Washington. A heavy fog fills a valley in the Olympic Mountains of Washington
State. Created from ancient seafloor, the mountains are not very high—Mount Olympus is only 8,000
feet (2,400 meters) above sea level—but they include more than 200 glaciers.
Coastline Near Crescent City, California. An aerial view of the Pacific shoreline shows the majesty
of the cliffs near Crescent City, which is also home to the famous redwoods of northern California.
