SF to Vancouver by car

[dandcos]

In mid September my wife and I (both aged 65yrs) plan to hire a car in San Francisco and drive to Seattle then bus or train to Vancouver (Canada). The drive to Seattle would be spread over five days with one full day in Grants Pass, Oregon (my g-grandmother lived there in the 1920s!). We'd like to see a variety of scenery -coastal, a redwood forest, mountains - and a variety of towns.

We don't expect top of the range accommodation but nor do we want to be staying at the 'bottom of the heap' motels! We don't particularly want to be on six-lane highways all the way but we don't want to be getting lost on 'off the beaten track' country lanes. Since we live in Australia, our knowledge (so far!) of the California/Oregon/Washington states is via Google Earth.

Any suggestions about bus/train from Seattle to Vancouver (Canada) would be appreciated.

We need advice on a route that will satisfy our interest in a variety of environments! Help PLEASE!!

[W. Larrison]

From SF to Seattle in 5 days if very doable, but you will to pick your route to spend a full day in Grant's Pass, and get some sightseeing done.

My opinion is that you have to decide if you want to see the Redwoods, or the Olypmic Pennisula/ National Park region of Washington State, or the Napa/ Sonoma Wine Country, or the Oregon Crater Lake area. Basically its 2 days drive from SF to Seattle by the fastest route (and some longish driving days), plus a full day in Grants Pass so you have 2 days to play with for places to visit.

My guess at your best option would be

Day 1 - SF to Eureka CA area via US 101. This is a (typially) 2-4 lane highways, which winds up through the coastal valleys north of SF, and comes out at the Pacific Coast near Eureka.

Day 2 - Redwoods Parks, then over the Coastal Mountains to Grants Pass. There are several Redwoods parks, including Redwoods National Park, and several California Redwoods State Parks. Continuing up on 101, you'll come along through the Redwoods to Crescent City, CA and from there inland on a 2 lane good quality highway which winds up through the mountains, and over them via Cave Junction to Grants Pass.

Day 3 - Grants Pass.

Day 4 - Through Crater Lake, stay somewhere in Oregon (either back to Eugene OR area, or farther north to Bend)

Day 5 - to Seattle

This gives you Redwoods, some coast, and then mountains before Seattle.