believer

Back Story: my husband and I are driving from Los Angeles to NJ in May but before we head east I need to see Northern California and the Oregon coast. I received some passionate urging to see Mt Shasta,Ca and Ashland,Or. I was pretty much going to stay on the coast the whole way up to Portland but with these two new stopovers I need some help. From SF I will take the coast to the eureka area for a night. Then from Eureka take the 299 to the 5 to Mt Shasta and then up the 5 to Ashland.

Now for my question. What is the quickest way back to the Oregon coast from Ashland? All the usual map sites are telling me that I will need to use the 199 and go south back into California. Is that really the best way? What about taking the 5 to 42 into Bandon?

Thanks for your advice!
Peace

LoveItaly

Hi believer, yes, if you take 5 up pass Grants Pass and a bit further north swing over to 42 you will be heading to the coast. A lovely drive. My husband lived in Coquille when he was little so we often did this drive (from N.CA) so he could visit some elderly former neighbors of his deceased parents. Think you will enjoy the drive and of course the Portland coast is wonderful. Have fun!!

Bobmrg

I hope you like twisty-turny mountain driving! BTW, I recommend the Best Western at the south end of Eureka, right next to a Marie Callendar's (mead discount if you stay there). Do the 299 in daylight, for sure. When you get back to the freeway in Redding, be on the lookout for The Crags near Castella...if the lighting is right they are spectacular (so is Mt. Shasta when you can see it).

Ashland is a neat little town with a creek right in the center of downtown. Get an ice cream cone right next to the little park.

Using 42 over to Bandon is a good idea...much better than doing the twisty-turny again to get back to the beach. You will miss some spectacular beach scenes between Eureka and Bandon, and you will miss driving through the Redwood Forest, but hey, you have to make choices in this world.

Go into Old Bandon and stop at the bakery. Sinful.

beachbum

If you've got the time, I'd suggest following the advice of the map sites. We drove 199 from Crescent City north last summer; it is a beautiful drive along Smith River and through a couple redwood groves. The other thing with going north to 42 and Bandon is that you'll miss the scenery between Brookings and Port Orford, which IMO is some of the best of the Oregon coast.

Gardyloo

SR 42 is okay but I'd recommend going a bit farther north on the freeway and cut over on SR 138 to SR 38, which follows the Umpaqua River through a beautiful canyon before hitting the coast at Reedsport. Lovely drive.

Note there are several nice covered bridges in western Douglas County that are worth a short detour to see - some near Myrtle Creek, others near Sutherlin and Drain.

Andrew

Ditto that advice about Highway 299 from Redding to Eureka - what a horrible road! I've driven it twice and I always get car sick just driving it - so many slow turns! (it is sometimes very scenic however.) 199 as I recall is a much easier drive and you go through part of the Redwoods - quite a site and not something you should miss if you don't see them otherwise.

AAA makes a nice Oregon Coast tour map by the way - I highly recommend it if you are not famliar with the coast and want some good site seeing tips and a good basic guide to the sites.

Andrew

believer

Thank you so much for your quick replies.

When I originally planned this trip the only thing on my mind was "must see the redwoods, must see the redwoods." Will I be missing the best of the redwoods by going to Mt.Shasta and Ashland from Eureka instead of just driving up the coast into Oregon? Again I just heard so many great things about the spirituality of Mt Shasta and the cool vibe in Ashland. Is it worth the extra day of travelling? But more importantly is it worth more then seeing some of the best redwoods? I think I am asking a few questions that I probably need to ask myself but I would love any advice from people who have actually been in the area.

Thanks again!!

Gardyloo

Not in a million years would I exchange the Del Norte County redwood groves (between Eureka and Crescent City) for Mt. Shasta and environs.

You said in your OP that this is part of a transcontinental drive. Can I presume that you're heading east after this north coast bit? What will your route be?

Reason being, there are several eligible volcanoes (of which Shasta is the southernmost) that you'd be able to go past en route without a lot of detouring - Three Sisters or Mt. Jefferson in central Oregon, Mt Hood close to Portland (and close to I-84 for your transcon right turn) or Mts. Adams, St Helens or Rainier in Washington (close to I-82 or I-5)... so missing Shasta is not an unrecoverable thing.

On the other hand there's only one Redwood National Park and only one N. Pacific coast...

If you want to get to Ashland for theater etc, then you can use US 199 from Crescent City, then just backtrack on I-5 from Grants Pass to Ashland - around 45 min. drive time.

Bobmrg

If seeing/driving the redwoods is high on your priority list, then stay on 101. Your chances of seeing Mt. Shasta are not 100%, for sure. I'm not even sure that detouring to Ashland for ice cream gets more votes than the Redwood Highway.

The best ocean scenes/beaches/haystacks are in southern Oregon, south of Bandon. So you pays your money and you takes your choice.

therenaissanceman

You will see a lot of redwoods before you ever reach Eureka. However, I do like Gardyloo's suggestion of taking 199 to Ashland, thereby seeing Redwoods National Park, etc. 299 is a road to avoid. After Ashland, you can then drive up 5 to 42 and cut over to Bandon. You do miss the Southern Oregon coast this way, but you still will experience the greater part of the coast.

bbqboy

Your friends' passionate urging is correct. Take 299
to I-5 turn left and The Mountain, Lake Shasta, The Castle crags, and The Klub Klondike loom in front of you. Explore Dunsmuir (Senthong's-mmm!) and Mt.Shasta City. Head on to Ashland and enjoy a day or two soaking up food, theatres, and the outdoors. I'm guessing from your moniker you're interested in the spiritual aspects of Mt. Shasta and Ashland? If So, I'd say this detour is a must do. You can head back to the coast along 199, hit the Oregon Caves and Wine at Bridgeview+ Taylor's Sausages, and catch the top of the Redwoods at Jed Smith state Park,
then head north til you hit Astoria. Or you can head North through the Mountains til 126 and head West from Eugene. You'll love Yachats too.

bbqboy

PS: our "secret" route to the coast is the Galice to Agness/Gold Beach Forest road that follows the Rogue on a one lane paved road over the crest of the coast range, with the Rogue far below. Cool.
http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/recr...ogue_river.htm