My fiancé and I are trying to plan our honeymoon. We're hoping to fly into San Francisco & drive to Seattle from there. I really love the idea of a beautiful, scenic drive along the coast. I'm from Arizona though so not quite sure what will be the best way. We're interested in having a very special honeymoon with lots of romantic B&B's and hidden gems. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

Also, we'd love to stop in Astoria in Oregon & Portland. Will probably be a 10-14 day trip.

What time of year will you be going? In that area of the country, that makes a big difference. We have lived between Seattle and Los Angeles many years and made the trip a lot. Here are some thoughts:

Crater Lake in southern Oregon is great-again better in spring summer or fall though.

Ashland Oregon is a cute little town that is well known for their Shakespeare festival in the summer.

The Oregon coast is lovely all the way from northern Ca pretty much all the way up to the northern border.

We recently did the same trip in reverse, though only over 8 days. You might want to check out the Gingerbread Mansion in Ferndale, CA as one of your overnight stops.

http://www.gingerbread-mansion.com/

Also the waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge outside of Portland are really beautiful.

http://www.columbiarivergorge.info/waterfalls.html

Time of year is important, but under most conditions from San Francisco you could drive up Highway 1 to Mendocino, which is a romantic place to spend a night.

From there you could continue through the redwoods, possibly staying at Benbow Inn, near Garberville. Much of the drive from Eureka to Port Orford and from Florence to Lincoln City skirts the ocean.

On the Oregon Coast we like to stay in Yachats (Cloverleaf Lodge) or Newport (Hallmark). We also stay at the Best Western Pier Point, but you may not find the hotel romantic.

I agree that the Columbia River Gorge is an important destination, especially the Historic Columbia River Highway and Washington Highway 14 from Maryhill to Washougal.

In Washington, Mt. Rainier is a destination of particular interest on a clear day.

Romantic places to hang out in Washington include San Juan Island, Orcas Island, and the Olympic Peninsula (Quinault Lodge).

HTtY

I suggest as a romantic overnight stop along the Oregon Coast- the Channel House in Depoe Bay- some of the rooms have hot tubs on the deck overlooking the ocean

http://www.channelhouse.com/photos.htm

Just got back from Seattle. We just did an afternoon trip to Snoqualmie Falls and had massages at Salish Lodge and Spa, but definitely a place I would go back for a more romantic stay.

We will be traveling early November

Are you planning on a drop off fee in Seattle on your rental car or can you drive back south on I-5 to turn in the car where you rented it?
I like the coastal trip on US 101 from North to South. You might find that renting in Seattle is cheaper than anywhere in California. Look into flying to Seattle (or Portland) first.

I have done that trip in early November. The weather can be dicey with even some snow some years in Southern Oregon on the way up from San Francisco. You might think instead of flying from SF to Portland, exploring the Oregon coast and then doing the drive from Portland north if weather looks to be an issue. That time of year I would personally rather spend in the cities when there are more options for entertainment, restaurants and such. Staying at the hotel about the Pike Place Market would be fun that time of year.