Read Next: 4 Days in San Francisco: A Complete City Guide from a Local. Highway 101 Road Trip. Stop in Astoria to check out the Astoria Column and Fort Stevens State Park, then make your way to Ecola State Park for great views of Cannon Beach. Bend is situated amid the snow-covered Cascade Mountains and high desert plateaus. 9:19 pm arrive in Seattle. You could also visit one of the many wineries surrounding the Sonoma County too. We think the best way to do Portland is to eat and drink your way through the city. Here are our favorite places to eat in San Francisco, a city full of amazing food spots. www .seattle .gov. to each other and sharing tips and advice. Japanese Gardens (15 mentions) So sorry for the late reply I totally missed this. Here are our favorite things to do on the Northern California Coast. If dining is a pleasure, some restaurants will please you on your Seattle to San Francisco road trip. Get coffee at Noble Coffee Roasters, and lunch in Ashland (and catch a show, if thats your thing) before heading over the Siskyou Pass into California. This route never strays from the interstate, so aside from some highly recommended detours, the drive is extremely straightforward and beginner-friendly. Spend the night at the Olema House. The western side of Mt. This tree is HUGE but in fact, not even the largest! Otherwise, this route is pretty accessible year-round. From there, visit Klamath and Shasta-Trinity national Forests, and consider doing an optional detour to Lassen National Forest. There are tons to do in this bustling city so see our post on thetop things to do in San Francisco. Waking up to an unprecedented view of the city's marvelous architecture is one of the best ways to start your day, and St Regis' incredible suites let you do just that. FIPS code. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. We left Santa Cruz after a walk along the beach and continued our way down the coastal HWY 1 towards the gorgeous Monterey Bay + surrounding areas. Head North back to San Francisco,andexplore the city! The drive's signature stops include the cities of Portland and Sacramento, Mt. Drive the Avenue of the Giants: The Avenue of the Giants in the Humboldt Redwoods is a 31-mile forest drive that is considered to be the best drive through redwoods in the world. Came across this article and this looks amazing. Don't forget about exploring your own hometown with a staycation. Crater Lake National Park is an extraordinary park that has a dormant volcano as its crown jewel. Enter a city to drive through, or find all. In this guide to planning an Algarve itinerary, were going to use our experience spending a week, Read More How to Plan an Amazing Algarve Itinerary (3-7 Days)Continue, We love San Francisco, which is where we met, got married, and lived for almost a decade. I (Matt) grew up in Seattle, and lived there for 15+ years before relocating to San Francisco, where I met Alysha, who grew up in the Bay Area. This luxury coastal road trip will take you from Seattle and the forested islands of Washington's Puget Sound to San Francisco and the towering redwoods of Northern California. Spend some time on the coast and check out the things to do in Monterey. Im a foodie at, Read More Gluten Free San Francisco: A Complete Guide for CeliacsContinue. Eureka: The small city of Eureka is a charming coastal stop with some delicious beer and cider to try at Lost Coast Brewing and Humboldt Cider. Stop by Rachels Ginger Beer, Beechers Cheese (their flagship cheese is one of my top three all time favorites), and Ellenos Frozen Greek Yogurt while youre there. And we dont recommend it. Recommended car for this road trip: Large SUV. Next: See how to edit the route Keep reading. Hood River Hotel is a close second. Get our latest blog posts, updates and deals. Redding (11 answers) Here are our favorite things to do in Point Reyes National Seashore. Over the course of 2 weeks, we drove approximately 1650 miles (2330km) at a moderate pace. Its a beautiful place to visit while on your road trip. The views are cool (check out Kerry Park nearby for the best views in Seattle), but its expensive and kind of uninspiring. Check out the 5th St. Public Market for a combination of shopping, eating, and drinking with local vendors. Rainier National Park (the Paradise Side), More Time? eg. 53-63000. Alexander Valley Wine Region: Take a drive through the Alexander Valley Wine Region to enjoy some of the tastiest (and most affordable) wines in California. Read that for the details behind the picks below! Still, totally doable in October. Stop at the Good Life Cafe: If youre going to be in Mendocino in the morning, stop over at the Good Life Cafe for breakfast and a cup of coffee. The accommodation all round in Seattle wasnt cheap, in fact, it is one of the most expensive cities weve tried to find accommodation in worldwide. If organized tours are your thing, here are some recommendations in San Francisco: How you budget is entirely based on the types of accommodations youre wanting to stay in and of