Road trip from Vancouver BC to Morgan Hill

Hello,
My husband and I and possibly a teenage son are driving to Morgan Hill in August and I am thinking of taking a different route from I-5 in Oregon. We are leaving at 9 am from Vancouver BC. Looking at Google map, I see we can take Hwy 26 in Oregon and drive through Mt Hood then down to Madras, where we might spend the night after almost 8 hours drive. Early next morning, drive on Highway 97 turning right on Hwy 138 for a stop at Crater Lake. Then take Hwy 62 back to Hwy 97 until Weed, Ca. then back on I-5.

Has anyone take this route? We want to enjoy a scenic drive and have an adventure as well but I'd sure appreciate any tips from those familiar with this route. Any suggestions? Thanks so much.

I have not taken US-26, but I have taken US-97 from there into Crater Lake the exact way you describe and back down to I-5 at Weed.

Note that it will take you 3+ hours to get from Madras to CL, then another 2.5 to 3 hours to get to Weed from CL. With your time in CL, you are probably looking at an overnight stop in Klamath Falls. From there to Morgan Hill is going to be close to 7 hours, more if the SF Bay traffic is bad.

Instead of Madras, I'd be inclined to stop at Bend - it's only another hour down the road and it has a better selection of hotels, I've stayed in the Super 8 and it was acceptable. That would free up a bit of time the next day too, you might be able to get farther than Klamath Falls or spend more time in CL without feeling rushed.

Another option is take 62 the other direction to Medford to pick up I-5.

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

It is a common error, but an error nonetheless, to believe that when a software mapping routine tells you that it's eight hours from Point A to Point B, that it will, in fact take you only eight hours to get there. Nothing could be further from the truth. Mapping routines make some very unrealistic assumptions, namely: You can drive at or above the seed limit at all times; You will never get behind slow traffic; You will never see construction; You will never need to stop for gas; You will never need to stop for food; You will never need to stop to go to the bathroom; You will never see a stop sign or red light; etc. None of that is even remotely true. There is also one other major time sink that the software assumes will take no time, but I'm sure you're aware could take a couple of hours, and that's crossing the border. So you cannot expect to be in Madras after only eight hours, or in Morgan Hill CA after only eight hours on the road the next day. If you want to have a leisurely drive, take time to hike a little on the flanks of Mount Hood, make the most of your visit to Crater Lake, in short "enjoy a scenic drive and have an adventure", then you need to spend at least one other night on the road and pare down how far you plan to get each day.

AZBuck

Actually 8 hours is pretty realistic - with no border delays or sightseeing diversions. It's 420 miles. My software says 6 hours 57 minutes, and I fudged the extra hour in there for the exact reasons Buck stated. My other estimates are similarly fudged.

My driving time estimates are based on my own real-world experiences driving through the interior of the Pacific Northwest, around Mount Hood, through Crater Land NP and in particular frequent crossings of the border between Vancouver and Seattle. While you can make the drive you have laid out in two days, you cannot do what you say you want to: "enjoy a scenic drive and have an adventure." (Emphasis added) Again this is just the difference between reality and software predictions. If you want to have a relaxed drive; If you want to get out of the car at all and enjoy the areas you're driving through; If you want to hike through any of the areas you'll be in and have an adventure rather than just a two-day long drive; then add some time to your itinerary.

AZBudck