My choice would be to drive.

After visiting the redwoods, I would make my way over to Highway 1 where attractions include great ocean views, the colorful town of Mendocino, the Mendocino Headlands, Fort Ross State Historic Park Russian Colony, and Point Reyes, National Seashore.

The drive into San Francisco over the Golden Gate Bridge is also a memorable experience.

HTTY

I agree with htty. Driving the coast route will be more educational/fun for the kids than the train would be. If there is a question mark anywhere in your plan it is Crater Lake...it is quite a detour from the coast route using highways 101 and 1.

I agree with Bob. We just went to Crater Lake and it is nearly an hour from I-5 from Medford. We stayed at a Ramada there-not the greatest but it did have an indoor pool which would be nice with kids. But I think it is too far off your route. Also, Crater Lake is beautiful, but for kids, not so great because unless you get out and hike around it is more of just a "look at it from the road" kind of place.
If you wanted you could take I-5 thorough Oregon and visit the Rogue River area and Crater Lake, and then cut over to the coast in California and just continue on down through Marin county into SF itself. Although both the coast drives in OR and CA are really nice.

I too would drive it.

At Crater Lake, definitely allow time and take the boat ride. It is very good! If it is warm out, the kids can get in the water down at the boat ramp too.

I was thinking Crater Lake would be too far east but it does look beautiful. Are there any suggestions for a hotel or town(s)to stop in assuming we start the trip with the following: a three to four night stay in/around Florence. Assuming we would want to leave Florence on 7/9 and arrive in SF by 7/13, can anyone suggest which towns to stop in and/or hotels? We would not want to drive more then 5 hours on any particular day, I think, but at the same time I don't have a real big desire to pack/repack every day. How many driving hours is it between Florence and SF?
Has anyone taken Amtrak on this route? Drop off charges for the car may impact our decision.

BTW: Thanks to everyone for sharing your wisdom!

Our favorite places to stay on the Oregon coast are Cannon Beach (Schooner's Cove), Newport (Hallmark Inn w/pool), Yachats (Fireside), Bandon, and Brookings (Best Western Beachfront Inn).

All these hotels are directly on the ocean; Florence has no hotels on the ocean front.

HTTY

Florence does have one hotel ocean front hotel which you dont hear about often- its the Driftwood Shores - have not stayed there in a long time but it was fine when I did - it has a restaurant with ocean views - expansive beach

I usually stay at the Adobe just outside of Yachats- also has ocean view restaurant. Adobe is adjacent to the Fireside which Happy Trails mentioned

Florence area- take the kids dune buggy riding- they will love it.

I'm not sure if you live in Portland, and therefore are familiar with Oregon coastal summer weather or not, but I want to warn you that it could be cold and foggy! It's also a long, curvy drive with kids. I would definitely plan on visiting Florence and doing the whole sandrailing experience. We went with four kids a few summers ago and they LOVED it.
If you decide to take the train, your last chance is in Eugene before it cuts inland and the next plaace you'd be able to catch it would be Klamath Falls. It will also take you to Oakland, not San Francisco.
Crater Lake is beautiful but it is kind of more interesting for adults than kids, I think. If you decide to go, stop off at The Gorge on the Rogue River. This is amazing! It's a short walk from the parking lot, that is even handicapped accessible. There's a great little cafe near the Gorge, called Beckie's, which is known for their pies.
I-5 is an easy but not very thrilling drive from the Rogue Valley to San Francisco. If you decide to go this route, let me know and I'll give you the directions for the quickest way.
Doing a rafting trip on the Rogue is very fun too. If your kids would find that too scary, Jet Boat rides out of Grants Pass on the Rogue are very fun too.
Jacksonville, 5 miles off I-5, is a really cute Western town. They have a music festival in the summer, which is called Britt Festivals, that is also worth checking out. There is actually The Children's Festival at the Britt Grounds in Jacksonville on July 10, 11, 12 that is really a great event. I can give you more scoop on that, if you think you'll be in the area on that day. Just 30 minutes down the road is Ashland, which is also a cute town. They're known for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which is pretty adult oriented, but it's a great town, with lots of parks and restaurants. The weather in July in the Rogue Valley is sunny and warm, unlike the coast!
If any of this sounds like fun to you, let me know and I'd be happy to give more details.

