Hi,

2 senior Brits are planning to drive from San Franciso to Seattle late March early April.

We have the Fodors Great American Drives which we have planned our trip on.

Tips on places not to miss, we like wild life and Arts and Crafts. Happy to walk.

Which is the best way to drive it, north or south ?

Thanks in advance.

One tip I found in a book called the Pacific coast Highway: Travellers guide (from Amazon) is to book the car from Budget as they don't charge for one ways along that coast. They suggest taking the train back to your starting point.
At that time of year I think I'd go north to south - to the warmth!
I was planning on doing the same trip this April/May but he who pays the bills wants to go to New Mexico instead. Ah well next time.....
Enjoy your trip!

If you're driving from SF to Seattle, it really has to be south to north.

I've driven it round trip and wouldn't necessarily say one way was better than the other...do spend as much time off I-5 as possible. The Oregon coast is gorgeous and not to be missed. I really like Tillamook and Astoria.

How long is your trip and what route are you planning?

I recall a conversation I had once regarding the North/South drive of San Francisco to Seattle. One way was preferable because of the sun not being in your eyes as you drive. I can't remember which way it was though. Does anyone know if this is an issue or not? Thanks.

Most would recommend north to south if you have option. You're closer to the view, and don't have to cross traffic into the viewpoints (though traffic shouldn't be bad that time of year).

I agree with the comment about Oregon's coast. Drive all of it if you have the time. Usual favorite stopping points are Ecola State Park (just north of Cannon Beach), Short Sands Beach at Oswald West St. Park, Cape Meares St. Park (on Three Capes Scenic Loop), Depoe Bay, Haceta Head Lighthouse..... As Orcas asked, how much time do you have? We can do better for you with a little more info.

Oh, and curiousgeo, in March and April the sun isn't an issue. ;-) On late summer afternoons, it might be if you're heading north to south.

I'd agree that north to south is preferable, especially through Oregon where there are so many places to pull off and enjoy the view. However, in March/April you shouldn't have too much traffic to contend with on 101.

I did this drive round trip from Seattle to SF last year, same time frame, and it was a wonderful drive. If you'd like to read the blog I wrote about the trip, feel free to email me.

You'll want to drive up the Mendocino coast on Highway 1. Mendocino is a pretty town and used to have (perhaps still does) a local craft center. The Avenue of the Giants is well marked off 101 after highway 1 rejoins it. Crater Lake is worth a visit, although the road might still be closed because of snow. The Oregon coast is beautiful, but so is the California coast, and if you are unfamiliar with semi-arid landscapes, the drive along the east side of the Cascades might be of more interest than the drive along the coast; but crossing the Cascades might be a problem. Here are some pictures to whet your appetite although you won't be doing any camping in that season.

http://tinyurl.com/39o373

If you want to drive both ways, i.e., the scenic way either up or down, and the fast return, you could do the coast route one way and Route I-5 the other.

The coastal route can take as many days as you can spare, and you will never be bored. My wife drives the I-5 route, from one and a half hours north of Seattle, down to Berkeley to see her Mother, regularly. She makes the trip in about 14 hours; drives straight through with only a few pit stops.

I'm sure you will love the scenic coastal route.

I had planned about 2 weeks to do trip, expecting to spend about 3 days in SF.

As I am the only driver I would prefer to only do it one way. I have not yet booked tickets and we are both retired so can do longer if required.

Thank you for the photos and all the comments.

Carol

Do give San Francisco four days if you can.

Many places along the Oregon coast get an average of 10 inches of rain in March.

In March and April, we prefer the drive from San Francisco to Malibu along Highway 1.

I drove from SF to Seattle last fall, and I took 101 about half the way and I-5 the other half (I-5 is actually fairly pretty, I think though of course the coast drive is going to be prettier). I drove around the Olympic Peninsula for my own amusement, and I was actually disappointed by it. It was more clear-cut logging and dying small towns than it was picturesque.

The other recommendation I would make is, if you're going to stay anywhere near Astoria and are willing to shell out a bit, I really liked the Cannery Pier hotel:

http://www.cannerypierhotel.com/

New, nice, relatively unknown (as of last fall), sits on the Columbia river. Very cool.

I may be a contrarian here, but having made this trip more times (literally) than I can remember, several in the company of visiting Brits (who weren't senior then but are now ) I'd throw out some minor heresy. A fortnight is too long, unless you plan to find someplace overlooking a beach and watch it rain for a week (which is also completely legitimate, just not everyone's cuppa.)

I don't hold with throwing all travel plans up in the air because of what the weather *might* be like, but a reality check is that in early Spring the Oregon coast can be very wet. Unlike the northern California coast and the redwoods (which will be the highlight of the trip, trust me) where the highway stays a little inland for the most part, and has some protection from the sideways rain by the intervening forest, up on the southern Oregon coast there's nothing between you and the ocean for much of the distance. Thus there's nothing to block the rain and wind which is a near-permanent state of affairs. It's romantic and charming for a few hours, maybe a day or two, but after three or four days the charm passes and you find yourselves just wanting to get the hell gone. Or at least that's my experience.

If your time is flexible then make sure it's flexible both ways.

As for specific recommendations, I'd do the drive south to north. I'd start with at least 4 days in SF (don't know if you're arriving straight from Britain into SF but if so allow at least that long to overcome 8 hours of jetlag.) I'd extend that to most of a week if you included day trips to the Napa/Sonoma valleys for some wine exploration - unlike the north coast the wine areas will be glorious in late March/April, probably with wildflowers and greengreengreen hills.

When you head north, do so by California Hwy 1 north from SF, making for Mendocino as a one or two-night stop.

Take your time in the Redwoods, even if it's wet - that's their native condition and why they're here. If you like the US version of "quaint" (aka twee) have a look at staying in Ferndale near Eureka. Have a meal at the Samoa Cookhouse in Samoa (and tell you friends you've been there) - a preserved lumber mill mess hall near Eureka.

On the Oregon coast, I think Bandon is the most attractive town with okay restaurants and some very scenic beach-and-rock bits.

If you're tired of wet by then, you can cut over to Interstate 5 and the Willamette Valley at Reedsport, using Oregon Hwy 38 - a very scenic route and one which will offer a good chance of wildlife sighting, especially elk (I've also encountered black bear a few times on this road, but just blind luck.) On I-5, head north into Portland, possibly stopping at the University of Oregon in Eugene, which has an excellent (Asian specialty) museum on campus.

If you decide to stay on the coast, then I'd recommend going all the way up to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, and heading into the Hoh Valley (part of Olympic National Park.) In the spring the Olympic rain forest is at its best, as the (likely present and enormous) Roosevelt Elk have browsed all the low foliage, leaving a canopy of trees and hanging moss, but nothing to block your view for a considerable distance. It's beautiful and spooky, and that's the right time of year to see it. Then take US 101 around the top of the Peninsula and enter Seattle via the very dramatic Bainbridge Island ferry route.

If you go via the Olympic Peninsula, then you can reasonably fill two weeks. If you want to keep moving and experience just the redwoods and the southern Oregon coast, then a total of 5 or 6 days on the road is more than ample.

beachbum, thanks for the information. This is a drive I have long wanted to do, perhaps when I retire or maybe on a college tour for my son of West Coast schools. By the way, love your screen name.