So im doimg research to try and plan a road trip from the seattle area down the coast through california. Im trying to figure out how many days i should plan for and where i should stop to sleep etc. Our main destination is legoland. Ill be traveling with two adults and two kids who are both 8. I have heard the trip down 101 is amazing. We will be able to drive a lot being there are 3 adulta to switchm but will want to be in a hotel each night for the kiddos to sleep. Some places we want to see if possible are redwood np, san fransico, venice beach, and maybe LA and the hollywood sign. And this trip would be in the summer. Thanks for any advice!!

And back to Seattle? - if so you'll need about 3 weeks minimum.

If you want to see Crater Lake you'd go down I-5 and then after Crater Lake cut back across to 101. If you don't care about Crater Lake, you could go all the way down the coast. Once you get into California you'll want Hwy 1 to where it splits away from 101.

Besides the Redwoods, and San Francisco some other musts would include, Monterey/the Aquarium, Point Lobos, Big Sur,

Venice Beach would be far down my list of musts.

Agree. This trip would be best over several weeks. I would fly to SanDiego and spend about a week in that area. So much to do, including Legoland.

Yes roind trip, we live in seattle. The whole trip is based around going to legoland. We just wanted to drive to we can see the beautiful coast thay ive heard is awsome. And then jusy squeeze in a few sights along the way. I think we are planning 2 or 3 days in legoland. And my only musy is seeing the golden gate bridge. And then we want to spend a day or two aroind the LA area. But my main question i guess is when should i plan on stopping on the way down. I know taking the coast takes more time.

I was plann on trying to make it as close to redwood as possible the first day. And i also was planning on going along the coast there and take I5 back to be faster. This is only from what ive read online. I was hoping the total trip would be closer to maybe 12 days or so. We only want to stay a day at redwood, day in sanfransico, a day in LA and 2 or 3 at legoland. Would it really take more than a couple days to get down to carlsbad?

Sorry for my typos

>>. I was hoping the total trip would be closer to maybe 12 days or so. <<

This is not a 12 day trip.

>>I was plann on trying to make it as close to redwood as possible the first day. <<

That is really not possible -- it is about 10 or 11 hours 'butts in seats' w/o a single stop. W/ just a few rest stops and meals you are talking close to 15 hours. So (especially w two children stuck in the back) it is a full two day drive and even that is pushing things.

You want to see the Redwoods, the Golden Gate bridge, and LegoLand driving from Seattle and <i>back</i>. These places are hundreds and hundreds of miles apart. They would make a GREAT road trip -- but in 3 or 4 weeks - not 12 days . . .

I've driven between Seattle and southern California more times than I can recall, including numerous times with kids and numerous times <i>as</i> a kid. While I also think 12 days is pretty short, I wouldn't write it off. Much depends on your kids - how restless are they in the car, etc.

Possible schedule -

1. Seattle to Bandon, OR via I-5 to Oregon 38, to US 101. This is a long day but doable. If you want to stop in Coos Bay before Bandon, okay. Not a lot of scenery on this day until you get to the Umpqua canyon on SR 38 just before Reedsport.

2. Bandon to Eureka, CA. This will include the most scenic part of the Oregon coast, from Port Orford to the California state line, then the core of the redwoods between Crescent City and Trinidad. Stay overnight in Trinidad or Arcata, take the kids for dinner at the Samoa Cookhouse in Samoa (across the bay from Eureka) for family style dinners in a lumber mill cookhouse, served by grannies with attitude. Kids will love it.

3. Eureka to San Francisco via the Avenue of the Giants (huge redwoods along a beautiful byway that parallels US 101.)

4. Day in San Fransisco.

5. San Fransicso to Santa Barbara on US 101. Visit the Spanish mission in beautiful Santa Barbara.

6. Santa Barbara to Legoland.

7. Legoland

8. Legoland

9. Legoland to Hollywood/Beverly Hills, West LA.

10. LA to Sacramento via I-5.

11. Sacramento to Eugene OR.

12. Eugene to Seattle.

Map - https://goo.gl/maps/6AQdx7XqZuw

Obviously this leaves much on the table - central and northern parts of the Oregon coast, the Monterey Bay area and Big Sur/Hwy 1, etc. But the longest day is around 7 hours (LA to Sacramento) and on I-5 through the California central valley the speed limit is more advisory than real - get an early start and plan to find a motel with pool by mid-afternoon.

Thank you for all your ideas. Im going to try to go for a full two weeks if possible so we dont have to rush as much. But from all the research ive been doing this seems doable. The kids are 8 and 9, and will have their tablets so im not too worried about the long drive. And they know theu get to see legoland so that will keep them motivated. I just want to have a plan for how far we can make it each day because i plan to reserve hotels ahead of time and stuff. Ive never driven past oregon so this is new for me. But our plan is next summer so im doing my research