Renting car at PDX 7/6-1st night Seaside or Cannon Beach.
Second night Florence-ride the dune buggies. Third night Crescent City or Klamath California-see Redwood National Park with huge Coast Redwoods.
Drive over Rt. 199-see Oregon Caves if you have the time. Use Rt. 234 at Gold Hill to avoid Crater Lake Highway out of Medford.
If you can't get a reservation at the Crater Lake Lodge, stay at the historic Prospect Hotel http://www.prospecthotel.com/
Leave Crater Lake by the north entrance, go west on 138 to Roseburg and I-5 return the rental car to PDX by noon on 7/12.
Ride the light rail into the city from the airport. You may have to take a short taxi ride from a light rail stop to get to the Amtrak station. The southbound Coast Starlight leaves sometime after 2 PM. You arrive in SF about 10AM after a short bus trip from Emeryville. The Coast Starlight continues south all the way to Los Angeles.
I have no trouble sleeping in coach from Klamath Falls, Oregon (10PM) to Sacramento, CA (6:15 AM).

I would definately drive and definately see Crater Lake and The Redwoods.

I guess I should have said I am from the East Coast. We have never been to the West Coast. We have relatives in Portland which is why we are starting our trip there.

We have plane tix into Portland on 7/1 and out of SF on 7/15. We had much debate about where to fly in and out of, but rising airfare prices made us decide before we had our exact intinary planned. We live near the ocean so spending time there is not critical but the sand dunes sound like a blast. Jet boating on the rouge river would be the next thing we are interested in, but I have one child who may not be interested in that. We would like to balance the trip with Sites/Educational opportunties/Fun! Pool/swimming time is pretty much a must for my kids on vacation.

If we went to the sand dunes from Portland, and stayed somewhere on the coast for 2-3 days where to go next on the drive to SF? Is the rouge river valley (without going all the way east to Crater Lake) a realistic stop? And then the Redwoods and then San Fran? Where are Jacksonville and Ashland in relation to those? Sorry, everytime I think get my head wrapped around the geography of the region, I just end up more confused.

KrisMikeandKids, any additional info you have re: the shortest/best route and the chidlren's festival would be great.

Thanks again.

The best beach for kids is Neskowin.
Treehouses in Takilma are like nothing you've seen.
Oregon Caves in Cave Junction.
Ashland is the most kid friendly town in Oregon. Plenty to do. Lithia Park is a kid's delight. Jacksonville is boring unless you're an old fart.

