Thank you. Will definitely drop by their office then.
Printable View
Thank you. Will definitely drop by their office then.
The coast is slow going as not only do you pass through small towns there are just so many great views to stop and admire. The Redwoods are quite a treat and something you should allow time for so if you only have 3 nights you may have to skip some of the coast. On the way 'up' your son [and you] may enjoy Lassen Volcanic park after Sacramento but you will have to pick and choose as there is so much to see ! The longer you can spend on the road the better in my opinion. You can check out a few of the 'Wonders of the West' between LA and Port Angeles here. [Start on page 2 from Lassen as you are heading to Sacramento]
With 101 and 4 days, You can go Aberdeen, Astoria and all the way down to California coast via 101. It's slow going but very enjoyable drive with many stops along the way. Many hotel options along the way as well. There are couple resort places on 101 in Oregon (example: Best Western Ocean View resort) Seaside OR.
As I noted in my first response, four days is the minimum needed for a relaxing drive down the coast from Victoria to Los Angeles with no stops. It is not enough to enjoy any of the many great venues along the way. You also have to consider that your first day is going to be pretty short to start with. The first ferry of the day leaves Victoria at 10:30 AM and is scheduled to arrive in Port Angeles at noon. Again - Make reservations! That means you really only have about a half day to drive on that first day. With that in mind, what I'd recommend if you only have four days for the southbound journey is the following. On Day 1, plan on stopping at Fort Clatsop for your major stop and aim for Wheeler OR for your overnight stop. On Day 2, your major stop would be Oregon Dunes National Recreational Area and Crescent City/Orick CA would be your target for the night. If you arrive early, get to Orick and perhaps see the Redwoods. For Day 3, plan on spending some time in the Redwoods if you haven't seen them already and/or at Point Reyes National Seashore and spend the night in the San Francisco area. You can also make shorter visits at some of the many, many state parks along the coast.
Obviously, this leaves your fourth and final day to get back to Los Angeles which necessarily means using I-5 rather than the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). But that's a section of the coast that you can visit at your leisure from your home(?) in Los Angeles. Again, a fifth day would give you significantly more time out of the car since almost all of that time could be spent at attractions along the way, assuming you still don't use the PCH between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
AZBuck
Between SF and LA, US-101 is an option - it's near-freeway quality and can be done in 1 day. It's a lot more scenic than I-5 or CA-99.
Thank you everyone.
If we will not make a stop in Sacramento, going to Port Angeles, what route can we take. Is it possible to get to the Port make it to the 5:20pm sail, for 2 days? Say we start early from LA, can we make it to the 5:20pm sail the following day?
Thank you again.
P.S. got maps from AAA already.
It's nearly 1200 miles from Los Angeles to Port Angeles by the most direct route. That's already at the far limit of what would be possible with two long days of driving. Also, remember that the last 150 miles of that will be on two-lane surface roads. Even under the best of conditions you couldn't be at Port Angeles by late in the afternoon (say 4:30-5:00) which you'd need to be in order to board the ferry before it leaves the dock at 5:20.
AZBuck
Thank you.
We plan to leave the car when we go to Victoria. Is there any parking in or near the port? Or would you recommend it? I have a relative there but they are 3 hours away from the port, so I don't think it's doable to park in their place.
From the ferry's website:
"Parking is available in numerous privately operated lots within 1 or 2 blocks from our Port Angeles ferry terminal. Prices range from $5 - $15 per day."
AZBuck
Thank you AZBuck!