course where you choose to eat. Aug 19th, 2009 08:02 AM. If you road trip San Francisco to Seattle you'll cover at least 807 miles - that's if you do the aforementioned route and go straight down the I-5N. Camping along the way? Youre in for a treat full of pristine beaches, crystal-clear turquoise water, and charming small towns dotting Portugals southern coast. Hotels: The Hoxton and the Society Hotel (weve stayed there) are our top hotel picks in Portland. Rome2rio displays up to date schedules, route maps, journey times and estimated fares from relevant transport operators, ensuring you can . If you have more time, here are some other places to stop along the way from Seattle to San Francisco. Here are some of our favorite things to do in Portland. Ashland is a cool little town known for hosting the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. The route from San Francisco to Seattle is an epic drive through redwood forests, wine valleys, mountains and some of the county's most gorgeous coastline. It helps if you put your mirrors in to go through the tree. Spend the afternoon in Cannon Beach, spending some time on the beach near Haystack Rock and then eat lunch at Public Coast Brewing. Is there anything else you think we should have done, or not done? This would give you a slower paced trip and allow more time to take everything in. Day 2: Drive the Pacific Coast of Olympic National Park, making three stops along the way. Belltown is close to Pike Place Market and the Space Needle, while Capitol Hill is still central, but full of some of the best bars, restaurants, and cafes in Seattle, which is perfect for foodies like us whose travel philosophy basically boils down to eat-walk-eat.. Therefore, we kindly ask you to share your experience with us in the comment field at the end of the blog post. who wants the trip to end? Stop in at Rocky Point Restaurant for a cocktail and then head to California Market at Pacifics Edge for lunch with sweeping views of the ocean. Anything you plan or save automagically syncs with the apps, ready for you to hit the road! Hi, first of all thank you so so much for this amazing post. This is our pick for a summer road trip. Then, head out to Patricks Point State Park and Trinidad State Beach to get your first taste of the rugged northern California coast. If you only have three days, youre obviously not going to be able to hit some of the far flung destinations like Crater Lake and Bend. Book early for any weekend trips. Oxbow Public Market (6 mentions) Bounty Hunter Wine Bar & Smokin' BBQ (11 mentions) That could be more time than you have. I have been multiple times, mostly with family growing up, and I joked to Alysha on our last trip that, Read More Where to Stay in Zion National Park: Best Hotels + B&BsContinue, The scale of the Grand Canyon is absolutely mind-blowing. One other note were also assuming you want to spend time in Seattle and San Francisco too. There are many beautiful pit stops along the way to San Francisco. Time. With a fourth day, wed add Rainier (with a stop in Eugene between Portland and Redding). Visiting both cities is a must if you're in the area and doing so in an RV is particularly beneficial as you get to see some excellent sights along the way. One of our favourite road trips to date is the Garden Route drive in South Africa, our honeymoon along the coast of Oahu, Hawaii & The Great Ocean Road in Australia but driving the down the west coast of America was yet another road trip to remember. Past Dunnigan, hop onto Interstate 505 and either follow it south to Vacaville or detour to Sacramento. Eugene (16 answers) Stay charged anywhere you go, with access to our global charging networks. Be prepared for the overwhelming choice of flavours! A road trip along New York state's Women's Heritage Trail, 9 stops on a Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail road trip, A cross-country road trip to U.S. presidential libraries, A road trip to filming locations featured in 'The Goonies', The top things to do on an Extraterrestrial Highway road trip, Pay Tribute and Reflect at These US Monuments and Memorials. First, at Lake Crescent to hike to Marymere Falls. The Moxy Hotel is the other choice here its a stylish option thats super central to all the sights in Seattle. Before we go on to give you our 2-week itinerary, please note that there is no right or wrong way to do this trip. and was formed by the eruption and collapsing of a volcano, Mount Mazama 7,700 years ago. Of course, you can choose a suitable restaurant from the list according to your preference. questions about Mount Shasta (California): The best times to do the road trip from Seattle to San Francisco are a bit counterintuitive - the unique terrain that defines the route and San Fran's distinctive climate follow a different set of rules than your average oceanside tourist attraction. Tall tales, trip guides, & the world's weird & wonderful. The 808 miles of the road trip from Seattle to San Francisco takes around 12 hours and 47 mins of driving