Hello! Well, the East Coast and West Coast can be really different in the summer. You've maybe heard of Mark Twain's quote, "The coldest winter I ever spent was the summer I spent in San Francisco." It can be foggy, windy and chilly in San Francisco and all along the Oregon and northern California coast. So, bring your sweatshirts! Once you head inland about 15 miles it heats up.
Okay, first off - Florence. We've only been there once and we stayed at the Driftwood Shores on the beach. We stayed in a large suite (it had something like 3 bedrooms, a kitchen and a livingroom) with our friends from Boston. It was very cold and foggy and since we didn't have our parkas, we skipped even going out on the beach. I think I would rather stay off the beach a bit. But you never know when the fog is going to go out to sea and you could get a beautiful day. The hotel itself was a little worn (it reminded me of student apartments at college!). We did "sand boarding" (this was pretty tough!) and sand railing (like riding in a dune buggy), which was a blast and a highlight for all four kids. We got a big dune buggy that seated 10 people, or something like that. My daughter (age 10 at that time) was petrified before the ride and couldn't wipe the smile off her face afterwards. I don't remember which company we used unfortunately but there are a number of them. I also can't really recommend a restaurant in Florence (don't eat at the hotel though!).
The next day we drove down the coast to see the Giant Redwoods. These are on the Oregon/California border. They are really amazing and I recommend them. I can't remember exactly but it's probably a 2 hour drive. They're in a state park and if you google search them, you can get directions. After visiting the Redwoods, we drove home to Jacksonville, which is another 2 1/2 hours. After driving down Hwy 1 to the Redwoods, you will take Hwy 199 from the coast to Grants Pass. Don't take any other roads over from the coast (unless you take a main highway from Florence) because they are only logging roads and tourists get lost/stuck on them all of the time. Mainly that's an issue only in the winter (with snow) but I thought I'd highlight it because what may seem like a shortcut could really turn into a very long trip.
We always camp out at the coast by the Redwoods, so I don't have a recommendation for a hotel out there, in case you wanted to break up your trip.
So, you'll take Hwy 199 to Grants Pass and then you can get on I-5 and head south to Medford until you reach the exit for Jacksonville or you can take a nice backroad called Hwy 238. This brings you directly into Jacksonville. You can also reach Jacksonville on Hwy 238 (more like surface streets) from Medford, if you decide to go I-5.
Check out the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce website by google searching Jacksonville, Oregon. There is a link for lodging. The only places that I know of in town with a pool are the Nunan Estate and the Melissa C. Taylor Cottage. The Nunan Estate is a beautiful home that was actually built as a "kit house", everything needed was shipped from the East Coast! It was a family residence for many years and was recently bought by some lottery winners and they've made it a B&B. They have a nice pool. The Melissa C. Taylor Cottage is a sweet (but possibly small!) cottage over the garage. You have access to a nice and private pool. I think this place looks very charming. It backs up to the Woodland Trails.
Go to storytellingguild.org to see details on the Children's Festival. Hopefully the dates will work with your schedule. They are July 10th, 11th, 12th. It's homespun fun with nearly the whole town coming out to volunteer. Admission at just $2/person, it will be your biggest bargain of the vacation!
You'll see that Jacksonville is a very cute Western town. Your kids might really like this. There's a trolly tour and tons of restaurants. This is also wine country and there are lots of wineries to visit. Not exactly kid-friendly but I remember bringing the kids once and they fed apples to a very happy donkey while we tasted wine. We were ready to leave before they were!
Ashland is also a very cute town and has a lot going on. Mainly it's the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (you can google search that) but it's pretty adult oriented. They have a lot more lodging options with pools though. Medford does too but it's not a very interesting town. It's kind of 'strip mall-ish'. If you wanted to do a jetboat tour out of Grants Pass, it's a 30 minute drive back up Hwy 238. You'll pass all sorts of wineries along the way. Check out Hellgate jet boat tours out of Grants Pass. It's pretty fun and not at all scary. The Tap Rock restaurant is a fun place to eat, right on the Rogue River. The Applegate River Inn is also a nice place to eat, right on the Applegate River. You'll pass by this on your way back to Jacksonville. I'm assuming that you could make Jacksonville your base and venture out to Ashland, Grants Pass, etc. from here.
Another great place to visit in the area is Wildlife Images. They have all sorts of wildlife that they have rescued and they give you a nice tour. You'll see grizzlies, wolves, cougars, linx and all sorts of birds of prey. I recommend a morning tour because it can get hot! It's probably a 45 minute drive from Jacksonville.
Okay, so after you see the sights in the Jacksonville area, you can take Hwy 238 to Medford (10 or so minutes) and continue on past I-5 onto Hwy 62 (238 becomes 62), which will take you to Crater Lake. You can stop at Beckies for pies/food, The Natural Bridge and The Gorge (these three are all fairly close). The Natural Bridge and The Gorge were created by lava flow when Mount Mazama exploded and created Crater Lake. You access both by a very easy walk from the car. Then you finish driving to Crater Lake and hopefully stay the night at their beautiful hotel. I'd look into that right away.
After Crater Lake, you can continue on the "Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway", which will put you on a new highway (not 62) but I don't remember what it's called. It follows the Umpqua, which is a spectacularly beautiful river. It's in a deep canyon and there are all sorts of places to pull over and take a very short hike to see a waterfall. This river is "fly fishing only", so you'll see lots of fishermen/women out. There are a few places to stay. We've stayed at Steamboat, which we would certainly recommend. They have cottages, so it would work for your family. You'll follow this highway back to I-5 in Roseburg, where you can head north on I-5 back to Portland. I think it's about a 3 hour drive from Roseburg to Portland. You don't have to stay in Steamboat either, you could probably do the drive from Crater to Portland but it will be a long day.
Then, when you get back to Portland, you can take the train down to San Francisco, as tomfuller suggested.
So, the Redwoods are on the coast, on the border of California and Oregon (on Hwy 1). Ashland/Jacksonville/Rogue Valley are also very close to the border (25 miles north, at the farthest) but inland (on I-5). So, see the Redwoods before coming over to the Rogue Valley. You can also continue driving south from the Rogue Valley to San Francisco. We are 6 hours north of San Francisco.
Hopefully I haven't totally confused you! Please let me know if you have anymore questions.

