My Coastal Road Trip with the Chevrolet Volt

Join me on an epic road trip through Washington, Oregon and California!
Disclosure: Chevrolet was kind enough to lend me a Volt to review for this post. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the content that keeps Jojotastic awesome.

By now, you all know I’m a bit of a wanderer, right? I’ve got a deep love for road trips and hours spent in the car discovering amazing, new-to-me things. And don’t even get me started on discovering new delicious things to eat. When a Seattle-based Chevrolet dealership reached out about lending me a car, I knew I needed to do something cool. After much brainstorming, a coastal road trip was it — down to San Francisco and back in a week, with lots of climbing, camping, mountains, and dunes along the way!

(This is gonna be a long one… so here goes.)

my coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotastic

All About Our Coastal Road Trip with the Chevrolet Volt

We had loads of cars from which to choose, but in the interest of making this adventure as fun as possible (and as economical), we went for the Volt. I’m not exactly a car savant or anything, but I watch my fair share of Top Gear to keep myself educated. Initially, my biggest concern with the Volt was that we were planning to drive over 2,000 miles. Did that mean we’d need to charge the battery constantly? Or pull over for gas even more? The answer was a resounding no. In fact, I was blown away by the efficiency of the Volt and it’s engine. I say this without hyberbole: we drove over 2,000 miles and only spent about $120 on gas. That’s it. Crazy, right??

my coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotastic my coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotastic

Now, onto our itinerary… the first stop was Smith Rock, aka a rock climber’s paradise. The temperatures got quite toasty during the day, but dropped significantly at night, so it was definitely the perfect time to get cozy in my tent and favorite sweatpants.

my coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotastic my coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotastic

The climbing was great, especially because it was my first time outdoors since my big injury this summer… it felt awesome.

my coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotastic my coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotastic

From there, we kept driving south a few hours to Crater Lake, my absolute favorite stop of the trip. These photos don’t do any justice whatsoever — the lake is absolutely gorgeous.

my coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotastic my coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotastic my coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotasticmy coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotastic

We camped at the smaller of the two campgrounds at the park and it was definitely worth it. We even got lucky and got the last spot! Because Crater Lake isn’t close to any major cities, the stars were completely visible and absolutely breathtaking. Plus, it was one of the few campgrounds that had lifted the burn ban, meaning that we could have a fire at our site! Talk about the perfect end to the day…

my coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotastic

After camping in Crater Lake for a night, we had our biggest day of driving yet: we were off to San Francisco!

my coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotasticmy coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotastic

When I’m back in SF (especially if it’s only for 48 hours), I have a few requirements: In and Out burger, hanging in a park with friends, and as many amazing meals as possible. This trip, my two favorite meals were brunch at Padrecito and dinner at Cockscomb.

my coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotastic

We got to San Francisco pretty late, but not too late for a few fun times with my good friends — I’ve missed them so much since moving back to Seattle. We all went to dinner and I even surprised my bestie. He had no idea I was there to visit. It felt incredible to spend time with my people… if that makes sense.

my coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotasticmy coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotastic my coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotastic

After less than 48 hours in SF, we had to head back north… on Highway 1! Instead of getting to the highway via a major artery, instead I navigated us to Lucas Valley Road, one that leads directly to Hog Island Oyster Co., my favorite of the local oyster spots. The road is windy, yet fun. Sunny, yet totally peaceful. Definitely worth the extra distance.

my coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotastic

For those not in the know, Highway 1 follows the coast line and allllll of it’s windy, exciting curves. We happened to catch a large portion of this iconic road during the golden hour and it was pure magic.

my coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotastic my coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotastic

At one point, we pulled over to watch the sunset and let Noodle run around naked on a beach. He was in heaven.

my coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotasticmy coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotastic

The Oregon Coast is misty and dramatic and beyond breathtaking.

my coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotasticmy coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotastic

Eventually, the 1 brought us back to the 101 and through the Avenue of the Giants — aka tons and tons of super-tall redwood trees. It was at this point that I really felt like we’d left the coast and were in the heart of the Pacific Northwest again. The air was damp and smelled of fresh dirt.

my coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotasticmy coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotastic

This leg of the trip was a bit too ambitious and we were stuck finding a campground in the dark. Let’s just say… it was not our best night’s sleep. We got rained on, the dog started barking at 4 am… it was damp and cold. As soon as we could, we packed up camp and headed north again to a very cool spot: the Oregon Dunes!

my coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotasticmy coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotastic

To say the Oregon Dunes were ‘awesome’ is an understatement… I’ve never seen anything like this in my life. And I didn’t even know that they existed prior to visiting! While there, we opted for a sandrail tour and it was so much fun.

my coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotastic

That night we stayed in a yurt at Honeyman State Park… my first yurt experience! By this point in the trip I was soooort of over sleeping in a tent in the rain, so we opted for the yurt and it was great. Super cozy… and a great way to wrap up our trip.

my coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotasticmy coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotasticmy coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotastic

This is the kind of trip that makes me want to hit the road and just keep going. This is the sort of thing that feeds my soul, my creativity… and I long to do more of it. The wheels (no pun intended) are already turning and I’ve got lots of trips in mind. Stay tuned for even more of my adventures… they’re gonna be good.

my coastal road trip with Chevrolet Volt // jojotastic.com @jojotastic

photography by Jojotastic and Sean McBride.

Behind The Blog

Joanna Hawley-McBride is a Pacific Northwest-based social media strategist, content creator, and former textile designer. Joanna is the founder and editor-in-chief of Jojotastic, a lifestyle blog focused on Joanna’s work-in-progress cabin, finding the best pair of underwear through #UnderwearThesis, and empowering women to explore nature — all in her signature unfiltered style. Her work has been featured in Domino, CNBC, and Eating Well.

Let's stay in touch:

Shop my picks on Amazon

Shop now

Please note that I use affiliate links at times here, as well as on my social media accounts. This means that if you click on a link to a product and purchase that product, I may receive a commission based on your purchase. I only feature products that truly inspire me. Any products that have been gifted to Jojotastic for review are noted at the bottom of the post. Sponsored posts are noted as such. All opinions are my own and always will be! Thanks for supporting content that keeps Jojotastic going.

Leave a Comment

6 Comments

  1. 12.12.16

    Excellent road trip! Great photos too. You’re seeing a truly great part of the country!

    • 12.13.16
      joanna said:

      Thank you! It was such a fantastic trip :)

  2. 9.28.15

    Great photos, gal. Crater Lake has been on my “to visit” list since reading “Wild” – I know, I know. But really, everything looks beautiful! Can’t wait to spend some quality time in the PNW at some point…it’s stunning!

    • 9.28.15
      joanna said:

      thanks so much lady! and don’t knock ‘wild’… i’m actually in the process of re-reading because of this trip! you absolutely MUST come visit soon.

  3. 9.28.15

    Sean McBride is a pretty great photographer. :)

    • 9.28.15
      joanna said:

      you’re a pretty great photographer.