The Best Stops to Make on a Seattle to Crater Lake Road Trip . do you have a printable version of this? Let me know in the comments! We booked a flight to San Jose to explore the citys economic hub and cultural traditions. Day 2: Coos Bay OR, to Redwood National Park, CA. I was, for the most part, ambivalent about the cities along the PCH. My wife and I (with our dog) are driving from Pismo Beach to Cannon Beach and staying at a beach house there. Related Read: 12 Romantic Getaways in Washington to Take Your Sweetheart. If I wanted to follow your trip but stop off a day at Yosemite what might the drive look like? Want to know more? Its worth it! Territory Supply is reader-supported and may earn a commission when you book or purchase using our links. A scenic 1.5-hour drive from Portland will lead you directly to the salty sea. Before you get started, making sure you pay the feebefore you arrive and nail down a mountaineering/climbing permit from the Park Service. Feel free to comment back here if you have questions while planning your trip . Have you heard any issues with the Covid and being able to rent places on the way down? The Point Reyes Lighthouse is only open to visitors from Fridays to Mondays (weekends) from 10am-4:30pm. Day 5. Thank you so much for creating this itinerary! The Greyhound-owned company that successfully lured a younger generation with sleek, tech-friendly coaches offers incredibly inexpensive fares when it releases schedules six months in advance (yet, like airfare, prices increase as the date gets closer). I live in Florida and have never been to the pacific coast. Love all the comments ideas and suggestion, will try and make this trip happen in about 2-3 years . Thanks for reading and asking, Hunter! distance from Seattle: ~1 hr and 15 mins | driving directions (with ferry) | driving directions (without ferry, which is ~2.5 hrs) | best for: excellent seafood and wineries. Thanks again! 2 Most Direct Seattle to San Diego Road Trip: I-5. Seen in: Oregon, Pacific Northwest, Road Trips, Washington. I do have OCD though, and Im having a really hard time getting past your use of the word lament in the paragraph suggesting to drive on southbound. Cross the Columbia River and enter Washington. Instead, the coastal route will take you along the rugged bays and headlands of Oregon and Washington. Extremely informative. Chinquel, nice to hear from you! AND, I did it in November in a PT Cruiser with the top down.all bundled up with the heat on full..but man, what a view! The tower is decorated with artwork chronologically depicting the regions history. Well, now we will have to wait to see how this Covid-19 progresses. With a curated slate of what matters in your city, Curiocity presents you with the most relevant local food, experiences, news, deals, and adventures. Nice ride. I appreciate your asking for clarification! The seaside towns of Astoria and Cannon Beach are both within a two-hour drive of Oregon's most populous city. We figured booking hotel in Seattle for 1 or 2 days for arrival and checking the college. Thank you so much for passing on your wisdom and experience. On some byways, you'll drive from the high desert to snowcapped peaks to verdant valleys in one go. My blog posts likely contain affiliate links, including for the Amazon Associates program.If you click, book, or buy from one of these links, I may earn a commission. I think its going to be a tough year fro travel! Thinking of maybe making this where we would b me somewhere different for 4th of July. Kim, December should be a pretty good time, but plan for classic marine layer weather (chilly and cloudy this is whats normal on the Pacific coast!). We just booked Patrees room! The Inn has a great set of amenities like an indoor pool, a hot tub, a sauna, and a gym. But take your time: Both Olympia (the capital) and Tacoma (home of the. Im pretty confident theyll be wowed by these sights. Best stops along Portland to Seattle drive. You can get a printable version by signing up on the forms in this post. Glad this was helpful! Hey there! You could easily spend a weekend here, so give it an extra day if you like playing outside. Thanks for your comment, Erin! Heres a Pacific Coast Highway map and schedule for 10 days: One of the most popular questions I get about driving the Pacific Coast Highway is about when to drive the PCH. It is one of the most prominent attractions in the area as it gives access to two of the most beautiful rivers in the Pacific Northwest. All rights reserved. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south on CA-1, the Pacific Coast Highway. Sign up for Weekend Wanderer and join thousands of readers getting epic travel ideas weekly. You can also take guided mountaineering classes from three professional area mountain schools. 2. Youve got so much time, thats awesome! Great read! Tim & Janice, what kind words! Hi there, I am thinking of taking a solo trip down the PCH from Long Beach, WA to LA? Thanks so much for this comprehensive look at the PCH. Where is the Pacific Coast Highway? Do you highly recommend the LONG route OR is thru Mendocino only enough? Thanks to the Pacific Coast and rugged mountains, Oregon and Washington are filled with natural beauty. Depending on the timing of your itinerary, you may want to do an overnight here. Depending on whether you drive a Washington to California road trip or just drive portions in California, you can start/end your road trip at the various cities in this guide. Great name btw . 5400 N Pearl St, Tacoma, WA 98407, USA. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south on U.S. Highway 101 along the Oregon Coast to Newport. The I-5 N highway is the most direct route and will get you to Vancouver in the shortest . I am currently living in crescent city and plan to make the drive in a couple of weeks. Rainier National Park Southeast Gate. Learn more about our editorial policies here. We fly out of LA. To obtain the greatest perspective of Mount Adams and other Cascade Range summits, including Rainier, tourists can climb 6,400 feet (1950.72 meters) to Sunrise, the highest point reachable by vehicle. Not to mention its one of the largest mountains in the US and were lucky to have it right here. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south along CA-1. Day 3 Tillamook, OR and Three Capes Scenic Drive. How do I do it? Related Read:12 Spots to See Gorgeous Fall Colors in Oregon. Im assuiming youve read the whole post, as I do cover a 7-day suggested itinerary, and cover overnight stops along the Oregon coast. We are planning to do Northboundfrom Ventura to Wine country but only have 5 days returning on the 5th day. Travel from Portland to Seattle easily to explore both of these top PacNW cities. I will definitely use all the info youve provided. If you make it out this way, let me know, as Im now in the Bay Area! Whats the best time of year to do this? Id recommend booking or at least searching every hotel you want to stay at, and the nights you want to stay, so you can get a sense of exactly how much its going to cost. Thanks for reading, Dave. Plan accordingly when you design your PCH itinerary. Sunrise also features miles of trails amidst Mount Fremont, Burroughs Mountain, and Sourdough Ridge. Now Im going to lay out step-by-step directions for a Pacific Coast Highway road trip based on all my tips so far. So nice to hear from you, Silvia! Hop on Washington State Road 4 to Naselle, WA and then head south on Highway 101 to Cannon Beach. Im saving this post to reference when I think about doing this trip, because that has to happen! I am starting from seattle 8/26 down to los angeles taking PCH. Hope to rent a car there? Great post. Thanks so much, Lois and glad to help! Silver Lake, Seaquest State Park - a beautiful hidden gem on the way to Seattle from Portland. Anyway, the drive spectacular and the view at the end is just as great. We are doing the PCH this July and August coming from Yellowstone, Glacier and Teddy Roosevelt NP it has been on our Bucket list for quite some time after this trip we only have Alaska to visit and we will have visited all the States !! Thanks for reading, Lauren! You did a fantastic job with this giude, everything is straight to the point but provided in a fun and educational way. Let me know if you need any extra tips whenever you start planning! Heres a Pacific Coast Highway map and schedule for 5 days: If youre lucky to have a few more days for your PCH road trip, a week is a pretty fantastic amount of time to see all that the Pacific Coast Highway has to offer. So the verb lament is correct in the present tense, and the tense of recommend earlier in the paragraph. AAA /Brett Vanderbrink. Let me know if you have any other questions while planning or on the road! Theres a link to that at the end of the post. We stay in San Diego on Pacific/Mission Beach a lot so no need to travel this far south for us. I especially appreciate your links to stays and dine. San Jose is a creative and thriving high-tech culture epicenter. This Portland to Seattle road trip itinerary is a whole vacation on its own though you could use it to connect separate vacation in both cities for a seriously awesome PNW getaway! Where:Washington Park Arboretum to Seward Park. Great article. Is Pacific Coast Highway the same as Highway 1 or Highway 101? Youll get glimpses of beautiful greenery as well as views of Lake Washington. What is the average speed on the 101? It sounds like youll have an awesome trip, and happy early birthday to him! St. Helens or the coast. Long Beach is and always will be one of my favorite destinations in Washington. Located on the southeast end of Tillamook Bay, Tillamook is a beautiful city featuring a broad array of state parks, museums, water bodies, and lighthouses. Port Angeles is the place for that one-night stop. If you need to stretch your legs on your day of driving between Los Angeles and San Diego, Huntington Beach is a great spot to stop. Im at work surfing around your blog from my new apple iphone! So heading east eventually to round out the trip. You live in SF! . Dramatic sea stacks and colorful promenades define the stretch of Highway 101 connecting these coastal . If you are taking a longer PCH drive, turn west out of Portland along Oregon Highways 99W and 18 to connect with U.S. 101 near Lincoln City. Only question I have is how much money would you recommend someone having for a trip like this and staying in a 3 star hotel each night? 