Wow. Thanks for all the great info. It might perhaps be my sense of logic getting in the way, but it doesn't seem to make sense to me to drive to the California Border and then back up to Portland to take the train to SF. The coast weather is certainly making me rethink everything, although I really want to, at least so we can do the sand buggy thing. And the Redwoods are also along the coast, no? From what you are saying, it won't make much sense to head in land EXCEPT that we will get aways from the potentially miserable weather on the coast.

I honestly wish there were somewhere in Southern Or, that is a reasonable drive from the coast, that would be a fun resort to stay at that could act as a base camp for 3 days to explore the sites. We could (I think) hit the Redwoods in California on the way to SF (driving) and either stop on the way or stay over for a night or two.
That way we spend 2-3 days on the coast, 2-3 days at a second stop in Southern Oregon away from the coast, 1-2 days somewhere near the Redwoods and on to SF. Crater Lake Lodge is sold out btw. Has been for weeks, unfortunately. So maybe your town or Ashland or the tree houses (which do look like fun).

Or possibly staying on the coast the whole way down but, again, the weather is not what I was expecting!

Don't worry about our weather on the coast in the summer. In July, there will be foggy days, but rarely will you need more than a sweatshirt or lightweight jacket to stay warm.

Personally, our fav coastal town with our kids has been Cannon Beach. Great beach, lots of great places to stay, a thriving downtown so places to eat and lots of shops. Nice, not tacky.

The description of Driftwood Shores made me laugh because when we were in college, we went there a few times with large groups and had those 3 bedroom suites. It was always a draw with the college crowd, even years ago.

MMS- I think Driftwood Shores has changed and now the large groups are Elder Hostel groups - it might be the same college kids though- just older

interesting place you might be interested in - have not stayed there but sounds like a fun place for kids

http://www.americasbestonline.net/treehouse.htm

sunbum--LOL!

I think Gold Beach at the mouth of the Rogue River is your resort town. There is a road from Gold Beach (through Agness) that hits I-5 just north of Grants Pass.
The headwaters of the Rogue are actually within Crater Lake NP.
Highway 138 west from the north entrance is alongside the Umpqua River for many miles on the way to Roseburg.

Are you doing this trip for you or the kids?

To bbqboy: both,(or I guess I should say all, since my dh will be there, too). Why?

One other thought: there are Giant Redwoods down by San Francisco too. they are on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. They're in Marin County. This way, you wouldn't need to drive down the coast from Florence, just to see the Redwoods.
I'm not really familiar with Gold Beach. I know that every time I head to the coast in the summer time, I freeze! I've heard good things about Canon Beach too.
I thought you wanted to take the train, so I looped you back up that way. You can certainly drive all the way down. That's an option too!

Sorry if I was confusing. I guess what I meant to say is that taking the train was an option, but had it's pluses and minuses. I think I would prefer to drive so that we can see more, but the drop off fees could be a problem in SF. The train trip sort of sounded like fun, in theory, but I am not reading very good reviews. I think the first thing I am going to do tomorrow is get a good map of Oregon and California. Hopefully, that will help me with the geography involved. Thanks so much for all your advice and suggestions!

MJ, the reason I asked is that kids have different priorities.
We did the coast lots when my kids were younger.
Astoria and Seaside yes, Cannon beach no.
Stuff that adults find interesting aren't necessarily the same
for kids. I wish you could be in Ashland for our July 4th parade, for example.
Hours long drives through stuff that adults may find romantic=boring to kids. Just my thoughts.

If the drop off fee in SF is $400 or less then turn in the rental there.
The Amtrak fare for 2 adults and 3 children from Portland to San Francisco is $422. (10% discount for AAA members).
There are 2 Fodorites that never have anything good to say about Amtrak. If your train into Emeryville arrives 2 hours late you are still in San Francisco before noon.
On more than 1 occasion I have arrived in Sacramento on the southbound Coast Starlight 30 minutes early.

bbqboy--Even kids don't always agree on things. Ours cannot stand Seaside and they are teens. We do Cannon Beach instead and have for years.

bbqboy-- your point is well taken which is why I am asking for help and suggestions as to where to go to balance all the interests involved. I do want my kids to see another part of the country and what it has to offer but am certainly aware of their boredom level if all we do is drive and site see.

