flojaur

Hi, I will be moving to Vancouver in late June/early July from Los Angeles, and would like to self drive there. I will be travelling with my husband, and my two sons (4 year old and newborn). We would like to stop often but are not planning to take more than 10 days on the trip. do you have any suggestions as to where to stop, things to do, etc? ANY comment or suggestions is appreciated.

traveller69

This is a route that we know well. We have done that drive once a year (return) for the last 15 years. We never get tired of taking 101. If you have time (and you certainly do in 10 days) it is well worth it. It depends on how many miles (or hours) you want to drive each day. We often stop in Solvang even though it isn't that far from LA. Also, if you want to go further Paso Robles makes a good stopping spot and you are in wine country there if that is of interest to you. You can cut over to the coast and see Carmel, Monteray and take the slow route up following the ocean to San Francisco. North of San Francisco the Napa and Somoma valleys have some nice accommodation in again wine country. Then further north driving through the redwoods is an absolute must. Take the Avenue of the Giants just off 101. It runs parallel to 101 and is the old highway. The trees are magnificent. There is a wonderful motel in the midst of the trees in a little town called Miranda which has rooms with cooking facilities, fireplaces etc etc. Further up Crescent City has some motels on the water. If you keep on 101 you can continue right up the Oregon Coast which has dozens of towns with lovely motels. You can cut over to I-5 at Lincoln City which brings you in around Portland and you can continue up I-5 to Vancouver. If you want to do more of the Oregon coast you can cut over in Washington which would bring you out to I-5 at Olympia. This is just a rough idea for you of what is along the way. 10 days is more than enough time to have a relaxing and enjoyable drive. Let me know if you want any further ideas or information. As I said we have done it so many times that I believe we have done every variation of the route.

flojaur

Thanks you so much for the thourough response! I am still not quite sure when we'll go (the exact dates), but should I try to book the hotels/motels in advance or just play it by ear? If booking is better, is there a "best" way to do this?.
Thanks for your help.
Flo

traveller69

HI Flo Glad I could help. I don't recommend making reservations ahead when you are travelling with children unless you are absolutely sure where you want to spend the night or you want a specific motel etc. We have found that we could always get accommodation unless we were in a popular spot on a weekend. We are a little more limited because we have a little dog that loves to travel but not all motel/hotels will take pets. (They are getting much better though) Anyway when you get closer to knowing when you want to go just email me [email protected] and I will be happy to advise you at that time. In the meantime I would just study the maps to get a feel for the route you would like to take. By the way you will love living in Vancouver!!