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Message
West Coast road trip suggestions..
Posted on 10/28/24 at 7:42 pm
Posted on 10/28/24 at 7:42 pm
We want to do a 10 or 11 day road trip next summer starting in Northern California and ending at Glacier NP. Looking for ideas for places to see on the way. Sequoia, Yosemite, Monterey, SF are on the list. What should we see in Oregon and Washington?
7
Posted on 10/28/24 at 7:59 pm to Cool Hand Luke
Wallowa Lake, Oregon
Leavenworth, WA
Stanley, Idaho
Leavenworth, WA
Stanley, Idaho
Posted on 10/28/24 at 8:04 pm to LSUintheNW
I will check those out on YouTube. Thank you.
Posted on 10/28/24 at 8:27 pm to Cool Hand Luke
In Oregon either do the coast or do Crater Lake / Newberry Crater / Bend. For Washington, I would do Mt. Rainier N.P.
Posted on 10/28/24 at 8:43 pm to Cool Hand Luke
quote:
I will check those out on YouTube. Thank you.
No problem. There’s honestly so much to see so I just threw a few names out.
Search older threads too. You’ll see plenty of info.
This post was edited on 10/28/24 at 10:17 pm
Posted on 10/28/24 at 9:00 pm to LSUintheNW
We may fly into Bakersfield and start there depending on airfare.
Posted on 10/28/24 at 9:37 pm to Cool Hand Luke
We did a one week trip to that area before COVID and had a great time. I believe we stayed 3 nights in Carmel and 4 nights in SF. Absolutely loved the area around Carmel. Point Lobos was great, the section highway 1 just south of Carmel is incredible.
SF for us was ok - we’ve learned that we’re not “big city” people, so we much preferred Carmel and wished we’d shortened our stay in SF and spent more time outside of it. Glad we went, but probably won’t be back.
From SF we did spend a day exploring Sausalito/Muir Woods and loved that, as well as a trip to Sonoma. If we had a due over we’d probably stay in Sausalito (or somewhere nearby, north side of the bay) and drive into SF for a day or two, but spend the majority of our time outside the city.
SF for us was ok - we’ve learned that we’re not “big city” people, so we much preferred Carmel and wished we’d shortened our stay in SF and spent more time outside of it. Glad we went, but probably won’t be back.
From SF we did spend a day exploring Sausalito/Muir Woods and loved that, as well as a trip to Sonoma. If we had a due over we’d probably stay in Sausalito (or somewhere nearby, north side of the bay) and drive into SF for a day or two, but spend the majority of our time outside the city.
This post was edited on 10/28/24 at 9:42 pm
Posted on 10/28/24 at 9:38 pm to Cool Hand Luke
Skip SF and hang out in Sausalito, Sonoma, or Napa. SF is filled with junkies, homeless, and shuttered retail stores.
Posted on 10/28/24 at 9:44 pm to Cool Hand Luke
quote:
We want to do a 10 or 11 day road trip next summer starting in Northern California and ending at Glacier NP
quote:
Sequoia, Yosemite, Monterey, SF are on the list.
This is easily a week.
quote:
What should we see in Oregon and Washington?
Easily another week.
I would plan a few different trips.
Posted on 10/29/24 at 7:49 am to Cool Hand Luke
quote:We did a road trip this past June that included part of that area.
We want to do a 10 or 11 day road trip next summer starting in Northern California and ending at Glacier NP. Looking for ideas for places to see on the way. Sequoia, Yosemite, Monterey, SF are on the list. What should we see in Oregon and Washington?
# 1 for me are the redwoods near Arcata- Redwoods National and State Parks north of Arcata and Humboldt Redwood State Park south of Arcata.
# 2 is Crater Lake. It was mid June and the road around the lake was not open - only the south entrance, road in and about 3 miles of the circle road were cleared of snow.
We spent a day in Yosemite and a day in Sequoia/Kings Canyon NPs and driving in and out in a day was not the best way to see those. If we ever return we will stay in the parks. The roads in and out are winding mountain roads with low speed limits. By noon all 3 parks were very crowded and it wasn’t fun.
Lassen Volanic NP and Lava Beds National Monument were better than expected. Lassen has a north/south road and it was just opened for through traffic the day before we got there. There was still a lot of snow on the ground. Almost all the area east of the road was burned in the Dixie Fire a few years ago.
Lava Beds has hikes and 10-20 caves to explore, IIRC.
When we left Arcata we drove south on Hwy 101 to Leggett and got on US 1 to take it to Bodega Bay. We drove through Fort Bragg and Mendocino. That was fun for a while but it was a long day of two lane winding roads with a lot of road construction. I would make that a two day drive if I did it again. I guess that is considered part of the PCH.
Fresno might be a good place to fly into if you plan to start with Yosemite or Sequoia/Kings Canyon.
Posted on 10/29/24 at 8:24 am to Cool Hand Luke
quote:
search this board.
