Many of you offered advice, so I want to give you some feedback. We drove to the coast from SFO on rte 101, then turned off at Petaluma and came in to the coast below Bodega Bay on rte 1. It is such a beautiful drive up the coast. Very different from the drive between LA and Sf, and VERY different from the east coast. We had driven some of the Oregon coast, and it was most like that. We stayed at the Jenner Inn, and our room was almost a cabin, but nicer. We had a deck over the river, and total peace. We had an incredible dinner at River's End. In the morning we went to Goat Rock state beach. It was probably one the most beautiful scenes we have encountered. The fog was just rising, we were the only ones on the beach, and we walked to the end and found a harbor seal preserve. there they were, staring at us as we stared at them. Our next stop on the drive was Fort Ross where we saw a bobcat who again stared at us as we stared at him/her. We drove to Menocino that day through the amazing ( to an easterner) sight of cattle and dairy ranches coming down to the coast. No mansions, but farms and ranches. Mendocino surprised us because it was supposed to look just like a cape cod town. It was lovely, but looked like no cape cod town we have ever seen. We stayed at the Mendocino hotel in one of their garden rooms. The room was beautiful. We had an excellent meal at the Moosse cafe (not mis-spelled, it is the owner's name). We enjoyed the mendocino botanical gardens, and Fort Bragg. After two nights in Mendocino, we went to Eureka for 3 nights, stopping at Ferndale on the way in. Ferndale is beautiful.
We stayed at Best Western Humboldt Bay. It was fine, but be aware it is sited between the two sides of 101. We lucked on the Eureka Arts Alive, which I think happens on the first friday of each month. Galleries and shops are open in the evening, and the center is quite lively. We enjoyed the Samoa cookhouse. We also ate at a Jamaican restaurant. I don't remember the name, but I'm sure someone could tell you. It was a very good meal, and certainly fit the 60's hippy feel of Eureka.
We drove north for a day to Redwoods national park. We walked through the Lady Byrd Johnson grove, and then the Fern canyon. Both were spectacular, and worth the windy, and in one case, dirt, roads required to get there. The drive back on 101 was fine,but nothing spectacular. The temperature on the coast was 60's and perfect sunshine (lucky us). Inland it was 90's.
I highly recommend this drive!