LA to Seattle driving

[Giantfan13]

I don't know if I'm in the right place for this. We are booked on the Pearl out of Seattle Aug 22, 2010. We are planning on flying into LA and then taking our time, and driving up to Seattle. We try and avoid any of the major Highways like the interstates. On looking at some maps, it looks as if Hwy 101 goes basically all the way. Is that a good way to go. We would love to drive the entire way along the coast.

 

anything special we should make a point of seeing along the way??

 

Thanks for any help, or advice, that can be offered.

 

Len

[Krazeniq]

Hi Len!

I live in Southern California and have made the beautiful drive to Northern California (not quite to Seattle lol) but I may be of a little help :rolleyes: If you want to drive along the coast I would recommend taking Hwy 1. It is not a 4 lane freeway, rather it is a 2 lane highway which literaly hugs the coast. It will take a bit longer to travel for that reason but if you have the time to spare and enjoy the coast I would highly recommend that route :). Start out on the 101 like you originally planned, once you hit the Ventura area the 101 turns into HWY 1 (Also known as the "Pacific Coast Highway" or "PCH") Once you hit a town called "Las Cruces" the 101 and the 1 will split. Personally I would stay on the 101 until you hit San Luis Obispo (because at this point neither of them will be along the coast but the 101 would save you quite some time because it is an interstate whereas the 1 just takes you through cities and can get a little confusing at times and can really suck up your time especially if there is traffic). Once you hit the Pismo Beach area the 101 will once again meet with the 1 and will continue to be merged until you hit San Luis Obispo (where they once again seperate) at this point jump onto HWY 1 and the rest of your drive will be along the coast (well 98% of it will be :p) As for points of interest I will link a few things for you that I have visited and truly enjoyed (I will list them in the order of which you will pass them as you make your way toward Seattle)

 

1. Solvang, California www.solvangusa.com/ Danish village, very charming. About 3 miles off the 101.

2. San Simeon, California www.hearstcastle.org/ absolutely amazing! It is right off HWY 1 in fact you can see it from the HWY.

3. Carmel-By-The-Sea www.carmelcalifornia.com/ http://ci.carmel.ca.us/carmel/index.cfm a beautiful city with a mile long pure white sandy beach, wonderful dining and shopping experiences, and art galleries in a story book setting.

4. 17 mile drive http://www.nileguide.com/destination/monterey-bay/things-to-do/17-mile-drive/375554 (this is a 17 mile drive along coastline on a toll road but it is so beautiful! It does cost about $9 to drive the toll road and it does take some time so be aware. This drive will drop you off in Monterey, which conviently takes me to #5

5. Monterey Bay, California http://www.monterey.com/ weither you choose to do the 17 mile drive or not you will still pass by Montery and it has a lot to offer, dining, shopping, beaches ...

*Cannery Row http://www.canneryrow.com/

*Monterey Bay Aquarium http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/

(the aquarium is located at the end of Cannery Row)

*Both Carmel or Monterey are very nice places to stay overnight! We stayed at a B&B in Monterey for a few days and fell in love with it and everything Montery has to offer!

6. Santa Cruz, California http://www.santacruzca.org/ has the famous boardwalk http://www.beachboardwalk.com/

7. San Jose, California has the famous Winchester Mystery House http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/ (this is a bit out of the way but if you have the time to spare it is pretty interesting. It can easily be "on the way" if you alter your route a little and take the 101 for a portion of your drive)

 

That is where my drive ended so I cannot vouch for anything beyond that. I can tell you though that at anytime you can switch from the 1 to the 101 or vise versa. Like if you are traveling on the 1 and start to feel time constraints just cross over to the 101, they run parallel most of the way and often merge together, eventually the 1 just becomes the 101 anyway (in "Leggett" California) which will take you all the way to Seattle, just an FYI ;) If you are looking for a faster way the 5 FWY will also take you to Seattle but it is not as beautiful of a drive, in fact I would only suggest it if you are on a time limit. I hope I have helped you, at least a little :o If you have any questions for me or about anything I have mentioned here please feel free to ask me anytime :D

[Giantfan13]

Krazeniq

 

Excellent. I cannot thank you enough. This is exactly what we are looking for, first hand knowledge. I do appreciate your time and help.

