Driving from Seattle to SanFrancisco

My husband and I are coming over on the 4th Sept to Seattle, we are planning to arrive in SanFrancisco on the 13th Sept. What should we do on the drive down, where are the best places to stay and best attractions. Travelling on a bit of a budget (25yrs old, recently married!). Planning to stick to the coast mainly and also visit Napa vineyards.

Any tips would be gratefully received

Cheers

Driving from Seattle to SanFrancisco

Lots of things you can do. Some quick suggestions -

1. Visit Mt Rainier or Mt St. Helens and do a day hike.

2. Stop in Portland. Visit Powell%26#39;s bookstore (America%26#39;s largest non-chain bookstore), and the many microbreweries in the area.

3. Drive out to the coast to Cannon Beach. Alternatively, head inland and visit Crater Lake.

4. Visit the southern Oregon Coast, go to Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area and play on a dune buggy.

5. Drive down highway 101 to Redwoods National Park. Go for a hike or just admire the towering trees.

Driving from Seattle to SanFrancisco

Congrats on your marriage. While in Oregon, you shouldn%26#39;t miss the Columbia River Gorge and waterfalls. You can do several short hikes to get to each waterfall. It%26#39;s free except for the price of gas. Head over to the coast on a non-weekend day. The drive to the coast on a Saturday will make you feel like you are in a parking lot if you go at the wrong time.

Hey there Cjt-

There is lots of good information on the other Seattle-toSF message thread as well-if you haven%26#39;t already looked there yet.

If you plan on visiting alot of state/fedral parks along the coast there are quite a few options for park passes- if you get a five day pass all you have to do is go to 3 fee parks(which you could do in one day!) and you%26#39;ve got your money%26#39;s worth.

From the website...

';Oregon Coast Passport

A joint federal-state coastal day-use fee pass good at eight coastal day-use fee state parks and selected National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service day-use areas, including Fort Clatsop National Memorial and the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. A complete list is available at fs.fed.us/r6/鈥ndex.shtml.

The cost of a passport is $35 for an annual pass and $10 for a five-day pass. It is sold at major state park offices on the coast; OPRD headquarters in Salem; Fort Clatsop; the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area visitor center; Siuslaw National Forest headquarters in Corvallis; the Oregon Dunes National Recreational Area office in Reedsport; and USFS ranger district offices in Hebo, Mapleton and Waldport. The passport also is available from the OPRD Information Center by calling 1-800-551-6949 (annual passport only). The pass will be mailed to you.';

The Oregon State Parks has quite a bit of info on this- you can look it up.

If you are on a really tight budget, you might want to check out the State Park Yurts for places to stay. They are simple, but nice and have heat. The only thing is you would have to find some linens/sleeping bag.