How about Mendocino? (assuming you plan to take Hwy 1)
But you will probably stop a lot along the scenic route to tale pictures, or make a little detour to Point Reyes.. So you will probably make less miles per hour as if you were just cruising north on I-5.

I hate virtual keyboards.. Take pictures, not tale pictures...

Depending on where you start in the Bay Area, in about five hours you could make it to Ashland, Oregon (I-5) or Trinidad, California (101)--two places many travelers like for one reason or another.

HTTY

If you take I-5 Ashland or Medford would be good places. If you're on 101 Eureka. of if you want a slower pace, take Highway 1 and make it Mendocino or Fort Bragg.

How many days/nights do you have available?

Ashland would be good, but it is not 4-5 hours from San Francisco. It is almost exactly 350 miles and a 6 hour drive at the best of times, and that is only if you miss heavy traffic in the Bay Area.

O.K, are you suggesting they stop in Redding or some other place between Redding and Ashland? I wouldn't. Can't.

HTTY

4-5 hours puts one somewhere between Lakehead and Weed.
Better to spend the extra hour and enjoy with a good meal and wine.
Next day take the back route OR238,
and enjoy the small wineries of the Applegate Valley.
You'll end up in Grants Pass and could either hit I-5 north or take US199
over to the Coast.

Once you get out of the Bay area - and if you take the "Dunnigan cutoff" (505 - and going north - at about Vacaville) - something we have done since the 50's - it's only about 4 hours to Ashland if you keep it at about 70 to 75 mph. http://www.citiesandvillages.com/city-Dunnigan-Yolo%20County-CA-112183.aspx

Much faster than that and Chippie might want to talk to you.

And BBQ Boy: What about some of those great restaurant recommendations for Ashland - and don't forget to check out the Oregon Shakespeare festival. http://www.osfashland.org/

HTTY: "O.K, are you suggesting they stop in Redding or some other place between Redding and Ashland? I"

Not at all . . . I said Ashland was good. I was only letting them know that Ashland didn't exactly meet their criteria . . . "The first day, we want to stop after about 4-5 hours of driving"

tomsd: Vacaville to Ashland is exactly 300 miles. Even on I-505/I-5 one can't average 75MPH. It ain't a 4 hour drive.

I get your point, janisj. Truth be known, if I wanted to stay at a place (exactly) four hours north of San Francisco it would be Garberville! It isn't much of a town, but the Best Western has large rooms and an excellent breakfast (everybody who does business in the area seems to stay there). Within walking distance is a real surprise--Cecil's, which is a good Cajun restaurant: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g32419-d626492-Reviews-Cecil_s-Garberville_California.html

HTTY

This is incredible. I absolutely love all these suggestions! And am so thankful you all are out there offering good tips. We were thinking that we would take I-5 up and hwy 101 back. My husband loves to drive, but Ashland might be a stretch. Trinidad is an interesting thought ... have to look into that. And yes, thought about Redding but wanted something a little more scenic. "Happytrailstoyou" suggested Garberville. Another one to check out. (thanks for the restaurant name too). Do you all use tripadvisor or yelp to help you find hotels and restaurants? Love good wine, etc, but also thought we should try and find a good Diner, Drive-in or Dive place on the way.
AND .. again, thanks for the help!

Oh, and gardyloo, we have about a 6-7 nights.

We were thinking that we would take I-5 up and hwy 101 back...

Oh, and gardyloo, we have about a 6-7 nights.

Aha. So we're talking about a round trip with 6-7 nights altogether?

Help me (us) out here... so in a week you're traveling round trip, and still plan to do... something? in the Seattle area? We're not mind-readers, so let's assume the answer is, "Yes," and go from there.

If so, then you're going to want to keep your overnights on the road to something of a minimum. Obviously, there are umpteen options available both on the I-5 corridor and on the coast, but it sounds like you're going to want to keep your stopovers to one or at most two nights in each direction, right?

Northbound, using I-5 the actual "half way" point in terms of drive time is closer to Roseburg, Oregon than it is to Ashland. If you want to limit yourselves to 4-5 hours, Ashland is better (and a much more interesting town) but that will make the next day - assuming you want to get to Seattle - pretty long; we usually take around 8-9 hours (counting a lunch stop) to get from Seattle to Ashland or v.v. It's also, unfortunately, a rather boring 9 hours, after the first hour or two while you transit the Rogue Valley. From Eugene onward, it's mainly flat and fast, with the scenic highlights few and rather far between.

