A cousin is moving up to Seattle from Texas in a few weeks. I am making the road journey with her from Santa Fe, NM then flying back from Seattle. We want to take a route to see the West Coast over several days. Neither of us have spent time in California or Oregon. Thinking of cutting across AZ and taking Highway 1 up California then over to Highway 5 to Seattle. Let us know your favorite spots along this route and any insider advice for this road trip. Happy travels!
Okay, so let's try the simple route:
1) Santa Fe to the Grand Canyon (south rim just north of Williams and Flagstaff)
2) Grand Canyon to Las Vegas
3) Las Vegas to Bakersfield (no stopping here, just giving the route for info purposes), stay on state Hwy 58 to Interstate 5 north to Hwy 46 west to Paso Robles. Visit the wineries here (I suggest Opolo and Castoro Cellars) and then head west to Hwy 1 and stay near Cambria/San Simeon
4) Visit Moonstone Beach in Cambria and then go to Hearst Castle near San Simeon (buy your tickets now since they sell out months in advance). Do this in the morning, then spend the day driving north to Carmel-by-the-Sea. Stay here or in nearby Monterey.
5) Take four hours and drive the famous "17-mile drive" which is probably the most beautiful road in the country (along with the drive you made the day before from Hearst Castle north).
6) Drive north to San Jose and visit the "Winchester Mystery House", then go across the street to Santana Row and do some shopping or eat at a nice restaurant (there are plenty here)--PS I'd try to be here on a Friday night when things are happening.
7) Drive the next day to San Francisco and visit the following places/things (take a cable car ride that goes from the Union Square area up to Fisherman's Wharf via Chinatown. Take the one back from the Ghirardelli Square area past Lombard Street (crookedest street in the world). At Fisherman's Wharf visit the Boudin Bread Factory (take their tour), then go to nearby Pier 39 and get tickets to visit Alcatraz, then walk over to Ghirardelli Square, on the way stop and get some crab at a seafood place and then an Irish coffee at the "Buena Vista". Enjoy the chocolate at Ghirardelli, then take the cable car I mentioned back to the Union Square area.
8) Next day drive over the Golden Gate Bridge and visit the Muir Woods (note: the latest "Revenge of the Planet of the Apes" movie was filmed here last year).
9) Continue north on Hwy 101 through the Redwoods National Park, stopping at the "Trees of Mystery" outdoor park.
10) Continue into Oregon and then either take the coast route (my suggested route) or go inland (US Hwy 198) and connect to Interstate 5. If you go inland, stop at Astoria, if inland, stop at Eugene. Taking either route, stop in Portland and go to one of their tea places (Portland is famous for great teas). I suggest the "Tao of Tea" store/restaurant at 3430 SE Belmont, but there are over 100 other great places in the same general area (Pearl district).
11) After spending the night nearby, get on Interstate 5 and head north. Stop at the Mount St. Helens visitor center in the southern part of the state of Washington, then head on north the remaining 3 hours drive or so to Seattle. In Seattle, visit the Space Needle, the Experience Music Project (at the base of the Space Needle), and then go to one of the restaurants near Lake Union. Later drive across Lake Washington and go to see Snowqualmie Falls (higher than Niagara Falls), but only 20 miles east of Seattle.
12) If you have an extra day or so, go north to Canada and visit Victoria on Vancouver Island. The city itself is more like being in the United Kingdom (England) than in Canada. Also on the island is beautiful Butchart Gardens, and also a place called Butterfly World (very close to the gardens). Also, Vancouver is worth a visit, but not as interesting as Victoria. After this, head back to Seattle and take your flight home.
[ 27-Aug-2014, at 22:52 by Calcruzer ]
0 Response to "1st West Coast Adventure.... tips, tricks, must see's"
Post a Comment