Architect30

My wife and I are going to Portland OR for a conference and would like to see either Olympic NP or Redwood NP April 1 - 8. Which of the two parks would you recommend for that time of year? It looks like some of Olympic has the possibility to be closed due to snow.
Thank you!

happytrailstoyou

Tough call, but I'd go for the redwoods because you could incorporate them with a drive down the spectacular Oregon coast and you could return to Portland via 199 and I-5 (or vice versa).

The drive between Portland and ONP offers no such opportunities.

HTtY

tomfuller

I agree with HTtY. Drive US 26 (not 30) to the coast and spend a night at either Cannon Beach or Seaside.
Drive south on US 101 with stops at Tillamook (cheese factory), Newport (Oregon Coast Aquarium) Florence to Reedsport (sand dunes) and then the Redwood NP.
Come back to I-5 on US 199. If you have a little extra time, try to see the Oregon Caves off 199.
You might want to detour a few miles east on Rt. 38 from Reedsport to see some elk at Dean's Creek.

Architect30

Thanks HTtY and Tom! Instead of heading back to Portland would you recommend driving onto San Francisco and flying out of there? Flight costs are comparable. Any highlights to see on the way to San Fran?

happytrailstoyou

The drive from the redwoods to San Franciso on 101 is quite pleasing. and the Sonoma and Napa wine regions are on the way as you approach SF.
(Beware of the toll on the Golden Gage Bridge as you drive into SF. It's a problem in a rented car.)

At Legget you could drive over to Highway 1, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway. This two-lane road has spectacular ocean views and many twists and turns. Mendocino is a town worth visiting. It was used in the filming of East of Eden. The easy walk on the Mendocino Headlands is a memorable experience. Little River and Albion are spots near Mendocino that have popular B&Bs.

If you take Highway 1, drive at least as far as Bodega Bay (site of The Birds) because you will pass though beautiful Sonoma Coast State Park on the way. Bodega Bay is about one hour away from the Sonoma wine district.

HTtY

tomfuller

It's much quicker to go back to Portland through Grants Pass and north on I-5 than it is to drive on down to San Francisco.
Save San Francisco for another trip flying to San Francisco or Oakland (or Sacramento).
I see no point in going to the California wine country in April.

Gardyloo

You can comfortably drive from Portland to SF via the southern Oregon coast and the redwoods in three days, so if you have more, add one or two days for the Columbia River Gorge and Hood River Valley before heading south. You might have good spring weather (might not) and the orchards in the Valley might be in bloom; there ought to be plenty of water in the many waterfalls along the Gorge walls.

My recommended route at that time of year is to take I-5 south from Portland to OR 38, which follows the Umpqua River out to the coast at Reedsport. The river flows through a very pretty canyon for part of the way, then just before the coast you'll likely see numerous Roosevelt elk overwintering in fields just south of the highway.

From there it's a quick drive to Bandon, the prettiest town on the south coast, and from there the scenery is terrific all the way to the California line, when the redwoods start up.

Stay in Trinidad or Ferndale, both pretty villages outside Eureka, and take the Avenue of the Giants byway which parallels US 101 through some terrific redwood groves. If you have an extra day, by all means swing out to the coast and take CA Hwy 1 all the way to the Golden Gate - you might get lovely spring weather, or it might be blowing rain sideways - you never know.

It's a great off-season drive.

Architect30

Thanks everyone!

suze

I'm no expert but I also vote "redwoods". It just makes more sense with the rest of your plans.

NewbE

It's not really a problem, you just have to go to this website:
http://goldengate.org/tolls/rentalvehicles.php
and decide how you;d like to make a one-time payment. Your options are:

(from the website)

Online using a credit card at www.bayareafastrak.org.
By phone using a credit card: Toll free (877) BAY-TOLL (877-229-8655), outside California 415-486-8655. Click here for hours of operation.
In person using cash at a Cash Payment Location.
In person using cash, check, or credit card: Bay Area FasTrak Customer Service Center, 375 Beale Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. Click here for hours of operation.

I have only ever done it online with a credit card and it was easy peasy.

Also from the website:

You must take action BEFORE or within 2 days AFTER your first crossing of the Golden Gate Bridge (headed southbound into San Francisco)

happytrailstoyou

Thanks NewbE--so good to know.

Do you know of other toll bridges and roads that offer this service?

HTtY

NewbE

I don't. To my knowledge there is no such simple solution for Florida, to name just one state with unmanned toll booths.