Drive Between SFO & PDX-- Best Time To Go & Best Direction To Drive
Jul 20th, 2014, 03:39 AM
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Drive Between SFO & PDX-- Best Time To Go & Best Direction To Drive
We are thinking of driving between San Francisco and Portland next summer. From my early research, I am thinking of visiting Point Reyes, Mendocino, Redwood NP, Yachats, and Columbia Gorge/Mt. Hood/ Hood River. Is there a summer month that is better than another? Is there any less fog in June than July or August?
Also, does it make a difference whether we drive north to south or vice versa?
Thanks for your help!
Also, does it make a difference whether we drive north to south or vice versa?
Thanks for your help!
Jul 20th, 2014, 05:42 AM
#2
Do you live in the SF area or are you flying in and renting a car? How many days for the trip?
If it has to be a one way car rental, fly or take the train to Portland and rent from there going southbound along the coast.
My choice would be early August.
If it has to be a one way car rental, fly or take the train to Portland and rent from there going southbound along the coast.
My choice would be early August.
Jul 20th, 2014, 06:10 AM
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We would be flying into one city or the other and renting a car. Not sure I understand about taking the train to Portland. Is there some way to avoid a giant drop-off fee, since we will not be returning the car to the same city? Thanks for your response.
Jul 20th, 2014, 07:00 AM
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Digbydog, tomfuller is a train fan and so mentioned it as a travel alternative to airlines. Basically, he is recommending a southbound drive, presumably as that lets you pull off the road for viewing the ocean without having the cross to the other side.
We've looked into a similar trip ourselves, pricing the one way car either way, and haven't found a way out of a big drop charge yet. But - when driving from a destination that is past high season to another area where rental car demand is high, that's when you have the best chance. Example: Rented a car in Orlando late spring and dropped it off at Myrtle Beach (when they were ramping up), it cost less than $20 total for the day.
We've looked into a similar trip ourselves, pricing the one way car either way, and haven't found a way out of a big drop charge yet. But - when driving from a destination that is past high season to another area where rental car demand is high, that's when you have the best chance. Example: Rented a car in Orlando late spring and dropped it off at Myrtle Beach (when they were ramping up), it cost less than $20 total for the day.
Jul 20th, 2014, 07:27 AM
#6
Is there a summer month that is better than another? Is there any less fog in June than July or August?
Also, does it make a difference whether we drive north to south or vice versa?
The drive direction is only important if it matters that you want to be on the ocean side of the road, i.e. southbound. It's not a huge issue in other respects, although you should also look at rental car charges for pickup in Oregon vs. California. For US residents a drop charge (or, worse, a much higher daily rate) is for the most part unavoidable for one-way hires, although I've seen reports that booking through Hotwire.com can sometimes give rates without drop fees. For non-residents, there are a couple (mainly British) of booking services where one-way charges aren't added.
In terms of month, it's a bit of catch-22. June is still somewhat spring-like in much of the Pacific Northwest - cloudy on the coast, either cloudy or sunny inland. The waterfalls along the Columbia Gorge will be spectacularly full of water from melting mountain snows; however Mount Hood will still have lots of snow on the ground. By August things will have warmed up (and melted) such that the waterfalls will be less stunning (not dry, just lower flows) but the mountains will be full of wildflowers. The coast will have better weather but will be full of tourists.
In California, "June Gloom" does indeed occur on the north coast (not as pronounced as in southern California, maybe) but frankly that's probably the best time to see the redwoods - misty, awesome, even drippy - that's why they're there.
By August the interior valleys (Sonoma County, for example) can be hot as Hades, while the coast - from Pt. Reyes to Oregon - will be cooler but not rainy. One thing to note is that many hotels/motels on the Oregon coast enforce minimum stays (2+ nights) during the high summer, so you should plan accordingly.
So it's a judgement call. If it was me for the first time, I'd fly into Portland in early July, spend a few nights around Portland and the Gorge, then head south.
I'm especially fond of vistas and "surprise" moments during road trips, and to me one of the very best moments in all my car travels is emerging from the Waldo Tunnel on US 101 southbound, where your eyes land on an (ideally partially fog-shrouded) Golden Gate Bridge. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ2rPNyssNs - start around 4 min. in.) Going northbound the drama is less noticeable.
Also, does it make a difference whether we drive north to south or vice versa?