Hence why I asked about the Florence area (with the Sand Dunes) and the Rougue River Trips-- all will most likely enjoy that. My kids have all mentioned the giant Red Wood trees and my oldest really wants to see the one you can drive through. We usually spend much time camping on the Ocean with little to do but paint shells and swim and I find that my kids have a great time. If they can swim, they are happy. Pools (especially one that there Dad and I can pull up a lounge chair next to) are ideal.

BTW: if any of you are near the coast this morning, please stay safe.

MJ, that's why we always liked Neskowin. A creek flows though
away from the actual beach (and wind). Fun to make sand castles and stuff like that.
As far as Seaside vs. Cannon Beach, my kids loved the boardwalk
as opposed to the Shops at Salishan. Just Saying.
They loved hiking up the Astoria Column. They dug the Darlingtonia wayside.
Many places to stay in Ashland as a base, Bard's Inn for one
has a pool and is right Downtown.
You could hit the Rogue, Crater Lake and Jacksonville
from there.
The Green show before Shakespeare is fun(and free).
http://ashlandchamber.com/index.asp
http://www.abbnet.com/
It will be warm in sunny in Southern Oregon in July.

The drive=thru tree is on the north coast of California, not near San Francisco.
Both Ashland and Jacksonville would make a great base for Southern Oregon sites. Check out both town websites and hotel listings and see which one suits your family better. I like things about both towns. It depends on your family.
I'll be away from my computer for a few days, so I won't be able to answer anymore questions until next week. Have a good one!

I found Seaside to be a bit cheesy, like one of those Jersey shore boardwalk places.. but children like that sort of thing. There are shops and galleries galore in Cannon Beach, with Haystack Rock which is really the star of that show.
Tide pools etc and then lunch outside at Mo's ..

We lived in Portland and found the 2 and 3 day minimums in the hotels annoying. One September, we drove down to Arch Cape and spent a couple of nights at the Inn at Arch Cape which was wonderful. Fireplaces in all rooms and cozy, with closets full of games and books for kids of all ages, you can eat outside.. it is a great honeymoon or family spot. With tiny kitchens if you wanted to get take out and eat there or have breakfast before leaving in the mornings.
You can walk to the beach from the Inn, it is on the same side of the street, just a stones throw from the ocean.
www.innatarchcape.com

bbqboy--You do realize that Salishan is not in Cannon Beach, but quite a bit further south?

same to me. my kids weren't interested.

My kids preferred Seaside to Cannon Beach but mostly because there was a carousel and an arcade/pizza place. We enjoyed both towns with the advantage going to Cannon Beach (for shopping, art galleries and dining). But, mostly we spent our time exploring the beach, hiking, trying to find the best pie. We were in Seaside for a family gathering for a week, staying at a timeshare and explored as far south as Manzanita but we mostly stayed in the same area.

I like the suggestions you have been given so far for traveling south.

I would not take the train unless I had to.You can just see so much more taking the car. I am taking the train from Seattle to S.F. myself next month.They often do arrive late.One thing you should know is that unlike east coast beaches swimming is not usually the highlight of a trip to the coast.It is not easy to see the coast and Crater Lake.May I suggest:
first morningrive to cannon beach and stay one night
second night back in Portland
Day threerive to Crater lake
Day fourrive to coast either following Rogue River or heading directly to Crescent beach and then spend your remaning time driving the coast route to S.F.
For the most part, driving I-5 in California is a real bore.

I mentioned the train option primarily to avoid the drop off fee problem. After you go over the Cascade Summit SE of Eugene, you will not see much scenery because of darkness. If you can sleep on the train, you will wake up as the train is pulling into Sacramento about 6 AM. Even if the train is late, It will not spoil your day if you don't get into SF before noon.
Driving I-5 between Medford OR and Redding CA in daylight is not boring. Mount Shasta is a beautiful view. From Redding south to Sacramento can be boring at times.
I have been known to ride the train overnight, get off in Sacramento, ride the YOLO bus out to the airport and rent a car from there. I do this to avoid driving a slippery I-5 with my own car.

The train sounded like a wonderful adventure at first, but has quickly become something I am trying to avoid. I only feel compelled to go to the coast of Oregon because the sand dunes sound like fun. Otherwise (and as was orginally planned) we would be happy staying away from the coast in Oregon. We had orginally thought we would love to show the kids (who are used to Disney and such) some National Parks, or at least things they don't get to see here in the North East. All I really know right now is that I a family of five that will be starting out in Portland and Mt. Hood and leaving from San Francisco. I would like for all to have fun along the way, knowing it will require some form of transporation along the way....

All of your opinions/options/peices of wisdom are greatly appreciated. Any more imput is also welcome!

mjkre, I'm really interested to read this thread since I'm doing the reverse of this with my two boys (ages 6 & 9). So we are really the same, but in reverse I'll be doing this drive from SF to Portland in early May. We have some friends we are visiting along the way (in St. Helena, CA, then again in Albany, OR, so our route might be slightly different) and we are camping, but I'm more than happy to share any highlights my boys loved with you since although our kids are different genders, they are the same age range.

Wanted to suggest Out N About Treesort in Takilma, OR for a fun family adventure. http://www.treehouses.com/ There is a zip line activity on site & a swimming area & horseback riding & other activities. Staying up in a treehouse or a yurt. How different & fun. Stayed 2 nights in Oct. few years back great!

We didn't get to Oregon Caves National Monument near Grant's Pass, doable from Treesort. Sounds cool if you are looking for some non-Disney park activities. http://www.goodearthgraphics.com/showcave/or.html A link to cave info. We did visit Ashland & saw "Our Town". Great in outside theater even though a little chilly in Oct. Also thought I read about a train/cable car ??? thing in Humbolt County redwood country that sounded like a wonderful way to experience Redwoods. anyone else have info on that??

Okay, how about this: Go to Florence and stay a night or two and check out the sand dunes. Then, drive down the coast and check out the redwoods. Brookings is an okay town and there is supposedly a Best Western that is right on the beach that everyone loves. I guess they keep the pool super warm. I've never stayed there, so hopefully someone will jump on and comment about the actual name of the hotel. Also, the train/cable car by the redwoods would be fun. Then drive back up Hwy 199 towards Grants Pass and stop off to see the Oregon Caves. They have a beautiful hotel at the caves that I would recommend. It's like the old hotel at Crater Lake. The Oregon Caves isn't quite as popular as Crater Lake, so they'll probably still have rooms available. Then, continue on Hwy 199 to I-5 and then go to either Jacksonville or Ashland and do the river rafting/jet boats, theater or Britt concert or Children's Festival (depending on taste and dates), possibly check out Wildlife Images. These are all very "national park/nature" oriented. Then drive down I-5 to San Francisco (I-5 doesn't take you all the way down. You actually take I-5 to 505s to 80W until Vallejo and then take the 37W to San Rafael and take the 101S, which will bring you across the Golden Gate Bridge and into San Francisco). I agree that the drive from Ashland to Redding on I-5 is very pretty. It's curvy and mountain driving but it gives you gorgeous views of Mt. Shasta (a volcano!).

Current Plan: Portland/Mr. Hood area for 5 days;
Drive to Yachats/Newport/Florence area for 2 nights--do sand dune thing and sea lion caves etc.
Drive south to Gold Beach or Brookings for 2 nights (can do Jet boating from there);
Drive south, staying on coast to Crescent City or other pts South for 2 nights..do the Redwood trees.
Drive south, arive in SF, stay 2 nights/3 days, fly home.

This plan has one more stop than planned, but allows for less then 6 hours drive at any point (hopefully) and sees a maximum number of sites with some (alright, only a little) downtime.

The other alternative, as I see it, is to drive East around Gold Beach to the Ashland area but I think it will involve more driving, force us to skip the drive through Redwoods, Avenue of the Giants.

Another thing to see in the area of Redwoods is the "Trees of Mystery" along US 101. You and the kids will enjoy the trees and the gondola ride up to the top for a great view (depending on the weather).
The current plan looks good provided you are OK with the drop off fee.

