StevenBRD

Hi all,

I could use some advice. My girlfriend and I are planning a roughly (time is somewhat flexible) 2-week road trip starting in mid-May. We're going to travel from our hometown, Tucson, to San Diego to borrow my dad's car. Then, we plan to make our way up to Vancouver, turn around and come back down, trade cars back, and head back to Tucson. I know the Pacific Coast Highway is a must and will definitely be included, but I can't see traveling that way both up and down the coast. I was thinking we might go more inland for the initial trip up from San Diego, maybe go to Yosemite and work our way up from there, then hit major cities and other stuff on the way down the PCH back to San Diego. Any suggested itineraries for such a trip? I guess the idea would be to see different stuff going both directions, and also to not stop in teh same cities on the way up and on the way back. I really haven't driven much above San Diego where much of my family lives now, so if you have ideas about how to tackle such a venture, that would be great. We're relatively fit and up for anything if that helps with your suggestions. Thanks for your advice!

sf7307

2800 miles over 14 days = average 200 miles per day driving.

StevenBRD

We'd be doing a few longer "driving days" and then staying put. That's the plan. Given that, any ideas sf7307?

Placename

What do you mean by "hit major cities"?

SF, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver will take up most of your 14 days, without any driving or staying in Yosemite.

tomfuller

Make sure you both have valid passports if you want to go to Vancouver. You might want to park the car in Seattle and take the 7:40AM Amtrak train to Vancouver. Depending on what time you come back with a car that is not yours, it might be simpler.
With 2 drivers and some nighttime driving your plan is workable but quite tiring.
About 50 miles south of SF, I love the Pigeon Point Lighthouse HI Hostel.
Yosemite deserves at least 2 full days. Including it with the coast and Vancouver is a bit much for your time.

sf7307

I think you could easily spend a couple of days going up the coast, 2-3 days in Yosemite, a couple of days in the Big Sur-Monterey-Carmel area, 3-4 days in San Francisco, a couple of days driving up to Oregon, a day in Portland, or a couple of days along the Oregon coast, 2 days in Seattle and 2 days in Vancouver. Since that's already more than 14 days, you'll have to cut something out, and make time for driving back to San Diego. I do think you could easily "fill" two weeks just on the California Coast, Yosemite, and San Francisco environs.

ruggedchica

You should do a little research on the cities you know for sure you'll be passing through. Try looking them up on http://www.gatheringguide.com (the venues section is best) and you'll get a heads up on places to stay, eat, etc.

Orcas

San Diego - 2 days up Route 1 to SF.
2 days in SF
3 days to and in Yosemite
Up I-5, and cut over to Oregon coast south of Florence
3 days up Oregon coast
2 days Mt. Rainier
Turn around and drive back...oops.

Skip the California coast, since it is close by and you live there already. Go up I-5 - 1 day.
Oregon Coast - 3 days
Portland - 2 days
Mt Rainier - 2 days
Seattle - 2 days
Vancouver 2 days
Drive back 2 days.

S

Gardyloo

If Yosemite is still on your radar, be aware that most years Tioga Pass (entrance to the park from the east) is closed until well after your travel dates. Also this is a particularly snowy year, so some of the other mountain areas, e.g. Paradise on Mt. Rainier, Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood, will still have a lot of snow on the ground in mid-May (like, 10 feet.) I wouldn't allocate too much time at altitude in mid-May; if it's not snowy it can be foggy - not the best visiting weather.

If you want to go inland in one direction, I'd also make it on the northbound direction, mainly to put off the coast as long as you can. The weather in May along the coast can be chilly and gray, if not wet, so later is better. Going inland, you might consider taking one day to parallel I-5 along California Hwy. 49, which runs south-to-north (or v.v.) through the Gold Rush country on the western slopes of the Sierras. In May the landscape is drop-dead gorgeous, and there are numerous small towns, some virtually ghost towns, that really evoke that period (1849, hence the highway's number and the football team's name.)

suze

That is really a lot of driving for a 2 week trip. Do you HAVE to go to Vancouver? How about stopping & turn around at Seattle? Or even Portland? Would make this a much more reasonable (and enjoyable) trip imo.

michele_d

Are you talking about Vancouver, Washington or Vancouver BC?

StevenBRD

Hi all,
This has all been very helpful. I think maybe cutting one or two things out of this particular trip is probably a good idea based on all your insights. I'm probably thinking about this through the lens of my 10 year old self who had to take long car trips with parents that consisted of next to no stopping...just driving. Keep suggestions coming if you have them! Thanks!

