Hello,

I am working on a driving itineray from LA to Seattle. So far, have only developed a framework, but wanted to get some opinions:

Day 1. Fly to LA and overnight in Santa Barbara.

Day 2. Overnight at Ragged Point (Southern Big Sur)

Day 3. Overnight in Monterey

Day 4. Overnight in San Francisco

Day 5. Overnight in Crater Lake Area

Day 6. Overnight in Portland

Day 7 & 8. Overnight In Seattle

This is only a framework. I realize we are trying to fit in a lot, but we are looking for a road trip. First, I wanted to just see if this would be feasible or if it was way too much.

Please let me know your thoughts.
Thanks,

--Paul

Days 5 & 6 will be long ones. The trip to Crater Lake turns kinda slow after you leave I-5 at Medford. I personally think it's a little quicker to take 97 out of Weed, CA and come in from the South via Klamath Falls. It's a toss-up IMO whether you come back to I-5 at Roseburg or Eugene. I think the road through the Cascades into Eugene is a little better, but you stay on the 2-lane roads longer that way.
I'd skip the overnight in SF, leave the City in the evening and drive a few hours north to shorten the next day. Not a lot of hotel choices on I-5 between Sacramento and Redding, but even if you only get as far as Davis, you'll be ahead of the game on Day 5. But if you like to drive and its summer, I'd try to make Red Bluff.

I can't help much, but I'm wondering.....

What are you trying to accomplish here? Sure, the trip is "feasible" in terms of drive times, but you're not really expecting to see a city like San Francisco in an evening, are you? Why not just LA to San Francisco, or San Francisco to Seattle (better yet, Portland)?

Do you have anything in particular planned for the Portland area? It's only a 3-hour drive to Seattle, so consider a detour to St. Helens that day. Or, better yet, spend the night after Crater Lake somewhere on Oregon's central coast. The next day take hwy 101 north to Astoria before cutting inland to I-5 and on to Seattle.

What time of year are you planning to do this?

Thanks, beachbum. I would also like to know the answers to your questions.

I'm also curious, zinnimal, why you drive only 30-40 miles on the third day to spend the night in Monterey, when your goal is to drive from LA to Seattle.

Ragged Point Inn is a pretty location but unless you are stopping at Hearst Castle or somewhere else along the way from Santa Barbara, I would drive all the way to Monterey that day and then spend time looking around Carmel and Monterey. You will see plenty of Big Sur Coast on your drive up to Monterey. Stop at Ragged Point for lunch.

Thank you for your responses. And all fair questions. The purpose of the trip is to see the California coast, some different things in Oregon, like Crater Lake and Mt. Hood, and then see a bit of Seattle. We have been to San Francisco, and are only spending a night there to see friends.

We are going this August.

One option would be to spend a couple days in Wine Country in California, rather than travelling up through Oregon and into Seattle.

Paul

I'd skip Seattle
I live here and I love the city, but it's a long ways from LA to come only for a couple days. There's some wineries in the Portland area (Willamette Valley along hwy 99) you could add for an extra day there. Could you fly home from Portland instead?

I agree to drive from Santa Barbara directly up #1 to the Carmel area. Why not over night in the Sonoma area...Healdsburg, and then drive up #101 through the Redwoods and into Oregon through Medford? It will be an all day drive from Hbg up #101 to Medford. Or you could continue up the Oregon coast, cut in to Portland, and then back down via Crater Lake which is really beautiful to see. Drive #5 back to San Francisco or Sacramento and fly out.