Caklifornia & Oregon
 

Hi
We are planning a trip to the US this summer - We are flying into San Francisco and driving up to Vancover - So far I have booked 4 nights in San Fran and 2 nights in Yosemite. I am not sure about next stop - I was thinking of Lake Tahoe for 2 nights then on to Portland with a 1 night stopover enroute.

I plan to stay 2 nights in Portland and then 5 in Seattle and 5 in Vancover.

I am not sure about Lake Tahoe - any suggestions on the leg between Yosemite and Portland would be very welcome and any suggestions about the rest of the trip is also welcome
Thanks

Lake Tahoe makes most sense -- If you want to get up to Portland in just a couple of days, you really don't have time to head to the coast. I'd stay on the North shore of the lake.

For the stop between Tahoe and Portland the best places IMO would either be Mt. Shasta (CA) or Ashland (OR)

I like janisj's suggestion of Mt Shasta or Ashland. I'd personally pick Ashland~it's a charming little town. I went for 3 days with my daughter's high school drama class. I'd love to see it again without 30 teenagers. :)

If you find Lake Tahoe too busy, as we did carry on to either Truckee, or better yet the delightful Nevada City. We stayed at the Outside Inn there and loved it.
Lake Tahoe traffic was horrendous, even in October. We ended up doing a quick drive by I'm afraid.

Ah - but hetismij2, you didn't know the secret places to go ;)

Though the middle of summer can be pretty busy even at North Shore - Truckee is a good option then.

For something a bit more beautiful than Ashland IMO, try going N on US 97 from Weed and through K-Falls. Turn off US 97 on Rt. 62 and go into Crater Lake NP. Exit the park via the north entrance to get on Rt. 138 east down the Umpqua River to Roseburg.
If you can't get a reservation at the lodge at Crater Lake, you can get something at the Diamond Lake Resort about 8 miles from the north entrance off Rt. 138.
Lake Shasta looks pitiful with the boat docks more than 20 feet from the water. The ski area at Mt. Shasta is closed because of lack of snow. It looks like California is in for a 4th year of drought.

If you go to Truckee, and you have enough time, you could drive up 89 and stop at Lassen Volcanic National Park.

>>Lake Shasta looks pitiful with the boat docks more than 20 feet from the water. <<

I agree -- but who mentioned Lake Shasta? Mount Shasta City is 40 miles from Lake Shasta. If they take 89 north, they wouldn't go anywhere near the lake.

>>The ski area at Mt. Shasta is closed because of lack of snow<<

The trip is in summer -- why is snow an issue?

Lassen, and especially Burney Falls would be absolute 'musts' IMO.

http://www.nature.nps.gov/nnl/assets..._Shoemaker.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bc5gySOESP...00/Burney2.jpg

Thank you for all those responses - you have given me a lot to think about - I am still unsure if Lake Tahoe is a good idea for 2 nights especially after hearing about the traffic which I had not considered.

Ashland does look like a good option and I definitely want to visit Crater Lake. I am thinking I might just do 1 night in Lake Tahoe and then spend 2 nights getting to Portland instead of the one I had planned. Thanks again for your input

In case this is first time you are making a trip with the destinations you mention, you should know that some of the major attractions between San Francisco and Vancouver are the redwoods of northern California, the Oregon Coast (including from Brookings to Port Orford), the Columbia River Gorge, and Mt. Rainier. You will probably have a more memorable trip if you use some of the days you have set aside for cities to enjoy these and other natural wonders of the region.

HTtY

One note I'll raise is that "summer" has a <i>very</i> different meaning in various parts of your proposed trip.

For example, most years you can't circumnavigate Crater Lake until well into July due to snow covering the road, severely (IMO) reducing the attraction of that national park, and with it, the point of driving any long detours to get there.

At Mount Rainier south of Seattle, there is often 6 feet (2m) of snow still on the ground at the main visitor center on July 1. The wildflowers that help give "Paradise" its name, won't show up until August. In Seattle the local saying goes that summer starts on July 5, with the 4th of July fireworks exploding in the clouds the night before.

On the other hand, by mid- to late August, some of the waterfalls in Yosemite, one of the key attractions, have been reduced to trickles, and some dry up altogether. Also from late July through September, the Rogue River valley (Ashland, Medford) can experience very hot days, sometimes over 100F/38C, and with occasional high humidity.

Now, you know your preferences regarding climate, but just note that in the northwest, accessibility, maybe the enjoyment factor, crowds and travel times are very much dependent on <i>when, where precisely,</i> and <i>how high.</i>

Any thoughts on skipping Lake Tahoe altogether and driving from Yosemite back to Sacramento and up the Oregon Coast?

