Hi,

A friend and I will be arriving in Portland, OR on 10 July next year. We have to be in Sisters on 12 July and then in Long Beach, CA on 25 July. We'll spend a few days in San Francisco, but other than that we have no itinerary. We like nature, quaint towns and quilt shops. We are at the beginning of planning our trip and want to know what there is that we shouldn't miss. Any suggestions?

Many thanks, Laura

Well to drive straight through on I-5, you would have to count 4 hrs from Portland to Ashland. 6 hrs from Ashland to SF. 6-7 hrs from SF to Long Beach..depending on traffic. We usually take the #5 from Ashland to Williams, cut over to #101 and go through Calistoga (Napa county) and over to Healdsburg (Sonoma County) and enjoy that area. You could drive from SF to Carmel/Monterey and drive the 90 miles from Carmel to Hearst Castle on Route #1..which has the most beautiful coastline views. Then down from San Simeon to Santa Barbara and into LA. It all depends on what your interests are, and budget.

I love Sisters. Such a cute town. Love to stop in to all the shops. Got a great tapestry form the Hen's Tooth and yummy breakfast goodies at the bakery.

On the drive from SF to Long Beach some places to consider, Capitola, Carmel, Cambria & Sant Barbara.

Just SW of Portland is our wine region. McMinnville is a town in this area and it has a nice quilt shop called Boersma's. It is right in the heart of downtown.

I don't know anything about quilt shops, but there are many quaint towns in Oregon and California you could explore on your way to Long Beach.

Such places in Oregon include Cannon Beach, Jacksonville, and Ashland.

In California, you could visit Ferndale, Mendocino, and Bolinas on your way to San Francisco.

Between San Francisco and Long Beach Camel, Cambria, San Luis Obispo, Solvang, and Santa Barbara are among the towns and cities of particular interest.

From Sisters head towards Bend and then take HWY 97 down towards Crater Lake. Check it out, along with Diamond Lake if you get a chance. Then head south either along 82 or 62 and hit the Redwoods down by the California border. Y9ou won't be sorry.

Hi,

Thanks for the replies. Crater Lake and the Redwoods sound great!

Laura

Ashland is a fun place to spend the night. Try the Ashland Springs Hotel in downtown.

Ferndale on the CA north coast is also a great place. Take a look at the Jim Carey movie "Majestic" and you will see what Ferndale is all about.