without stops. San Francisco to Seattle Road Trip Itinerary Advice Mar 29, 2022, 6:53 AM Save We are a couple aged around sixty and looking for some advice on a self drive road trip between San Francisco and Seattle over 10 days from 16th to 26th May. If you find it difficult to organize your luggage on the road trip, take a look at the, Are you traveling with children? If you're in the market for the best rooftop view of Portland's architecture, The Duniway Portland is the hotel for you. The 808 miles of the road trip from Seattle to San Francisco takes around 12 hours and 47 mins of driving without stops. Get out and explore Portland, particularly the areas east of the river along Hawthorne and Division St. Day 3: Drive from Portland to Eugene, stopping at Silver Falls State Park to do the Trail of the Ten Falls (truly spectacular) and then refueling in Salem, the capital of Oregon, at Bigwig Donuts (100% gluten free donut holes, fried to order). Day 1: There's a lot to do on this trip, so get started the moment you arrive. Make sure to go to La Marzocco Cafe and Espresso Vivace at the very least. US California 20 18:25 941 mi $145 Take This Trip Share Featured Trip Guides Created by Roadtrippers - July 21st 2016 Seattle 1 4.5 2000 Second Avenue, Seattle, WA, US The Palladian Hotel FastBook $$$ 1 2 4.5 85 Pike St, Seattle, WA, US There are a few small easy hiking paths to take and theyre worth it to view these giants up close. A road trip through the Pacific Northwest and Northern California is equally epic, but with less traffic. Start Your Trip. It does cost $8 per car but where else can you drive through a tree? It's worth parking at the toll plaza ( here on Google Maps) to get some nice pictures of the bridge. The rooms at this hotel offer the ideal blend of simple and elegant, and the communal areas are as extravagant as they come. Though I cant say the same for the also-famous but largely uninspired gum wall, which is downright disgusting if you really stop to think about it. Just 15 minutes from Monterey, youll find a variety of cheaper hotels. In terms of height, it is one of the tallest lighthouses in the United States and stands at 115 feet. The road trio from Seattle to San Francisco is full of incredible activities and experiences. Shasta (2 days) Stop 5: Redwood National Park (1-2 days) Stop 6: Crater Lake (2 days) Stop 7: Coos Bay / Southern Oregon Coast (1 day) Crescent City. One of the liveliest, most accessible neighbourhoods. He writes super detailed guides to the places they visit, bringing together personal experience and historical context to help YOU plan an amazing trip. For once, I wasnt the tallest! Mendocino is a largely unspoiled area of California that has beaches, valleys, and forests. Psst! Wait, wheres Fishermans Wharf on this list? Choosing which vineyards to visit can be rather overwhelming, so we strongly recommend spending at least a night at one of the magnificent Bed and Breakfasts to get the full experience. Again, take Interstate 5 out of Seattle and follow it past Capitol State Forest and Gifford Pinchot National Forest before pulling into Longview. You can choose from the stops below based on how much time you have to spend think of it as a choose your own adventure sort of thing (used to LOVE those Goosebumps books!). Rather random? However a bit unsure about the timing, how is it in mid October there? We chose to skip the coast & national parks here as weredoing thisfurther south. Although this route could theoretically be driven in 3 days, a better course of action would be to take at least a couple of weeks to explore both the oceanfront and the countless inland attractions near Highways 1 and 101. You can also find some cool day trips or get away for a weekend. Youre in luck. Pigeon Point Light Station is a lighthouse located on the coast of northern California near Pescadero. The 363 mile Oregon coast has cute towns, beaches and photo ops all along the way. Planning to drive from Adelaide to Melbourne via the Great Ocean Road? Your email address will not be published. Its one of those places that makes you go I wonder what the first people, Read More How to Plan an Amazing Grand Canyon Itinerary (2 Days)Continue, Wondering if San Francisco is a good place to visit if you need to eat gluten free? The tour guides are funny, and you get to learn about the history of Seattle from a slightly different perspective. It was! Potato Champion Union Square is where youll find a lot of shopping options & Mission District has a lot of greats bars and restaurants to explore. Not sure what to do in Seattle? Its the most direct route. Break the budget! You wont regret it. Here are a few estimates of what to expect. Read Next: The 19 Best Airbnbs in Seattle. If you dont, either because youve already been or youre just simply not interested, spend that time somewhere else instead. The best resource on neighborhoods, areas, San Francisco to Seattle drive, or go to the main page to plan a new road trip. stay for about 4 hours and leave at 3:43 pmdrive for