Pacific Coast Highway roadtrip
 

My friend and I are planning a 7 day Roadtrip from Seattle to Los Angeles the first week of June. We are looking for unique kitschy roadside attractions to visit and unique places to stay/eat along the way. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

>>My friend and I are planning a 7 day Roadtrip from Seattle to Los Angeles<<

Unfortunately for the scenic routes a week is not very long. It will take about 30 hours behind the wheel (without traffic and without stops) so it doesn't leave much if any time for unique places and roadside attractions.

Do you want to see places like the OR coast, the Redwoods, San Francisco, Big Sur etc? If so, you'll have to travel about 8-10 hours each day including stops.

I agree with and have nothing to add to what janisj has told you.

HTtY

A week is way too short, can you start in San Francisco?

I'm prone to driving more in a day than others, but having made this trip (literally) more times than I can recall, I'll just throw out a plan that would easily work for me.

Day 1. Seattle to Troutdale, Oregon via I-90, I-82, US 97, WA 14, I-84, Columbia Gorge Highway. Travel over the Cascades and south through ranch land and high desert to Yakima, then follow US 97 through the Yakama Reservation and over Satus Pass down to the Columbia River at Maryhill. Visit Stonehenge and if time allows, spend an hour in the Maryhill Museum. www.maryhillmuseum.org

Continue west on the Washington side of the river to the Bridge of the Gods at Cascade Locks, then continue west on the Columbia Gorge Highway (above the I-84 freeway) past several waterfalls including Multnomah Falls to Troutdale, on the western edge of the Gorge. Decompress with beer, barbecue and maybe a movie before bed at McMenamins' Edgefield - http://www.mcmenamins.com/54-edgefield-home

This will be a long but very rewarding day, probably the most driving on the whole trip.

Day 2. Backtrack a couple of miles for breakfast at Shirley's Tippy Canoe - http://www.shirleysfood.com/ - then head west on I-84 to I-205/I-5, then south around 2 1/2 hours to the turnoff for Oregon Hwy 38 which will take you through a lovely little canyon carved by the Umpqua River out to Reedsport. Just before Reedsport look on the left for numerous elk in the fields south of SR 38.

At Reedsport turn south on US 101 and drive another hour or so to Bandon for the night. Bandon has numerous motels and several good seafood restaurants in its little "old town" section on the water.

Day 3. Early start, then take your time from Port Orford to the California line, as this will take you past some of the best scenery on the Oregon coast. Plenty of pullouts for photo ops or to stretch your legs on the beach.

Fill the tank in Brookings because gas will probably be more expensive in California. Then from Crescent City on south you'll be in the redwoods. If you need kitsch in all this glory, stop at the Trees of Mystery - https://www.treesofmystery.net/ - or just take a photo of Paul and Babe in the parking lot. Just south of the Trees of Mystery don't miss the iconic golden bears at each end of the US 101 bridge over the Klamath River.

Continue south to Trinidad (pretty cove) or Arcata (home of Humboldt State University) for the night. Trinidad is cuter but Arcata has more facilities, your pick. Dinner that night at the Samoa Cookhouse in Samoa - lumber mill food served family style by grannies with attitude. http://www.samoacookhouse.net/

Day 4. South through more redwoods, especially the don't-miss Avenue of the Giants, to the Golden Gate. Stay in the city if you want (expensive and a pain with the car) or outside - it matters little.

Day 5. After the morning rush hour, drive down CA 1 to Santa Cruz (cool boardwalk amusement park) to Monterey for the night. Visit the very cool aquarium, or stop at the twee shops in Carmel. Or, if time allows (daylight will be long) head a few miles past Carmel to Point Lobos for sunset - maybe pack a picnic. Stunning scenery, probably some decent marine wildlife. http://www.yelp.com/biz/point-lobos-...reserve-carmel

Day 6. Head down Highway 1 (past Point Lobos) and presently you're on the Big Sur coast. Stop at Nepenthe for a coffee and imagine you're Orson and Rita. http://www.nepenthebigsur.com/ . An hour or two later you're at the Hearst Castle. Go see it. http://hearstcastle.org/

End the day in Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo or Pismo Beach. Just south of SLO visit the Madonna Inn if so inclined. Kitsch overdose. http://www.madonnainn.com/

Day 7. Motor south on US 101 and have lunch in beautiful Santa Barbara, taking time to visit the lovely Spanish Mission Santa Barbara a little east of downtown. Well worth the effort; one of the most beautiful buildings in California IMO - http://gardyloo.us/20110205_8a.JPG . From Santa Barbara it's a couple of hours to the LA traffic jam, more depending on where in LA you're headed. Pack your patience.

So seven days of pretty constant motion, but covering a lot of cool and scenic places. Not a bad trip. If you had more time it would be better, of course.

Map - https://goo.gl/maps/X98GpBpiuMp

Sorry, you wrote "Roadtrip," and I read "roundtrip."

Seattle to LA in seven day is definitely doable. I have made this trip many times over many years. These are the points of interest of which I never tire: Mt. Rainier, the Columbia River Gorge, the Oregon coast (including Ecola State Park, Cannon Beach, Newport, Cape Perpetua, and the stretch of Highway 101 from Port Orford to Brookings), the redwoods of northern California (including Avenue of the Giants), San Francisco (including SFMOMA, which will be open in June), and Highway 1 from San Francisco to Malibu.

The kitschy and unique places you will remember most, are the ones you discover on your own.

HTtY