The drive direction is only important if it matters that you want to be on the ocean side of the road, i.e. southbound. It's not a huge issue in other respects, although you should also look at rental car charges for pickup in Oregon vs. California. For US residents a drop charge (or, worse, a much higher daily rate) is for the most part unavoidable for one-way hires, although I've seen reports that booking through Hotwire.com can sometimes give rates without drop fees. For non-residents, there are a couple (mainly British) of booking services where one-way charges aren't added.
In terms of month, it's a bit of catch-22. June is still somewhat spring-like in much of the Pacific Northwest - cloudy on the coast, either cloudy or sunny inland. The waterfalls along the Columbia Gorge will be spectacularly full of water from melting mountain snows; however Mount Hood will still have lots of snow on the ground. By August things will have warmed up (and melted) such that the waterfalls will be less stunning (not dry, just lower flows) but the mountains will be full of wildflowers. The coast will have better weather but will be full of tourists.
In California, "June Gloom" does indeed occur on the north coast (not as pronounced as in southern California, maybe) but frankly that's probably the best time to see the redwoods - misty, awesome, even drippy - that's why they're there.
By August the interior valleys (Sonoma County, for example) can be hot as Hades, while the coast - from Pt. Reyes to Oregon - will be cooler but not rainy. One thing to note is that many hotels/motels on the Oregon coast enforce minimum stays (2+ nights) during the high summer, so you should plan accordingly.
So it's a judgement call. If it was me for the first time, I'd fly into Portland in early July, spend a few nights around Portland and the Gorge, then head south.
I'm especially fond of vistas and "surprise" moments during road trips, and to me one of the very best moments in all my car travels is emerging from the Waldo Tunnel on US 101 southbound, where your eyes land on an (ideally partially fog-shrouded) Golden Gate Bridge. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ2rPNyssNs - start around 4 min. in.) Going northbound the drama is less noticeable.
Jul 20th, 2014, 09:16 AM
#7
Gardyloo has given you terrific background/reasons/suggestions.
The fog is a crap shoot. If it is really hot inland in the CA Central Valley -- then it will usually be cold/cool/foggy on the coast. But if it is just normally warm inland -- then the coast is more likely to be lovely.
I'd decide which direction to drive based on whether you get a cheaper car rental from PDX or SFO (and be sure to check off-airport locations which might be significantly cheaper)
I'd opt for mid June if I had my druthers. You'll want to avoid the week around July 4. Mid August onwards is good too since most CA schools (not sure about Oregon) now return about the 10-14 August. (years ago it was Labor day but they keep moving the start dates up)
Most anywhere on the coast or in resort/tourist areas will require two night stays at least on weekends.
The fog is a crap shoot. If it is really hot inland in the CA Central Valley -- then it will usually be cold/cool/foggy on the coast. But if it is just normally warm inland -- then the coast is more likely to be lovely.
I'd decide which direction to drive based on whether you get a cheaper car rental from PDX or SFO (and be sure to check off-airport locations which might be significantly cheaper)
I'd opt for mid June if I had my druthers. You'll want to avoid the week around July 4. Mid August onwards is good too since most CA schools (not sure about Oregon) now return about the 10-14 August. (years ago it was Labor day but they keep moving the start dates up)
Most anywhere on the coast or in resort/tourist areas will require two night stays at least on weekends.
Jul 20th, 2014, 09:39 AM
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Thanks for the great advice Gardyloo and janisj. Great video of the first view of the Golden Gate bridge coming from the north.
Just checked, and it's $100 more to rent from SFO, plus it would be nice to be on the coast side while driving.
Now just need to figure out when to go. Mid-August is out, as we have a son who will be headed to college. If we decide to tack on Crater Lake, when do all the roads there open? Are we safe by early July? Love the sound of the Redwoods in fog, but don't want our drive to be viewless because of fog.
Just checked, and it's $100 more to rent from SFO, plus it would be nice to be on the coast side while driving.
Now just need to figure out when to go. Mid-August is out, as we have a son who will be headed to college. If we decide to tack on Crater Lake, when do all the roads there open? Are we safe by early July? Love the sound of the Redwoods in fog, but don't want our drive to be viewless because of fog.
Jul 20th, 2014, 09:47 AM
#9
If we decide to tack on Crater Lake, when do all the roads there open? Are we safe by early July? Love the sound of the Redwoods in fog, but don't want our drive to be viewless because of fog.
The full rim of Crater Lake ought to be open by the second week of July at the latest.
