What about the Olympic Peninsula?
Surprisingly, driving from Seattle to Portland via I-5 and then going out to the coast doesn't save you as much time you might think and you'll miss some good coastal scenery.
Seattle to Portland (via I-5) and then out to the coast to Seaside: About 250 miles and 4-4.5 hours.
Seattle to Olympia, then Hwy 8/12 to Montesano, then 101 through Raymond/South Bend, out to the coast, and crossing the Columbia River over the amazing 5-mile long bridge to Astoria, Oregon: About 180 miles and 4-4.5 hours. So, about the same amount of time, but much more beautiful scenic views and the cool bridge.
Of course, if you enjoy the coastal drive in Washington, you will miss out on what I believe is one of the most amazing sites in Washington....Mt. St. Helens. You can get to the visitor center and look right into the crater from a viewpoint reached with only an hours drive from I-5. The road to Mt. St. Helens starts in Castle Rock, about the midway point between Seattle and Portland.
Both drives are great. It's your call.
Personally, I would probably go south on I-5 to Mt. St. Helens and then, after touring it, continue south on I-5 to Longview, WA; take exit 40 to get onto Hwy 4 through Kelso and Longview; then follow local roads to Hwy 433, which will take you over a bridge crossing the Columbia River to Oregon Hwy 30; take Hwy 30 to Astoria, OR, and start down the coast from there. This is about 175 miles and only about 3 hours. Clearly the shortest and quickest route. (The 3 hours doesn't include the time to visit Mt. St. Helens).
Another option would be to take the ferry from Seattle to Bremerton and then going around the Olympia Peninsula on Hwy. 101, and then going down the coast of Washington to Oregon and beyond. Beautiful trip. I would only nix this if it means you can stop at Mt. St. Helens by going the other way. If you have time, I'd try to squeeze in both the Olympic Peninsula and Mt. St. Helens.
As for the Oregon Coast itself, I would allow at least 2 days, if not 3 for this section. There is much to see and do. I have made countless trips down this coast in the last 25 years and still haven't seen everything I'd like to see. I would plan for a good 2 days, preferably 3, for the California section. I actually think the California section is a bit prettier because it is less populated and a bit more rugged. But this also means that there are fewer neat towns, harbors, etc. worth exploring so you can actually do more straight driving through the California section without being tempted to stop numerous times to check something out. So, I guess I'm saying, that I would plan more time for the Oregon section if time is of the essence.
I guess I would respectfully disagree with Larrison on which side of the road is best. I always prefer the part of the drive where I'm going south. You see so much more when you're on the ocean side of the road, imho. When I have had to watch my time, I've always driven south on the coast and returned north on I-5.
Some highlights of things to see (north to south):
Oregon:
* Fort Clatsop - just west of Astoria, where Lewis & Clark wintered
* Seaside - funky and fun beach town. Check out the reproduction of the still used to distill ocean water into salt on the beach (reproduction of the one that Lewis & Clark used in that approximate location)
* Cannon Beach - beautiful coastal town where a lot of hang-gliders go from a cliff over the ocean down to the beach. Fun to watch.
* Tillamook - Tillamook Cheese Factory with great cheese and yummy ice cream. If you have time, the Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge is worth a visit here.
* Depoe Bay - the littlest harbor in the world. Fun, little town and great place to take a quick boat trip out onto the ocean.
* Devil's Punch Bowl State Park - awesome waves/tons of power
* Newport - great aquarium and some fun and funky tourist stops like a Ripley's Believe it or Not, a Madame Tussaud's and other fun stuff
* Sea Lion Caves - take an elevator down to a huge cavern where the sea rushes in and which houses hundred (maybe thousands?) of sea lions. Very cool.
* Oregon Dunes National Rec Area - rent a dune-buggy and have a blast
* Bandon - cute, coastal town with almost a hint of Cape Cod to it. Great cheese!
* Gold River - take a jetboat up the beautiful Rogue River
* Brookings - I can't remember this town much but I remember thinking it's lovely
California:
* Crescent City - check out the area destroyed by the tsunami caused by the Alaskan quake in the 1960s
* Redwoods - there are several redwood parks here. It's worth checking these amazing trees out.
* Eureka - amazing Victorian architecture!
* Leggett - where you change to CA-1 (twisty, curvy, beautiful....an awesome drive!)
* Bodega Bay - watch out for "The Birds"! LOL
Hopefully this gives you some good ideas for your trip!
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Easier to pull out and enjoy the views!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Larrison
Going north has one advantage -- you're on the inside of the road instead of the outside, when it gets really narrow (particularly in Big Sur area).
This is pretty interesting The reason I prefer the south-bound direction is that the road is narrow and twisty and it is easier to safely pull over on those tiny pull-outs and enjoy the views (since they are on your right-hand side going south-bound). Some of the best viewing turn-outs can not be accessed from the north-bound side without turning left against unseen traffic on blind curves.
While Larrison's advice does have some validity -- the one time I really got "a big scare" was on the Big Sur was several years ago -- I was driving north-bound at dusk after a rain storm and I came around a curve and the right-hand lane did not exist anymore. It had been washed out and there was a gaping car-sized hole in the road. Obviously, I missed the hole. It is rare to have such problems, but one does have to keep a high level of awareness anytime you drive this scenic road!
Enjoy the adventure!
Mark