wanderlust0912

We are starting our trip in Bozeman, Montana. We have two-three weeks to spend driving back to Texas via Washington, Oregon, California, and Arizona. We are wanting to mix it up with camping and hotels/lodges. I will have a 9 year old and 14 year old. We prefer to spend most of our time hiking, natural sites, botanical gardens, local farms,farmers marke, the ocean and wildlife. And one of the kids requested to explore Seattle anda troll bridge?. And the Winchester Mystery House. And the younger one wants to see sea lions, Mt Saint Helen's and Crater Lake

Nothing is concrete yet but we are thinking of taking two to three weeks in July this year. For the most part we want to stay close to the coast, but we definitely want to venture inland for Crater Lake, Kings Canyon, and Yosemite.

Besides looking at maps I am not familiarly with Pacific Northwest. It is the only part of the US we have never traveled or lived. I have read there are a extensive number of camping spots along the coast. I am curious if anyone has taken a similar trip and has any advice - where to camp, eat, sight see, hotels/campground, places off the beaten road, ie There are just many things on our list. SO if anyone has done a similar trip or can offer suggestion or hints or tips it would be wonderful.

Michael

Neah Bay has an interesting Native American museum; a tribal lodge that was buried in mud about 500 years ago.

My recollection of the Winchester House is that it is not that interesting.

On the way to Neah Bay from Seattle, there is a free campground on the Lyre river.

There is a good botanical garden just south of Fort Bragg: http://www.gardenbythesea.org/

There is also the Skunk train, that I would take half way and then return.

Gardyloo

In my view your list is much too long for the time allowed and your aims for the trip - hiking, wildlife, etc. A simple loop out to the coast via Seattle, south to the redwoods, inland to the Sierras, then back to Texas via Arizona would involve at least 60-70 hours wheels turning, i.e. a week of 10-hour days on the road, giving you just a week to actually see things. I think you need to edit your plans pretty severely unless you're okay with basically a fly-by plan.

Some specific notes:

- The Fremont Troll is a guerilla art piece located under the WA 99 Aurora Bridge (where trolls live, y'know) in Seattle - http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2236

- For travel this summer, you're most likely already in trouble in getting accommodations of any sort near Yosemite. The valley itself can be come oppressively crowded at that time.

- Crater Lake is a long distance from anywhere. It's beautiful but would take up the better part of two days minimum, days which could be spent doing other things that might be more worthwhile.

- Hotel prices in Seattle are shockingly high during the Alaska cruise season. And many places along the Oregon coast require two-night minimum stays.

So a couple of suggestions for you to think about as "big picture" alternatives:

1. Sequoias and California coast, something like https://goo.gl/maps/ei3kCypJuCN2 . You'd cross the Sierras via CA Hwy 4 to see giant sequoias at Calaveras Big Trees State Park, then travel along CA Hwy 49 (great gold rush history and fun historic towns) to Yosemite for a brief visit. Then you'd head out to the coast, stopping at Big Basin or Henry Cowell state parks for coast redwoods, then hang out around the Monterey peninsula for wildlife at beautiful Point Lobos State Park, the Spanish mission in Carmel, and the amazing Big Sur coast. Then down to Santa Barbara and back to Texas via I-40 and the Grand Canyon.

2. Olympic National Park, Columbia Gorge, Crater Lake, like this - https://goo.gl/maps/fFyuhDS7oxP2 . Here you'd head west to Seattle, then around Olympic National Park (mountains, rain forests, incredible rocky beaches) then down to the awesome mouth of the Columbia River - lighthouses, waves on rocks, Lewis and Clark history. Then you'd head up the Columbia through Portland and visit the Columbia River Gorge with its waterfalls and vista points to Hood River, windsurfing capital of the US. You'd then visit Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood and continue south to Crater Lake, then farther south along the east slope of the Sierras to Las Vegas, over to the Grand Canyon, and east from there.

