Seattle to San Fran - HELP
Jan 5th, 2017, 11:20 AM
#1
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Seattle to San Fran - HELP
A friend and I are traveling from Seattle to San Fran and need some help because although I am a frequent traveler, I am not familiar with the west coast and want to make the most out of our time. We have 7 days. I would like to fly into Seattle, need to spend one day in Friday Harbor and have all the time in between to get to San Fran. Looking for route ideas and sights / towns to stay in. Some of the things we would like to see: Pike Market, Mount St Helens, Rocky Coast, Redwoods, Napa. We like the less touristy spots and more 'off the beaten path' - quaint, little interesting towns. All ideas welcomed !
Jan 5th, 2017, 11:29 AM
#3
Some places you've named are the most "touristy spots". So can you clarify what it is you're looking for, please? Maybe give us an example of one of the less tourist spots you have in mind.
Do your 7 days include the travel days at the beginning and end and also the day at Friday Harbor?
Do your 7 days include the travel days at the beginning and end and also the day at Friday Harbor?
Jan 5th, 2017, 11:44 AM
#4
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I guess its fair to say that I would like to fill in the gaps between these touristy spots with quaint town stops, unique places things and experiences. The 7 day window does not include travel to and from home, but does include the Friday Harbor visit.
Jan 5th, 2017, 01:50 PM
#5
Okay then, you arrive. Then next day (full day #1) & night at Friday Harbor? Then leaving on full day #2 from FH, including days 2-7, you have 6 days, 6 nights and you go home on day #8? Last night in SF or nearby?
Fastest way Friday Harbor to SF is 900+ miles, 17 hours driving. But you likely want to not go the fastest. So off the beaten path, call it 200 miles a day, 4-6 hours a day on those winding roads with stops for gas & food. Does that sound about right?
Fastest way Friday Harbor to SF is 900+ miles, 17 hours driving. But you likely want to not go the fastest. So off the beaten path, call it 200 miles a day, 4-6 hours a day on those winding roads with stops for gas & food. Does that sound about right?
Jan 5th, 2017, 02:13 PM
#6
The touristy spots I went to yesterday were Groundspeak HQ (geocaching) and the troll under the Aurora bridge.
I drove right by CenturyLink Field, the Space Needle and the ferris wheel next to the water.
I drove right by CenturyLink Field, the Space Needle and the ferris wheel next to the water.
Jan 5th, 2017, 02:43 PM
#7
So in actuality you only have 5 or 5.5 days for the trip. What are your plans once you get to SF - are any days planned for there?
Even if not, 5+ days is not very long for driving Seattle to SF if you want to stop in any scenic spots/towns. You will pretty much need to just drive. Head to the oregon coast and then just head down 101 and stop when/where you must.
A couple of nights in OR, one in the Redwoods, one on the CA coast - maybe Mendocino, and finally one night in Marin or Sonoma counties
Even if not, 5+ days is not very long for driving Seattle to SF if you want to stop in any scenic spots/towns. You will pretty much need to just drive. Head to the oregon coast and then just head down 101 and stop when/where you must.
A couple of nights in OR, one in the Redwoods, one on the CA coast - maybe Mendocino, and finally one night in Marin or Sonoma counties
Jan 6th, 2017, 06:13 AM
#8
Take Mount St. Helens off your list; it's inaccessible due to snow in April.
You say you "need" to spend a night in Friday Harbor. Family or other obligation? I ask because getting to and from Friday Harbor is time consuming and fairly expensive; with your itinerary you'd barely have enough time to get there before having to turn around and come back.
If Friday Harbor is optional, here's a suggested alternative: Mid-April is when the tulip fields in the Skagit Valley come into bloom, creating a visual feast and a traffic nightmare (especially on weekends.) However with a day you can have a quick view of the flowers, then instead of the San Juans, substitute an afternoon on Whidbey Island. You can visit the charming little town of La Conner on the mainland, visit the tulips, then visit Deception Pass State Park, at the remarkable gap between Fidalgo Island (reached by a bridge on WA 20) and Whidbey Island.
Tulips: http://gardyloo.us/057b.JPG
Deception Pass: http://gardyloo.us/083b.JPG and http://gardyloo.us/096b.JPG
Visit the equally pretty town of Coupeville, maybe spend the night here, or take the ferry from Coupeville over to Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula. Port Townsend is full of lovely Victorian buildings and has a number of decent restaurants and lodging options.