about 2 hours, 5:39 pm Eugene restaurants around Redding: McMinnville. in Noey Valley and we found it to be far less touristy with a beautiful community feel. Have you ever taken a road trip from Seattle to San Francisco? Here are the top seven hotels on the Seattle San Francisco route! Some of these trees have been known to measure 360 feet in height, making it the tallest measured tree species on earth. Here are some of our favorites. If there's no coastal fog obscuring it, which there probably is. If you're driving from Seattle WA to San Francisco CA check the weather conditions for a safer trip. Theres nothing worse than being 100 miles from the nearest toilet! . by Emily Cass | Oct 18, 2017 | Most Popular, North America | 3 comments. Next up: TheShrine Drive-Through Tree. open-ended. Once youve checked out of Youngberg Hill, visit some popular surrounding wineries such Yamhill Valley Winery,Domaine Serene Winery, Domaine Drouhin & Brooks Wines. Its a good stopping point on the way down to Bend from Portland. Check out Redwood National and State Parks and Humboldt Redwoods State Park before getting onto Highway 1 and pulling into Mendocino - from there, check out Jackson Demonstration State Forest before continuing south. Dont forget to share your experience by writing a comment to this post. Day 3: Continue south along the coast of Washington, crossing into Oregon after a quick stop at Cape Disappointment. Find out how many days in San Francisco to stay. westcoastbound. (19 answers), Julie from Atlanta asked:Best activities for kids (19 answers), Kenneth from Portland asked:Best views in San Francisco? Heres what we suggest doing in this stunning national park, which you can pretty easily tackle in a full day. We plan (and pay for) all of our own travels, and we use our first hand knowledge to write detailed travel guides to the places we love to help, Heres a guide to the best breweries in Seattle, industrial-chic Airbnb in South Lake Union, How to Plan an Unforgettable Day Trip to Mount Rainier From Seattle, Where to Stay near Mount Rainier National Park: A Complete Guide, The Best Hikes in Mount Rainier National Park: A Helpful Hiking Guide. The Pacific coast highway is one of the legendary road trip routes that follows highway 101 through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Once in Vacaville, take Interstate 80 through Fairfield, then cross the Alfred Zampa Memorial Bridge. The hike out to Cascade Head near Lincoln City is worth it if you have the time, otherwise continue on to spend the night in Newport at the wonderful Inn at Nye Beach. stay for about 1 hour and leave at 3:04 pmdrive for about 3 hours, 6:02 pm Napa If you're looking to have some fun, nothing can beat the relaxing view from the terrace, especially when it's coupled with an incredible live performance by top-of-the-line musicians. Its only 3 hours though, and you can stop in Berkeley or Oakland on your way into the city if youre looking for somewhere to grab lunch. Its super touristy, and kind of overrated and boring in general. Experience the stunning beauty of the Pacific Northwest and Northern California on this luxury journey from Seattle to San Francisco. Mount Shasta (California) (9 answers) I did have a concern though, Im likely doing 2 weeks from October 28th to Nov 11th 2022. We recommend Sandcastle Inn. Visit some of the numerous waterfalls namely Myrtle and Christine. For something a little more low-key, you can also enjoy a yoga class or even try wine tasting. We are a family of 4 with two older children (19,16) who love nature and hiking. Best free things to do in Ashland (Oregon)? Crater Lake is the largest lake in the United States (over 1900 ft deep!) Then youll have the perfect San Francisco to Seattle road trip itinerary. Were assuming that youre treating your road trip from Seattle to San Francisco as a vacation, and budgeting a week or more so that you can see the best of the west coast along the way. No matter the time of year, one of the prettiest drives in the country is from Seattle to San Francisco, making a Seattle to San Francisco road trip the perfect drive for a long weekend or as part of a lengthier expedition. Pacific Northwest road trip - Scenic round trip from Seattle, Road Trip From Seattle To Glacier National Park, Road Trip From Seattle To Yellowstone National Park, The Duniway Portland is the hotel for you, book yourself a room at St Regis San Francisco. If its on (or even if its not), you should stop in Ashland. St. Helens to check out Johnston Ridge, which gives you an amazing view of the volcano and destruction it wrought on the surrounding landscape. I dont recommend that. Drive to Port Angeles, with a stop at Nourish Sequim along the way for a delicious (and gluten free) lunch. Theres so much to do and see in San Francisco that you cant possibly tackle it all in just a few days in the city. In our opinion, the two best areas to stay in Seattle are Belltown and Capitol Hill (though we also like South Lake Union). Explore Capitol Hill: Our favorite! Timberline