 

When I requested a 'trip pack' from my auto club, they had put me on Int 5, and I can see it travels all the way from point A to B, but that is not the way I want to go. We are from the East Coast, NY area, and when we travel, we like to see the country and not the interstate. I had requested a drive on the PCH, and I'm glad you were able to direct me to it.

 

A couple of questions. What type of road is 101. I saw you mentioned it as an interstate, but is that because it travels thru several states?? I think of an interstate as a 4 lane road, no stops and speed limits up to the max, with the only stops as rest stops or gas stations. On my map, 101 doesn't look like that sort of road. Is it 4 lane or two??

 

And if I do basically, as you described, about how long would that take, 2 days, 3, 4 or less??

[Krazeniq]

I have not taken the 101 past the San Jose, California Area but up until that point it is like an interstate (several lanes, not many stops, just when it merges with the 1 from time to time, and higher speed limits). Upon looking at google map it appears that it may change into a highway (just like the 1) as you make your way further North but I am not certain. My guess would be that once it migrates away from the city areas and onto the coastal areas (like at about the Eureka, California area) it will change from an interstate type road to a highway type road ... but again I'm just guessing, sorry I wish I had a more certain answer for you :rolleyes:. As far as how long it would take, it really depends on what you decide to stop and see during your travels, such as points of interest, turn outs, food and sleeping). An estimate, assuming your starting location would be LAX airport (according to google maps) it would take about 1 day and 8 hours but that is continuous driving and does not account for gas stops, food and/or bathroom breaks, points of interest, sleeping time, or "turn out" stops for views and photo ops. It really all depends on your preferences ... If you wish to drive straight through and only stop for food and gas then I'd estimate a day and a half, if you perfer to stop at night and sleep at a motel then wake up and continue on your way, then I'd say probably 2 or 3 days depending how many hours you decide to drive per day, and if you want to make stops at points of interest places along the way I'd say probably at least 4 days (maybe more depending where you choose to stop and how much time you plan to spend there). Does that make sense? I'm sorry I wish I could give you a more definitive answer but it all really just depends on what you want to do. There are always options though, if you want to make stops along the way at points of interest and sleep overnight but 4 days (or more) is too much for you, you can always alter your route to accommodate your needs, like rather then taking the 1 or 101 the entire way only take it part of the way and then cross over to the 5, which could probably shave off some of the time.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=LAX&daddr=US-101+N+to:US-101+N+to:CA-154+W%2FSan+Marcos+Pass+Rd+to:US-101+N+to:CA-1+N%2FCabrillo+Hwy+to:CA-1+N%2FCabrillo+Hwy+to:CA-1+N+to:CA-1+N+to:Crossover+Dr+to:US-101+N+to:CA-1+N%2FShoreline+Hwy+to:CA-1+N+to:CA-1+N%2FShoreline+Hwy+to:CA-1+N%2FShoreline+Hwy+to:CA-1+N%2FCoast+Hwy+to:CA-1+N%2FCoast+Hwy%2FShoreline+Hwy+to:CA-1+N%2FShoreline+Hwy+to:Oregon+Coast+Hwy%2FUS-101+N+to:Oregon+Coast+Hwy%2FUS-101+N+to:Oregon+Coast+Hwy%2FUS-101+N+to:Oregon+Coast+Hwy%2FUS-101+N+to:46.297611,-123.97522+to:Seattle,+washington&geocode=FezvBQIdVjrx-ClNpPu-ILHCgDEzG4k9ug9THQ%3BFQ7RCgIdEnXk-A%3BFVjQCgIdGXTk-A%3BFcTqDQIdOm7c-A%3BFYzRDgIdMOjV-A%3BFeAjHQIddCPK-A%3BFakAIAIdyHXG-A%3BFY5FNAId4FC4-A%3BFcS5NAIdfH63-A%3BFYpWQAIdjB2z-A%3BFWT0QAIdWCSz-A%3BFWALQgId0vKw-A%3BFWtaQgIdEo6w-A%3BFfofQwIdkomv-A%3BFUhPQwIdRmKv-A%3BFdwoSQIdsEiq-A%3BFXb2TwId1oSi-A%3BFQQhXAId40Sf-A%3BFbI-igIdQOGV-A%3BFVC2oQIdOCGa-A%3BFabBswIdDGee-A%3BFVzrugIdunSc-A%3B%3BFcJp1gIdWVy1-ClVM-iTLBCQVDGa1URpRmUlEA&hl=en&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=22&sz=9&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22&sll=46.388622,-123.771973&sspn=1.339385,2.458191&ie=UTF8&ll=45.644768,-122.244873&spn=5.4299,9.832764&z=7

