Northwest Road Trip (Seattle, Vancouver, Bellingham: sales, to rent, how much)

[collint]

hello all i currently live out here in iowa in the good ol midwest. I'm trying to plan a trip out to california to take a Trip up the PCH from sacramento all the way through Oregon, and Washington. Reason why i've chosen sacramento as my starting point is that i have family in southern california and have already seen much of the PCH around there.
Anyways I was wondering if anybody knew of some good places to stop along the way to take pictures at or visit? I'm also using this trip as a way to look at places i might wanna move to once i'm done with school.

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by collint

hello all i currently live out here in iowa in the good ol midwest. I'm trying to plan a trip out to california to take a Trip up the PCH from sacramento all the way through Oregon, and Washington. Reason why i've chosen sacramento as my starting point is that i have family in southern california and have already seen much of the PCH around there.
Anyways I was wondering if anybody knew of some good places to stop along the way to take pictures at or visit? I'm also using this trip as a way to look at places i might wanna move to once i'm done with school.

In northern California, the redwoods and Mt. Shasta will be near your path. It is a moderately long detour to Crater Lake in southern Oregon from the beaten path, but hear me when I say this: it is a sight to strike one silent in awe. Your typical US 101 Washington or Oregon town doesn't vary much: small and touristy. The entire Oregon coast is an Oregon State park, so while you are driving along it, take a moment to revel in just how much that must infuriate greedy developers.

The bridge at Astoria is pretty mondo, and has visitor value even if just for the magnificence of the geologic moment. Just south of there is Fort Stevens, which is a pretty strange museum: it's part coastal defense artillery museum (and former forts/emplacements), and part Civil War museum. Yes. Never mind that the closest northwestern Oregon came to active Civil War participation was probably when some guy named Asa called his neighbor Ara a 'secesh-loving-so-and-so.'

There's a large cluster of touristy stuff around Ilwaco, Long Beach and Ocean Park on the spit (*hoccccch*) enclosing Willapa Bay. I'm sure at least half the antique shops went broke this year, but if you want to rent a cabin at Ocean Park, buy your own fresh seafood, cook it yourself and walk to the beach afterward, I'll tell you where you can do that and have a great experience. If you have really hugged US 101 this far, you may be ready to get inland a bit, so I suggest either a drive down the Columbia Gorge (I-84 on the Oregon side, SR 14 on the Washington side) with a detour to Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Whatever.

If you duck back toward 101, might detour to Neah Bay and the Makah Museum, plus go out to the beach (pay the Indians; it's their beach) and stare out at Tatoosh Island from the very upper corner of the Lower 48 states. 8000 miles to Japan. As for Seattle, you're a college guy. Any college guy who cannot amuse himself in Seattle is beyond my powers of assistance.

Bring your passport and continue up to Vancouver. Don't say 'eh' to them or talk like Bob & Doug; you can only do that if you have known them a long time and do it sparingly. Other than that, Van is like Seattle: any college guy who can't have a blast in Van needs to check into an ER for immediate surgery on his Fun-o-denum.

[collint]

J_k_k wow thanks for the tips... i'm not sure i'll be able to do all of that but that all sounds very nice. i'm definitly starting to look forward to this trip

[Fat Freddy]

Sacramento is 100 miles inland. There is no coast highway there.
You want to start from San Francisco.

The Pacific Coast highway is Highway 1 and it follows the California Coast all the way to a bit above Fort Bragg where it heads inland and joins 101 a little below Eureka. Then you can stay on 101 all the way up the coast through DelNotre county and into Oregon and then into Washington and around the Olympic Peninsula.

You can also get on 101 in SF, but it runs inland until you get to Eureka so you will miss the California coastal counties of Sonoma and Mendicino which are some of the most scenic in the state and have many beaches and scenic view points.

If you want a coast trip, take Hwy 1 then 101.
But be aware that Hwy 1 is a two lane road with many twists and turns and during tourist season, a lot of RV traffic.

[collint]

Fat Freddy.. yeah i just realized that sacramento was that far inland... reason why i was wanting to start there was because my cousin lives around there and we where gonna go together but we might have to reconsider that... thanks for the info though

[cdelena]

Don't miss the redwoods on the coast of northern California. IMO the detour to Crater Lake is worth the time. The Oregon coast is impressive. The forests on the east side of St. Helens are worth the slow going. The area around Leavenworth Wa and the Grand Coulee Dam is interesting.

[KAILANI]

Leavenworth and Grand Coulee is WAY out of the way. But impressive!

I think riding up 101 is an AWESOME idea for a trip!!

Oregon is "Breathtaking", stop in Bandon, Coos Bay, (Charleston) Newport and Seaside!!

Washington's coast is more scattered than Oregon, but just as beautiful. The road winds inland a few places.
Stop by Port Angeles, it's a great town, with spectacular views of OH CANADA!!!