Fog in the redwoods is a fact of life at any time of the year. Fortunately, when you're in the groves (or driving through) you're close enough to the trees that the fog doesn't matter. Being on the forest floor when the fog starts to break up - leaving shafts of sunlight - is nothing short of breathtaking.
How long do you have for this trip?
The full rim of Crater Lake ought to be open by the second week of July at the latest.
Fog in the redwoods is a fact of life at any time of the year. Fortunately, when you're in the groves (or driving through) you're close enough to the trees that the fog doesn't matter. Being on the forest floor when the fog starts to break up - leaving shafts of sunlight - is nothing short of breathtaking.
How long do you have for this trip?
Jul 20th, 2014, 10:18 AM
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Just want to reiterate janisj's suggestion to look for car rental sites off airport property. In Portland, the on-airport rental add-on fees can be pretty substantial. On the other hand, you can take the Portland Light Rail from the airport into downtown, and pick up a car there much cheaper. For our upcoming trip this September, we will save almost half on the 2-week rental by doing this.
Trimet MAX Light Rail:
http://trimet.org/max/
Trimet MAX Light Rail:
http://trimet.org/max/
Jul 20th, 2014, 11:34 AM
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Gardyloo-- I don't mind fog in the Redwoods. Just would prefer the other parts of the OR and CA coast to be clear. We have driven Hwy 1 south from San Fran, and it would have been a real disappointment had fog obstructed the view. That's why I'm trying to figure out our best time to go.
We will have 15-16 days for the trip.
Sludick--I hope we will have the savings you got. When I checked random dates for next June, picking up at PDX was actually slightly cheaper than in Portland.
We will have 15-16 days for the trip.
Sludick--I hope we will have the savings you got. When I checked random dates for next June, picking up at PDX was actually slightly cheaper than in Portland.
Jul 20th, 2014, 12:49 PM
#12
If you have 16 days for the trip, you can do the entire loop with a stop at Crater Lake and Bend on the way back to PDX to return the car.
On April 26 this year, I snowshoed on top of 3-4 feet of snow from the Crater Lake lodge. (Ranger led hike)
Have a great trip, but make it a loop with that many days.
I like Oregon car rentals better than California rentals as a rule. It is much easier to get from the plane to your rental car at PDX than SFO.
On April 26 this year, I snowshoed on top of 3-4 feet of snow from the Crater Lake lodge. (Ranger led hike)
Have a great trip, but make it a loop with that many days.
I like Oregon car rentals better than California rentals as a rule. It is much easier to get from the plane to your rental car at PDX than SFO.
Jul 20th, 2014, 02:29 PM
#14
>>Just read in the Fodors CA guide that July and August are worst for fog. Janisj--why did you recommend June?everything you read on Fodors 
My guess is the writer isn't from around these parts and got caught by unexpected fog in July August. June fog is generally different than what you get in July August. And fog can happen at ANY time in the summer. June's is more like a general overcast- not fogged in solid. In July August it is more caused by the high heat inland/inversion so it can get really socked in - but only for a few days at a time until the heat wave breaks inland. And the fog doesn't last all day long. It burns off . . . before it rolls in again.
My main reason for suggesting June was because of crowds. Many CA schools don't break til early June so the big start of summer travel starts around the end of June/beginning of July. But really you'll have a fine time no matter the month.
I REALLY wouldn't do a loop . . . Poor tom must have been severely scarred by a drop off fee sometime in the past. He recommends some pretty convoluted strategies to avoid a one way rental -- sometimes involving multiple trains/buses/flights . . . just to avoid that pesky drop off fee. At least this time it is only a drive almost twice as long as you'd otherwise do.
My guess is the writer isn't from around these parts and got caught by unexpected fog in July August. June fog is generally different than what you get in July August. And fog can happen at ANY time in the summer. June's is more like a general overcast- not fogged in solid. In July August it is more caused by the high heat inland/inversion so it can get really socked in - but only for a few days at a time until the heat wave breaks inland. And the fog doesn't last all day long. It burns off . . . before it rolls in again.
My main reason for suggesting June was because of crowds. Many CA schools don't break til early June so the big start of summer travel starts around the end of June/beginning of July. But really you'll have a fine time no matter the month.
I REALLY wouldn't do a loop . . . Poor tom must have been severely scarred by a drop off fee sometime in the past. He recommends some pretty convoluted strategies to avoid a one way rental -- sometimes involving multiple trains/buses/flights . . . just to avoid that pesky drop off fee. At least this time it is only a drive almost twice as long as you'd otherwise do.
