Choose between six, daily routes that are quicker than Greyhound with just one stop in Tacoma, WA. A few years ago I started saving (unbeknownst to my husband) for his 50th birthday this summer. You can also attend music concerts at the park. It is time to start driving along the coast from Seattle to Portland. 2. Thank you very much for providing a road map! Although mighty, the falls are extremely accessible! Sounds like youve got a great plan drive safe! Your number one stop is Garden of the Gods. My blog posts likely contain affiliate links, including for the Amazon Associates program.If you click, book, or buy from one of these links, I may earn a commission. The Kathryn Riverfront Inn is a spectacular beachside hotel with a gorgeous interior, located right at the center of the town of Seaside. I hope you had a great drive, Mindy! To help you plan your road trip, here are two possible road trip itineraries you could take. Good morning from Australia. I am planning a trip in late July. Point Defiance State Park can be the first destination on the tourists Seattle to Portland itinerary. I am saving this to research more of the places you mentioned !! Also, about how many miles a day are you traveling on your 10 day itinerary? We are doing the PCH this July and August coming from Yellowstone, Glacier and Teddy Roosevelt NP it has been on our Bucket list for quite some time after this trip we only have Alaska to visit and we will have visited all the States !! I do you can sign up using the email forms in this post to receive a short version! Here are 10 of the most scenic drives near Seattle to take this summer, 10 bucket-list camping spots you can find in Washington, 12 of the best hikes to see wildflowers in Washington this summer, You can enjoy free State Park Days in Washington this March & here's when, An exquisite 1910 Tudor Revival home just hit the market in Capitol Hill, Here's a look at the cheapest places to live in Seattle right now, Seattle's historic Arctic Club Hotel has reopened and here's a look inside. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: South of Humboldt Redwoods, theres a junction where California Highway 1 (CA-1) begins. After Crater lake we headed back to 238 towards HWY 101, we took an off road to hit the coast right at Brookings. All rights reserved. Again, thanks for great info and advice. Thanks so much for this comprehensive look at the PCH. Start in Seattle and end in San Diego. Looking to travel with your recommendations southbound! The Lotte Hotel has the perfect combination of location, price, and luxury to make your stay in Seattle very memorable. 3. AND, I did it in November in a PT Cruiser with the top down.all bundled up with the heat on full..but man, what a view! Did you try searching my site using the search in the sidebar? Your website is very helpful. My stop in Fort Bragg was relatively short, but it was worth it! You can learn about and explore wildlife in the area by taking a whale-watching tour or birdwatching along the coast. Astoria is a small city on the Columbia River. Driving Time. riverine, estuarine, or the Nisqually Reach nearshore. Thanks for the great ideas! day 4 driving 4 hours. We fly out of LA. The park is open to the public daily from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Mount Rainier National Park is a national park located about 60 miles from Seattle. Great article! Once inPortland, its easy to spend a few days exploring; I have been to Portland repeatedly and there are so many experiences that can more than fill a stop on your road trip. Portland is the only city on this list thatisnton the coast, and its definitely a trip extender if you want to visit Portland while driving the Pacific Coast Highway. Day 1: Seattle, WA to Coos Bay, OR. There are loads of cool things to explore in/around this small PNW town, including Olympic National Park! Am interested in your upcoming 7 day itinerary of PCH. The road trip between the two cities, on the . Its easy to make a stop in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, so take the opportunity! Youll get access to five major attractions at a discounted price, so you can experience more of what Seattle has to offer for less. This is a great itinerary! Take the road all the way to the dramatic bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and keep an eye out for gray whales in the water below. Liz is a freelance writer and editor who lives on the road. Manny from Massachusetts. Crescent City is the first city youll enter when driving southbound into California along the Pacific Coast Highway (or last if youre headed northbound). Weve spent time in SF already so dont need to stay there. I share travel resources and stories based on my personal experience and knowledge. The best way to get from Portland to Seattle without a car is to train which takes 3h 25m and costs $35 - $50. After Crescent City, the Pacific Coast Highway starts to navigate in and away from the coast at times, which includes chances to experience one of Californias natural wonders: the Redwoods. Donna, thanks for your comment! Traveling by train from Portland to Seattle usually takes around 3 hours and 32 minutes, but the fastest Amtrak Cascades train can make the trip in 3 hours and 25 minutes. We are thinking of late September of 2022 doing a two week drive from north to south. Valerie, cant thank you enough for this guide! From there we are planning on 4 days drive/stop on high 1 (PCH) up to Santa Monica/Malibu then flight out LAX. I had saved this resource to help me plan. Were staying just outside of Long Beach, in cute little Ilwaco, WA, at Salt Hotel & Pub. And of course, you can also check out Discovery Park while youre in the area for a great stroll. Distance: 2183 miles. I was planning 10-12 days? Have a great drive! Below are some recommendations or places to stop overnight along the route. Mike, great to hear from you and thanks for reading! Do you highly recommend the LONG route OR is thru Mendocino only enough? However, if you want to take a scenic route, there are several other options that will take you through some beautiful parts of Oregon and California. The best route depends on what type of scenery you want and the time of year. Youll have a great time! 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. AAA has no candle to this. You will miss Seaside & Cannon Beach on this route, so your next stop will be Newport (#9). Sort of the opposite of sea stacks like Haystack Rock,Devils Punchbowlis another beautiful natural rock formation along the Oregon Coast. Extremely informative. From the perspective of California Highway 1, it might seem like just a few buildings alongside the road. The park has about 10 miles of trails, including an ADA accessible trail, two 5-mile drive loops, and a ferry dock and playground. If you decide to drive the PCH, Im happy to give you any tips! Alternatively, Flixbus USA operates a bus from Portland Bus Stop to Seattle 4 times a day. However, I have decided to take a detour east through Columbia River Gorge and Washington State wine country. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: If you are on a shorter Pacific Coast Highway road trip, continue south along I-5 to Grant's Pass, then turn southwest to Crescent City (#11). Eventually, youll reach and cross the Lewis and Clark Bridge into Washington. When driving the PCH south from Portland, how much of a detour would it be to see Crater Lake on the way? Leave Cannon Beach on Highway 101 heading north, towards Seaside. The flight time is usually a quick 45 minutes, but when you factor in transfers between the two airports, its probably just as long as other options listed above. Thanks for reading, Laurie! Im glad to surpass the AAA level. September 23, 2018. The food is divine with unique twists on all your favorite classics. Youll see signs for Hoh Rainforest, a left turn that takes you inland to the forest. It's also one of the best Colorado staycations for families. I live in Florida and have never been to the pacific coast. Also how many days driving for this trip. Address: 470 Admiral Way, Edmonds, WA 98020, United States. Want more? From the coast, youll wind up to the mouth of the Columbia River, along its southern shore, and finally, cross into Washington on your way to Mount Saint Helens. We planned to start in Seattle and drive to San Diego. Thanks for sharing this! 1 question: weve booked hotels at both end (Seattle and LA) and would prefer not to book hotels until were on route and know how far were along and how long we want to stop in each place. Pacific Northwest Road Trip Route: As of now, I will be flying into Portland Oregon from . Sorry, I dont have any special suggestions for kids! Congrats on the trip, Michael! You can sit in the beautiful picnicking area of the park, enjoy your picnic, and watch ferries come and go. Raynard, when are you going? One day, I would LOVE to make this road trip. maybe to get a car, which adds about 6 hours of driving time. If you see an error, please contact me. Hello Valerie; my family and i are thinking about a trip from northern CA to San Diego along the coast. Were taking the 5 to Seattle with a few stops on the way then PCH from Port Angeles to SD. Loved your trip adventure and recommendations !! Thanks for all of this great information! My husband, myself and our four kids always take adventurous vacations every summer. However I actively lament that I was on the wrong side of the road in the present tense (as in, if you ask me today, I still lament it); I didnt really realize I was on the wrong side until after my trip was over and its not like you can change your route once you start! The mountain route will take you past the famous Mount St. Helens and into the spectacular Mt. My first true adventure began as a six month voyage around South East Asia as a fresh faced backpacker and ever since Ive lived a semi nomadic existence, clocking up visits to over 40 countries. The road trip from Seattle to Portland is around 180 miles and the drive will take you approximately 3 hours. Doing this trip starting this weekend! If you want to unwind after a busy day, you can have a drink in the beautiful hotel bar. As far as prices go, this hotel is right down the middle in terms of Seaside resorts. So deciding where to stay can be tricky, especially since there are plenty of places to stay along this segment. San Diego is known for its Zoo and was made Instagram famous for Potato Chip Rock. 