9 days driving a camper from San Fran to Seattle

[caswell904]

Hi,

This is my first time replying to a forum post. My boyfriend and I are doing this road trip at the end of October and you sound like you know a lot about this trek. We definitely want to stay as close to the coast we can the whole time while also seeing the Redwoods and any other forests that have to be seen. I like what you have posted thus far, and was wondering since we have 9 days and are taking a camper we can sleep in what other suggestions do you have? Thank you.

M

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

While four days is more than many people would devote to a drive from Seattle to San Francisco, it may not be enough to do everything that you would like. Choices must be made, unfortunately, and there are a couple of places that I would highly recommend to you that aren't on your list as yet. The first general recommendation would be to get a few more miles farther down the road on your first day. Many of your "must see" location are in the southern portion of your trip and you should get there with some speed when you are freshly starting out.

Specifically, at Olympia I'd take US-101 north towards Port Angeles and then OR-8/US-12/OR-107 west to US-101 south. (You can see what's happening on a map.) Follow US-101 down the coast, perhaps using WA-401 as a shortcut between Nemah and Astoria. Just south of Astoria is one of the sites that I'd suggest you visit if you possibly can: Fort Clatsop. There are more than a dozen state parks along the Oregon coast, most of which offer trails along bluffs overlooking the ocean, views of sea stacks, access to the shore, or all of the above. Consult your map and pick a few that fit in with your other stops or long driving sections. But ultimately you should try to get a bit farther south than Cannon Beach which, after all, is only 200 miles from Seattle by the route suggested. Tillamook or even Lincoln City would be a better target for your first day's efforts. One site that my wife and I found surprisingly enjoyable in this area was the Tillamook Forestry Center a bit inland from the coast, but worth the detour.

That would set you up for Day 2 with more stops along the Oregon Coast, but a major stop at the northern California redwoods, using the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway through Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park and hiking the Lady Bird Johnson Grove at Redwood National Park. Then, rather than staying in Eureka which has a more commercial feel to it, try Arcata just north of there which is a funky college town with its own distinct vibe, particularly around the town plaza.

On Days 3 and 4 continue to work your way down the coast. Now, while CA-1 can be a bit slow at times, I think I'd use it rather than US-101. CA-1 is the only way to get to great coastal towns such as Mendocino (the entire town is a state historic site) or scenic lighthouses such as that at Point Arena. An overnight stay in the Bodega Bay area would set you up nicely for a final day consisting of visiting Point Reyes National Seashore and still having time to cross the Golden Gate Bridge before evening rush hour, let alone sunset.

AZBuck

Moderator Note: Post moved from this thread. We prefer to give each trip its own thread.