janmart

Could you please advise us of any interesting and different places to see and visit on the way from Vancouver to San Fran. We have about 3 weeks in Feb 07.Any good B&B's to stay at? We would like to see some National Parks, Redwoods, Vineyards, Mountains, Lakes etc.
Its all new to us Aussies.

hausfrau

janmart,
You're going to do my favorite drive on the planet!! I have done the whole trip twice and parts of it in California many, many times (I used to live near SF). You are in for a real treat. There will be many responses to your post, so I'm just going to list a few favorites along the coast.

If you have time, definitely take the ferry to Victoria and then to Port Angeles and come down the Olympic Peninsula, stopping in Olympic National Park (dramatic mountain vistas) and Port Townsend (beautiful Victorian-style seaport). You might even take time for a whale-watching boat ride around the San Juan Islands. There are dozens of Orcas (killer whales) in Puget Sound.

Fort Clatsop, Oregon - winter camp of American explorers Lewis & Clark
www.nps.gov/lewi/planyourvisit/fortclatsop.htm

Heceta Head Lighthouse - Yachats, Oregon
www.hecetalighthouse.com
One of the most spectacular B&Bs I've ever seen, a working lighthouse, with an incredible 7-course breakfast!

Avenue of the Giants - between Garberville and Eureka, California
There are lots of websites, e.g. www.avenueofthegiants.net

Mendocino, California - another gorgeous seaside village with a huge artist population and spectacular headlands. I got married here! Russian Gulch State Park has some wonderful hikes.
www.gomendo.com

Joshua Grindle Inn, Mendocino
You can stay in a cozy room in the water tower with a woodstove - perfect in February!
www.joshuagrindleinn.com

For a fabulous special dinner in Mendocino, try Cafe Beaujolais.
www.cafebeaujolais.com

There are literally hundreds of coastal parks along the route, so be sure to stop and take a few long walks on the beach.

Have a wonderful time!

hausfrau

Topping for janmart because s/he posted on Aussie time, before the Americans were awake!

janmart

Thanks hausfrau - websites were very informative - any other places or B&Bs you think of please let us know.
Do you or anyone else know if and when the winter sales will be on in San Fran. We arrive 24 Dec and have 5 or 6 days there to shop. Our daughter is getting married in UK in early Jan and we were hoping to buy a mother of the bride outfit and suit, shirt and tie for the wedding in San Fran before we head to UK. Any suggestions? We can't buy anything much here as it is summer time and all the items are light weight so it has been difficult to buy something decent. Where would the best place to buy and for the best prices?
Hope anyone can help??? We are staying downtown San Fran.

hausfrau

After-Christmas sales will start December 26. Basically every store in America has an after-Christmas sale, so you can't really go wrong. The big department stores will probably be your best bet for what you are looking for - Nordstrom or Macy's. You'll also find the big chains like Gap, Banana Republic, etc. All are in the vicinity of Union Square. Nordstrom is in a huge multi-story mall on Market Street. Everything will still be decorated for the holidays so it's a lovely time to shop in SF!

I'm surprised no one else has posted. Here are a few more thoughts on hotels:

The Shelburne Inn - Seaview, Washington
http://theshelburneinn.com
The location isn't anything special but it is a lovely inn with an award-winning restaurant (The Shoalwater).

Best Western Beachfront Inn - Brookings, Oregon
http://www.bestwesternoregon.com/hot...eachfront-inn/
Beautiful beach; they don't offer breakfast but there is a good "surf 'n turf" type restaurant across the street where we had dinner and breakfast

The Benbow Inn - Benbow, CA
www.benbowinn.com
If you want to go inland a little this place is a real gem. My parents stayed there on their honeymoon and it is still supposed to be great. Very close to Avenue of the Giants.

I can't say enough about Mendocino - one of my favorite places on earth. You can't go wrong with most of the hotels in town. Another option that is a little more affordable is the Mendocino Hotel
www.mendocinohotel.com

I think those are most of the places I've stayed, but I'll let you know if I think of anything else!

janmart

Thanks again hausfrau - you have been very helpful. If you think of anything else we would be grateful anytime.

Gardyloo

I think one thing to pay attention to will be the combination of inclement weather and short daylight hours. Combined, they can make driving days pretty tiring, so don't over-plan. If you have 3 weeks (presumably including some significant time in both of your "anchor" cities) you should not need to hurry at all - even following the slowest options on the coastal routes - Olympic Peninsula circuit, Hwy 1 in Northern California, etc. - you really are looking at no more than around 30 to 40 total hours of driving time. So six days at five to six hours maximum will be more than adequate to cover the ground; the rest of the time can be allocated to sightseeing, beachcombing, sleeping late, and so on.

A couple of "sleeper" locations that might be of interest en route -

- White Rock BC - right on the US border, is a very pleasant waterfront town with a definite British vibe - waterfront chip shops, etc.

La Conner and Coupeville WA - La Conner on the mainland near the bridge to Fidalgo Island (innermost of the San Juans) and Coupeville on Whidbey Island are two small and very cute waterfront villages with good galleries, B & Bs, and restaurants.

Bandon, OR is by far the most attractive of the coastal towns on the central/southern Oregon coast.

As you approach Eureka, watch for the turnoff for Samoa, home of the Samoa Cookhouse, a former lumber mill messhall now serving up family-style meals brought to your table by your grannie. Fun.

Ferndale, CA, a little south of Eureka, is a largely Victorian town with numerous B & Bs and very cute buildings, away from the traffic and commercial schlunk of US 101 in the Eureka area. It's a good spot from which to do forays into the Redwoods between Eureka and Crescent City, or south of Eureka, or (especially) the "lost coast" around Cape Mendocino and the Kings Range nature reserve a little further south. Enormously scenic and wild area; it's amazing how few people - even in California - have even heard of it, much less gone there. In February it might be stormy, which only adds to the appeal (to some of us, the defective ones )

Mendocino on CA SR1 is cute, as has been mentioned; but don't overlook Gualala or Bodega Bay.

Inland from the coast near Petaluma is the small village of Occidental, famous for family-style (translated: huge) Italian dinners at the Union Hotel. Spend the night or drive into SF, or stay over in one of the many B & Bs or small hotels in the area.

Michael

Carry chains if you intend to go to mountain areas. If accessible, Crater Lake might be spectacular in the snow.

Appraiser

Hi,
If you are driving from Vancouver to San Francisco going down the coast, I'd take US101 along the ocean as much as you can, it's spectacular. Check out http://www.happymappy.com which lets you use Google Maps to explore all the fun things to do along any road. It doesn't have Canada attractions, but in the US, this map is amazing. As you drag the map along US 101, up will pop every thing to do and see along the road. It's hard to explain because this map works different than any site I've been to, when you use it you'll see. For your trip, I'd consider taking the ferry from Vancouver to Victoria, spend a night there, then the ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles, WA which would let you see Olympic National Park (zoom in and that map will show you every thing to see within that park.) South of Klamath, CA is Redwoods National Park, and a nice part of it in Prairie Creek State Park which is where I'd explore wildlife and forests, you'll see some good hiking places on the coast (Fern Trail). For wine country, move to Healdsburg, CA where the map will show every winery, there are great ones there, great restaurants in town which has many tasting rooms and quaint hotels. For Napa Valley, try St. Helena, CA -- since most of the better wineries to visit are in the northern part of Napa Valley, not near Napa city which has so few. I'd recommend Clos Pegase, the winery designed by famous architect Michael Graves. Some of the best wineries are also along the Silverado Trail, like Pine Ridge and Joseph Phelps. Steer clear of the tourist trap wineries like Sterling and Beringer; truth is the wineries that you must call first to let them know you are visiting are those making the best wines, too. Finally, in San Francisco, you'll find the HappyMappy has the city's attractions in incredible detail. Zoom into the piers along Fisherman's Wharf and even every ship you can tour is identified, or look within Golden Gate National Recreation Area (north and south of Golden Gate Bridge) and they have hundreds of places within the park identified. Favorite spot in San Francisco: ferry to Angel Island State Park on an island in SF Bay, hike to the top (700ft) and the view of the city and bay and bridge is a spectacular place to open a bottle of wine you bought in Napa and enjoy some cheese. If you don't get there, be sure to go to the top of Mount Tamalpais State Park in Mill Valley, CA (north of Golden Gate) which has a spectacular view on clear days.

janmart

Thanks everyone for your very useful and informative tips for our trip - we should have a great time by the sounds of it. Hopefully the weather will be kind to us as we are not used to real winter weather (from sunny Brisbane Aust) - it will be a change and a challenge.
The happymappy website is just fantastic. Should come in very handy also. Thanks again everyone- any other suggestions please keep them coming.

Neil_Oz

We (Australians also) recently drove this route in the opposite direction, and thoroughly enjoyed the coastal scenery, the redwood forests (take the scenic byways, they're clearly marked) and much more.

Stopping in at the succession of towns with their nicely restored 19th Victorian buildings and interesting shops was also a pleasure. We were warned off Eureka, but all you have to do is turn a few blocks off US101, which splits as it goes through the town and you'll find a nice old town centre by the waterfront. The local museum has a good display devoted to the traditional lives of the local Native American peoples.

If you can, see Hitchcock's 1963 film "The Birds" before you stop in Bodega Bay. Judging by the film, one thing that seems unchanged in 43 years is the Pacific Coast Highway. It's slow, and someone in authority seems to have an aversion to guard rails, but definitely take it in preference to 101 as far as you can. (Memo American cousins: from now on, complaints on the Australia forum about our narrow, winding roads will NOT be entertained!)

If it weren't the off-season I'd strongly recommend a visit to Ashland, Oregon, home of a justly famous Shakespeare festival; unfortunately that runs from March to October. Ashland is still a delightful town, but probably a little out of the way for your purposes.

There isn't much at Gualala, but the old hotel is a good place to overnight.

Fort Bragg is another pleasant place to stay, with several decent restaurants at Noyo Harbor (I can recommend the unpretentious Chapter & Moon). South of town, the spacious Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens are worth a visit.

Have you considered a diversion to Portland, Oregon? We thoroughly enjoyed our 3 days there, not least because we stayed at the HI-Portland Hostel, where for the price of a cheap motel in the 'burbs we had a fine room in a timber Victorian building just 10 minutes' walk from both a (free) downtown light rail stop and the Nob Hill dining/pub/shopping district. Shared bathrooms were never a problem. We spent one day driving along the Columbia River Gorge as far as the town of Hood River - if you can make time, do it.

And if you like good beers, you'll love Northern California and particularly Oregon.

A few small points that may sound like trivia but which may be omitted by guide books:

* If you're stuck for a B&B, you can always put up at a Super 8 motel, which are everywhere. They're almost identical, the McDonalds of motel chains, but reliable, clean budget accommodation.

* America has retained 4-way stop signs at many intersections. To save you having to ask - the protocol is basically "first up, best dressed" (i.e. you take it in turns depending on order of arrival at the intersection).

* Don't forget to tip where appropriate! In Oregon we discovered that this includes gas station attendants - you're forbidden from pumping your own petrol there.

* Elsewhere you may be expected to pay before pumping - the easiest way to do this is to use the credit card terminal on the pump, or you can overpay in cash and get change after.

* On major highways, it's common for drivers to exceed the posted speed limit by 10 mph or more. We saw very few cops, and also very few accidents. (Please note, this does not constitute a recommendation.)

* If you do cop a fine, do make sure to pay it. This is just good manners in your host country (and if you don't, they'll slug the car rental company and it will cost you more).

* American drivers are generally well-behaved and courteous, especially when it comes to stopping for pedestrians at street crossings - do likewise!

* With apologies to any northern neighbours reading this, our impression was that Canadian drivers aren't quite so punctilious.

janmart

thanks Neil_oz for your helpful pointers - will definitely come in handy - have you or anyone been from San Fran to Yosemite Nat Park? We wonder how far it is and if we could do it in the day? also what would the weather be like at that time of the year Dec/Jan/Feb? What would be the best way to see it and enjoy it?

Michael

It takes 4 hours to drive to Yosemite. If there's snow, it will take longer. Carry chains. Yosemite is very enjoyable in the winter. Non-skiers can rent snowshoes at Badger Pass and walk through the woods or on the trails, no previous experience is required. The photos were taken in March, some of them while snowshoeing.

http://www.photoworks.com/share/shar...E0C2BB10&cb=PW

bbqboy

http://www.traveloregon.com/
I would only tell you that most of the attractions of Oregon lie inland.
There's a big coast contingent on these boards.
In Oregon, Wines, Foods, the National Park and People all are away from the fierce winter coast.
http://www.oregonwines.com/

DAX

I agree with above poster, arguably Highway 1 becomes more interesting after Mendocino. I second driving Hwy 1 through Albion, Jenner, Bodega Bay, all the way down Marin county and drive inland to see Sausalito and then drive up to Sonoma & Napa. Alternatively you can detour inland earlier into the Sonoma & Napa Valley and then drive south to San Francisco. The redwoods in Marin county is not as impressive as those giant ones that you can drive through inside the Kings/Sequoia National Park south of Yosemite, way past San Francisco. Carmel near Monterey is also worth the two hour drive south from San Francisco. It is the capital of B&B in California.

bbqboy

We usually have friends and relatives turn inwards at Eugene on 126, motor down i-5 to Ashland and Crater Lake, then back to the top of the Redwoods on 199,
and on down 101/1.

LucieV

Am I the only person who finds Mendocino depressing?? And when it's not depressing, it's overrun with people who act like they're in a Bohemian Disneyland?

OK, load the guns, I'm ready.

DAX

Everything is relative Lucie: depressing, bohemia, disneyland, nightmare. If you remember to take the pill then everything will be happy again.
What part of it don't you like? The weather plays a big role and you have a point since jamart will be driving in the winter foggy weather

LucieV

DAX, I first visited Mendocino in the late 60s. Then again in the 70s. Again in the 80s when cousin lived there for several years. Didn't visit in the 90s, but visited last winter. As scenically stunning as its location is, the town of Mendocino just doesn't ring my bell, if you know what I mean. But then I'm not a huge fan of Carmel either -- yet I do love Big Sur & Ashland, so what can I say??! Inconsistent, yup!

Chacun a son gout, n'est-ce pas?!


And if you take your pill, I'll promise to take mine, sweetie.

DAX

Lucie: You certainly know Mendocino more than I do. It doesn't take much for you to convince me, I've only been there once in the 90's and haven't had the urge to rush back. Just wanted to be considerate to those who love Mendocino. People told me to go there during their mushroom festival then I won't need my happy pill.