Planning late March trip from Portland to San Fran

We are considering a family trip in late March. We%26#39;ve never visited north of San Francisco. We are planning to fly into Portland and travel the Oregon coast to San Francisco. How many days should we plan for the sightseeing travel (not including San Fran)? What is the weather in late March --can we enjoy the coast, whale watching, hiking in Redwood National? etc? We will have our 14 and 7 year old with us. Any place particular you would recommend as a ';do not miss';?

Planning late March trip from Portland to San Fran

Have you made any plans yet ? Do you have any ideas about what you want to do, where you want to stay, have you done some research yet or is this the beginning?

I only ask because there is so much in your question..from Portland to the coast to the Redwoods to SF...I would not know where to start to tell you anything :)

Weather in March is chilly and wet.

Expect the same at the Coast, with wind and possible storms.

Whales were around recently, no idea about March..we have wonderful posters who live out near or at the Coast in Oregon who will better tell you about that.

From what I understand, the drive from Portland to SF is about 17 hours or so..some people stop in Ashland on the way, it is about half-way.

Places for the children in Portland that would be great for kids:

OMSI

Portland Museum of Art

IF the weather were nice, the Portland Zoo.

Tell us more about what you expect, and be sure to read all the threads here, there is a lot of info already posted :)

Have a good trip!

Planning late March trip from Portland to San Fran

In late March, expect cold, wet weather. Especially along the coast. As far as travel time, if you go directly from Portland to SF taking I-5 and the major highways, you can make it in just over 10 hours. But I do not recommend that, since you want to actually see things. As far as how many days, well you COULD do it in one day, but you could also take a month and still not see everything. There is just so much along this area.

For the Oregon coast areas, phirl, dengay and mistletoe are definitely the posters to listen to on here. They know the area well.

How much time do you have and do you have any priorities that you want to see?

I said 17 hours...Mtngrl drives faster than we do LOL

weatherunderground.com is a great way to check weather along the coast, although I have to say, even here, on our daily news, the weathermen have a hard time keeping up..weather moves very quickly here.

LOL! No, I drive like a little old lady:)

The difference is I-5 vs the scenic route. Scarlett is right if you are talking about taking that way.

Thanks for the wonderful information - we are from Chicago, so I%26#39;m not sure if the cold/wet late March information will sway us or not -- but it does sound like if we waited a few weeks and did the trip in mid-April it might be nicer than late-March.

Thanks again for the information.

Actually, we don%26#39;t start to get our good weather til June, and quite often the latter half. We always say that our summers begin July 5th;)

As long as you are not counting on nice weather, go for it! The wet days are what makes western Oregon so beautiful. Come and enjoy it during a time that doesn%26#39;t attract a lot of visitors and you will get a better feel for it.

Oh, I, as usual, agree with Mtngrl ( not about her driving like an old lady though lol)...April is pretty much the same as March, as June might be also.

Summer (dry warmer weather) hits in July mostly ( based on what I have been told and my limited experience living here)...

We visited here in Sept and moved here in Aug..once July hits, you can expect perfectly dry, sunny non-humid days, long days too...perfect for Happy Hours in the many restaurants who also try to have as much outdoor seating as possible to enjoy the weather..and late dinners..Parts of town come alive as soon as the weather warms up and you can find myriad things to do here, day and night..

Think 4th of July for good weather, and that is %26#39;iffy%26#39;. But, according to the Oregon Lottery--';there are no bad days on the Oregon Coast%26#39;. However, if your plans are flexible, I would suggest to plan closer to June because the weather will be warmer. If you come before mid-June (when school gets out), most places will be less crowded.

The Oregon Coast is really beautiful any time of the year and if you have some basic rain gear you can find some good hiking. Many shorter trails through to woods to the beaches.

The Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport is very good. About 4 or 5 years ago we stopped in Crescent City, CA at an aquarium that had small sharks that you could pet. Our grandchildren who were then 7 and 9 thought that was just %26#39;way cool%26#39;. I don%26#39;t know if it is even still there. Perhaps some other of the coast posters know.

Previous posters are right on about the weather. Expect anything from snow to temps in the high 70%26#39;s. Cool, windy and rainy would be my bet though.

Here%26#39;s part of a blur I have saved:

';DISCLAIMER: You are about to be referred to several sites that are Oregon State Parks. For more information on the parks I am about to mention, visit www.oregonstateparks.org

Astoria/Warrenton: Lots to do and see here, especially as it relates to Oregon and National History. Fort Clatsop, Fort Stevens State Park, and the Columbia Maritime Museum are just a few. If you are staying o/n, I hightly recommend The Holiday Inn Express on Hwy 30 at the foot of Bond Street (west Astoria).

Cannon Beach: Ecola State Park and Haystack Rock are two of the biggest draws here and should not be missed.

Oswald West State Park: On Hwy 101, 11 miles south of Cannon Beach. You have to get out and walk to really appreciate what ';Os West'; has too offer, buit after a 1/3 mile walk into a beautiful rainforest, you will get your just reward! The Most beautiful spot on the Oregon Coast IMHO! Just south of the main developed areas of the park, Hwy 101 crosses over Neah-Kah-Nie Mountain. AT THE VERY LEAST, stop and take in the views from one of the many pullouts. If you%26#39;re up for it, a three mile hike to the top of teh mountain will certainly be a highlight of your trip.

Three Capes Scenic Route and Cape Meares and Cape Lookout State Parks, southwest of Tillamook. Beautiful drive, especially north to south. Visit Cape Meares Lighthouse.

(I%26#39;ll let phirl and others fill in the Lincoln City-Newport section).

Yachats. Spend a little time here. It%26#39;s a small town but it really is a gem. Right on a rocky bluff built out into the ocean. If fact, I hightly recommend staying here. The Overleaf consistently sits at the top of Oregon%26#39;s ranking for motels. If it too much for your budget, there are several others: The Fireside, next door to the Overleaf; The Adobe just a little further south; The Shamrock Lodgettes just south of the river. Aside from being charming and beautiful, it%26#39;s also centrally located to Newport and Florence. Just south of here is Cape Perpetua with arguably the best tide pools on the coast. They also have a wonderful visitor%26#39;s center and lots of hiking. If you like fish-n-chips, Try Leroy%26#39;s Blue Whale on Hwy 101 or for more ';fancy'; fare, The Drift Inn just south of Leroy%26#39;s.

Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint, between Florence and Yachats. Considered the most photographed lighthouse on the entire west coast, you%26#39;ll see why!! There is a B%26amp;B in the Historic Keeper%26#39;s House as well.

Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (ODNRA) stretches from Florence, 42 miles to Coos Bay. Sand dunes are not normally associated with beauty, after all, they%26#39;re just sand dunes. But these are truly beautiful. I hightly recommend taking some time to view. Take a buggy ride or rent a quad if your up for it!

Hope this helps!';

With that said, I would not allow less than 4 days on the coast. Six is better if you realy want to experience all there is to offer.

BTW, late march is the beginning of the spring whale migration, so weather permitting, viewing should be great!!

~Den~

Parts of the South Coast I like- near Coos Bay-Cape Arago Highway and the associated state parks along this strech.

Bandon is kind of a cute touristy town. The 101 hwy is pretty spectacular drive between Port Orford and Brookings. Not much as far as attractions between the two, except the nice scenery and small towns. I like Pistol River State Park-not much to do, but nice beach for a walk %26amp; scenery.