Seattle to San Fran

[john rodriguez]

Hey all,

I'm thinking of basing a roadtrip out of Seattle this summer that covers Western Canada and eventually ends in San Francisco over the course of about 10-12 days. I'm very unfamiliar with Canada in general, so I was hoping you guys could help me with sightseeing suggestions and planning overnight stays.

I have a predilection for nature and the mountains, but I dont think I'm going to be able to make it to the Canadian Rockies while I'm there (too much driving, and flights out of canada are more expensive). I'm also thinking of taking the coast highway down through California. Heres what I was thinking:

Seattle (3 nights)
Vancouver & British Col. (3 nights)
Oregon (1 night)
N. Calif. (1 night)
S.F. (3 nights)

Very rough sketch, but im still in the preliminary stages. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

-John

[Robert Schaller]

San Juan Islands -- take the ferry from Anacortes and spend a day exploring the San Juans. It's inexpensive, and the scenery is breathtaking. At Friday Harbor, there's a great seafood place just up the hill from the ferry dock -- not more than a block or two. I can't remember the name, but you can practically see it from the dock (it might have been the Blue Dolphin or Duck Soup -- both of those are fairly close by).

Mount St Helens -- take a look at the remarkable changes that have occurred since the mountain blew up.

McMinnville, OR -- (SW of Portland) on SR18. See the Evergreen Aviation Museum. The main attraction is the Hughes Flying Boat, the largest aircraft ever built (powered by EIGHT PW4360 28 cylinder "corn cob" radials -- the largest reciprocating aircraft engines ever built). The other aircraft in the collection are historically significant as well!

Astoria, OR -- check out Fort Stevens, Fort Clatsop, and then head down the northern Oregon coast. The area around Seaside is gorgeous -- Oswald West State Park, Neahkanie Head, Haystack Rock, among others. The cheese factory at Tillamook is a fun tour -- if you like cheddar! Farther south, Cape Lookout is a great little state park with some great hiking trails, and Depoe Bay is a must -- stand on the bridge and watch the boats come into the harbor.

Finally, don't miss Crater Lake National Park.

In Northern California, the coastline is beautiful (I especially like the areas between Ft Bragg and SFO). I also recommend spending a bit of your time in Petaluma -- if you are interested in movie history. The George Lucas film American Grafitti was filmed there and many of the locations are still there for you to see.

In San Francisco, you can get great seafood at Scoma's (@ Fisherman's Wharf). Another great restaurant is Las Brisas del Mar in Bodega Bay, just up the coast.

[Sue]

I have just posted on another thread but your reply to John was very useful to me too, thank you, Sue

[Robert Schaller]

Your welcome!