canadadrummer

Am I planing an unreasonable trip in 2 weeks? I have a rough estimate drafted out nothing in stone.. But I have not included Yosemite. Is that one of the top places to see along the west coast? I have heard great things. Also. We may ad a Day or two to make a few more things work, or swap things around.

Is there any sites I have missed that would be much better to see? or anything listed that is not worth going to? This is very rough at the moment.



day 1 fly to Seattle early. (get rental. go out in the evening possibly)

day 2 Seattle (tour around. check out some sights)

day 3 wake up, drive to Portland (find some evening things to do,)

day 4 Columbia River Gorge,

day 5 Oregon dunes, or skip the dunes and stay in Portland another day

day 6 drive to redwood forest. stay here for the night

day 7 drive to San Francisco (go out in the evening)

day 8 Alcatraz, check out some local stuff

day 9 Drive to Santa Monica (stay here) sight see (or stay in sanfran another day and do the full drive tomorow)

day 10 Drive to LA Find something to do in the late afternoon evening.. (if we stay in sanfran just treat today as a driving day stoping to sight see along the way taking our time)

day 11 Venice beach / take a tour or find an event to attend.

day 12 LA to San Diago (check something out in the evening in San Diago)

day 13 San Diago Zoo

day 14 fly home



.

suze

I'd probably cut San Diego and end your trip in Los Angeles.

You have some really long driving days that cut into your 1 day stays in certain places. Have you factored in actual driving time for each of the times you're changing locations?

Really only 1 day for San Francisco? Only 2 days in LA?

canadadrummer

I know.. its a quick trip. I think if we end up adding a few days we could do 3 in SF and 3 in LA

The wife wanted to see the Zoo. but we were also thinking we could Fly out of LA as well

Thanks for the advice. This was a short list. We are just getting started in the planning and there will be many changes. We are very flexible but didn't want to plan too eager. I think we are still pushing it and might cut back

Gardyloo

What time of year?

janisj

Hi again (from your other thread )

>>day 5 Oregon dunes, or skip the dunes and stay in Portland another day

day 6 drive to redwood forest. stay here for the night

day 7 drive to San Francisco (go out in the evening)

day 8 Alcatraz, check out some local stuff

day 9 Drive to Santa Monica (stay here) sight see (or stay in sanfran another day and do the full drive tomorow)

happytrailstoyou

I agree with size's observations, and some of my favorites that I don't see in your itinerary are the drive up to Mt. Rainier, the Oregon Coast (except for dunes), and Highway 1 from Monterey to Cambria.

HTtY

canadadrummer

Thanks. we are looking at October.
Appreciate the tips. We are OK with being on the move and seeing as much as possible. but I don't want to feel rushed, or like we are in a car the whole time just trying to end up somewhere else.

I think a bit less sightseeing and more time in the larger citys might make sense too.

Would it make more sense if we have never been out to do the coast drive, Start further south, Cut out the ZOO, big sur?

Mt. Ranier is pretty amazing? I think we would like to see the coast, we are very flexible, I was just trying to pick a few things to see.

Gardyloo

First, congratulations!

I would suggest flying into Portland instead of Seattle; you're not going to be able to give Seattle enough time anyway, and Portland-area hotels, and probably rental cars, will be cheaper.

Stay the first night at McMenamin's Edgefield, just a very short drive from PDX airport. http://www.mcmenamins.com/Edgefield . It's a fun and funky place, and will put you on the edge of the Gorge/Hood River/Mt. Hood zone for the next day.

Here's a suggested reworking of your schedule:

1 Arrive Portland, overnight Edgefield
2 Columbia Gorge/Hood River/Mt. Hood
3 To Bandon via Newport, dunes
4 To Eureka via south coast and redwoods
5 To SF via Avenue of the Giants
6 SF
7 SF
8 SF to Monterey/Carmel via Santa Cruz
9 Monterey/Carmel to San Luis Obispo via SR1
10 SLO to Los Angeles via Santa Barbara
11 Los Angeles
12 Los Angeles
13 Los Angeles to San Diego
14 San Diego to home

Days 13 and 14 look a bit abbreviated but almost all of day 13 can be spent in San Diego because it's only a couple of hours' drive from LA. Here's a possible map - https://goo.gl/maps/utaMB865g5P2

A note about the mountains - in October you'll run a chance of snow at elevation. I've included Timberline Lodge at Mount Hood in the above; it's very close to the Columbia Gorge and is much more easily accessed than the other volcanoes in the Pacific NW such as Rainier or Mt. St. Helens. You can easily include Mt. Hood in a day visiting the Columbia Gorge and Hood River Valley, returning to the Edgefield that night. Mt. Hood is the scenic equal of any of the big volcanoes.