Placename

Orcas' suggestions are good. You basically have to chose if you are going to see the Pacific NW or California.

May is still a fairly rainy and cool time in the Pacific NW. It's not deluge-like but can be drizzly and gray.

bbqboy

If all you want to do is hit the big cities, you should just fly to Portland or Seattle and rent a car.
You can do the California parks by car from Tucson.

sf7307

The OP specifically said they're flying to San Diego to borrow their dad's car. I don't think a one-way car rental is on the agenda.

bbqboy

I know what they said. I've driven it several tines. That's why I'd drive to Phoenix, take a cheap flight to Portland or Seattle, tour the upper PNW and actually enjoy it, and do California another time.

tomfuller

One way to avoid a lot of driving would be to fly from San Diego to Bellingham Washington on Allegiant. http://www.allegiantair.com/aaIndex.php
Rent a car there and see Vancouver and all that you want to see in Washington and coastal Oregon.
You can either fly back to San Diego from Bellingham or take the Coast Starlight back to LA and another train back to San Diego to pick up dad's car to head for Yosemite, SF and the CA coast. Using Allegiant and/or Amtrak could save a lot of driving and gas money.

Otis_B_Driftwood

The way I read the original post is that they are driving to San Diego, borrowing the dad's car and "Then, we plan to make our way up to Vancouver, turn around and come back down, trade cars back, and head back to Tucson."

What we have not heard from Steven is anything about their interests other than that they want to "hit major cities and other stuff on the way down the PCH". I'm afraid that what information they have provided is so insufficient that it's impossible for anyone to recommend any form of itinerary other than the basic route descriptions of the inland and coastal routes.

We've done many great two week trips from the Bay Area up to the Pacific Northwest and even into Canada but we don't try to visit everything along the way. We have always zoned in on a particular target.

Steven, give the folks more information so that they can help you.

POlson

Like Suze - I couldn't get the timing to work if you also include Vancouver, plus the logistics of the border crossing make this less fun.

So, here is my two cents assuming the point of the trip is to "roadtrip". That is to say, lots of driving, talking, rocking to music, enjoying audio books, with very short stops hitting the major city highlights, perhaps a few nature hikes thrown in along the way to stretch your legs, and of course a few random cafes and truck stop meals you'll remember forever (for good and bad reasons). Once you refine the basic itinerary and overnights the folks here can help refine, and add suggestions for places to eat or things to do.

Make reservations at Yosemite and any other special stops (though I like to have all my reservations lined up in advance). Also, make sure you have AAA.

16 Days (14 day road trip SD – Seattle, No Vancouver)

Day 1 – Tucson to SD
Day 2 – SD – LA (pick an area to explore with easy access to I-5 – such as downtown – some suggestions: go to LA Live, Grammy Museum, Olvera Street, architecture tour, art museums, go to a Dodgers game, see a musical or other stage performance, enjoy a nice dinner)
Day 3 – LA to Yosemite (mostly a driving day, but leave early morning and you may see some of Yosemite like Mariposa Grove in the late afternoon, consider staying south (like Wawona) the first night and in or near Village the second (like Ahwhanee)
Day 4 – Yosemite (go for hike)
Day 5 – Yosemite to SF (breakfast at Ahwhanee, see Yosemite Village, grab burger or pizza in Village, leave after lunch)
Day 6 – SF (Alcatraz, Ghiradelli Square, ride cable car, Union Square, Golden Gate Park museums, enjoy a nice dinner)
Day 7 – SF to Portland (long drive day, leave early - you could cross over to coast at some point, maybe Newport to Tillamook stretch, or drive coast further north to Astoria)
Day 8 – Portland (Pearl Street, art museums, Powell’s bookstore, food trucks, rose gardens)
Day 9 – Portland to Seattle (stop at Mt. St. Helens, dinner at Space Needle)
Day 10 – Seattle (Pike Place Market, Music Experience, Waterfront, ride a ferry, rent bikes, go to Fremont)
Day 11 –Seattle to Grants Pass (long drive day)
Day 12 –Grant’s Pass to SF (long drive day)
Day 13 – SF to LA on coast route (long drive day but nice views)
Day 14 – Santa Barbara (rest, relax, walk on beach, get a massage or pedicure at Four Seasons Spa, get car washed and surprise Dad)
Day 15 – SB to SD, fly home in evening or see family and fly home on Day 16

bbqboy

right. so if all you're going to do is drive through the most beautiful parts at 65 mph, why bother? I assume they don't really need to go to SD other than to borrow a car. I guess
i don't get the point of the trip if the idea is to hit Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver.