Note: mountain route may be unavailable during winter due to road closures. A frequent Cali traveler warned me of smog in the late summer and recommended late Sept. early Oct. What are your thoughts? Love all the comments ideas and suggestion, will try and make this trip happen in about 2-3 years . You should make your first stop at Bachelor Island while traveling from Portland to Seattle via road. Thanks for reading, Jan. Travelers may stroll around and visit the town's many shops, cafs, and art galleries whenever they have free time or want to get some exercise. Congrats on finishing your Pacific Coast Highway road trip. The food is divine with unique twists on all your favorite classics. My only additional rec for anyone would be to add the Great Tide Pool in Monterrey to check out little worlds of marine life. Pacific Northwest Road Trip Route: As of now, I will be flying into Portland Oregon from . Thanks for reading, Jennifer. Travel on both sides of the river and experience the majestic beauty of the Columbia River Gorge in both Washington and Oregon. Our kids will be 15 & 10Im just afraid it will be a boring ride for them in the car. We are thinking of late September of 2022 doing a two week drive from north to south. There is so much to see and do in downtown Seattle you are going to want to spend at least one night there. These birds breed, rest, and winter in freshwater marshes and grassland. 10 out of 12 places below were experienced by us and our kids (3, 6, and 11 y/o) in July 2020. The lookout also gives access to many hiking trails. Great article! The route is accessible year-round and offers views of Mount Rainier. We took this trip several years ago. Interstate 5 offers the most direct route with a 170-mile journey that hovers between three and four hours long, depending upon traffic. In particular, plan a long foray out to Point Reyes State Park and Lighthouse. There are a wide range of activities you can indulge in at Silver Lake, including camping and boating. If you just want the best of the best in Airbnb rentals, this list will get you to the right place. Located at the tip of Tacoma, the surrounding Point Defiance Park also has hiking trails and a Japanese Garden. I am beginning to plan a family trip and loved all the recommendations. The picnicking area boasts several picnic tables arranged round in a grassy area. It was just gorgeous with a 360 degree view. You should drive the Pacific Coast Highway southbound! In the Suburbs of Seattle, you will merge onto Interstate 5 to take you into the city center. I do you can sign up using the email forms in this post to receive a short version! I did a bit of research into this seems like its a Los Angeles thing to drop the the but as I lived up in Northern California, we use the the. Since my post is referring to a much larger area than just SoCal, Im still going to keep the the. Thanks for providing me this opportunity to learn about a quirky bit of California lingo! Thanks for your feedback, Alice, but I lived in California for several years and never heard anyone say Im going to drive PCH Ill be keeping the the if only because its proper English if Californians want to abandon that elsewhere, thats up to them . If you would like a customized itinerary, I offer that for a fee to help cover the time it takes me to put those tips together. Suggestions? Thanks for reading, Brianna! Ive put together some tips on how to choose the right car for the PCH, but in short, I recommend an automatic car with a low center of gravity but skip the convertible! The state capitol building, a volcano, a forestry industry sector, and rural farms make up a diversified itinerary that first-time visitors to the region will relish. If not, spend your day exploring the Seattle waterfront to see all of the city from above. Thank you so much for sharing this informative article with all of us. I have a question in regards to your amazing experiences and my hopes to travel the PCH with my older kids. My English is very very basic but if you write to me I can understand it. In addition, it serves as a haven for a variety of seabirds and other intertidal creatures like starfish and crabs. Wed like to be flexible so, if we like somewhere we could stay an extra night, or if we need to push on, we could pull the itinerary forward. If you're driving directly from Portland to Seattle by car the journey is around 173 miles or 278 km will take around 2 hours 40 mins via I-5 N. Although, for many of us, there is nothing to beat taking a car and driving a route, stopping where you please, and going off the beaten track. Can you please give me a list of must sees in Santa Barbara (we