This is a link to google map, the route I described to you above and in my OP so you can see it and interact with it. You can zoom in or out and change the path (blue line) by dragging it to your perfered roadway. That way you can play with the travel time to suit your needs, if you wish. My other suggestion is once you've decided on a route, print it out and take it to your auto club (AAA I am assuming?) and ask them if it is a viable route, just to be sure ... it's always better to be safe then sorry right? :D Plus they can give you any tips like any possible detours, road closures, last gas station, rest stop, or food for next 50 miles (sometimes you hit an area that is not developed and there is no warning signs to let you know that the next gas station is miles away ... sometimes it's only a few miles and other times it can be 50 miles) best places to stay, points of interest and so on ...

I will include the suggested time allowance for the points of interest I listed in my OP just for reference, again you may spend more or less time then I suggest but it's just to give you an idea ...

Solvang, California - It's a walkable Danish town that you could probably conquer it in 2-4 hours depending if you're a big shopper or not. To shave time off, you could even just drive through it and just stop at the shops that interest you.

Hearst Castle - Depending on which or how many tours you take (there are several options, I believe it's on their website as well) give yourselves about 4 hours, maybe more, this is an amazing place and it's hard to bring yourself to leave LOL

Carmel-By-The-Sea - Also a walkable beach town, about 2-4 hours, again depending on if you're a big shopper or not and just like Solvang, to save some time you can drive through it and just stop at the shops that interest you.

17 Mile Drive - Really depends if you choose to stop at each designated turn out (when you pull up to the booth and pay the toll, they will hand you a map with all the "Points of interest" that are in designated turn outs, the most popular being "The Lone Cypress", the most famous and most photograhed tree in the world) We did it in about 4 hours. Although this is a beautiful drive, if you are tight on time I'd say you could skip this one because you are already driving along the coast to Seattle so it's kind of the same thing, you know what I mean? But of course, the choice is yours :)

Cannery Row, Monterey Bay - This is a very small, walkable sea side town, literally about 4 blocks so I'd say allow about 2 hours, again depending on if you're a big shopper or not and just like Solvang, to save some time you can drive through it and just stop at the shops that interest you.

Monterey Bay Aquarium - Now this aquarium is huge! I love aquariums so it took us all day here ... I don't even know what to estimate here, maybe 6 hours, I don't know :confused: Also note that the aquarium is located at the end of Cannery Row so these two things can be done together but it make take about 1/2 your day.

Santa Cruz Boardwalk - Is just that, a boardwalk, complete with boardwalk games and rides so unless you want to ride the rides it can easily be walked in an hour or less.

Winchester Mystery House - This may or may not be a bit out of your way, it depends on which route you decide to take but it can also very easily be worked into your route if you are interested in seeing it. It is HUGE!!! And very interesting! They offer 2 tours one is just of the main house (about an hour) and the other is of the main house and a behind the scenes (about 2 hours). After the tour you are free to walk the grounds and that can take another hour or so, I would suggest about 4 hours or so ...

 

I really hope this helps you :) Hopefully I haven't confused you or overloaded you with too much info ... I tend to do that, sorry :p If you would like to know anything else just let me know!