Either of these routes will still involve more driving days than ones spent staying still, but they're more doable than some route that tries to combine them. The region is just too big and has too many terrific things to see and places to visit, to fit it all in the time you have.

tomfuller

https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/...roll-droppings
I attended a geocaching event there on January 4.
The worldwide HQ of geocaching is nearby in the Freemont neighborhood.
See if you or the kids are interested in geocaching.
You should spend one night in a yurt in an Oregon State Park. Tugman is near the Oregon Dunes which most kids love.
If you can't get a room at the Crater Lake Lodge, stay at the Diamond Lake Resort a few miles away off Rt. 138.

wanderlust0912

I can add time if needed this is what I have came up with so far. I am not sure if I am still trying to pushing things too much? And should we cut time from the Olympic Forest? We plan on Forks, Ruby Beach, HOh rain forest, ie How much time do we need to spend in the MT Hood/River Gorge Area. We just want to spend a day white water rafting, do a bit of hiking, maybe fish and see the hatcheries.We plan on stopping and taking our time during driving days (Sea Lion Caves, Lighthouses, carnivorous plants, old roadside attractions)

Day 1 Bozeman MT to Spokane
Day 2 Spokane to Seattle (Orchards)
Day 3 Seattle
Day 4 Seattle
Day 5 Seattle to San Juan
Day 6 San Juan
Day 7 San Juan or Victoria (Botanical Gardens)
Day 9 San Juan Island to Olympic National Forest
Day 10 Olympic National Forest
Day 11 Olympic National Forest
Day 12 Olympic National Forest
Day 13 Olympic National Forest
Day 14 Olympic National Forest to MT ST Helen to Castle Rock (Overnight)
Day 15 MT HOOD OR
Day 16 MT HOOD OR
day 17 MT Hood OR to Cannon Beach
Day 18 Cannon Beach
Day 19 Cannon Beach
Day 20 Cannon Beach to Florence
Day 21 Florence to Del Rio or Fernland or Eureka
Day 22 Del Rio to San Francisco Via Aveneue of the Giants
Day 23 San Francisco
Day 24 San Francisco
Day 25 San Francisco to Las Vegas/Hoover Dam (I am trying to figure out the most scenice route)
Day 26 Hoover Dam to Grand Canyon
Day 27 Grand Canyon
Day 28 Grand Canyon to Albuquerque NM
Day 29 Albuquerque NM Carlsbad
Day 30 Carlsbad to San Antonio

tomfuller

Instead of Spokane, check out Coeur 'd Alene Idaho with the beautiful lake.
Are you going to make day trips from Seattle into Olympic National Park? There is an Olympic National Forest south of ONP.
There is an arboretum and botanical garden in Seattle connected with the University of Washington.
Don't be forced into a two night stay in Cannon Beach. Find a yurt in an Oregon State Park.
From San Francisco go to Yosemite. Stay in the park if you can. From Yosemite go over Tioga Pass and then go through Death Valley on the way to Las Vegas/Hoover Dam.
Stay at the Hoover Dam Lodge which is about 3 miles from the dam. If the weather is good, you can take a helicopter ride over the dam and Lake Mead. They take off from a hill next to the parking lot of the lodge.
Hotel prices are high in Seattle during the cruise ship season. You might want to spend a night in Yakima or Leavenworth if you want to see orchards.

wanderlust0912

Tom, Thank you. We are planning on camping in Olympic National Forest. If we are wanting tidepools, scenery and wildlife near Astoria/Cannon Beach to Tillamook which state parks are the best option we can do cabins, tents or yurts?

Bobmrg

Do not confuse Olympic National Forest with Olympic National Park.

www.fs.usda.gov/olympic/

I suspect that you really mean ONP. www.nps.gov/olym/index.htm

www.visitonp.com

tomfuller

Try for a yurt at Fort Stevens at the mouth of the Columbia River. http://oregonstateparks.org/index.cf...age&parkId=129
There are many Oregon State Parks with yurts or cabins all down the Oregon coast.
My favorites on the southern Oregon coast are William Tugman (near the Dunes) and Sunset Bay out of Charleston.

suze

Funny, Winchester Mystery House was my very favorite thing ever as a kid doing road trips with my family in California!

The Troll under the bridge in Fremont really isn't all that. But if you are coming thru Seattle, it's certainly easy enough to swing by.