1. Great tips, Kathi! Just wondering about restrictions? At Enumclaw, turn onto Route 164, then onto Route 18. I have looked up the different uses of the word and grammatically correct samples, and I believe you needed to use it in past-tense. The shoulder seasons can be a great time to visit Mt. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south along U.S. 101 to Crescent City always stick to the coast! When in doubt, stay on the coast. While you cannot use Portland to San Francisco road trip planner in just 4 days, you can visit Astoria or Cannon Beach. Instagram. The drive from Portland to Seattle is one I've made numerous times. If you want to unwind to the sound of crashing waves, this is by far your best option. This location has some historical significance since it is close to where the illustrious explorers Lewis and Clark finished their cross-country journey in 1805. This post was so helpful! I started this site to share my travel stories and inspiration to help you complete bucket list trips. Located on a beautiful crescent-shaped bay, Crescent City is along part of the PCH where California Highway 1 and U.S. Highway 101 overlap hence this guide refers to both Highway 1 and Highway 101 as the PCH in the different states. We can only do a quick trip. Check out the Cannery Pier Hotel & Spa to add a little pampering to your road trip. 1. They also have fierce competition, with inhabitants of each community quick to point off all the ways theirs is better. ), a Jeep Liberty, or most Subarus. Thanks. I was wondering if you would recommend any wine tasting spots along the way? While you are in Cannon Beach, you may want to travel a few miles to visit this beautiful state park. Tickets cost $15 - $55 and the journey takes 3h 35m. We are thinking of late September of 2022 doing a two week drive from north to south. Re: Scenic drive from Seattle to Portland, Oregon. Ruby Beach is only a short drive from Hoh Rainforest but its the most picturesque beach on Washingtons Pacific Coast. Thank you, and your blog is fantastic! I am not fond of the cold and a bit fearful of icy driving in the mountains. Not sure it matters when you set out from Seattle; itll be great no matter when you go! This guide is great, do you have a Google map itinerary to download with the stops? Great content here, thank you! Now that summer is slowly on the way out, its the perfect time to hit the road. We followed Scenic Highway 101 for two days, from Washington to Oregon to California. Stay safe. I am going to plan for at least a 10 day trip, its once in a lifetime and truly dont want to rush it I cant wait to see his face when I announce at his local birthday party in July that I have saved for and planned this fantastic trip for September 2021!! Thanks for your comment, Shelly! Here you can stretch your legs on the temperate rainforest . We are only going to be there once though and want to make the most of it. You made it to San Francisco! My husband are I are planning 20 days to do the PCH(starting in Seattle and ending in San Diego) We are using your the ultimate pacific coast road trip itinerary as a guide. Great question, Judy. Travel on both sides of the river and experience the majestic beauty of the Columbia River Gorge in both Washington and Oregon. Hope that helps you plan! Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox. To ensure accommodations, I was thinking to book all of the hotels in advance. So deciding where to stay can be tricky, especially since there are plenty of places to stay along this segment. We are going to go the middle of September 2022 and take a flight from Phx to somewhere around Crescent city. If I can make a recommendation? During these days, you have time to experience the highlights of the coast, and whet your appetite for another future trip! Pigeon Point can be a fun rest stop along the Pacific Coast Highway or a quirky one-night stop depending on your itinerary. I agree, go north to south. Amazingly great article. I travelled alone from San Francisco to LA while on a work trip years ago and havent stopped thinking about getting my husband out there. A road trip to Oregon has been on our bucket list ever since we moved to California. Its the best time for good weather on the whole coast! Distance: 2183 miles. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south along California Highway 1. So we used really about a day off the coast but well worth it. Here are some different starting/ending points for a PCH road trip: As you can see, you have options! We definitely want to visit the redwood forest, which is the main reason we want to go so far north. Would love to do the northern parts of PCH though I loved Portland and Seattle, but would like to see more of the coastal regions! Rainier National Park. It was also formed by wave erosion, and now the huge hole is a beautiful vista or hiking spot. If youve ever seen The Goonies, you know exactly what I mean. AAA has no candle to this. Astoria is a small city on the Columbia River. If it's winter, the coastal route is a better choice. Thanks for your comment, Vicky! I did drive it alone and I still recommend heading southbound. After Crater lake we headed back to 238 towards HWY 101, we took an off road to hit the coast right at Brookings. ENJOY the sightseeing trip of a lifetime. . I am beginning to plan a family trip and loved all the recommendations. riverine, estuarine, or the Nisqually Reach nearshore. Waterfall Alley, Columbia River Gorge. What a drive! (Hours and dates for the attractions on the Seattle CityPass have been affected by the pandemic, so be sure to check those when you purchase!). These two Pacific Northwest cities combine to make a fulfilling road trip, Birds in the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge , Photo courtesy of InSapphoWeTrust / flickr, Photo courtesy of Andrew E. Larsen / flickr, A post shared by Jordan Eaton (@jordann_eaton), A post shared by Jason Groepper (@jgroepper), Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. There are plenty of things to do in Long Beach for more than an overnight stop! Where: State Route 11. Drive time from Portland to the Gorge: 35 minute / 30 miles to the closest hike at Latourell Falls. I wouldnt go all the way to Seattle, especially if you dont like big cities. Thinking approximately 250 miles a day. Use our Scenic Drive Finder and Road Trip Planner to easily create custom road trips. Answer (1 of 9): That depends on whether you prefer spectacular cliffs and mountains, or spectacular shores and woodlands. I wish I could remember the name of the mountain turnoff in Washington. Seeing some nice beaches is also of interest. Thank you so very much. Thanks for asking! I was a truck driver for 29 years and could not drive that road. Seaquest State Park is an urban park covering 475 acres of a natural island along a mile of the lakeshore. Thats it! Best rates and airports to use. There are many scenic spots, state parks, and hiking trails near Olympia, including Dash Point State Park, Discovery Park, and Ainsworth State Park. Thank you for sharing your travels and still helping others along their journey! Unfortunately, when I drove the PCH it was pretty foggy and cool most of the week. Nope, headed northbound is not a bad way to go its actually the way I went on my first drive! Thanks for your comment, Catherine. Though I have visited a few cities in California over the years, I (we) are looking forward to that California coastal drive. ), Valerie, My wife and I are planning this very trip you outlined. I wouldnt advise doing this one in an RV, to be honest. Thank you. We are planning to spend Thanksgiving in San Diego. One day, I would LOVE to make this road trip. As the most glaciated peak in the US, Rainer is one of the most enticing mountains for mountaineers. At low tide, you can hike down into the hole or go tide pooling; at other times you can have a picnic while trying to spot whales off the coast. The island lies just between the Lewis River and the Willamette River. A perfect short road trip taking you through some amazing nature with plenty of options to stop and break up the journey. Thank you again. Los Angeles is the last major city on my list of Pacific Coast Highway stops, and though I have a guide to spending one day in L.A., you can and should spend as much time as you like. That route looks good have you input all the drive times in Google to confirm that you want to be on the road that much each day? Should be pretty good it might be a bit rainy up in the Pacific Northwest, but the weather once you reach California should be great! Basically, you cant start/end in Crescent City if you want to rent a car. There are a wide range of activities you can indulge in at Silver Lake, including camping and boating. It's titled, Scenic Drive from Seattle to Portland, but the items listed in the text aren't on the route between Seattle and Portland; rather they are detours from it or separate trips out of Portland. Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com. Next time I have a few days off, Ill have to change that! 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A Scenic 1.5-hour drive from north to south i went on my first drive round the... $ 15 - $ 55 and the Willamette River youll have an awesome trip, because that has happen! Used really about a day off the Coast right at Brookings winter, the coastal route take... River and the Willamette River to snowcapped peaks to verdant valleys in one go rugged and... Out from Seattle ; itll be great no matter when you book or using... 35 minute / 30 miles to visit the Redwood forest, which the! Thinking of late September of 2022 doing a two week drive from Portland to Seattle from Portland 's! Be tricky, especially if you need any extra tips whenever you start planning on. I did drive it alone and i are planning this very trip you outlined since is...