[Krazeniq]

I have a question for you, if you don't mind me asking ... Are you renting a car to drive to Seattle from LA? If so, would you mind telling me what company you are booked through? Reason I ask is because we will also be on the Pearl but in April 2010 for the Pacific Coastal which ends in Vacouver, BC , from there we are taking the Cascade train down to Seattle and wanted to rent a car and do the coastal drive home, to LA just as you are planning to (but obviously in the opposite direction, lol) but the car rental places I've looked into said that it is not allowed :( Maybe I am looking into the wrong companies or doing something wrong? If you could tell me who you booked through so I can contact them and try to get a reservation I would really appreciate it :o Thanks! :)

[Giantfan13]

Krazeniq

 

Once again, thank you so much for the wealth of info that you have supplied. We aren't really in a rush so we are probably allowing about a week for the drive. I ordered info from each state, CA, OR and WA, so when they arrive, I will better assess where we want to stay and what we want to do. We love to sight see, I am an avid photographer, and my wife loves to shop, so that will keep us from 'rushing' anywhere. We do like lighthouses, so that will play a part into where we decide to stop etc.

 

As for car rentals, we haven't gotten that far yet. Yes, we will be renting. We haven't even made our plane reservations yet. Not until I can determine how long we want the drive to take. That is why I am asking now. Once we determine how long, be it 5 days, 7 days or even 10 days, then I can make the plane reservations and move on to a car.

I never thought about rental agencies balking at a drive like this. Any reason why???

We have used thrifty in the past, but right now, whomever is cheaper gets my business.

I would assume you would pay a bit extra to rent at one spot and bring back in another, but I was ready for that. I don't understand why it would be a big problem??

 

Anyway, once again, thanks so much for all the valuable advice. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it.

 

 

Are you cruising to Alaska also??

 

Len

[VegasCrossfire]

Wow!!! If you can take a week, I would definitely recommend doing that.

I would stay on HWY 1 once you get on it. Stay on it and go all the way up the coast to Mendocino. It is a beautiful drive.

You will go into Bodega Bay (where “The Birds” was filmed). There are places there to eat – but if you aren’t at a point where you want to eat – it is still a quaint little town.

There are lots of “little” places along the way and finally you will get to Mendocino and Fort Bragg where there are many restaurants, shops, hotels, etc. It is a long drive but it is so beautiful. Also a pretty good place to spend the night.

Several miles after going through Fort Bragg, you will start turning inland and a VERY curvy road thru the Redwoods. In Leggett there is a Redwood tree that can be driven through which is interesting , and right after that you will be back on 101.. Once you start heading north after that, you will have the option of staying on 101 or taking the side road that parallels 101 but is only a small 2 lane road with the Redwood trees towering over you on both sides of the street. If you get tired of being on that road, you can easily jump off it at several location and get back on 101, but it is worth driving on for at least a little while.

If you really have extra time, you could take the turn-off to Ferndale, which is before Eureka. It is a quaint old city with a lot of charm. Only do that if you have extra time. You might want to google Ferndale to see the town to see if it is worth your time or not. We went there and thought it was a cute little town. We walked into a couple of shops and that was about it.

Ferndale is as far as we have been on the CA coast. We have driven on 101 in Oregon for many miles around Crescent City, and that was beautiful too.

Well – you are probably now overwhelmed with the info you are receiving. I hope you have a wonderful trip. Give yourself plenty of time because you won’t be driving 65 MPH on most of the coast!

Enjoy the beauty!!

[Krazeniq]

Krazeniq

 

Once again, thank you so much for the wealth of info that you have supplied. We aren't really in a rush so we are probably allowing about a week for the drive. I ordered info from each state, CA, OR and WA, so when they arrive, I will better assess where we want to stay and what we want to do. We love to sight see, I am an avid photographer, and my wife loves to shop, so that will keep us from 'rushing' anywhere. We do like lighthouses, so that will play a part into where we decide to stop etc.

 

As for car rentals, we haven't gotten that far yet. Yes, we will be renting. We haven't even made our plane reservations yet. Not until I can determine how long we want the drive to take. That is why I am asking now. Once we determine how long, be it 5 days, 7 days or even 10 days, then I can make the plane reservations and move on to a car.

I never thought about rental agencies balking at a drive like this. Any reason why???

We have used thrifty in the past, but right now, whomever is cheaper gets my business.

I would assume you would pay a bit extra to rent at one spot and bring back in another, but I was ready for that. I don't understand why it would be a big problem??

 

Anyway, once again, thanks so much for all the valuable advice. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it.

 

 

Are you cruising to Alaska also??