Personally, I'm not that taken with the San Diego zoo, but that's me. I'd probably skip it and spend an extra day around the Monterey area, visiting Point Lobos State Park just south of Carmel - an area of stunning beauty and plenty of wildlife.

jamie99

Shame you will miss Big Sur, but days get short in October and no way you can drive Highway 1 in one day. I guess save it for another trip, maybe for your anniversary when you can spend at least two nights en route.
The 101 is not too bad and can be driven in one long day, skip the 5 unless you want to discover why agriculture is California's biggest industry.

happytrailstoyou

No way you can drive Highway 1 in one day.

Highway 1 from Monterey to Cambria (through Big Sur) is 103 miles. I have driven it many times in less than one day.

Highway 1 between Santa Cruz and San Francisco (through Half Moon Bay) is also very scenic, and it is a 78 mile stretch of highway.

HTtY

janisj

>>Highway 1 from Monterey to Cambria (through Big Sur) is 103 miles. I have driven it many times in less than one day.

Highway 1 between Santa Cruz and San Francisco (through Half Moon Bay) is also very scenic, and it is a 78 mile stretch of highway.><blue>day 9 Drive to Santa Monica (stay here) sight see (or stay in sanfran another day and do the full drive tomorow)</blue>one day.

Gardyloo suggests doing it in three days -- which is about minimum.

suze

<like we are in a car the whole time just trying to end up somewhere else>

I do think that's how you would feel if you try to stick with your original plan.

I don't think Mt. Rainier is worth adding more onto your itinerary myself (I live in Seattle and grew up in LA).

It's impossible to say for someone else, but I think you just need to cross off 3 things that are of the least interest to both of you, then you'll be OK.

elizzie4000

Hi Canada !

>

This is exactly what you are planning ! You'll be in the car getting from one place to the next almost everyday.

In October the Zoo closes at 6:00.

I'd say, and agree, to either start your trip further south and spend more time in places.

Portland
The drive to SF
SF
Drive the Hwy 1 over 2 or 3 nights from SF to LA
LA

Or start in SF and end in SD. But at least spend 2 or 3 nights in SD.

Or eliminate some places on the south end

suze

I think making the entire trip within the state of California is an excellent idea.

canadadrummer

Appreciate all the responses. We are going to look into a few different options now that my eyes have been opened and I will repost a new plan. We do want to do the coastal drive, but as mentioned a few of these options have to go.

A few days will be added as well.

I am very thankful for you guys helping me as my original plan would have been a disaster probably

Big Sur looks pretty amazing too. Might have to convince the Wife to get a bit extra vacation.

elbegewa

When looking at options use google maps, mapquest, or one of the others ... they all have features where you can plot a number of places and see the distance and estimated driving time between them. Many people from the east have little conception of the *long* driving distances and time out here. And don't forget to add the time for stops for gas, eating, and sightseeing.

About half my trips are slow and involve long stays or week-long hikes in one location. About half are road trips. Both are great.

I've done a number of 16 day road trips (2 weeks incl/ all 3 weekends) along the west coast to San Diego. They worked out fine. But ...
Realize the issues involved and the limits of what you'll see and do: you have to rush long distances with limited sightseeing ... just watching the scenery pass by your windows. And no malingering in the hotel rooms.

On such trips I always plan to spend a few days at some highlight spots and just accept the time and distance between them.

Gardyloo's suggestion above seems very realistic to me *if* you want it to be a 2 week road trip. But adjust it to what interests you. Example: I really like the Mt. Hood (especially Timberline Lodge, the Oregon Coast, the Redwoods, San Francisco, and the Central California coast. I'm less interested in Los Angeles and try to avoid it ... hours of freeways between places. I'd fly into Porland (Edgefield is a great idea - nioce place for a honeymoon night or two) - spend a day driving around Mt Hood (incl. Timbeline Lodge and the Gorge), spend a few "leisurely" diving days going down the Oregon coast, a couple through the redwoods, definitely as many as I could in SF, spend a few days in the Monterewy area (incl. driving there), a couple of days in the Cenrtal CA coast between San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, hurry to the LA airport, and fly away home. But that's me. Everyone - and you - has their own particular interests. (And I'd leave at the minimum 1 or 2 days unplanned to allow spontaneous things.)

Do a bit of research, just a bit, and you'll get a feel for what you'd really like to see. The hardest part will be winnowing through all that you COULD see and do to boil it down to what you CAN manage to do.

Once you get that preliminary feel we can give all sorts of specific suggestions for what you might enjoy.