driving down to LA, good stops etc? (Vancouver, Starbuck: 2013, hotels)

[bloom]

I'm driving down to around LA via I-5.
Any worthwhile stops for sights, good eats, views, rest?
I do not have time for a leisurely coastal drive etc (which I've done and recommend specifics there).

[angelenogirl]

I make that drive a lot. I like Grants Pass and Ashland, both in Oregon, both really cute. There's a little Holiday Inn in Roseberg, OR that has back doors in the rooms that lead out to this beautiful little tree-lined river, usually with a rolling mist in the morning. There's lots of food and coffee in Medford, OR.

There's a good Starbucks in Yreka. Mt. Shasta is a great stopping point, as it's beautiful. I usually try to make it to Sacramento, and always stay the Homewood Suites there (extremely clean rooms, and you can usually call if it's late to see if they'll knock a few bucks off the room last minute).

Have fun and enjoy the trip! It's not that bad.

[Hemlock140]

When by myself I stop at the rest stop across from Mt. Shasta for a couple of hours nap. When with the family we stop at Roseburg, and that Holiday Inn is nice. We also like to stop at Pea Soup Anderson's just off I5 in Gustine, CA. After that, it's pretty much a boring straight shot to LA.

[hamellr]

I wrote about this recently in another post.

In Washington

- Mima Mounds
- Mt. St. Helens (medium detour)
- Fort Vancouver, Officer’s Row and Pearson Air Museum.

In Oregon

- Portland, Lots to do in Portland. Hit up Salt and Straw Ice Cream. Hit up any of the 500+ food carts. Go to OMSI, the History Museum, the Art Museum, the 24hr Church of Elvis, Rose Gardens, Japanese Gardens, Chinese Gardens
- Go to Champoeg, where the Oregon Territory became a state
- Oregon Gardens near Salem
- Mission Mill in Salem
- Wine Tasting in or around Salem
- State Capital Building
- Enchanted Forest just south of Salem
- Living Rock Museum in Brownsville –
- Ghost town of Golden Oregon
- Ghost town of Buncom Oregon –
- Ashland (good food/hotels)

In California

- You’ll be driving up the sides of Mt. Shasta. There are several great stops through there, just pull off the road randomly.
- Weed California
- Dunsmuir California is highly recommended
- Olive Tasting in Corning, California

[Gentoo]

Most of the interesting stops are in Oregon and Northern CA. Most have already been mentioned. Once passed Sacramento, floor that sh1t and get through the rest of the valley as fast as possible before your soul leaves your body for better pastures. Get gas around Bakersfield or the town of Grapevine. The Grapevine itself is steeper than the Siskyous just not quite as high. If you have some time, stop and check out Pyramid Lake which is in the Tehachapis. From there you will drive through a gradually more urban corridor till LA.

[bloom]

Thanks all. Can you be more specific on the recommended places in Dansmuir, Weed, etc?? Any natural site stops? Again, I have limited time to linger. Thanks again.

[guardianmoon]

I did this drive back in 2011 (as my intro to the west coast). We stopped in Crescent City and did some hiking in the redwoods there and we loved it.

[Andy Patrizio]

I've made the trip between LA and SF a billion times so I know the central Valley too well.

Lost Hills, in the middle of the state, has a huge rest stop. many places to eat, gas up, and a hotel or three to crash.

North of that is Kettleman Ridge, which also has a bunch of places to eat and get gas.

As you are heading south and approaching Coalinga, you will pass one of the largest cattle farms in California. It's grassless because the cows are fed corn to fatten them up right before slaughter. This farm is monstrous and takes a solid minute to pass even doing 85-90 mph and the stench is beyond foul, even with your window rolled up. You can see it on Google Earth at the intersection of 5 and 145.

Right at the base of the Grapevine in the town of Lebec is your last batch of stores to eat and get gas. There is one of the few Starbucks' to be had in the area. It's notable for having a drivethru and being one of the top 5 performing stores in the chain.

A Starbucks in a Desert: One of the top 5 busiest in the company!

Then you have the rapid climb to 4,200 feet to Gorman at the top. It sometimes closes in the winter time due to snow. I assume you are coming in the next few weeks? Because in the winter months, closure is common and traffic backs up badly on both sides.

Coming down is a nice gentle slope. When you get to Santa Clarity, there is 6 Flags park. After that, you stay on the 5 or split off to the 405 to go to the west side of LA.

[eskercurve]

Do you have time to bounce over to the 101? I absolutely adore the town of Port Orford, for the views and nearby dunes, and interesting coffee.

[chuckycheese]

"Pete"s" is a 'mom and pop' type of hamburger stand in Roseburg and it's the best one in the whole world...(well, maybe not, but it's really good). I know it's been there for at least 50 years, when I was 12, although hamburgers are no longer 20 cents.

When you get off the freeway, you take a left, going west, on Harvard Blvd. and it's on the right about 1/2 mile down.....still close to the freeway and very easy to find.