bj

After 4 days in Port Townsend end May we will drive south to California. Our route is open, we haven't decided whether we will follow the coast or drive an inland route. Ideas, suggestions, things we shouldn't miss along the way (2 adults, no kids)? Thanks!

LordBalfor

How many days do you have to get there (where in California, by the way)? There are lots of possiblities, but some of them take a bit of time. Not sure how long you've got. Also, 4 days in Port Townsend is a while in of itself. What are you planning on seeing in that time (that will exclude some places from the list) - Hurricane Ridge etc.

The obvious choice is to take the coast highway (101) all the way down. That's a very scenic route but very slow going. There are of course lots of places to stop along the way. If you head west from Port Townsend (and have the time) head up the Hoh valley to see the rainforest. The Willapa Bay area in SW Washington is lovely, as is the entire Oregon coast. Crossing the bridge to Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia is always cool, and the town of Astoria itself has lots to see and do. Several movies ("the Goonies", and some film about an escaped robot (with treads) - I can't recall the name, I'm afraid, come to mind) were filmed there, so scenes of the bridge offramp spiralling down into town may look a little familiar.

An alternative would be to take the ferry over to Keystone on Whidbey, then drive north across Deception Pass (take a short detour up to the top of Mt Erie for a great view of the area), before heading south on I-5.

Just a few thoughts.

Ken

Ken

scott

You might want to include jogging inland to take in Crater Lake National Park.

rhonda

If you have never been there before, explore the San Juan Islands, including Whidbey and visiting Deception Pass. It will also be Tulip Time in the Skagit Valley, worth seeing after tea or coffee in La Conner.

When time comes to head back to California, take the road closest to the ocean all the way.

We drove San Juans to San Diego this way. YUM

beachbum

IMO, the not to be missed in western Oregon are the scenery of the coast and Crater Lake. You might, as Ken suggests, drive 101 down the coast as far as Florence, then cut over to I-5. Along the way you'll find countless breathtaking vistas, as well as places like Cannon Beach, Manzanita, and Newport where you'll just want to poke around.

John

If you have the time, in late May I'd recommend going east from Port Townsend across the North Cascades Highway (SR 20) then south on US Hwy 97 all the way to Goldendale (through the Yakama Indian Reservation) on the Columbia River. Visit the Maryhill Museum overlooking the river, then follow the Columbia west, on the Washington side as far as Hood River, then the Oregon side after that, and especially taking the historic Columbia Gorge Highway (not the freeway) when it cuts off at Bonneville.

At Portland, follow I-5 south a couple of hours to the cutoff for SR 38 at Curtain, then follow the beautiful Umpqua River to its mouth at Reedsport. From there follow US101 the rest of the way, unless you have the time to cut over to the coast on California SR1 just south of the Redwoods.

This route will give you exposure to "America's Alps," wonderful old west scenery, the don't-miss Columbia Gorge, and the best parts of the Oregon and California Pacific coasts. There are numerous places to stay, to detour, gawk at the scenery, and stand in awe of Ma Nature. Rocky coast, volcanoes, canyons, mountain sheep, redwoods, Rodin sculpture... high density travel pleasure.

LordBalfor

As others have suggested, Crater Lake is worth a look (it's beautiful) but be prepared for possible winter driving conditions up there. It's very high and I've been there when it was snowing in August.

If you have lots of time, another great idea would be to cross over to Eastern Washington using either Stevens Pass or the North Cascades Highway (if it has opened for the year), then taking a peek at the deserts and coulees of the area (Grand Coulee Dam and Banks Lake are terrific) before heading down the Columbia Gorge to either reconnect with I-5 or head down 101.

Ken

Pat

In Washington see the rainforest and Mt. Rainier. Both should not be missed.

Rosemary

John that itinerary sounds great and in line with what I'm also planning to do. How long do you reckon it would take, as far as the Oregon/CA border?

Andrew

Ken is right - it may be tough to get up to Crater Lake in May. My only visit to Crater Lake was at the end of May a few years ago and they had just opened the roads - snow drifts everywhere. However, if you can get up there, the snow makes for beautiful scenery.

Andrew

John

How long it takes will obviously depend on your style and how many stops you make, but I'd reckon the driving times would be something like this:

Port Townsend - US 97 (via the Keystone ferry and SR 20) - say 7 to 8 hours (fairly slow going through the mountains), or a full day. Overnight in Winthrop, Methow or Chelan. (If you have a lot of time, take the day ferry up Lake Chelan - amazing lake that runs from the high desert into the middle of the Cascades, or, alternatively run over to gawk at Grand Coulee Dam - wow.)

Chelan - Goldendale, say 5 hours. Good detours available up to Leavenworth at US 2 (faux Bavarian village); have a stop at the Yakama Tribal Center in Toppenish for a buffalo burger. If you're lucky you'll see the backside of Mt. Adams for much of the southern part of US 97 - magnificent volcano not well known outside the NW.

Goldendale - Hood River, say 2 hours, plus stop at Maryhill Museum, also have a look at Stonehenge (yes, a replica) a little east of the museum.