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: Carry on south on CA-1, the PCH. Should we go down the coast only (plus say Portland & Crater Lk), or head inland given how much time we have? The shortest way from Seattle to Crater Lake is 6.5 hours, but because of the regular traffic in Seattle and Portland, it could easily take 8 hours. If your PCH road trip includes the Olympic Peninsula, follow U.S. 101 west and then north along the eastern side of the Olympic Peninsula toward Port Angeles. You cant go wrong with seeing the views of Puget Sound. Youre very welcome, and have a great road trip!! . Combine a visit to Portland with an adventure down the PCH. Sounds like it will be well worth it. Amtrak operates a train from Seattle to Portland every 4 hours. The Route. Lan Su Chinese Garden is one of the most authentic Chinese gardens outside of China, featuring rare plants indigenous to China and classical Chinese decorative stonework. 3 days trip to Joshua Tree/stay at Twentynine Palms, then swing to San Diego. 1. While driving southbound, youll approach Marshall first. Wifey and I did the PCH trip a while ago, shortly after we got married. I love small beaches and in less popular destinations like this! In a few weeks, we intend to start a 10-ish day loop from San Jose, drive up on the inland route to Seattle, and do a southbound coastal drive. To answer your questions: 1. It may have been in a reply to someone elses comment, but I cant seem to find it now. Be sure to plan your trip on a day the lighthouse is open for tours, so you can climb the steps down to the lighthouse and lookout beneath the clouds across the sea. Thanks for reading, Jennifer. Im at work surfing around your blog from my new apple iphone! Address. In addition, it serves as a haven for a variety of seabirds and other intertidal creatures like starfish and crabs. Awesome, Tim! My wife and I have been to Cali a couple of times, our daughter once from Diego to Fran (Berkeley) and loved it, and just us once to Seattle and Portland, but flying in and out only. Lan Su Chinese Garden is a Chinese botanical garden in Northwest Portland. For the most scenic (and slow) route, drivers can veer to the coastline and hop the cities there. So doing our 101 bucket list too, but want a 2-3 days near Ocean Beach, CA. I hope you have a great trip! Amazing! Glad to help, Andrew I hope you have an amazing trip! The latter tells about the history of the region and has a super-interesting map of the more than 50 shipwrecks around the region. I hope you can see it for yourself someday too. Its approximately around 180 miles in length and will take around three hours to get there. Just give yourself more time and end n LA. 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. Located a mile southwest of downtown Edmonds, Marina Beach Park is a beachfront park featuring a playground and picnicking area. 15 years ago. Related Read:9 Best Hikes in Washington State for Epic Outdoor Adventures. I have 22 foot van camper are their any length height(9.5 ft) restrictions I am hoping their are amp sites along the way? The Pacific Coast Highway is arguably one of the most famous drives in the entire world. . Here's the best things to see on an epic road trip from Music City to the Gatlinburg, the Gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains. What do you think about making this drive in November? From Astoria, take the sea-hugging U.S. Route 101 south 40 minutes to Ecola State Park. Im thinking of doing this trip from Seattle to San Diego. Popular activities: Whidbey Island is a popular Seattle day trip for people who love food, drink, shops, and hikes. You thinks thats safe or should I make some. Im pretty confident theyll be wowed by these sights. Have a great trip! anything you can suggest extra the girls would be wowed by would be great. My husband and I are planning a Spring Break trip with our girls March 2020. Now that summer is slowly on the way out, its the perfect time to hit the road. I have been reading your blog posts about the PCH and think I read where you mentioned a couple of crossover vehicles that would be good rental cars. Got to save some $$$$$. In the Santa Barbara area of the article you mentioned that you had an article about Santa Barbara and what to do, I am not able to locate this article. We are thinking of taking this drive during the week of Christmas. Despite the weather being slightly worse, shoulder seasons are definitely a great time to do the road trip from Portland to Seattle. If you want