could have two full days there). The 90-minute boat trip arrives in Swartz Bay. Thanks for your comment, Kathy! Thank you very much for providing a road map! To maximize your . They should keep an eye out for a variety of possibilities to veer off I-5 and then back on it as they travel between the splendid Seattle and the awesome Portland. Plus you can cruise up to areas like Bow-Edison and enjoy some tasty eats and local shopping. I hope this helps. Thank you for any other tips. Seattle is one (Matt lived there for 15+ years), San Francisco is the second (we met and lived there for juuuust shy of a decade), and Alysha also lived in Santa Barbara in college. For the California portion, I recommend September & October! Also, further north, you could fly to Portland and do the Oregon coast too. Were staying just outside of Long Beach, in cute little Ilwaco, WA, at Salt Hotel & Pub. If you want to head over to the peninsula and have some serious Twilight vibes then you need to check out Highway 12. My best advice is to take a look at the app Roadtrippers and start plugging in where you might want to go to get a sense of travel time then you can decide whats must-do, what extra you have time for, and what needs to be cut.I hope that helps! Should we go down the coast only (plus say Portland & Crater Lk), or head inland given how much time we have? Have a great trip and drive safely! There are very few things more beautiful than the Skagit Valley. Merge with Route 410 and follow this all the way to Enumclaw. The lake features aquamarine water that is pumped from the Cowlitz River and passes to the south end into the Columbia River. The next stop on this tour is the north end of Tacoma, Washington. Thats it! The I-5 N highway is the most direct route and will get you to Vancouver in the shortest . What day of the week would you recommend starting from WA? Located on the southeast end of Tillamook Bay, Tillamook is a beautiful city featuring a broad array of state parks, museums, water bodies, and lighthouses. I lived for 15 years in Alaska, as well as four years each in California and Washington. We both have a lot of vacation all the time, so 10 days or more would be fine. However, the mountain route is not as suitable for winter use. Thank you, and your blog is fantastic! I appreciate you taking the time to answer everyones questions. Hi there, I am thinking of taking a solo trip down the PCH from Long Beach, WA to LA? Greyhound runs several daily buses with five stops, and tempts passengers with free WiFi, power outlets, and no dreaded middle seats. That route looks good have you input all the drive times in Google to confirm that you want to be on the road that much each day? Waterfall Alley, Columbia River Gorge. If you'd rather take the scenic route, swing west into the Olympic Peninsula. The Pacific Coast Highway is an ambitious road trip, but totally possible in as few as five days. Start your visit here at the Astoria Column, a 125-foot-tall tower with a 164-step narrow spiral staircase leading to amazing views of the city and waterfront. Thanks for reading, Thomas. Although I live in San Francisco, Ive yet to visit several of these places on this list. The location is perfect to see the sights of downtown Seattle giving you access to everything on offer in this amazing city. If you take I-5 South, it's the most direct route, and it will take you about 10 hours to get there. From touristy attractions to woodsy explorations, theres something for everyone to enjoy in the hip city. Thank you! I am flying into Portland to meet my niece and we will rent a car and drive down the coast to LA to meet another nephew. This magnificent 14,410-foot (4392.16-meter) peak with a glacier above it is gorgeous and intimidating. Distance: 2183 miles. I am not fond of the cold and a bit fearful of icy driving in the mountains. 10:00 am leave from Radisson Hotel Bloomington By Mall of America. We plan a trip to San Jos, California because of its diversity, beautiful scenery, and exceptionally high outputs. Im glad you booked LA and Seattle, because those are the two you most need to have arranged! Amazing! Ive just started planning our trip for this autumn. I hope this helps! You can look out over beautiful sea stacks that dot the northern part of the Pacific Coast and stroll along the sand covered with huge driftwood formations and seafoam. If youre heading up north you cant go wrong with a cruise on Chuckanut Drive. However, there are a few options if youre looking for something indoors. Is this time of year realistic for an enjoyable adventure, or should we maybe plan to go somewhere else? Sounds like a great trip, Rudy! This information is great!!! Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Carry on south on CA-1, the PCH. Do you highly recommend the LONG route OR is thru Mendocino only enough? Before you get started, making sure you pay the feebefore you arrive and nail down a mountaineering/climbing permit from the Park Service. Want to avoid the summer crowds, but still enjoy nice weather. 111 helpful votes. . Would be every much appriciate if you can provide tips and recomendattions where to stop, what to see/do and eat the drive on high 1 from San Diego to Santa Monica. Or. Where is Crater Lake? We definitely want to visit the redwood forest, which is the main reason we want to go so far north. When it comes to vacation rental options. Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! Below are some recommendations or places to stop overnight along the route. The Pacific Coast Highway is arguably one of the most famous drives in the entire world. Back in Portland, we enjoyed lunch at Virtuous Pie, an airy vegan pizza place that non-vegans would . If you are going in winter, follow the coastal route, which will cover 270 miles and take you about 5 hours to drive. I drove part of this back in 2009 from LA to San Francisco (northbound..) and would also recommend stops in Morro Bay and Monterey I enjoyed both very much! This time I plan to take a friend and start in Portland. Glad to help, Nancy, and thanks for reading! But my priority for this trip is just going straight down the PCH so that should help me prioritize. So if picturesque fields of flowers and amazing farmland sound like something you want to see, the Skagit Valley is only a short drive from Seattle. In the city, the San Francisco CityPass is a good option its super helpful for getting around and seeing the citys top sights. Thanks for reading, Brian. I am planning a trip in late July. So doing our 101 bucket list too, but want a 2-3 days near Ocean Beach, CA. Combine the two cities for an exciting two-fer of a vacation, via plane, train, car or bus. Thank you for the recommendation! Best rates and airports to use. Note: Due to heavy rainfall in California in January 2023, California Highway 1 is closed around Ragged Point; this means you will not be able to do a complete route down the Pacific Coast and will instead divert inland from Monterey to San Simeon (southbound). haha. We might consider staying a total of 12-15 days. Astoria has plenty of amazing places to stay, from hotels and Airbnbs to local campgrounds. I think once we hit Los Angeles we will just take the I10 home to Phoenix. If you plan on making this drive over a weekend, you should stop once halfway and then another night in Seattle. The legendary Columbia River Highway dates back to the 1910s. After all, seeing some snow can do all of us well. Popular activities: Whidbey Island is a popular Seattle day trip for people who love food, drink, shops, and hikes. While the glass is technically part of MacKerricher State Park and you cant take it home you can still spend time out of the car searching for different colors and shapes of beautiful sea glass that wash up from the Pacific Ocean. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: South of Humboldt Redwoods, theres a junction where California Highway 1 (CA-1) begins. Ive never been to CA and I know the prices are high. Valerie, I am so glad I found your guide to the PCH! Have other questions about driving the Pacific Coast Highway? The huge sweeping beach is admittedly not warm enough for a swim but its great for a stroll in the surf. Read more in my Privacy Policy. In the morning, we made the 30-minute drive to Mulmonath Falls. Here are some different starting/ending points for a PCH road trip: As you can see, you have options! Other cool attractions include Hurricane Ridge (a popular hiking spot), Elwha River Valley, and Olympic Hot Springs. Point Reyes is arguably my favorite part of the Pacific Coast Highway and that is saying something as its really hard to choose favorites from over 650 miles of California coastline! The reason I recommend doing your Pacific Coast Highway road trip north to south is that youll be on the coastal side of the road. What is the average speed on the 101? , Hi. Between the Pacific Coast route and the scenic mountain route, notable stops include Mount St. Helens, Mount Rainier, Seaside, and Lewis and Clark Historic State Park. Where: State Route 11. Tickets cost $35 - $50 and the journey takes 3h 25m. Congrats on the trip, Michael! What type of car would you rent for 4 of us? 2. Thank you for great info This is exactly what I was looking for. Its a great spot for a short hike to stretch your legs. Thanks