Then head south from Port Townsend, following US 101 along the side of Hood Canal to Olympia, then I-5 south to Portland.
Spend a day east of Portland exploring the Columbia River Gorge. In the spring the many waterfalls along the gorge walls will be full of water, and the orchards in the Hood River Valley will be in bloom, with Mount Hood looming above.
Then head south and out to the Oregon coast. In the interest of time I've shown Bandon as your destination on the south coast; OR 38 between I-5 and Reedsport is the most scenic and quickest way from the freeway to the coast, and Bandon is the nicest town on the south coast.
The southern most 60 or 70 miles of the Oregon coast, from roughly Port Orford to the California line, is (IMO) the most scenic, then the redwoods start up just before Crescent City. I'm showing Trinidad CA as an overnight point, but anywhere in the Arcata/Eureka/Ferndale area is fine. Trinidad (north of Eureka) and Ferndale (south) are very pretty locations.
Follow US 101 south (with a ride along the Avenue of the Giants byway) until you turn off for Napa/Sonoma and the wine country. I've actually shown Sonoma on the map (I prefer it over Napa) but it's your call.
Map: https://goo.gl/maps/oMnkuGBS5uD2
Timetable (overnight stops listed):
Night 1 Seattle
2 Port Townsend
3 Troutdale (look at http://www.mcmenamins.com/Edgefield for lodgings.)
4 Bandon
5 Trinidad/Ferndale
6 Sonoma
7 San Francisco
Make no mistake: this is still a pretty high-speed route but a very rewarding one in the spring.
You say you "need" to spend a night in Friday Harbor. Family or other obligation? I ask because getting to and from Friday Harbor is time consuming and fairly expensive; with your itinerary you'd barely have enough time to get there before having to turn around and come back.
If Friday Harbor is optional, here's a suggested alternative: Mid-April is when the tulip fields in the Skagit Valley come into bloom, creating a visual feast and a traffic nightmare (especially on weekends.) However with a day you can have a quick view of the flowers, then instead of the San Juans, substitute an afternoon on Whidbey Island. You can visit the charming little town of La Conner on the mainland, visit the tulips, then visit Deception Pass State Park, at the remarkable gap between Fidalgo Island (reached by a bridge on WA 20) and Whidbey Island.
Tulips: http://gardyloo.us/057b.JPG
Deception Pass: http://gardyloo.us/083b.JPG and http://gardyloo.us/096b.JPG
Visit the equally pretty town of Coupeville, maybe spend the night here, or take the ferry from Coupeville over to Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula. Port Townsend is full of lovely Victorian buildings and has a number of decent restaurants and lodging options.
Then head south from Port Townsend, following US 101 along the side of Hood Canal to Olympia, then I-5 south to Portland.
Spend a day east of Portland exploring the Columbia River Gorge. In the spring the many waterfalls along the gorge walls will be full of water, and the orchards in the Hood River Valley will be in bloom, with Mount Hood looming above.
Then head south and out to the Oregon coast. In the interest of time I've shown Bandon as your destination on the south coast; OR 38 between I-5 and Reedsport is the most scenic and quickest way from the freeway to the coast, and Bandon is the nicest town on the south coast.
The southern most 60 or 70 miles of the Oregon coast, from roughly Port Orford to the California line, is (IMO) the most scenic, then the redwoods start up just before Crescent City. I'm showing Trinidad CA as an overnight point, but anywhere in the Arcata/Eureka/Ferndale area is fine. Trinidad (north of Eureka) and Ferndale (south) are very pretty locations.
Follow US 101 south (with a ride along the Avenue of the Giants byway) until you turn off for Napa/Sonoma and the wine country. I've actually shown Sonoma on the map (I prefer it over Napa) but it's your call.
Map: https://goo.gl/maps/oMnkuGBS5uD2
Timetable (overnight stops listed):
Night 1 Seattle
2 Port Townsend
3 Troutdale (look at http://www.mcmenamins.com/Edgefield for lodgings.)
4 Bandon
5 Trinidad/Ferndale
6 Sonoma
7 San Francisco
Make no mistake: this is still a pretty high-speed route but a very rewarding one in the spring.
Jan 6th, 2017, 07:58 AM
#9
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Goodness ! Thankyou so much all for your advice. I do HAVE to spend a day in Friday Harbor ( work related ) and have to be in SF for 3 -4 days after driving down. I may just go a day earlier to make sure I dont have to rush as much on the way down. Thanks especially to gardyloo, this is giving me so much help in planning.
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