The drop off fee stinks, for sure. However, since we are flying out of SF, there is really nothing to do to avoid that, other then the train. If we took the train, that means missing the Redwoods, incurring the cost of the train and not necessarily having a car rental place to drop it off at in either Klamath Falls or Eugene. Plus it actually was not any cheaper to drop it ther then in SF. I guess as long as you are not doing the rtrip thing you are paying extra.

Now, if anyone can guide me through the where to stay with a family of five in SF process, I would be greatful!

mjkre: This thread is getting so long (and has gone around in a few loop-the-loops ) . . . your latest questions may get lost in the shuffle.

I'd start a new thread asking specifically about accommodations in San Francisco.

there is more to Oregon than the coast, which gets boring to me. You can see redwoods right around Brookings/ Crescent City. Oh well.

As I mentioned we are spending the first 5 days in Portland/Mt Hood Area (not the coast, on a mt.). If I could figure out the way to leave the coast and still see the Redwoods, I would. But most here counselled me that going East to Crater Lake and such would be too far of a deviation and not much fun for kids.

Re: Cresent City: by the time I see the Redwoods, I am already in California, no? The Redwoods has been the hang up on my trip from the start because if I took the train, I would be skipping them. If we go East in Oregon, I am skipping them (I think but would welcome being corrected).

I promise I will not ask any more questions! I certainly value everyones imput. You all have taken a person who had no knowledge of the area to someone who has some idea and can plan for the familiy accordingly. Thanks so much.

The more questions the better, as far as I'm concerned. Just trying to make your trip more enjoyable You are into California, but only by 7 miles. Jedediah Smith State Park
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=413
http://www.redwoodhikes.com/Jed%20Smith/Jed%20Smith.html
is better than Redwoods National Park, in my opinion.It is along 199. There's a cutoff
right below the Ca. border that takes you back over to 199 and you don't even go clear to Crescent City.Heck, there's a Big Redwood in Lithia Park for that matter, and Muir Woods in Marin County once you get to SF.

There is only 1 Crater Lake. There are many places to see Coast Redwoods- even south of San Francisco. I visited Muir Woods long before I ever visited Redwood National Park.
Last time we came north on the CA Coast we saw the "Trees of Mystery" in the morning and drove past the north entrance of Crater Lake before 4PM. We were home by 5:30 after a couple of stops.
I predict you'll be back to the west coast some other time and will fly into San Francisco.

I agree with the prediction that we will be back....although to be honest the cost of this trip is making Disney seem like a budget vacation! There is just so much to see and the transportation cost is huge!

Since BBqboy's last post, I have been revisiting the option of going from the Coast Dunes area to Ashland/Grants Pass area to Eureke to serve as a base for seeing the Rewoods and then on to San Fran. I sort of wish I had not decided to fly out of San Fran. It seemed like a good idea (especially since we were focused on taking the train trip at the time).

If I chose this other option of going to the Ashland area instead of Gold Beach, it seems I would be looking at driving about 5 hrs btwn all stops instead of 4hrs, correct? Is it all feasable to drive south from Ashland towards San Fran and see some big old redwoods without going all the way back to the coast?

I just went back and reread some of the earlier posts from krisnmikenkids and she has provided some options..thanks! I just need to check out the hotels and drive times some more to fine tune this trip.

Ok, in lieu of the Coast Route described above, I am considering "plan B" which would involve a trip inland. In a nut shell:
a)-Portland/Mt. Hood to Yachats or Newport, stay 2 nights (Sand Dunes, Tide Pools and Sea Lions)
b)-Yachats to Grants Pass, stay 2-3 nights (Rougue River, children's fest, possible Crater Lake drive)
c)-Grants Pass to Gaberville (stopping along the way at Oregon Caves, passed/through Redwood trees and driving down the Avenue of the Giants), stay 1 night.
d)-Drive to San Francisco.

If I can I might make two sets of reservations for leg B-- one in Grants Pass, the other in Gold Beach. That way, I could at least let the coast weather when I am actually there dictate a change if necessary. BTW: I picked Grants Pass because of its proximity to the Rogue, I-5 and that road that the Oregon Caves are on. I figured it would serve as a good base.

Have I improved things or made it worse?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/10/TRM51HIUG0.DTL