If you had another night northbound, I'd spend it outside of Portland in the Columbia Gorge, say around Hood River, which isn't a huge detour but is a real highlight of any trip to the Northwest. From Hood River to Seattle is around 4 hours, so easily done in a morning.

Heading south, again, assuming you want to limit the number of overnights, you can do it with one night and two 7-8 hour days, by heading south on I-5 from Seattle back through Portland and down the Willamette Valley to just past Cottage Grove, where you use Oregon Hwy. 38 to get out to the coast, passing through a lovely little gorge created by the Umpqua River. Your overnight point is Bandon, by far the most attractive town on the southern Oregon coast.

The next morning you head down US 101 through (IMO) the best scenery along the Oregon coast, and right after Crescent City you're into the Redwoods, the highlight of the trip in my view. Visit a couple of the groves (Founder's Grove probably has the highest reward-to-effort ratio) then stop for a late lunch at the Samoa Cookhouse, a lumber mill mess hall, in Samoa, across the bay from Eureka. (Family style meals served by by your grannie, provided your grannie works in a lumber camp.) http://www.samoacookhouse.net/

From there it's around 5-6 hours into SF, making for a really long day, but doable.

If you can spare another night heading south, then cut over to the coast farther north - say at Astoria, and spend more time on the coast, staying at Yachats, Oregon the first night, then in Eureka CA the second. That would make the southbound trip comprise days of 5, 5, and 5 hours, roughly.

But if you have more or less time, infinite riffs on this are possible. Please advise.

htty: I agree re Garberville -- but for me it must be the Benbow. I LOVE the place.

And Cecil's is very good.

Geesh. One can easily average 75 mph north on I-5 - after you get to Vacaville - and Ashland to me trumps Redding by far, no disrespect to Redding.

If you need a little break - maybe enjoy a picnic lunch at the rest stop off I-5 - just north of Lake Shasta - that overlooks a finger of Lake Shasta.- about 30? minutes from Redding. http://www.shastalake.com/maps/

It's a very nice place for a stop, and a little higher than Redding so it's a bit cooler.

And from Ashland to Seattle - as noted - it's pretty much a straight shot on the freeway.

Here is the rest stop I was talking about - and it's only about 15 minutes north of Redding - the O'Brien rest area.

http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/maint/ra/ra25.htm

A little over two hours later - and you would be in Ashland.

"Geesh. One can easily average 75 mph north on I-5"

You do realize that the speed limit is 70 only as far as Tehema County? The rest is 65, and even lower in some stretches.

Sure one can hit 75 or 80, but averaging 75 -- not the way they patrol.

again .. thank you all for the wonderful suggestions. We appreciate the huge amount of time you put into posting.

Gardyloo, my apologies, I'm new to this kind of communication.

So, thinking we may need 8-9 nights:

San Francisco bay to Geyersville
to Ashland
to Cottage Grove
To Tacoma
then Hood River
and Yachats
Bandon?
Ferndale, Ca
Calistoga, Ca

Janisj, I am in the process of checking out the Benbow Inn.
Tomsd, checked the rest stop -- Thanks!

Everyone -- great experience!! Thanks again

gpn: Sounds like a good plan. Leaving from Geyersville means you are beyond most of the Bay Area congestion and you should make good time to Ashland. (see more below). And if you haven't checked it out - you might even catch a play at the Oregon Shakespeare festival in the great outdoor theater in Ashland. http://www.osfashland.org/

Coming back - the drive out the Gorge - and seeing the waterfalls (the biggest being Multnoma - http://www.multnomahfallslodge.com/ ) is great - and while Hood River is cute - and there are some wineries around there - we really love staying about 45 minutes away - up on the slope of Mt. Hood - at Timerline Lodge - http://www.timberlinelodge.com/ and watching the young skiers train - or going for hikes, taking a swim while looking up at the glacier, whatever.

And for the rest of your trip down the coast - there are many posts in here under Oregon and Cal - where that is discussed in depth. And if you are golfers - or appreciate great courses - by all means do not miss the 4 world class links courses at Bandon Dunes. Just spectacular - and they have good salt water taffy in the cute little town also.

Fyi - I have driven I-5 between the Weed junction (about an hour south of Ashland on I-5 - and an hour and a half or so north of Redding - where one takes ole 97 to go to Klamath Falls, my hometown) - to San Francisco well over 50 times during my time - first riding along with my parents back in the 50's - when my dad went to medical conventions in SF - and later several times a year during college days and later living in SF, etc - and I go pretty fast - but I only got one ticket, and that was after moving to San Diego.

