East Coast Road Trip and West Coast Road Trip (Route 1) Suggestions
Mar 3rd, 2014, 05:21 PM
#21
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PS thanks for the Havre de Grace heads up, and Philly was a plan, if we couldn't get a lake/coastal stop.
Where we live in Australia, we don't have any lake holiday areas, and like so many of the masses, I only really know the US through film, tv and novels, so a pretty, lakeside stay was on my to do list.
LnL
Where we live in Australia, we don't have any lake holiday areas, and like so many of the masses, I only really know the US through film, tv and novels, so a pretty, lakeside stay was on my to do list.
LnL
Mar 3rd, 2014, 05:40 PM
#22
Either of your west coast plans look OK - except that Portland to Yosemite is a hellaciously loooooong drive.
Portland is a very nice city, but I wouldn't go there if a drive to Yosemite was involved.
How about flying to Portland, then flying to SF. Then collecting a car after SF and doing Monterey / Carmel / big sur, then Yosemite, Vegas (you can easily cut a day or two from LV) the GC and LA.
Portland is a very nice city, but I wouldn't go there if a drive to Yosemite was involved.
How about flying to Portland, then flying to SF. Then collecting a car after SF and doing Monterey / Carmel / big sur, then Yosemite, Vegas (you can easily cut a day or two from LV) the GC and LA.
Mar 3rd, 2014, 06:33 PM
#23
Totally agree with Janis regarding the Portland to Yosemite drive. Portland is at the northern-most point of Oregon. Great little city, love it, and it is one of the most liveable cities in the U.S.
If you want to do that and want to drive, I would stop one night in Bend, and another night at Crater Lake, but then it would still be a monsterous trek to Yosemite. Trust me, we did it in 2006, stopping in Tahoe, and between Crater Lake and Tahoe, it took us all day.
The upside to it is that it takes you through spectacular scenery and you get to route yourself through the Tioga Pass to Yosemite Valley, an "Oh My" experience you'll never forget.
If you want to do that and want to drive, I would stop one night in Bend, and another night at Crater Lake, but then it would still be a monsterous trek to Yosemite. Trust me, we did it in 2006, stopping in Tahoe, and between Crater Lake and Tahoe, it took us all day.
The upside to it is that it takes you through spectacular scenery and you get to route yourself through the Tioga Pass to Yosemite Valley, an "Oh My" experience you'll never forget.
Mar 4th, 2014, 02:16 AM
#24
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As much as I love Crater Lake (grew up within an hour of there in Klamath Falls) - if you want to also visit the Northwest - I would suggest you drive from Portland (which ain't a little city) down the beautiful Oregon Coast rather than down the center of beautiful Oregon.
If you do visit Portland - I would fly into there - either from the East Coast or from Las Vegas) - and then after a night? - head over to the Oregon Coast. If you like flowers - the Rose Garden in Portland is not to be missed.
From Portland over to the Coast is about a 2 hour drive - say to Lincoln City - and then you might stop a night in say Depoe Bay (the Surfrider Lodge overlooks the great bay) and another night in say Gold Beach - where you could take a jet boat up the fabled Rogue River.
From there - drive down to see the Redwoods - just across the California Border by Crescent City - and then - while it will be a longish day - head over to Reading and down I-5 into San Francisco - spending the night in the City.
From SF - you can visit Yosemite (or maybe you save that for another time - as it will be crowded in the summer) - and then over to Carmel/Monterrey and down to LA - where I would minimize my time and wind up here in easier to get around San Diego - two hours driving time south of LA LA land.
It is some time in the car - but when I see beautiful scenery - to me it just makes the time fly by. If it were me - I would try to plan at least 10 nights for this part of your epic journey, maybe more.
Check with the various rental car agencies about renting a car in Portland and dropping it off in say LA - as I think they give foreign tourists a break re: the drop-off fee(s).
If you do visit Portland - I would fly into there - either from the East Coast or from Las Vegas) - and then after a night? - head over to the Oregon Coast. If you like flowers - the Rose Garden in Portland is not to be missed.
From Portland over to the Coast is about a 2 hour drive - say to Lincoln City - and then you might stop a night in say Depoe Bay (the Surfrider Lodge overlooks the great bay) and another night in say Gold Beach - where you could take a jet boat up the fabled Rogue River.
From there - drive down to see the Redwoods - just across the California Border by Crescent City - and then - while it will be a longish day - head over to Reading and down I-5 into San Francisco - spending the night in the City.
From SF - you can visit Yosemite (or maybe you save that for another time - as it will be crowded in the summer) - and then over to Carmel/Monterrey and down to LA - where I would minimize my time and wind up here in easier to get around San Diego - two hours driving time south of LA LA land.
It is some time in the car - but when I see beautiful scenery - to me it just makes the time fly by. If it were me - I would try to plan at least 10 nights for this part of your epic journey, maybe more.