for sharing this great itinerary. And there are plenty of options along the north shore of the Colombia River that offer stunning views and a relaxing stay. 10 bucket-list camping spots you can find in Washington So if youre feeling really hyped about Mount Rainier you might as well check out Mount Baker too. Thanks for all of this great information! So if youre looking forward to hiking, scenic drives, sights seeing or mountain climbing this a spot you have to see. We figured booking hotel in Seattle for 1 or 2 days for arrival and checking the college. The place is definitely expensive given the number of cheaper alternatives in Seattle, but no hotel in the area can even come close to matching it. In the summer months the entire 33-mile stretch should be open save a . Youre all set to start filling in the gaps! The only places you can fly would be Crescent City but itll require changing through San Francisco anyway. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is also home to over 20,000 birds belonging to 275 different migrating species. Driving makes it a 1 hr and 50 minute scenic day trip from Seattle. Hah, sounds like a good bonding experience, Angela! One of the requests I get asked for is a Pacific Coast Highway map with all of the stops I suggest, so I used Roadtrippers to put together this one. We are planning to spend Thanksgiving in San Diego. Once youre in Seattle, there are so many places to choose from for a relaxing stay that its barely worth making suggestions. I was curious about which one you suggest if you were to slim down this itinerary by 1 day (ex. Thanks to the Pacific Coast and rugged mountains, Oregon and Washington are filled with natural beauty. A trip from San Francisco to Seattle involves driving for around 800 miles along the Pacific Northwest and watching the most attractive views while on the way. It sounds like youll have a great trip no matter what! My husband and I are both 62 in pretty good shape and planning to do this trip from Portland to San Diego in late September 2019 over 2 weeks. Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts. Have a great trip!! Choose between six, daily routes that are quicker than Greyhound with just one stop in Tacoma, WA. Near Mount Saint Helens, lodging is almost exclusively campgrounds. Even an email answer is fine!! It was a great help! riverine, estuarine, or the Nisqually Reach nearshore. I appreciate all the information! Address: 1250 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA 98134, United States. Adrian, great to hear from you! Seaquest State Park is an urban park covering 475 acres of a natural island along a mile of the lakeshore. I cant even imagine how incredible it must have been to experience all this in person. . There are several places to park if you want to get out and . Well, now we will have to wait to see how this Covid-19 progresses. Im pretty confident theyll be wowed by these sights. We always wanted to do an RV trip, but maybe the PCH is not the one to do that on?? However, if youre hoping for a little more adventure, theres a longer and more scenic Portland to Seattle road trip route that takes you through some of the most interesting areas along the coast. Were renting an RV in Seattle (after few days in hotel) and have 30 days before we drop it off in San Fran (and hotel for a few days). If we have 10 days to do this and could skip San Francisco, because we just did that 2 years ago, could we drive from Seattle to either Los Angeles or San Diego in an RV? The Pacific Northwest is probably best-known for its coffee (thanks, Starbucks), followed by its stunning nature, including Mount Rainier, Mount Saint Helens, the Olympic National Rainforest, and miles upon miles or largely unadulterated coastline from the San Juan Islands to Gold Beach. Seeing some nice beaches is also of interest. We are coming from Pennsylvania. Before you head back to Bend, take a scenic car tour around the perimeter of the lake on Rim Drive. My problem is going to be deciding what not to do because Ill only have so much time (and money). We detoured at Reedsport to go to Crater lake, which turned out awesome, there was a ELK reserve on the way, it took about 3 hrs to get to Roseburg, where we stayed the night, the next day the drive to Crater lake was about 3 hrs, the drive was absolutely beautiful. Save. I already have the vista points where we will stop for photos and eating. I especially appreciate your links to stays and dine. Youre very welcome, Wilbert! For flights, I recently heard theres a flight from the Bay Area to Crescent City check out Contour Airlines (they come up when I google OAK > CEC). Learn more about