route advice

I have been reading the forums and realize there are so many beautiful spots and need help in planning a route. My husband and I would like to experience the coast, mountains, and redwoods in Oregon and California and if possible see Lake Tahoe before reaching our final destination which is San Francisco We will travel in mid June and have about 6-7 days, we will rent a car in Seattle . What routes and spots do you recommend for an overnight stay on our way down the coast.Our main interests are relaxed scenic drives, short walks,affordable hotels, preferibley with views not more than $ 125 and good food and wine.

Suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

route advice

Unfortunately it would be a real whirlwind of a trip to go from Seattle, to the Pacific coast, Lake Tahoe and then San Francisco...it might be marginally doable if the 6-7 days is just between Seattle %26amp; San Francisco, but otherwise all you will see is a lot of (albeit nice scenery) roadside but not too relaxed.

Personally I would opt out of going to Lake Tahoe. One good route would be down I-5 from Seattle, looping up to Mt St Helens if that interests you, continuing on to Portland and turning at Corvallis, going to the coast. From Newport head south (seeing rugged hillsides, scenic beaches, nice lighthouses, and extensive sand dunes) to Reedsport. (You can head for the coast from junctions in Portland or Salem but with the limited time I would go all the way to the junction for Corvallis.) Staying in Newport or Yachats would be my picks, though Corvallis is a nice college town in the Willamette Valley with a few wineries in the area.) At Reedsport I would head east into the Cascade mountains (following the Umpqua, a spectacular river) with Crater Lake as a destination and somewhat of a substitute for Lake Tahoe (similar in some aspects, though different: Crater Lake is more alpine and a national park, while Tahoe is more developed and accessible.) Hitting the road again to Northern California can take you through the Redwoods and then on to San Francisco. This route does zig-zag a bit, but not nearly as it would if you tried to include Tahoe. You should recognize that travel in the mountains of Washington, Oregon and California as well as on the coastal drives, even on good roads, can be slower than what you might expect.

route advice

6 or 7 days as noted bit of a whirlwindtrip SEA to SFO and including Tahoe. Agree see Mt St Helens, then Columbia Gorge east of Portland, then OR-18 to coast at Lincoln City. you will be well into 2nd day just getting to coast.

Then I wouls stick with 101 all the way to SFO. you can see very nice coast line and Redwoods, Sonoma and Napa wine areas.

Agree Crater Lake better visit than Tahoe, but it can be iffy in mid-June for good access

If Tahoe is high on list and you are moving along well you could head inlane at Ukiah for Tahoe via Yuba City.

I think phirl%26#39;s suggestion is about the best you can do to see coast, mountains, redwoods all in one very short trip!

It%26#39;s nearly 800 miles from Astoria to San Francisco, straight south on Highway 101 along the coast. This is not a freeway or expressway, but a two lane road that goes through many towns.

Lake Tahoe is too far out of the way for your short time.

Once you have decided on an itinerary, I can help you with oceanfront/ocean view lodging in your price range along the coast. You%26#39;ll need to book fairly soon as summer is busy here.

Thanks for all the advice. I didn%26#39;t make myself clear, our whole trip will be about 2 weeks and were thinking about dividing it 3 days each in Seattle and San Francisco and the other week to explore the area.

What is the road to Lake Crater like?

I recently found that 1-way car rentals are extremely expensive as I%26#39;ve been planning out my trip to the NW. We found cars were over $1000 for a 12-day rental, picking up in San Francisco and returning to Seattle. Ultimately, we decided to fly in/out of Seattle. Let me know if you found any good car deals.

mjt49, could I ask you to do me (us) a favor? I think it wold help if you started a new thread, as I am getting mixed up between your two current ones!

And maybe update it to where you are now in your planning? It would be appreciated . . .

Okay, so you actually have about 7 days for your travel?

Crater Lake gets heavy snow every year and the north entrance may not be open yet in mid June. There definitely will be snow on the ground still.

One way car rentals?? some companies are better than others for drop fees, or at least they were for a time. US has not learned to do that easily

Sorry for the confusion half-Brit, the more we read the more we want to see. We live on a small island so we%26#39;re not used to thinking on a big NW scale.I%26#39;ll start a new tread like you suggested.