Check with the various rental car agencies about renting a car in Portland and dropping it off in say LA - as I think they give foreign tourists a break re: the drop-off fee(s).
Mar 4th, 2014, 02:22 AM
#25
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And much as I love Las Vegas - I would cut that part of the visit back to say 3 days - and spend one of those nights on the way from Portland to San Francisco.
Again - from Vegas (after you have seen the Grand Canyon - which you can do on a day tour/flight from Vegas) - fly to Portland - spend the night there - and then start on down the Oregon Coast - winding up in San Francisco.
Again - from Vegas (after you have seen the Grand Canyon - which you can do on a day tour/flight from Vegas) - fly to Portland - spend the night there - and then start on down the Oregon Coast - winding up in San Francisco.
Mar 4th, 2014, 03:53 AM
#26
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For a coastal stop near DC, I suggest Lewes, Delaware. From there, you can take the ferry for a day trip to Cape May, New Jersey. Keep in mind, however, that it is the height of the tourist season for seaside towns, so you'll have to make reservations and pay a bit more.
Mar 4th, 2014, 06:34 AM
#27
You need to decide if you want a tour of Oregon and the Redwoods. . . Or the Grand Canyon / Yosemite / LA. You simply don't have time to drive around Oregon and far Northern California plus some of the other places on your plan. Unless - you want mostly road trip and not actually spending much time anywhere. Oregon and northern CA is part of an entirely different trip.
If you really want to see Portland - fly up and back.
If you really want to see Portland - fly up and back.
Mar 4th, 2014, 07:20 AM
#28
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Agreed JanisJ - We have done a gazillion Roadtrippers itineraries, and at past midnight Perth time are asking ourselves that very question. Tomsd and Surfergirl had some great ideas, but a lot of it's just becoming about sitting in the car and "looking" at the scenery as we drive by, so we can fit everything else in as well.
So far, we are leaning towards doing 7 nights (instead of 5)in SF and doing daylong return road trips north.
We are learning that we are just going to have to choose - which is sooooo hard. The US is so far away, I am getting sucked in to the usual tourist vortex of being greedy and trying to fit everything in.
And believe it or not, after the US we are off to Europe and have to plan 5 weeks driving there... AHHHHHHH!
So itinerary update is no Oregon. And we have removed an extra night from Chicago to add to SF for extra day trips...
So far, we are leaning towards doing 7 nights (instead of 5)in SF and doing daylong return road trips north.
We are learning that we are just going to have to choose - which is sooooo hard. The US is so far away, I am getting sucked in to the usual tourist vortex of being greedy and trying to fit everything in.
And believe it or not, after the US we are off to Europe and have to plan 5 weeks driving there... AHHHHHHH!
So itinerary update is no Oregon. And we have removed an extra night from Chicago to add to SF for extra day trips...
Mar 4th, 2014, 08:18 AM
#30
Yeah - isn't making decisions a bear? Hard to know what to cut out/include.
>>So far, we are leaning towards doing 7 nights (instead of 5)in SF and doing daylong return road trips north.<<
That is always an option. But in 'real life' may not be all that practical. Parking (even just having a car) in San Francisco is difficult. In fact, I'd personally try to arrange your itinerary to end up in SF so you can drop the rental and be car-less the last few days before flying out.
North of San Francisco - the main things w/i day tripping range are the Napa/Sonoma wine region, Muir Woods, and the Marin coast. Muir Woods is the closest redwood grove to the metropolitan area -- but because of that it also gets extremely crowded. Plus there are better redwood stands both farther north, and south around Santa Cruz and Big Sur.
So if you want some time to explore north of SF -- I'd maybe think about staying a couple of days say in Sonoma County. From that base you can tour wineries/vineyards and see the coast/some redwoods.
Or - leave SF at 5-ish days and spend more time in the general Santa Cruz/Carmel/Big Sur area. There you can see vineyards, redwoods, and amazing coast scenery.
Hard to know what to cut out/include.>>So far, we are leaning towards doing 7 nights (instead of 5)in SF and doing daylong return road trips north.<<
That is always an option. But in 'real life' may not be all that practical. Parking (even just having a car) in San Francisco is difficult. In fact, I'd personally try to arrange your itinerary to end up in SF so you can drop the rental and be car-less the last few days before flying out.
North of San Francisco - the main things w/i day tripping range are the Napa/Sonoma wine region, Muir Woods, and the Marin coast. Muir Woods is the closest redwood grove to the metropolitan area -- but because of that it also gets extremely crowded. Plus there are better redwood stands both farther north, and south around Santa Cruz and Big Sur.
So if you want some time to explore north of SF -- I'd maybe think about staying a couple of days say in Sonoma County. From that base you can tour wineries/vineyards and see the coast/some redwoods.
Or - leave SF at 5-ish days and spend more time in the general Santa Cruz/Carmel/Big Sur area. There you can see vineyards, redwoods, and amazing coast scenery.