Thanks for that info on access to Crater Lake _ I didnt think access could be an issue at that time of the year

<i>Any thoughts on skipping Lake Tahoe altogether and driving from Yosemite back to Sacramento and up the Oregon Coast?</i>

It would be my preference by far, but with an added bonus of adding the California Gold Rush country, the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada, into the mix.

Here's a map and itinerary of what I'd do in that time period. It includes the southern part of the Oregon coast (the most scenic) as well as the redwoods in northern California. For what it's worth, I've taken a number of overseas visitors (mostly Scottish and English) on drives through the redwoods, and in every case they proclaimed it to be the highlight of the trip.

Map - http://goo.gl/maps/Jkb9h

Timetable (overnight stops listed)

Day 1 San Francisco
Day 2 San Francisco
Day 3 San Francisco
Day 4 San Francisco
Day 5 Yosemite
Day 6 Yosemite
Day 7 US 101 (could also be Gold country)
Day 8 US 101
Day 9 US 101
Day 10 Portland
Day 11 Portland
Day 12 Seattle
Day 13 Seattle
Day 14 Seattle
Day 15 Seattle
Day 16 Seattle
Day 17 Vancouver
Day 18 Vancouver
Day 19 Vancouver
Day 20 Vancouver
Day 21 Vancouver

What month are you looking at?

Hi - Thats really looks interesting _ I will check out that route - We are arriving end of June. I hadnt really thought about driving through the redwoods but it seems to be very highly recommended. Also the route you suggested passes through Bandon - My husband is from Bandon in Ireland and was interested in visiting the Bandon in Oregon. Thanks for your advice

Some photos -

California Gold Rush country - http://gardyloo.us/20120611_63a.JPG (Sorry about the flag.)

Typical redwood grove (car for scale) - http://gardyloo.us/20130117_51a.JPG

Oregon coast a little south of Bandon - http://gardyloo.us/20130116_84HD1a.jpg

Columbia Gorge, outside Portland - http://gardyloo.us/20100509_5a.JPG

Make day 4 Sacramento and drive through the Gold country on the way to Yosemite. Day 12 see Mt St. Helens on the way to Seattle.
Turn in the rental car in Seattle (US rental car stays in US).
Take the train to Vancouver. I saw all I wanted to see of Vancouver in 3 days. Stanley Park is nice. Going to Whistler?

>>Make day 4 Sacramento and drive through the Gold country on the way to Yosemite. <<

<i>WHY?</i>

I <i>live</i> in Sacramento and wouldn't recommend that. One can easily get from SF to Yosemite via the Gold Country w/o jogging up to Sacramento. But Gardyloo's plan would be better since it doesn't cut any time from either SF or Yosemite. Taking a day to meander to Yosemite will lose too much time IN the park.

you really should spend time driving the Oregon coast and to really appreciate it, you need to spend at least one night. I think one of the prettiest part of the coast is from Florence to Lincoln City- which has many scenic stops along the way.
I would spend one night at least on the Oregon coast and skip one night in Seattle
Crater Lake is beautiful ( I flew over it yesterday and had amazing views) but its a long drive and if the road around it is still closed, there is not a lot to do other than take pics.
Its another area where you can't do it justice without spending a night. Hwy 138 from Roseburg to Crater Lake is a beautiful drive and has many waterfalls- most of the falls can be reached by a short walk/hike in to view them- so if you do go to Crater Lake, you should spend some time driving this Hwy. I spent a weekend here awhile back and I think we visited 10 different waterfalls in 2 days.

The area around Bandon is very beautiful as well-
Or you could spend a night at GoldBeach and take a day trip up the river on Jerrys Rogue River Jet Boats- a very nice way to spend a hot summer day- you will see eagles, maybe some bears

Hope you find the adventure that works for you

A that time of year I personally don't think Crater Lake is 'worth' the detour/trouble it takes to get there. Not that is isn't pretty, it is beautiful. But IMO the Redwoods/and No Cal/Oregon coasts would be a better use of time.

Maybe it is because I was born in <u>far</u> Northern CA and still have relatives there and in southern Oregon, and Crater Lake was a regular visit so maybe I'm a bit jaded . . .but it just doesn't blow me away like other places in the region. Tahoe, MacArthur/Burney Falls, the redwoods, the Sonoma/Mendocino coast, parts of the oregon coast . . . I'd put them all above Crater Lake.

I'm with you Janisj- Crater Lake is beautiful but a long drive if you are just going for a look