Port Townsend is a MUST! It's SOOOO CUTE! Great food there!!

(after PT) Take the ferry from Bainbridge Island over to Seattle, what a blast, I love Seattle!! Then stay the night, visit Pike Place Market!

If you are limited on time, I-5 is right there to get you back to SAC in about (?) 10 hours or so...

If you have time, visit downtown Olympia, theres a great brewery there, and LOTS of cool shops..

Portland-FUN if you have time.
Eugene-downtown is pretty cool, college town.
The rest of 1-5 is pretty standard..

HAVE FUN!!

[mdvaden]

I'd say that Crater Lake is more than a short ways off the path.

From 101, it's 2 hours to Grants Pass area, and a couple more to Crater Lake. If you want to continue 101 again, you will have eaten up at least 8 hours driving just to get to and from Crater Lake. That's not even driving around it, eating or anything else.

The coast route is so nice - why break it up.

You have to return - right?

If you want to see Crater Lake, try it on the return trip coming down I-5 or some variation.

For redwoods - try Redwood Hikes

Great trail descriptions.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by collint

... I'm trying to plan a trip out to california to take a Trip up the PCH from sacramento all the way through Oregon, and Washington. ... some good places to stop along the way to take pictures at or visit? .. a way to look at places i might wanna move to once i'm done with school.

Round trip or One-way (Road trip?)
What time of year?
How long?

I will presume RT - summer - 1-2wks

For the most comprehensive trip for scouting and seeing:
go northbound inland side of Cascades (Much different climate and culture + is it much safer & EZ to see coast going southbound)
See Lassen National Park and Lava beds (N Cal)
then Klamath Falls and Crater Lake, back towards Bend, OR, (High plains + Logging museum (south)) then The Dalles (a dry area of OR, and good Oregon Trail Discovery Center), venture west along Columbia River to Hood River (trendy, + Orchards) west on I-84 to Bonneville Dam (Visitors center, Fish Ladders, Hatchery and Gardens) the Take scenic Columbia Gorge Highway on west in Troutdale (many falls and vistas).
Enjoy sales tax free shopping and the culture of Portland (Be sure to see the Rose Gardens Portland Parks & Recreation :: Washington Park - International Rose Test Garden)

North on I-5, check out the St Helens area (CastleRock), then venture to Mt Rainier this place is a "must see" Dan Klennert's Spirits of Iron (quite near west entrance)

The (If you have time...) venture to the east side of Mtns through Ellensburg, Wenatchee, Cashmere, Leavenworth, Chelan, Twisp, then take North Cascades Highway west to Bellingham Area. (I like Lyden too... dutch farmers + museum and good food) You can chose to go to Vancouver BC then across to Victoria and loop back through Seattle via San Juan Ferry (3 -4 days to make the ferry tolls worthwhile) or take a 2 day trip to Victoria from Seattle or Port Angeles, or skip it, it is quite spendy.

Seattle has a lot of free stuff and is fun. Be sure to spend some time at the Ballard Locks
lwsc - mainpage

I would choose a 2 day trip around the Olympic Peninsula, (Poulsbo, Port Townsend is nice as well as Crescent Lake, west of Port Angeles) or a shorter version going to Aberdeen and on north to Rain Forest. Olympics are very nice for uncrowded hiking, but not too accessible.

Then on down the coast to OR, and it has spectacular coastline. Spend time in Cannon Beach area (Hug Point state wayside is our favorite, ~ 2 miles south) Nice stagecoach road blasted around the point, with good tide pools along that road Caves and waterfalls too. Great orange soils and swirls for sunset pics.

on South, Twin Rocks has nice driftwood beach, Tillamook Cheese factory for fresh curd samples, (swing by the air museum to see the Blimp hangers (HUGE) Then 3 Capes route to Octopus tree and shortest lighthouse.

Depot Bay is nice rocky coast. Otter Crest / Devil's punch bowl, then on to Newport. Yaquina Head (Newport, nice lighthouse) Hatfield Science center (Newport). On south I like the tide pools at Yachats, and the Cape Foulweather Oregon State Parks and Recreation: Rates

Good camping in OR (Some places have Yurts)

The South OR coast is nice too, then into CA and redwoods. (I like to eat at Samoa Cookhouse (Breakfast / lunch preferred by me), but the museum setting is worth the 5 min trip out of the way (On island off Eureka, CA, accessible via car). Then enjoy more coast / redwoods / wine country enroute to Sac. I usually do SF while I'm so close. It is VERY ez from the Larkspur Ferry in the North bay. So much free stuff in SF, but I can jam it in one day if it is a long summer day.

We usually travel using private guest homes. I like to meet people to get a feel for the areas + it is only $20 / night, which they usually donate to a charity. There are several directories available and probably groups within your interests. (they usually specify the occupation and interests of hosts + kids and accommodations. Some have guest houses, most just have guest rooms)