Lodge (12 mentions) Weve got you covered with our guide to the best coffee in Seattle (according to three self-proclaimed coffee snobs). This seaside town has one of the most historic boardwalks in the state. Not long after passing Wildcat Canyon Regional Park, drive the San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge and pull into San Fran. If youre really feeling it, why not take a helicopter to Post Ranch Inn (a very fancy resort) in a helicopter, starting at $4000! Your email address will not be published. Here are a few pit stops to consider stopping for. Lucky you! Sleep at the Blue Door Inns, which looks amazing. Drive Time from Seattle to San Francisco: approximately 10 hours. Elliott Bay Books for the best local bookstore in Seattle. What is your favorite restaurant in Redding? After half a day here, we made our way down HWY 199 through some interesting towns, en route to Crescent City on HWY 101. This road tripis suitable for all types of travellers with a little bit of everything; rugged coastlines,world-class wineries, wildlife, bustling cities, Redwood forests, sweeping valleys, accessible hikes and of course, relaxing sandy beaches. Road Trip on the 101 and 1- what to see on the way to SF from Seattle? Keep your eye out for the Elks! On a random side note: 41 years ago my mum lived in Oregon on a Rotary Exchange. For example, in the Marina youll run into bar-hopping twentysomethings who just moved out of the fraternity, while the Outer Sunset is basically a, Read More Where to Stay in San Francisco: A Locals Complete GuideContinue, Lets get this out of the way at the top Boston is definitely not the best city for gluten free foodies in the United States. . Miles and miles of rugged, unspoiled coastline that hugs the oceans edge. Our travel philosophy, in general, is eat-walk-drink-walk-eat-repeat. And Portland is an amazing place to do that. This article shares the 15 top tips that turn your San Francisco trip into an unforgettable journey. We wouldnt recommend spending the night here instead, continue south to Portland for the night, which is just a couple of hours south. Here's a sample itinerary for a drive from Seattle to San Francisco. We have listed seven hotels, five restaurants, and three places to visit on the way. This route has a total of 24 hours of driving split up between 10-14 days when you follow our recommendations below. Youll want to stay in a hotel, since youll only be in town for a night, and it should probably be the Society Hotel in Bingen, the sister hotel to the one in Portland (which weve stayed at and loved). The lighthouse has been in operation since 1871 and is still in use today. We have a whole guide on the best places to stay in San Francisco that is well worth a read if youre looking for more detail from people who ACTUALLY lived in the city for almost a decade. Navarro Vineyards and Roederer Estate are our favorites. We loved this modern guesthouse right off of Hawthorne Blvd (the best street in Portland) and this cozy apartment in the hip Alberta Arts District, which is a cool spot to base yourself. If youre driving from San Francisco to Seattle, the opposite direction that this guide is written for, then all you need to do is reverse the order of stops. This is a 31 mile scenic stretch of road that runs through the Red Wood Forest parallel to the highway. San Francisco to Seattle Road trip Google Maps San Francisco and Seattle are two eclectic peas in a pod. One thing to keep in mind along this route is that the coast can be rather windy, potentially making the drive difficult (not to mention less scenic) on a rainy day - be sure to keep close tabs on the weather and plan your stops accordingly. Theres been a lot of driving the past week so today, grab your swimmers, a towel and a book and get to the beach in Santa Cruz. stay for about 1 hour and leave at 1:00 pmdrive for about 1 hour, 2:04 pm Redding This scenic drive is one of the most sought after in the country, as well as the world. Where to stay on the San Francisco to Seattle drive? Looking for more cool hotels? We lived in San Francisco for almost a decade before quitting our jobs and leaving the city on our year long worldwide adventure. This is the one where you can drive your car through actual living redwoods! Overview of a 4 week 2015 Seattle, San Francisco, and Sierra with Travel Itinerary, Travel Road Map, and Tips for Cross Country travelers with Kids 2015 Seattle, San Francisco, and Sierra | Lolo's Extreme Cross Country RV Trips Drive to Port Angeles, with a stop at Nourish Sequim along the way for a delicious (and gluten free) lunch. Day 1: Drive from Seattle to Mt. 3029 Spirit Lake Highway, Castle Rock, WA, US, 13515 SE McLoughlin Blvd, Milwaukie, OR, US, 4303 Sardine Creek L Fork Road, Gold Hill, OR, US, The Embarcadero And Beach St, San Francisco, CA, US. The road map above shows you the route to take to your destination. Road trips are F-U-N! Traveling with a dog or cat? Check out the. Doing this drive in record time isnt going to be a fun one.