Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Driving Hwy 101

Do pause for at least a day and wander through some of the redwood groves.

Id suggest driving strategic sections of it combined with I5 for speed.

After 8 hours of looking at trees and ocean it all starts to look the same, especially when you continuously have to drive defensively for the idiot tourist morons that wander into your lane while looking at breath taking views.

Mendocino is nice. The problem with cutting back and forth to I-5 is that some of the connectors are worse than Highway One. Point Reyes is nice scenery with some old Coast Artillery spotting/ranging ruins thrown in.

If it were me, I would wander down 1 to about Bodega / Tomales Bay..... Then cut over east through Petaluma/ Fairfield and catch interstate 80 east..... hammered down for the Nevada State line...... you will not see any ocean view or giant redwood south of San Francisco that you didn’t already see North of it...... just becomes a urban third world chithole south of there.

Not actually sure how much of a detour it would be, but the Lava Beds National Monument is pretty cool.

https://www.nps.gov/labe/index.htm

IB, the Oregon stretch is kinda slow going. Don't plan on doing 60 mph. Manzanita Beach on the north Oregon coast is a nice long pretty beach for walking. Little towns all along the coast to look around in. You can buy a kite at a local shop and fly on the beach which is a blast if you enjoy that sort of thing.

If you have a smart phone you can Google gunshops in the upcoming towns before you get there and hopefully hit them all on your way by! I've picked up some sweet rifles along the coast. Local economies are depressed so retailers appreciate out of area cash.

The redwoods are a very few miles inland right near the California/Oregon border and you really need to see them to believe them. I'd take 2-3 days minimum to go thru Oregon, can't speak to the rest.

We are about 100 miles inland but my wife and I would love to meet you on the coast on your way thru if you'd like to do lunch or whatever. Don't hesitate to give a shout.

Very cool place, but counting the driving too and from the coast, it's going to eat up a whole day depending on the route one takes.

Geno

Yeah some cool history aspects to it and then rock formations too.

Still kind of amazes me how low population Northern California is compared to Southern California. Some of those counties don't have that many more people than they did in the 1870's.

Gold Bluff/fern canyon is worth the ride on a rough gravel road just north of Orick CA. Old 101 just south of Klamath CA.travels through the fed park(BIG REDWOODS). Mouth of the Klamath overlook on the north side of river. Jedediah Smith State Park and a ride up to Smith River are a must.
All of the Or. coast. Jet boat ride up the Rogue River is pretty cool.

Ours may have less than in the past. And it's shrinking every census as far as I know.

But it would take me over 5 hours to get to the coast if I was speeding and didn't stop to pee or for coffee.

But, if ironbender is heading North by a different route and had time, Lava Beds, Mt Lassen, and Crater Lake would make nice detours.

Geno

I don't know how many times I made that drive going the opposite way on a friday after formation. Best time was 8 hours by myself. Took about 12 with the wife, and 2 days with 2 little ones.


I loved going to the cookhouse as a kid. I ate there for the last time before going to Korea, was the last time I saw him alive.

I made the drive a few times myself. I was stationed at Lewis from 03-06.

I remember eating at the cookhouse, but that must of been 30-40 years ago.

Which Triumph do you have?

Jet boat up the rogue river is worth the time, but will cost you most of a day.

101 in Washington and Oregon are both excellent drives, all the way down to Eureka CA. That would burn up a week easy.
South of there, like maybe Scotia, you have CA 1 to San Francisco. In a good car, at least two days, maybe three. South of San Fransicko, it's all right on 1 (not 101, which is now a freeway) but much more open. Monterey and Big Sur are impressive, but I turned around at Big Sur and have never been back.
The experience in WA and OR is different than in northern CA, the climate zone changes at Brookings because of the California ocean current.

You may know this, but 101 in WA makes most of a loop. It starts just outside of Olympia and runs North along Hood canal to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, then west almost to the ocean, then south to Oregon.

My perspective is horribly out of date. Did the coastal highway on a pedal bike in 1982 from Olympia Washington to Anaheim. It is a gorgeous trip. I would like to take my wife on driving tour.

For a week, not having done this before, please suggest a segment best for 5-7 days in case I don't do it again.

With stops to enjoy local sights and attractions.

Mike, avoid going any further South than Crescent City CA or thereabouts. The charm fades in a hurry.
We have never been further North than Northern OR on the coast. In between those is a whole bunch of great scenery and sights.
Visit some smaller redwood groves, take a jet boat ride up the Rogue River. We did the 104 mile round trip ride and it took up most of a day, but you'll see some great scenery.
If I have any time I can see if I can think of more.

I haven't been down the California part but what he's suggesting is basically stay in Oregon. Hard to argue that. It would be very easy to spend a week on the Oregon coast.