SF To Seattle
 

What's the best way to drive and sights to see of you have about 5 days to get from San Francisco to Seattle?

Mt. Shasta, Crater Lake N.P., Oregon coast line, Mt. Rainier N.P.

Up the coast through the Redwoods. Continue up Oregon Coast to Astoria. Cross the mouth of the Columbia and go east on the Washington side of the river to Portland. Continue east on the Oregon side of the river through the Columbia Gorge ("historic" highway) to Hood River. Cross again and follow the Washington side past Maryhill to US 97. Go north on US 97 through the Yakama Indian reservation (and past Mt. Adams) then I-82 to the junction with I-90, then over the Cascades into Seattle.

The big trees alone are worth this route. Shasta and Crater Lake are nice to look at, roughly an hour each, and thus not worth the long, hot, dusty, boring detours IMO. :-S

Check the tour companies like Globus, Cosmos - you'll get plenty of ideas.

Just got back from this trip a couple days ago, though I detoured into Canada and the Olympics. For a fast and scenic road, I liked the stretch of I5 from Olympia down to Shasta. From Shasta south it gets a little dull, but the scenery before then is fantastic.

I've done the coastal route as well, but was glad I took some time in Portland on this visit instead.