 

Len

 

No problem Len, I don't mind at all :) I just wish I knew more for you guys. If there is ever anything else you'd like to ask please feel free to do so and I will do my best to help you out.

That is great that you have a week, that gives you lots of time to make the drive up the coast. Although I have only traveled along the coast as far up North as San Jose, California, it was an amazing drive and my only regret is that I wished I had more time to enjoy it and make ALL the stops that I wanted to with out time constraints. I hear the farther up North you go the more magnificent the drive so to be honest I am quite jealous of you guys ;) I'm sure you will have a great "road trip" up the coast! As for the car rental, I haven't checked lately, in fact it was months and months ago when I originally checked but once I stumbled upon your post and started thinking about it once again I remembered how badly I really wanted to do this drive so I think I will start checking around again, maybe things have changed by now :p. You're right though, why would it be a problem to do a one way? It doesn't make sense to me either. I am definitely going to start doing some more investigating into this, I really want to do this drive!

We are not cruising to Alaska, we're just doing a 7 day repo cruise from Los Angeles to Vancouver, BC. We plan to stay a few days in Vancouver, BC post cruise to sight see since none of us have ever been there before then we plan to take the cascade train from Vancouver to Seattle, Washington and spend a day there then hopefully rent a car and drive home along the coast :). We're actually taking this cruise to celebrate my Aunts' 60th Birthday so I really want to make it as memorable as possible for her. She lives in Iowa so cruising and oceans and driving along the coast is a big deal for her since Iowa doesn't have any of that.

[Giantfan13]

VegasCrossfire

 

Thank you also, for the valuable info. I print it all out, and will go over it all, when I get my maps and really see where we want to go and what we want to see.

My wife works for the NYC school system, so she has the entire summer off,and I am sort of out of work/retired right now, so I have all sorts of free time. When the unemployment runs out, I'll either look for something part time, or just stay retired. So, time wise, we have plenty.

 

 

Krazeniq

 

I did some searching around. I usually start at this web site http://www.carrentals.com, and move around from there. I tried LA to Seattle and there were several prices, depending on the length of the trip. There were some agencies that did charge a hefty surcharge for the one way trip, like about $450, so they are automatically ruled out. Others though, a bit more expensive than a 'round trip' rental, weren't out of line. We have plenty of time, and given that, I usually search around and will come up with something.

 

You guys ahve been great with all this info. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it. I'm sure I will have a lot more questions once we start getting into the details of the trip. As long as you don't mind answering, I sure don't mind asking.

We are experienced cruisers, so if I can answer anything for you, please ask away also. We've been to Europe, hawaii, Alaska, Caribbean, Canada,and we've traveled throughout a good part of the country. Just not the west coast. We did make it to Death Valley, when we were in Vegas a few years ago, but that was the closest we have gotten into CA and the West Coast. We are sure looking forward to this trip.

 

Len

[Krazeniq]

Thanks Len for the info on the car rentals...I will definitely be checking into it :D Also, thank you for the offer of picking your brain about your cruises ... I just might take you up on that ;) On our cruise we will be making stops in Astoria Oregon, Victoria BC, Nanamio BC, and Vancouver BC (which is where the cruise ultimately ends so we plan to stay a few days in Vancouver) so if there is anything that you know of in any of these ports that stands out or is a "must see" please let me know, I'd appreciate it! :) Otherwise I will keep checking back here to this thread to see if you have any other questions for me. Happy Cruise planning :D

[LeftcoastBC]

For you planners on 101 as you pass through Crescent City in Northern California think to yourself. Man I didn't know that parts of Canada were this far south. Go figure" :) YOu can win a lot of money on that bet.

 

My expereince is with Oregon and Washington Coast on 101. One of you said you had heard that the scenery gets better. Well I don;t know how much better than the pictures I've seen in California but it sure is great and at least equal. Lots of smaller town and spots to check out.

 

the Great sand dunes in Oregon and the beaches all the way north are fantastic. Over looks are remarkable. As you get to Washington you will come to Astoria Oregon on the south side of the river and that is one of the stops on a normal coastal as mentioned above.

 

North of here you kind of have to work at seeing the ocean because of the route the highway takes. Long Beach Washington is a dead end Peninsula with lots of places right out of the 50's still out towards Oceans park.

