San Francisco-Vancouver?

[guillaume_francois]

<p>I am planing a seven day trip up the North-West Pacific Coast, from San Francisco up to maybe Vancouver. It will be in the first week of this coming August. Any sugestions for itineraries, photo oportunities? I was told of Mount Shasta, Red Wood Pational Park, Olympic Park...<br>

Thanks, I appreciate your counsel!</p>

[mark_t5]

<p>Yosemite National Park is 4 1/2 hr away from SF. one of the best places u'll ever see.</p>

[craig_gillette]

<p>Seven days is a rush if you want to get from San Francisco to Vancouver but allow for some relaxation and photography as well. For example, going north from San Francisco, Highway 1 is a magnificent but rather slow drive, especially if you take the whole route. 101 is faster, portions are freeway or divided highway. Both get you to various coastal redwoods parks and regions, the coastal drive is mostly relatively narrow country road - If you track up both on a mapping site, you'll see the various towns/cities and parks that will suggest futher searching. It can depend on your interests. From Eureka and the Humboldt Bay area, you can continue the coast or back to the Redding area whch accesses the Sahsta attractions and then Oregon via I-5. The Humboldt Bay area has a number of small logging towns with lots of victorian architecture, history of logging and fishing/shellfishing industry, etc. If you continue the coast, there will be more of the same and more magnificent redwoods as well.</p>

<p>From I-5 in Oregon, consider Crater Lake. In the Portland area, the Columbia River Gorge is worth a lot of time. Then Mount St. Helens, might be worth some time or a bit of a visit.</p>

[david_henderson]

<p>I've done this journey twice. Both times I allowed a little more than two weeks, without seeing everything en route and without zig-zagging between the major inland sights (eg Crater Lake, Columbia Valley, Shasta etc) and the coast. You're going to need to choose and to spend a large amount of time in the car, or shorten the route by finishing at say Portland Oregon rather than Vancouver. Personally with a week i'd be inclined to select a few specifics I'd want to see within easy reach of each other and concentrate on those using fast roads to cover the other ground. You'll be driving past some good stuff, but it can't be helped.</p>

<p>If you're renting a car have you checked the cost of starting the rental in California and lfinishing it in another state , or another country? Also if you're going to include Crater Lake check that you can get accommodation nearby. It sells out quickly and being there for a few hours in the middle of the day is not a substitute.</p>

[guillaume_francois]

<p>Thank you for your comments! I realize that I will have to make choices and that maybe I will save Olympic Park for another trip. Being already quite familiar with the pacific coast between Point Reyes and Long Beach, I will perhaps explore the Mount Shasta area and Crater Lake, making eventually a couple excursions along the Oregon Coast - any specific recommendations for these? (BTW, I am based in SF and will be taking my car...- and yes, Yosemite is absolutely beautifull!)</p>

 

[John Sully]

<p>I would stick to the coast. SF -> Vancouver can be done in a series of fairly leisurely days, around 300 miles per day of driving (2200 miles, round trip). The Oregon coast is amazing. Olympic National Park is worth a couple of days (maybe 2 half days and one full day in the middle). My favorite spots in the park are Rialto Beach, the Hoh Rainforest and Hurricane Ridge. The area around the mount of the Columbia is nice, check of Fort Klatsop (where Lewis and Clark spent the winter) and Cape Disappointment (where L&C first saw the Pacific). Redwood National Park is nice, don't miss the big blue balls on Babe, the giant blue ox.</p>

<p>On the way back, take I5 -- the return trip to SF only takes two complete days. The side trip to Crater Lake from Medford is a full day, Mt. Shasta is right on the highway and actually, if you don't plan to climb it, the best views are had from the highway. Of course, the Trinity Alps are great, but really deserve a backpacking trip. Another not to be missed destination off of I5 is Lassen Volcanic National Park. Lassen, the Trinity Alps, Crater Lake and Shasta are all easy weekend trips from the Bay Area, so quite frankly, I'd take those destinations in at a later time. For the week, take the coast.</p>

[Larry_G1664882113]

<p>The coast of Oregon offers among the most scenic seascapes we've seen. I especially recommend Cannon Beach. Portland is a great city - worth some time. I also recommend a stop at Mt. St. Helens. Have a great trip.</p>

[craig_gillette]

<p>In the Mount Lassen, Mount Shasta area, you might want to consider visiting Shasta Dam and MacArthur-Burney Falls and Sundial Bridge in Redding. </p>

[tudor_apmadoc]

<p>Coast highway is the best -<br>

Russian River area is nice<br>

Take a detour and head up the Columbia river - check out the Columbia River Gorge Hotel. <br>

Drive some back roads around the mountains - you'll find a ton of waterfalls<br>

Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, Redwood National Park </p>