our editorial policies, Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com. If you're having issues using the site, please enable JavaScript and refresh your browser. But even the most straight-shot . My overnight stop in Santa Barbara changed my mind. Related: 9 Sights To See On The Way From Portland To Seattle. You will have to turn off Highway 12 onto Route 123, leading to the Mt. Seattle is perfect for anywhere between one day and three days if you have the time. Home is a cozy van parked wherever the views are stunning and the data is adequate. Hello Valerie & Valise, I love this trip information on, it is so amazingly helpful. Have you seen these two posts? Thanks for your comment . Sounds like it will be well worth it. Follow Interstate 5 north out of Portland alongside the Columbia River. Long Beach is and always will be one of my favorite destinations in Washington. Sounds like youve got a great itinerary planned! Thanks for your points. AAA has no candle to this. Day 5. 2. I was wondering if you could suggest a place for stargazing. You wont have as much time to spend in each city, or to take a few of the long drives, but youll see it all in a short span of time. Thanks again for this excellent resource. I dont think you can do Yosemite in a day its a four hour drive from the coast to Yosemite (one-way) and youll probably want a full day in the park at minimum. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Head west along U.S. 101 until it turns south along the west coast of the Olympic Peninsula. This Portland to Seattle road trip itinerary is a whole vacation on its own though you could use it to connect separate vacation in both cities for a seriously awesome PNW getaway! Is this going to be a big disappointment? Thanks for the great ideas! Thanks for reading, Heather! ), Valerie, My wife and I are planning this very trip you outlined. Before you hit the road, youve gotta figure out your car situation! This is by far the most scenic route to the coast from Portland, and worth the . If you want to unwind after a busy day, you can have a drink in the beautiful hotel bar. 7. Northeastern Rustic LLC, 2761 U.S. Rte 2, Smyrna Mills, ME 04780, USA. A road trip around the Olympic Peninsula is the perfect way to reconnect with nature and the best road trip from Seattle for many people. Thank you, Archimedes. If it's winter, the coastal route is a better choice. The weather also wasnt great for most of the route; after moving up out of SoCal, youre much more likely to experience clouds and/or the marine layer on the PCH. This day marked our last bit of time spent in Portland. This gorgeous building mostly survived the 1906 earthquake and captures Victorian glory with modern amenities. Route 8 will lead you directly into Olympia, where you will need to merge with Interstate 5. Mountain Route. I love all the details that you are recommended here. San Francisco has tons of cool neighborhoods, so its hard to choose which vacation rentals to recommend Check out this, Plan an overnight in Santa Barbara so you can soak in the charm. Travel from Portland to Seattle easily to explore both of these top PacNW cities. We were 70s teenagers all around! Hi V& VDid you make hotel reservations in advance for your overnight stops? Thank you! (Hours and dates for the attractions on the SF CityPass have been affected by the pandemic, so be sure to check those when you purchase!). Thanks for reading, Dave. Drive time: 2-3.5 hours. The views of the colors changing in the trees were surreal. Its a very winding cliff-side road and doing it in an RV is going to be laboriously slow and probably make you a bit nervous at times. Thanks for your comment, Archimedes. Around the lakes, there is a 3.6 miles long loop trail that can be used for running, hiking, and strolling. Astoria, like Aberdeen in Washington, is a great destination for lovers of pop culture. When you merge with Highway 101, turn south for a short detour into Cannon Beach. After the town of Longview, take Route 504 towards the infamous Mount St. Helens. As this post is over 6,000 words long, I typically dont provide extra additional itinerary services for free. Thanks for your comment, Victoria! Am interested in your upcoming 7 day itinerary of PCH. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south on CA-1, the Pacific Coast Highway. The turn-out for Ruby Beach occurs right as the highway reaches the Pacific coast. Some of the best stops on the Oregon Coast are close to Portland. Though I have visited a few cities in California over the years, I (we) are looking forward to that California coastal drive. 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