 

North From here you are in the woods :). You then return to the coast for a while until you get into the Gray's Harbour area. North side of this bay and out to Ocean Shores is great but you would find it redundant compared to the coast lower down in Oregon and you have a descison here regarding your route to and from Seattle.

 

North Will take you through the magnificent Olympic mountains and the long way round. East on HWY 12 out to Seattle and the west Side of Puget Sound somewhere would likely be the best route for time at the start of ones trip South or at the Completion north bound. Going south or north make sure that you take a ferry from Seattle to get ut on the water and across Puget sound. Any of those routes would give you a different sense of Washington.

 

Of course going north and around the Olympic Peninsula will find you in "Twilight" country so I'm told. :eek: If you are into that movie stuff.

 

BTW One of my favorite all time movies the Goonies was filmed in Astoria.

a google will show you how import that movie is to some. :) There's a 25th Anniversary reunion gathering in 2010.

 

Hope that helps with some of the northern bits.

[Giantfan13]

Thanks Len for the info on the car rentals...I will definitely be checking into it :D Also, thank you for the offer of picking your brain about your cruises ... I just might take you up on that ;) On our cruise we will be making stops in Astoria Oregon, Victoria BC, Nanamio BC, and Vancouver BC (which is where the cruise ultimately ends so we plan to stay a few days in Vancouver) so if there is anything that you know of in any of these ports that stands out or is a "must see" please let me know, I'd appreciate it! :) Otherwise I will keep checking back here to this thread to see if you have any other questions for me. Happy Cruise planning :D

 

We sayed overnite in Vancouver before our first Alaska cruise. We only walked around the waterfront area, so we really didn't get a good knowledge of the town. from everyone else I speak to, they all say it is a great town to spend some time. (After the Olympics that is).

After that, sorry, I can't be of much help.

[Giantfan13]

LeftcoastBC

 

Is the road you are talking about 101???. If so, if I undersatand correctly, the road doesn't run right by the coast, but inland a bit and if you want to get to the coast, or certain sites, you have to turn off?? Do I have that right??

 

Thank you also for your time and effort to try and make our trip that much more exciting. The more I read everyone's comments, the more I cannot wait to get this thing going. We love to travel and go to new places we have not been. We are so looking forward to coming to your 'neck of the woods'.

 

thanks so much

 

Len

[LeftcoastBC]

LeftcoastBC

 

Is the road you are talking about 101???. If so, if I undersatand correctly, the road doesn't run right by the coast, but inland a bit and if you want to get to the coast, or certain sites, you have to turn off?? Do I have that right??

 

 

Len

 

Yes 101. It leaves the coast here and there all up the coast and especially in Washington. Have a quick look at the lower SE part of Washington across the river from Astoria.

Enjoy your planning.

[pitdoctor]

If you look on a map for Washington, you'll see that 101 does a loop around the olympic peninsula. If you have the extra time, I suggest making that loop drive in a clockwise direction with you goal being Bremerton, WA. In Bremerton follow the signs for the Seattle ferry. Here you can drive onto the car ferry that will drop you off right downtown in Seattle.

It's a much better welcome to Seattle than getting into town on I-5

[Giantfan13]

Thanks Pitdoctor, I'll definitely look into that. As I said, anyway but the Interstate is how we like to travel. Once again, thanks for your info and help.

[bruce-r]

Thanks Pitdoctor, I'll definitely look into that. As I said, anyway but the Interstate is how we like to travel. Once again, thanks for your info and help.

 

I can appreciate that desire, but if you do that in Washington, you'll miss the

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.

 

I'd drive north thru CA and OR, but before the bridge in Astoria, I'd head to I-5 and go south then turn off @ Woodland.

 

Then I'd go back north on I-5 for a while then head back to the coast to do the drive around the Olympic National Park.

[LURK]

Giantfan, We also live on the east coast (SC) and have driven from LA to Seattle in three different segments and times, some southbound.

 

We will be in Seattle for a May 22 sailing on the Star.

 

You have received some excellent advice. You will love the drive. In northern Calif. you will drive through the Redwood National Park. When we were there we were able to drive through three of the Redwood trees that have been carved out.