I remember someone who did Olympic National Park and gave great details.
The obvious Big Sur area will be great to navigate.
Check road closures etc. There is usually a road closure on the Coast that will divert you to the 101 to get down from Monterrey to the middle of the state to see Yosemite etc. (for planning purposes, you may have to cut some things out)
Regardless, will be a great trip. Have fun!
Posted on 10/29/24 at 6:20 pm to Cool Hand Luke
quote:
We want to do a 10 or 11 day road trip next summer starting in Northern California and ending at Glacier NP.....Sequoia, Yosemite, Monterey, SF are on the list. What should we see in Oregon and Washington?
That's NOT going to work at all. That region of the country is bigger than most people expect, travel times are longer and the whole point is to spend as much time out of the car as possible enjoying nature.
You need to refine a realistic 10 day itenerary. Unless you split the trip into two parts and fly from SFO to FCA, then I don't think you can do the Bay Area and Glacier NP in the same trip.
If I was doing a one way trip to Glacier and I had a week to get there then I would fly into Jackson Hole and hit the Tetons, Yellowstone and southern Montana on the way up. Seattle and Boise would be a distant 2nd and 3rd choice for a starting point.
Or you could just spend the entire trip in California.
Washington and Oregon would each require their own separate 10 day trips to see most of the highlights in my opinion.
Posted on 10/29/24 at 9:30 pm to longhorn22
LINK you can see the spruce goose plane built by Howard Hughes in McMinnville, Oregon.
Posted on 10/30/24 at 9:17 am to texas tortilla
Some amazing areas off the beaten path are the Wallowa Mts in Oregon and the Trinity Alps in Cali.
Posted on 10/30/24 at 2:16 pm to RogerTheShrubber
quote:
Trinity Alps in Cali.
Drive hiway 299 from McKinleyville (the coast) to Chico, that’ll take you right through the trinity alps.
I lived in Humboldt for a while, my absolute favorite place in Northern California is fern canyon.
Posted on 10/30/24 at 3:59 pm to Cool Hand Luke
Friend,
Yosemite is my favorite national park in the entire world. If you have the opportunity to go, it should not be missed. I like spending 5-7 days per trip to Yosemite, such is the wonderful hiking and climbing there. Be sure to enter the Half Dome lottery on March 1. Climbing Half Dome is something every American should do at least once in his life. Usually the climbing season is from late May through mid October. I like the last week of September, when the weather is perfect and usually the fires are done.
Carmel and Monterey are spectacular, as is San Francisco, one of only two cultural cities west of the Rockies, the other being Astoria, OR. If interested, consider reading TulaneLSU's top 10 signs of Carmel and TulaneLSU's top 10 observations on Pebble Beach. If you enjoy bridges, the Yosemite, Highway 1, and San Francisco regions are home to some of the most interesting in America. Consider TulaneLSU's top 10 bridges of Central California. I do not think a side trip to Merced, CA is worth your time. However, at least a couple of days are warranted if you are staying in San Francisco. See TulaneLSU's top 10 signs of San Francisco.
If headed north, consider climbing Mt Shasta, one of the easiest 14ers. Your trip would be best in late summer for this trek. My attempt last year was stymied by fire. On the upside, it allowed me to visit Crater Lake and spend a marvelous two days there. As someone above mentioned, Crater Lake is best visited at the earliest in mid to late July. See TulaneLSU's guide to Crater Lake.
From Crater Lake your compass with point north. You must decide whether to go NW or NE. NW brings you to the coast. NE brings you to Bend, OR, where you can visit the last Blockbuster and determine your favorite ten movies there. Even if you go through Bend, you can eventually make your way to the coast through Portland, which gets rave reviews as a pizza city. It is not, even if Ken's Artisan Pizza is excellent.
As I have already said, a trip to Astoria, Oregon should not be missed. The nearby Cannon Beach and Ecola State Park is among the most beautiful spots in America.
If you decide to go up the Pacific Coast to Washington, you will pass some great . And you will also pass Aberdeen, WA, where I visited Kurt Cobain's childhood home. Going this route puts you past some outstanding cheap roadside eating along the OR and WA coastal route.
As you go north in Washington, eventually you will come to Olympic National Park. While it is beautiful, I find the coastal area near Cannon Beach, OR just as, if not more so. The hiking at Olympic is not great, but it is a diverse park, and one worth visiting at least once. Refer to TulaneLSU's short trip to Olympic NP. If you decide to go up the coastal route through Olympic, I encourage you to purchase a ferry ticket from Port Townsend to Whidbey Island. It is a beautiful journey and puts you off not from from the grossly underappreciated North Cascades NP (see below).
If you decide to forego the coastal route up, and want a quick shot from Portland to Seattle, you will pass close to Mt Saint Helen and Rainier NP. I apologize that all my photos from TulaneLSU's top 10 hikes of Rainier have gone missing. However, trust that Rainier is a wonderful park to hike. After Yosemite, it arguably is the best hiking park on in the three Pacific Coast states.