I had flown into Sacto from SD - on my way to Klamath - about 15? years ago - early - and was driving from the airport in a rental car - talking on my cell phone and jazzed about the sun coming up over the mountains - and wasn't really paying attention - or looking for Chippies - and had gotten up to over 80.

Oops - but since I had a good driving record - was able to go to traffic school and not take a hit on the insurance.

And I last drove from Sacto to Klamath about two years ago when I went up to the old town for a mini-reunion.

If you go with the flow - and don't pass too dramatically in the fast lane - you should easily be able to go 70 most of the time without a problem.

Sure - there are a few places where they will be working on the road (like about everywhere else - in the summer - especially in the higher elevations which get more runoff damage) - and you might have to slow down - and once in a while - wait a couple of minutes if they have it only one way - while the lead van takes groups through the area - but again, you can make good time I-5 - and I always say - get going early to make the best time.

On the trip north on I-5 if you can't make it to Ashland, stay in Mount Shasta. Don't even think of staying in Redding.
Think about going from Mount Shasta to Crater Lake before continuing north.

We enjoy staying in Mt. Shasta when driving up or down I-5. Nice little town for walking around, Mt. Shasta right in your face. The Tree House is a nice place to stay, and we love the deck at the Billy Goat tavern for dinner.

On 101 I second the suggestion of Benbow. We stopped there for brunch on a recent trip to Eureka. I hadn't been there in about 40 years but it is still g great place.

"If you go with the flow - and don't pass too dramatically in the fast lane - you should easily be able to go 70 most of the time without a problem."

Putz. That is entirely different than your first claim of 'averaging' 75MPH.

FYI Tomsd: About every 6-8 weeks I drive round trip from Sacramento to Bend, OR. No way can you drive an average of 70-75 MPH between Redding and Weed. I am a fast driver (constantly looking for CHPs). But, between the slow 18 wheelers (going uphill), RVs and just plain slow drivers, average speed goes WAY down. During the summer you also have road/bridge construction going on. Just saying...

Seems the last two ladies perhaps don't know how to negotiate traffic that well? You have to learn how to pass the slow moving vehicles ahead of you.

From Redding to Weed is about an hour and a half - and would agree it's the slowest moving of the 5 or so hours from Sacto/Vacaville area to the Oregon border, but you can make some time up the rest of the way, and have a little cushion in your pocket.

Years ago you could go faster - but even now - you can hit/average up to say 78 on many of the long/straight stretches - which I do - but I won't "warrant" you might not get pinched

Generally I have found the Chippies are after faster targets -rather than those keeping it under 80.

But hey - even if it takes a little over 5 hours to get from the Sacto area to the Oregon Border. - so what?

There are nice rest stops along the way - and heading north - once you get to within an hour or so of Redding - you start to see some of the beauty of the higher elevations in Northern Cal - and cinder cone Mt Shasta is looming in front of you - and the time just nicely passes by.

Drivers: Please mind the speed limits and signal your intentions before changing lanes or turning. It won't kill you to spend an extra half-hour getting someplace and it could save you a lot of money (or perhaps your life). If that's not enough for you, our state and local governments are in serious financial trouble, and cracking down on speeders and cell phone users for income, as well as accident prevention and law enforcement. Please drive carefully and be considerate of others - especially those whose familiarity with the area and driving skills are not as good as you think yours are.

Thanks for the lecture--I think.

HTTY

Just returned from this trip, and road construction between Redding and Ashland was down to one lane (each way) off and on - which really slowed things down, even late at night. No complaints, though; it was a beautiful drive. You have to drive slowly in construction zones.

We also noted that posted speed limits in Oregon were frequently 55 mph, and the highway patrol in Northern California and Oregon were visibly busy ticketing speeders.

If you go on I-5, I'd recommend stopping in Ashland, because it is an interesting town designed for tourists (due to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival) with plenty of good restaurants and coffee houses and breweries. You can often get last minute tickets to one of the plays. Lithia Park in the center of town is a lovely spot for a picnic and a pleasant walk.

If you head north on 101 from SF, it will take quite a bit longer than I-5, and going to Ashland may not be a good stop as you will be coming to I-5 north of Ashland. Highway 101 through the Redwoods is gorgeous, but make sure you take the old highway scenic route when you reach Redwood National Park (the turn off for Prairie Creek). Otherwise Highway 101 itself bypasses the best of that area. This will only add about 10 or 15 minutes but is totally worth it.