Places to Stop and See on Trip from San Diego (Seattle: transporting, shops)

[lcoasterchix]

I'm also moving up to Seattle from San Diego- does anyone have any recommendations on places to stop and see along the Coastal Route up there? hope to hear back from people! I'll have about a week to get up there

[VeronikaW]

We didn't go up the coast, unfortunately, we just wanted to get here (we were transporting kitties). I hear there's tons of stuff up the coast though! Have a safe drive!!

V. =)

[cdelena]

Two things come to mind...

I would not miss the redwood forests on the northern California coast, and then if you have time cut over for a stop at Crater lake.

[mayfair]

Cannon Beach, Oregon is a lovely place to stay. There's a big rock called the haystack and beautiful beaches as well as a nice downtown with small, quaint shops. If you prefer to camp, Nehalem Bay State Park is just south of there- very nice. Seaside (to the north) is commercial and congested in comparison.

There are many places to stop- watch the signs for parks and overlooks. You might see whales, too while you're looking out over the ocean. The drive itself is specatular through Oregon and Northern CA- enjoy your trip.

[LMB]

We did that road trip about five years ago--going the other direction, Seattle to San Diego. Ours was more leisurely (3 weeks) but we could have spent 3 months and still wanted more time! It's a great trip along the Pacific coast highway, although I have to admit there were a few times I was clinging to the arm rest of the car as we drove along the twisting 2-lane road with cliffs above and sheer cliffs below that dropped off into the churning Pacific. Alternately I thought it was the most beautiful scenery I'd ever seen, interspersed with moments of complete terror. :-O You'll be going the other direction, which should help--I was on the passenger side of a convertible which had a great view, but sometimes seemed a bit too close to the edge. Nevertheless, I'd do the trip again in a nano-second!

There were so many areas we loved, but here's a few of our favorites in each state:

The Redwoods in northern CA are amazing--take a little sidetrip and drive through the Avenue of Giants. So awe-inspiring. We loved Mendocino (north of SF)--nice little artsy town. Monterrey/Pacific Grove in central CA was really beautiful. We stayed there a couple of days, but it wasn't long enough. If you have time do the 17-mile-drive through Pebble Beach for some gorgeous coast views.

The dunes of Oregon are quite unique (south of Florence)--as is the Tillamook Cheese Factory, just south of Seaside/Cannon Beach. Great place to stop for ice cream! Cape Perpetua near Yachats, OR, is definitely worth taking time to check out. Unbelievable view! IMO, the views along Oregon's coast are just as beautiful as California's more well-known scenic areas--both are breathtaking though.

There's not as much accessible coastline taking Rt 101 through WA, but we spent a night in a B&B near the Hoh Rainforest and watched a spectacular sunset from 2nd Beach. Ruby Beach is so beautiful too--try to stop and walk on the beach for awhile. The sea stacks are huge, and so are the logs piled up on the beach. On the way down through western WA, we took a sidetrip and hiked through the Quinault Rainforest which was one of the highlights of our trip. Crescent Lake, west of Pt. Angeles, is gorgeous--oh yes, also don't miss the incredible view from Hurricane Ridge, south of Pt. Angeles!

There's so much more, but I need to get back to packing. We're moving to Poulsbo from Orlando exactly 3 weeks from today! Have a great trip--I'd rather do yours than ours! :-)

Lynn

[AzDreamer]

Any of the volcanos, like Mt St Hellens. Also Crater Lake. Fort Stevens near Astoria. The Chevron station in Longview for corn dogs.