Route from Lake Tahoe to Crescent City (Redwood National Park)
Apr 5th, 2000, 11:42 AM
#1
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Route from Lake Tahoe to Crescent City (Redwood National Park)
My husband and I are taking an extended vacation in California in May, driving around the entire state. At one point we are driving across the state from Lake Tahoe to Crescent City(Redwood National Park), and plan to do the drive in 2-3 days. What is the best route, what should we see along the way, and any suggestions of hotels in these areas?
Apr 5th, 2000, 12:16 PM
#2
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Dear Pam:
You can do a lot in two or three days on this drive, but it would help if you could provide a few more specifics:
Are you crossing the Sierras from the south end or from the north end of the lake?
Do you prefer to drive through the mountains?
Or do you want to take in a stretch of coast as well?
Do you like wine and want to stop at a few wineries?
Are you a history buff and are you going to search out historic sites?
Are you a nature buff?
Are you a bird watcher?
Are you going for the most spectacular scenery?
Do you want to visit only the redwoods near Crescent City or do you want to take in the southern redwoods (Avenue of the Giants, et al. as well?)
What kinds of hotels do you like, in what price range?
A few quick suggestions:
Hwy 89 north from Lake Tahoe will take you (east of the Sierra Crest) through beautiful Sierra Valley to Lake Almanor and to Mt. Lassen National Park. From the park, you can take Hwy 44 to Redding and then continue to the coast on Hwy 299, past the old mining towns of Shasta and Weaverville. You'd reach the coast north of Arcata but south of Trinidad and the Redwood National Park information center near Orick.
Or, you could head west from Truckee on I-80, then take Hwy 20 through the old Mother Lode towns of Nevada City and Grass Valley to Marysville and Yuba City and continue through Colusa to Clear Lake (the highway hugs the north shore of the lake). You would pick up US 101 north of Ukiah. In Willits you could turn west to the coast on Hwy 20 (Fort Bragg), or drive north on US 101 to the Avenue of the Giants redwood groves, Humboldt Bay, Eureka, Trinidad, and Crescent City.
Or, you could stay on I-80 until Davis, then follow signs to Winters and take Hwy 128 from Winters (at I-505) past Lake Berryessa to Rutherford and the Napa Valley wine country. Hwy 128 takes you north to St. Helena and Calistoga, then runs west to Geyserville in the Alexander Valley (more wineries en route). You could pick up US 101 in Geyserville or continue west on Hwy 128 (from Cloverdale) to Boonville and the Anderson Valley wine country, and to Mendocino and Fort Bragg on the coast (Hwy 1 will take you north to US 101 and the Avenue of the Giants from the jct. of Hwy 128).
That's just for starters and should give a better idea of some of the choices (there are LOTS more enjoyable ways of taking this drive).
You can do a lot in two or three days on this drive, but it would help if you could provide a few more specifics:
Are you crossing the Sierras from the south end or from the north end of the lake?
Do you prefer to drive through the mountains?
Or do you want to take in a stretch of coast as well?
Do you like wine and want to stop at a few wineries?
Are you a history buff and are you going to search out historic sites?
Are you a nature buff?
Are you a bird watcher?
Are you going for the most spectacular scenery?
Do you want to visit only the redwoods near Crescent City or do you want to take in the southern redwoods (Avenue of the Giants, et al. as well?)
What kinds of hotels do you like, in what price range?
A few quick suggestions:
Hwy 89 north from Lake Tahoe will take you (east of the Sierra Crest) through beautiful Sierra Valley to Lake Almanor and to Mt. Lassen National Park. From the park, you can take Hwy 44 to Redding and then continue to the coast on Hwy 299, past the old mining towns of Shasta and Weaverville. You'd reach the coast north of Arcata but south of Trinidad and the Redwood National Park information center near Orick.
Or, you could head west from Truckee on I-80, then take Hwy 20 through the old Mother Lode towns of Nevada City and Grass Valley to Marysville and Yuba City and continue through Colusa to Clear Lake (the highway hugs the north shore of the lake). You would pick up US 101 north of Ukiah. In Willits you could turn west to the coast on Hwy 20 (Fort Bragg), or drive north on US 101 to the Avenue of the Giants redwood groves, Humboldt Bay, Eureka, Trinidad, and Crescent City.
Or, you could stay on I-80 until Davis, then follow signs to Winters and take Hwy 128 from Winters (at I-505) past Lake Berryessa to Rutherford and the Napa Valley wine country. Hwy 128 takes you north to St. Helena and Calistoga, then runs west to Geyserville in the Alexander Valley (more wineries en route). You could pick up US 101 in Geyserville or continue west on Hwy 128 (from Cloverdale) to Boonville and the Anderson Valley wine country, and to Mendocino and Fort Bragg on the coast (Hwy 1 will take you north to US 101 and the Avenue of the Giants from the jct. of Hwy 128).
That's just for starters and should give a better idea of some of the choices (there are LOTS more enjoyable ways of taking this drive).