 

If you are not aware you can do your own trip tik on line. Go to aaa.com, and click on trip tik on the right side.

 

When it opens, click on box "starting point", then on the down arrow and "airport", and state "California" and airport "LAX". Then click on "Get Map and Directions"

 

Then click on the box "destination", "cruise Port", "Washington", and "port of seattle (Bell Street)" Then click on "Get Map & Directions".

 

Notice that it takes you up I-5. Now comes the fun part.

 

Enlarge your map so you can see both I-5 and highway 1. (highway 1 ends in northern Calif. and you have to use US 101.

 

Point your mouse to I-5, left click and drag to the highway 1. It will recalcuate the route and "keep" it if you like it. You have to keep doing this every time it runs back on I-5. I had to do it 5 or 6 times.

 

The more you play with it the more you learn and it gets easier.

 

You can then print your own Trip Tik. Looks like about 48 pages with two maps per page. You might check "other option" and print only parts of trip.

 

I have found the driving time to be pretty accurate.

 

Be sure to click on "show" at top left of map and it will show lodging, gas prices, attractions etc.

 

I retired from the Air Force and always look for Air Museums. Howard Hughes "Spruce Goose" is in McMinnville, OR about 50 miles from the coastal highway(first class museum). You will also see an Air Museum before you get to Tillamook, OR not too far north of MCMinnville on the coast.

 

Have a great trip and if you need other help with AAA please let me know.

 

Bobby

[bruce-r]

I retired from the Air Force and always look for Air Museums. Howard Hughes "Spruce Goose" is in McMinnville, OR about 50 miles from the coastal highway(first class museum). You will also see an Air Museum before you get to Tillamook, OR not too far north of MCMinnville on the coast.

 

Have a great trip and if you need other help with AAA please let me know.

 

Bobby

Thank You Bobby

 

McMinnville museum = Evergreen Aviation Museum and I totally agree about it being 1st Class.

 

In McMinnville, recommend visiting Hotel Oregon

 

Tillamook Air Museum partially housed in a WWII blimp hanger, largest wooden structure in the world. It is just south of Tillamook.

 

 

Just north of town are two stops worth making; Tillamook Cheese Factory (cheese curds YUM) and Tillamook Country Smoker It isn't really much to see, but they make the best beef jerky you can buy.

[Giantfan13]

Giantfan, We also live on the east coast (SC) and have driven from LA to Seattle in three different segments and times, some southbound.

 

We will be in Seattle for a May 22 sailing on the Star.

 

You have received some excellent advice. You will love the drive. In northern Calif. you will drive through the Redwood National Park. When we were there we were able to drive through three of the Redwood trees that have been carved out.

 

If you are not aware you can do your own trip tik on line. Go to aaa.com, and click on trip tik on the right side.

 

When it opens, click on box "starting point", then on the down arrow and "airport", and state "California" and airport "LAX". Then click on "Get Map and Directions"

 

Then click on the box "destination", "cruise Port", "Washington", and "port of Seattle (Bell Street)" Then click on "Get Map & Directions".

 

Notice that it takes you up I-5. Now comes the fun part.

 

Enlarge your map so you can see both I-5 and highway 1. (highway 1 ends in northern Calif. and you have to use US 101.

 

Point your mouse to I-5, left click and drag to the highway 1. It will recalcuate the route and "keep" it if you like it. You have to keep doing this every time it runs back on I-5. I had to do it 5 or 6 times.

 

The more you play with it the more you learn and it gets easier.

 

You can then print your own Trip Tik. Looks like about 48 pages with two maps per page. You might check "other option" and print only parts of trip.

 

I have found the driving time to be pretty accurate.

 

Be sure to click on "show" at top left of map and it will show lodging, gas prices, attractions etc.

 

I retired from the Air Force and always look for Air Museums. Howard Hughes "Spruce Goose" is in McMinnville, OR about 50 miles from the coastal highway(first class museum). You will also see an Air Museum before you get to Tillamook, OR not too far north of MCMinnville on the coast.

 

Have a great trip and if you need other help with AAA please let me know.

