SBond

My husband and I are planning a pacific coast road trip in June. We are looking for a 10 day trip. We would like to fly in to San Francisco and stay overnight and possibly tour Alcatraz the next morning. We would love to have recommendations for a reasonable hotel close to union square. We really are more "nature lovers" than "city lovers". We do not want to spend a lot of time touring the cities unless it is something really special. Our thoughts were to then head to Yountville and stay overnight at the Villagio Inn and tour the wineries the next day. After that, I just don't know. I think that I want to stay close to the coastal highway, so I know that it will be slower, but how slow? We want to see the Redwoods, and enjoy the natural beauty of the area. I am really interested in seeing some of the beautiful waterfalls in Oregan. The quality of the trip is more important to us than trying to see too much. Any recommendations of "great place to stay" "do not miss" "a great hike" (not too strenuous), "great place to eat", "don't waste your time" would be so appreciated. We are so excited about seeing this part of the country for the first time!
Sheila

Gardyloo

Looks like your first post; welcome to Fodor's!

I think 10 days is okay as long as you don't want to spend a lot of time in Portland or Seattle themselves.

Here's a rough plan I'd suggest. Map: https://goo.gl/maps/3vCfS5Tyqky

Timetable (overnight points shown)
Day 1 - SF

2 - Yountville

3 - Yountville

4 - Ferndale or Trinidad CA. Tour Avenue of the Giants en route. Ferndale is a pretty Victorian village south of Eureka, Trinidad is a tiny waterfront village north of Eureka/Arcata.

5 - Bandon OR. You'll pass through the rest of the main redwood groves, then past the most scenic part of the Oregon coast, the first 60 or 70 miles. Bandon is the most attractive town on the south coast.

6 - McMinnville OR, in the heart of the Willamette Valley wine region.

7 and 8 - Hood River, OR. Use the time to see the waterfalls on the Gorge walls, visit the beautiful Hood River Valley (more vineyards and orchards) and maybe visit historic Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood, where there will probably still be snow on the ground.

9 and 10 - Seattle. Travel to Seattle via the eastern Gorge, with a stop at Maryhill Museum and/or the nearby Stonehenge replica, then over US 97 through wonderful "old west" country and the Yakama Indian reservation to Yakima, then into Seattle over the Cascades on I-90. 45 minutes before Seattle detour 10 min. off the freeway to Snoqualmie Falls, which should still be pretty spectacular with water from melting mountain snows.

This route will give you tremendous variety and no shortage of scenic wonders. It's not super-rushed, although there are a couple of five-hour days. You'll have plenty of daylight, of course.

tomfuller

I'm hoping you have a deal that does not include a drop fee on the rental car.
I prefer the road trip southbound on US 101 on the Oregon coast. Could you fly to Portland to start instead of SFO?
Also in McMinnville is the Evergreen Aviation museum if you wanted to see the "Spruce Goose".

happytrailstoyou

Where will your 10-day trip end? Are you flying in and out of San Francisco?

HTtY

tomfuller

Paging SBond: How are your plans coming? Answer our questions and we can help.