Hood River - Portland via the old highway, say 2 1/2 hours. I might recommend a fun overnight at McMenamin's Edgefield in Troutdale, the former Multnomah Co. poor farm converted to a fab hotel/brewery/winery/garden complex - www.mcmenamins.com

Portland - SR38 cutoff, say 2 1/2 - 3 hours, then another couple out to the coast.

Reedsport - Crescent City CA, say 4 hours, but tons of stops advisable.

Again, these are just guesses at driving times and your pace may vary. Save some energy for the Redwoods, which you hit immediately upon leaving Crescent City on US101.

bj

Lot's of food for thought here. Many thanks. Our present planning is arrive Thurs p.m. from Amsterdam and depending on how late it is, drive towards Port Townsend. We have a reservation at Mortenson's Sealoft for Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon nights. One day for Hurricane Ridge, one for Port Townsend and Bloedel Reserve on Bainbrige, the PS Express to San Juan for one day, one day Whidbey Island, and on leaving PT drive west and stop at Hoh Rain Forest. A few years ago we drove 97 north to BC and while we've driven the coast south to north, we'll probably follow the coast south. We've seen Crater Lake but have thought about cutting inland to 97 somewhere in order to avoid most of 5. Reedsport sounds like a good cross over point. We have about 15 days in all to get to Monterey Bay where we stay with family. Would like to see Lassen Volcanic park as it has always been closed for snow when we've been in that area. I can't find Deception Pass on my map. Is that on Widbey Island or on the mainland???? Thanks again for all the input.

LordBalfor

Deception Pass is the narrow channel of water between the northern part of Whidbey Island and Fidalgo Island. It's rather like a gorge in that the water flows through it strongly as the tides change. Very scenic area (especially at sunset) with a set of very high bridges.

Map here:

http://www.nwplaces.com/nwwa/whidbey/oakharb/htmls/mapdeceptionpass.html

Photo here:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/41030144/42811236ysXogX

Ken

BTilke

BJ, lucky you, heading to Port Townsend!! You will be pretty jet lagged from that long flight from Schiphol...the end of May should be a great time to visit.
Do you know what you plan to do in Port Townsend? Be sure to check both the PT Guide and PT Leader for things to do (www.ptguide.com and www.ptleader.com). PT has some great restaurants, including Khu Larb for Thai. You may wish you had more time in PT!
Have a great trip--I'm a former PT resident now living in Belgium.
Are you planning to stop in Portland? They have a beautiful Japanese Garden (along with many other things worth seeing). Cannon Beach is also a great stop, but since you'll have come from Port Townsend, it may seem a little too similar.

John

bj, it's not clear from your reply if you've seen the Columbia Gorge. If you haven't, I strongly recommend you make room in your schedule for a detour at least as far east as Cascade Locks/Bonneville Dam. You can loop back to Portland via Mt. Hood if you're inclined. Or, of course, you can continue east from the Gorge to US 97 then south all the way to California so that you're near Lassen Park. The road from Lassen Park out to the coast (Calif. SR 44/299) is slow but scenic.

One (non-coastal) alternate itinerary, spectacular in late May, would be to continue south from Lassen Park through the Gold Rush country in the Sierra foothills (focusing on Calif. SR 49 and tributaries) - historic, beautiful, interesting country; maybe even detour up to Lake Tahoe if you have the time. With 15 days to get to Monterey, you could probably even fit in a day or two in Yosemite NP if you chose.

Pam

More info..try the restaurant "Fountain Steps Cafe" for dinner. Port Townsend should be beautiful that time of year.

pam

Ooops..Fountain Steps Cafe is in Port Townsend

Paula

bj, It sounds like you might have time when you go to Hurricane Ridge to go to the Olympic Game Farm in Sequim. Basically, it's a "retirement home" for all sorts of animals, many wo worked with the Walt Disney Studios. You can drive through (make sure you have "treats" --crackers or bread--for the animals--the llamas will come right up to your car and eat from your hand and you can park and walk through and see very friendly wolves and bears (who will perform for you--again for "treats". There are grazing elk, ostrich, buffalo and zebra. It's really quite a delightful place.

By the way, I've been to Holland and the people were so wonderful to me--I hope my fellow Washingtonians are as nice to you and that you have a great trip.

(You might want to take some No Jet Lag pills or something similar, as it is a really long flight!)

bj

I'm glad I started planning this so far ahead! I just discovered www.byways.org from a post somewhere here on Fodors which looks like a gold mine for trip planning. Ken, thanks for the info on Deception Pass. If we spend a day on Whidbey Island is there a place to stop and overlook Deception Pass? Paula, hadn't heard about the Olympic Game Farm before so have made a note next to our Hurricane Ridge day. All of you thanks. When I have put together an itinerary I'll report back here. With relatives in Calif we travel there regularly - dread the flight but love travelling in the States. We know most of the roads in CA so look forward to more discoveries in WA and OR!

LordBalfor

BJ - Yes, there is parking available to view Deception Pass (it's a very popular spot), as well as a camping area nearby (usually full I would imagine).

Mt Erie can give an awesome view of the entire surrounding area. At 1,270 feet, it is much higher than any of the other hills in the area so you can't miss it.

Ken