 

Bobby

 

Bobby

 

thank you also for the excellent advice. I will definitely look into what you say. I have called and sent away for those 3 state's visitors packs, and only have received the one from Oregon so far. On reviewing that, it seems the trip on 101 up the coast looks very interesting. We already have a few points that we want to stop and see.

 

I thanks you all for all this valuable info. You can only get so much from maps and books, but first hand knowledge is the best and I do appreciate the time and effort everyone has put in to helpus.

 

One question to all, how is the weather in mid august along that 'route'. I would assume LA to be hot, but how is the weather in Northern CA and into Ore and Wash. I assume around Seattle is rainy, but is it that way in August??

From what I've read in the Oregon books, the weather along the coast seems to be cool and if so, that's the way we like it.

 

Once again, thanks you all for all your help.

 

Len

[pitdoctor]

Bobby

 

thank you also for the excellent advice. I will definitely look into what you say. I have called and sent away for those 3 state's visitors packs, and only have received the one from Oregon so far. On reviewing that, it seems the trip on 101 up the coast looks very interesting. We already have a few points that we want to stop and see.

 

I thanks you all for all this valuable info. You can only get so much from maps and books, but first hand knowledge is the best and I do appreciate the time and effort everyone has put in to helpus.

 

One question to all, how is the weather in mid august along that 'route'. I would assume LA to be hot, but how is the weather in Northern CA and into Ore and Wash. I assume around Seattle is rainy, but is it that way in August??

From what I've read in the Oregon books, the weather along the coast seems to be cool and if so, that's the way we like it.

 

Once again, thanks you all for all your help.

 

Len

 

Generally speaking the further north you go, the cooler and damper the weather is going to get...but of course there are going to be exceptions.

August is normally one of the drier months here in the Seattle area. But there is always a chance you'll get hit with some showers and clouds while you're here.

[Randy H]

Lots of people are giving you good advice…

 

Through most of California there is Hwy 1 on the coast, and Hwy 101 a bit inland… both are scenic, and they come together and share right of way at times…

 

From LA, (Santa Monica/Malibu) Hwy 1 is better known as PCH, aka the Pacific Coast Highway… 101 is inland… They join in Ventura, through to Santa Barbara… (a good overnight.. an easy day from LA) stay together for a while, both away from the coast… back to the coast at Pismo Beach… then separate at San Luis Obispo… Hwy 1 hugs the coast, 101 is inland… If you follow Hwy 1 you can make a night at Cambria and visit San Simon (aka Hearst Castle) then head up 1 to Monterey… again another good night spot… maybe even two days… they north on 1 to Santa Cruz, to Half Moon Bay and to San Francisco… Again, overnight… maybe two…

 

North of San Francisco it gets more complicated… Hwy 1 hugs the coast… rocks, seals and coast side towns… 101 is inland in the wine country… If you stay inland you can make Eureka in one easy day… a second if you want to wine taste… The coast route can be done in one day, but two are better, one night in Pt Reyes Station, Tamales, Free Stone or Occidental, the second in Ft Bragg or Mendocino… (you can also head to 1010 along the Russian River from Occidental)

 

Both options come together on 101 along the “lost coast” north of Ft Bragg along the Eel River and through the redwoods south of Eureka… Ferndale is off to the SW just before Eureka… Then stay to Hwy 1 along the Oregon coast… Its special (if time is an issue you can run for Hwy 5 from Arcata just North of Eureka... around Mt Shasta and through the State of Jefferson and Oregon’s forest belt… It is really scenic, but it’s not the coast… If you choose inland its one night to the coast unless you want to do Crater Lake… a great overnight on this route would be Ashland…

 

Back to the coast, Reedsport, Winchester Bay and the surrounding area are classic “Old Oregon” a bit further north Newport is their coastal tourist city…. Further north at Lincoln you can dodge inland and head to Portland, or stay on the coast and hit Astoria then head to Portland… Portland is worth a couple of nights…then head north… If it was me I would probably overnight in Eureka, then Winchester Bay, then Newport and run for Portland….

 

Its harder to follow the coast in Washington… you may want to stay on Hwy 5, then use the time saved to visit the Olympic Peninsula once you get to Seattle.

 

So many roads, so little time… I am familiar with all and can answer questions...