to make the most of the popular and beautiful journey, here are the best stops on the Portland to Seattle drive. I am heading to LA in March and have a day to drive around and wanted to drive from LAX up HW 1 to around Malibu, maybe further! Territory Supply is reader-supported and may earn a commission when you book or purchase using our links. I am doing this trip with the boyfriend end of this month. It looks so cute! I will be driving alone and he thought I would be able to enjoy the view better looking to my left than to my right while driving. Seaside has a nice range of shops and dining options, and the beach is popular with surfers. . I am currently planning a road trip from Phoenix to Vancouver, WA to visit family and weve decided to come back home via the PCH. If you have the experience to take on the challenge, book a few extra days for a summit. Vancouver to Victoria: 70 miles/3 hours. Youve put together one awesome road trip! 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! Starting point: 107 miles from Seattle. Have a great trip! Have a great drive!! Booking this trip for late Oct. Id like to fly in ( from East Coast) somewhere north of San Fran. 330 miles. We would be flying from GA, so I guess I go fling to Seattle, and the book one home for San Diego? 2 Most Direct Seattle to San Diego Road Trip: I-5. Once you've got your Original Starbucks coffee, your first Seattle to Portland stop should be the Point Defiance State Park. Youll have less distance (just the car and shoulder) instead of an entire lane of the road plus the shoulder. The legendary Columbia River Highway dates back to the 1910s. Thanks for your comment, Archimedes. When you picture the Pacific Coast Highway, its Big Sur that comes to mind. Should be pretty good it might be a bit rainy up in the Pacific Northwest, but the weather once you reach California should be great! Youve got so much time, thats awesome! Read on for more information about where to stay, the best route, and what to do along the way. 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. Thanks so much, Lois and glad to help! Kim. Dont be in a hurry and be cautious so you can enjoy everything. To obtain the greatest perspective of Mount Adams and other Cascade Range summits, including Rainier, tourists can climb 6,400 feet (1950.72 meters) to Sunrise, the highest point reachable by vehicle. Located in Northeast Olympia, Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife sanctuary housing birds, lathe animals, amphibians, mammals, and reptiles. I hope this helps. Washington Park Arboretum to Seward Park. flickr/ jdegenhardt. Thanks! We then took that to the end. The 9 Best Road Trips from Seattle. I think once we hit Los Angeles we will just take the I10 home to Phoenix. Right, Mel? Thank you again. A short, paved walk from the parking lot takes you right to the falls. Only question I have is how much money would you recommend someone having for a trip like this and staying in a 3 star hotel each night? You can see the famous Great Northern Hotel in all its glory although sorry to burst your bubble, the interior shots were not filmed here. Feel free to comment back here if you have questions while planning your trip . Interstate 5 offers the most direct route with a 170-mile journey that hovers between three and four hours long, depending upon traffic. I had the chance to spend a weekend in Huntington Beach a few years ago and loved the vibe in this surf town. Amazing, Melanii! Ill have to stop at these places, Thinking about a pch trip from San frans to LA.. suggestions on where to stop and how many days, I have this post that will help you plan your trip: https://www.valisemag.com/california-coast-road-trip/, Hi Valerie I am looking for a 1 day coastal trip from Anaheim back to San Francisco with 4 kids ranging from Teen to toddler. I also downloaded the Roadtrippers app but I cant find it. If youre a fan, make sure to stop in Aberdeen to see the house where he grew up. Additionally, the substantial rocky outcrop is protected and considered a component of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge. After all, a little time on the road never hurts. Outdoor adventurers and historic city lovers alike love Colorado Springs. It is a time consuming drive but the most worthwhile time you will ever spend traveling. The PCH heads inland near Lompoc but is the main road you can take to Santa Barbara. Plus you can cruise up to areas like Bow-Edison and enjoy some tasty eats and local shopping. This is the nearest national park to Portland, Oregon and, on clear days, the mountain is even visible from Portland. Can you believe theres a rainforest in Washington? Thanks, CJ! Even an email answer is fine!! The only places you can fly would be Crescent City but itll require changing through San Francisco anyway. ENJOY the sightseeing trip of a lifetime. Hope that helps you plan! However, the mountain route is not as suitable for winter use. 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