Perhaps the only other argument for a better hiking park in those states is North Cascades NP. There are few, if any, easy hikes there, but the views are breathtaking. One of my favorite hikes there is the Sahale Glacier Trail. Challenging and full of surprises, it is well worth the effort. I have never driven from North Cascades to Glacier NP, but according to Google Maps, it is a nine hour journey.
Eleven days simply is not enough time to do California, Oregon, and Washington. However, perhaps some of these notes will be of use as you settle on what looks most enticing to you.
Yours,
TulaneLSU
Yosemite is my favorite national park in the entire world. If you have the opportunity to go, it should not be missed. I like spending 5-7 days per trip to Yosemite, such is the wonderful hiking and climbing there. Be sure to enter the Half Dome lottery on March 1. Climbing Half Dome is something every American should do at least once in his life. Usually the climbing season is from late May through mid October. I like the last week of September, when the weather is perfect and usually the fires are done.
Carmel and Monterey are spectacular, as is San Francisco, one of only two cultural cities west of the Rockies, the other being Astoria, OR. If interested, consider reading TulaneLSU's top 10 signs of Carmel and TulaneLSU's top 10 observations on Pebble Beach. If you enjoy bridges, the Yosemite, Highway 1, and San Francisco regions are home to some of the most interesting in America. Consider TulaneLSU's top 10 bridges of Central California. I do not think a side trip to Merced, CA is worth your time. However, at least a couple of days are warranted if you are staying in San Francisco. See TulaneLSU's top 10 signs of San Francisco.
If headed north, consider climbing Mt Shasta, one of the easiest 14ers. Your trip would be best in late summer for this trek. My attempt last year was stymied by fire. On the upside, it allowed me to visit Crater Lake and spend a marvelous two days there. As someone above mentioned, Crater Lake is best visited at the earliest in mid to late July. See TulaneLSU's guide to Crater Lake.
From Crater Lake your compass with point north. You must decide whether to go NW or NE. NW brings you to the coast. NE brings you to Bend, OR, where you can visit the last Blockbuster and determine your favorite ten movies there. Even if you go through Bend, you can eventually make your way to the coast through Portland, which gets rave reviews as a pizza city. It is not, even if Ken's Artisan Pizza is excellent.
As I have already said, a trip to Astoria, Oregon should not be missed. The nearby Cannon Beach and Ecola State Park is among the most beautiful spots in America.
If you decide to go up the Pacific Coast to Washington, you will pass some great . And you will also pass Aberdeen, WA, where I visited Kurt Cobain's childhood home. Going this route puts you past some outstanding cheap roadside eating along the OR and WA coastal route.
As you go north in Washington, eventually you will come to Olympic National Park. While it is beautiful, I find the coastal area near Cannon Beach, OR just as, if not more so. The hiking at Olympic is not great, but it is a diverse park, and one worth visiting at least once. Refer to TulaneLSU's short trip to Olympic NP. If you decide to go up the coastal route through Olympic, I encourage you to purchase a ferry ticket from Port Townsend to Whidbey Island. It is a beautiful journey and puts you off not from from the grossly underappreciated North Cascades NP (see below).
If you decide to forego the coastal route up, and want a quick shot from Portland to Seattle, you will pass close to Mt Saint Helen and Rainier NP. I apologize that all my photos from TulaneLSU's top 10 hikes of Rainier have gone missing. However, trust that Rainier is a wonderful park to hike. After Yosemite, it arguably is the best hiking park on in the three Pacific Coast states.
Perhaps the only other argument for a better hiking park in those states is North Cascades NP. There are few, if any, easy hikes there, but the views are breathtaking. One of my favorite hikes there is the Sahale Glacier Trail. Challenging and full of surprises, it is well worth the effort. I have never driven from North Cascades to Glacier NP, but according to Google Maps, it is a nine hour journey.
Eleven days simply is not enough time to do California, Oregon, and Washington. However, perhaps some of these notes will be of use as you settle on what looks most enticing to you.
Yours,
TulaneLSU
Posted on 10/30/24 at 4:24 pm to TulaneLSU
Thank you friend. I will look into your posts. Sounds like I may have underestimated the amount of stops for this trip. Probably going to plan it a bit differently.
Posted on 10/30/24 at 5:25 pm to bluestem75
quote:
Skip SF and hang out in Sausalito, Sonoma, or Napa. SF is filled with junkies, homeless, and shuttered retail stores
ok, bud.
Posted on 10/31/24 at 6:55 am to rutiger
I go every summer
Posted on 10/31/24 at 1:18 pm to nctiger71
quote:
# 1 for me are the redwoods near Arcata- Redwoods National and State Parks north of Arcata and Humboldt Redwood State Park south of Arcata.
yes, RNP is great. See the Elk, Fern Canyon. Maybe stop in Trinidad, CA and hike down to the water/see the light house.
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