Northern West Coast Road Trip
 

Hi my Fodors peeps,
So my friends and I are planning a road trip. We want to visit northern Cali, Oregon and Washington. Not sure if time will permit to drive into Vancouver. Or should I just leave Canada on its own. We will be traveling from Chicago. We are thinking min of 2wks in August or September. we have never been so don't know what to go see. All your help would be much appreciated. I have been reading some other threads. Thanks

Are you planning on driving your car or a friend's car?
Do you plan on 2 or more nights in between Chicago and the coast each way?
My favorite way into and out of Chicago is on an Amtrak train.
Your choices are the California Zephyr to Sacramento where you would rent a car or take the Empire Builder to either Portland or Seattle. The train splits in the early morning in Spokane.
I leave the long distance driving to Amtrak. The train keeps moving through the night when you would be paying for a motel and not getting any closer to your destination.
A 15 day USA Rail Pass (8 segments) for each of you might be a wise choice.
Please don't call the state of California "cali" or for that matter don't call San Francisco "Frisco".

Thanks for you input Tomfuller.. I was planing to drive my mini suv. Cost wise would it be cheaper take the Amtrak and rent a car than drive? Thanks

You and how many friends? I was just considering the extra miles on your minivan, the chance of an accident and the cost of motel rooms and gas.
The 15 and 30 day USA Rail Passes are a bargain when compared to individual tickets for a long distance trip.
Amtrak also runs 2 trains and several buses per day between Seattle and Vancouver. Make sure everyone has their valid passport with them in case you decide to cross the border.

I would drive my own vehicle, personally. Besides, once you get out here and rent a car, visiting several states there is usually a hefty fee for dropping a vehicle in a different state.

August and September are both ideal times to visit the PNW. September is a bit better if you want fewer crowds, since most families are back home and kids back in school.

Two weeks is a good amount of time, but it all depends on what you want to see. You can scratch the surface pretty well, or you might consider scaling back how many places you want to go. It all just depends on your interests, of course.

Thanks Tom & mms.. It is going to be 4 gals. So dividing the cos between 4 should be good. What do you all recommend we see based on your experience.