San Francisco to Seattle road trip
 

Me and my wife are planning a road trip from San Francisco to Seattle for next year and would love feedback on what time of the year is best for driving. Also, suggestions on places we should not miss. And we definitely want to travel along the coastline.

Best time of year is May through September, with the possibility of gloom at both ends of that time period. You have two choices for the coastal route: After crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, follow the signs to CA-1. This is a slow road but it hugs the coast all the wy up to Leggett, CA, where it joins US-101. US-101 is the other choice, straight ahead after crossing the bridge. It is a faster route by far.

https://goo.gl/maps/vyRCNgdfcdA2

You could leave I-5 at a number of places depending on how much time you have available. You could skip Portland entirely by taking US-101 to Astoria and over the bridge to the Washington side, then WA-4 back to the freeway at Kelso-Longview.

>>Best time of year is May through September, with the possibility of gloom at both ends of that time period. <<

Actually -- on the California Coast the 'gloom' would be in the middle of that time period. Summer is when it is more foggy/cool. September/early October is absolutely Glorious, April/May is usually lovely too. If I had a choice -- all other things being equal -- Id start in Seattle in late August/early Sept and drive south.

How long do you have for this trip?

Thanks for the info. And janisj we will have about a week.

>>And janisj we will have about a week.<<

Oh dear :(

That is not really enough time to drive from Seattle to SF down the coast -- two weeks would be lovely. One week would simply be a road trip w/ few stops.

Seattle to Olympic National Park to the Oregon coast and down the coast to SF is about 1100 miles and takes at least 26 hours 'car time' w/o a single stop (and there are MANY places would want to stop). So in 'real life' you'd be in the car (counting sightseeing stops and meals) at least 8 hours a day every day.

Can you add time?

Or spend less time on the coast and do part of it inland on I-5?

Hi Janisj, I might be able to add another week or at least 10 days. And I would not be opposed to doing part inland on I-5.

OOPS - this is the second time (I did it on someone else's thread too) where I flipped the direction of travel . . . must be getting dyslexic :)

But the timing is the same N > S or S > N . . .

>>And I would not be opposed to doing part inland on I-5<<

If you can stretch it to 10 days (good) or two weeks (terrific) there would be no need to subject yourselves to I-5.

Since you are doing a "return" trip (I assume), you could work your way up the coast and come back down a different route.

I will admit I haven't done the coastal route, but agree with Janis that September is the best month for weather (but it could get hot).

We've done that trip once in July and once in August and we had great weather both trips. Places inland we loved were Ashland, OR, and Crater Lake (best national park I've been to, and I've been to many). Actually, Bend was a great stop-over, and we love Portland . . . so much to do!

Up in the Seattle area, would totally recommend the San Juan Islands that you get to by car ferry.

<i>Since you are doing a "return" trip (I assume), you could work your way up the coast and come back down a different route.</i>

I didn't see where it was a round trip, but that would make all the difference, i.e., not a very good idea even with 10 days.

I tend to be more aggressive than most, and having done this drive more times than I can count, I could suggest a week's itinerary that wouldn't be a back-breaker. However if the week (or 10 days) is to include time in SF or Seattle themselves, then if becomes much more complicated.

Basically the drive ("wheels turning") up the coast - redwoods, Oregon coast, cut through to the Willamette Valley, Portland, Seattle - can take as little as around 17 or 18 hours depending on how heavy your foot is. So over a week or 10 days, that allows you to budget time for sightseeing, food and comfort stops, etc., which is far from impossible.

For a week <i>excluding</i> time in either SF or Seattle, my general recommendation is something like this -

1 SF to Mendocino
2 Mendocino to Trinidad
3 Trinidad to Bandon
4 Bandon to McMinnville
5 McMinnville to Columbia Gorge
6 Day in Columbia Gorge
7 Gorge - Seattle

Map - https://goo.gl/maps/GDGJ3jsvGxt

This would give you the beautiful Sonoma/Mendocino County coast in California, two days through the redwoods and along the most scenic parts of the Oregon coast, a night in the Willamette Valley wine country, and two nights in the Columbia Gorge/Mount Hood area.

While this route is fine anytime between May and October, I'd personally do it in late May or June, as the roads and hotels will be less crowded and there will be plenty of water in the Columbia Gorge waterfalls.

If you have more time, then obviously you can allocate the extra days to longer stopovers en route, or add time in SF or Seattle at the ends.

Oh jeeze - IF this is meant to be round trip even two full weeks would be rushing things.