From Seattle to say, San Diego.

Is it as nice a trip as it seems looking from BFE ?

If you have done it,
How much time did you allow?
Must-see sights?

Well I can only speak for CA, below San Francisco, you would want to switch over to HWY1 which is scenic, below San Fran, 101 continues inland through Silicon Valley, nothing special to see the rest of the way down, Hwy 1 takes you along the coast. Slower for sure, but ocean views most of the way.

Hwy 1 will take you through Half Moon Bay, stop for lunch at Sam's right along the coast, lobster sandwich and chowder is killer! Santa Cruz..keep on driving, leftard breeding ground, but there is the Municipal Wharf and Boardwalk.. through Montery you have a nice aquarium and lunch on Fisherman's Wharf, Hearst Castle along the way further south, spectacular views through Big Sur.

Barkoff is right. Also, plan on averaging 25-30mph. Take your time and enjoy the sights.

I've done all of Washington and Oregon, I would allow at least four days for that stretch just to drive it with a minimum of stops. 101 in Oregon and Washington isn't fast going, mostly two lane curvy with a 25 mph town every 10 miles. If you just drive it you will miss the best stuff, make time for lots of stops.

Lots of land slides the year I did it.

Driving straight through from Fortuna to Olympia/Lacey was about 10 hours with about half that on I5.

We did drive 101 North going through Oregon one time and it is pretty twisty but scenic. Ocean views mostly.

Some of the state parks around Crescent City and further South have some really nice scenery, stuff like giant redwood groves and trails to hike.

Road closures or delays due to rock slides are fairly common when there has been lots of rain.

Do NOT hit SF Through Santa Cruz during commute times, HWY South becomes gridlocked, you will sit for an hour. Between Santa Cruz and Monterey, is Moss Landing, you can't miss the power stacks and harbor, Phil's out on the Island is a cool place, good food, but avoid at lunch hour, it fills up, line out the the door. There is a Phil's sandwich Shop right behind the highway, but the main Phil's is on the Island over the bridge.

We are coming out in June to drive the portions in Wash and Ore

Hope it's not BLACK BIKER WEEK that week.

Eureka doesn't have much in the way of tourist attractions as far as I know.

Maybe Fort Humboldt if you're intersted in Civil War era history.

I'm not sure if the Samoa Cookhouse is still operating. It used to be the main chow hall for all the loggers back in the day. It used to have a bunch of old logging memorabilia on the walls.

You're going to want to drive California 1 instead of US 101 where the 1 follows the coast. Big Sur is world renowned as a scenic drive, for instance, and there's no real reason to see Salinas. There are three main sections where this happens: from Rockport down to Mill Valley, from SF down to San Luis Obispo, and from Pt Mugu down pretty much all the way to SD

That said, while the California coast is pretty amazing, I've seen better from the water in AK, so maybe it's not really going to blow your skirt up. But the inland sections of the 101 in California really aren't all that impressive.

Hearst Castle in San Simeon is on the 1, worth a visit. Side trips to Sonoma wineries. Notable breweries along the way or nearby include: North Coast, Lagunitas, Firestone, Russian River, and a veritable s--t-heap in San Diego County. Seriously, the SD beer scene is top notch.

P.S. Expanding on SF Bay Area traffic: Commute time on the 101 near SF runs from about 6:00 AM to 10:30 AM in the morning, and from about 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM at night. Time it wrong, and it could possibly take three hours from Sausalito through SF and the peninsula to get clear of San Jose to the south. Take the 1...

And the window keeps getting smaller. Same thing through Santa Cruz, you have about a three hour window these days.

Is that length I posted too lo g a trip for <= 1week?

The point of course is to see things notable.

I can just drive anywhere.

Iron Bender, Me and a couple of buddies road our Triumphs down the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) a few years ago from Port Angeles to San Diego. Took a little over two weeks of riding and camping and it was an absolute blast. This was before the California landslides however but I think they have that cleared up now but even still having to take side trips is great. You can see so much more on a bike than in a car. Washington/Oregon coastline is some beautiful rugged scenery that you gotta see. The California Coast gives you some great twisting rides also. I'd love to do it again, I'm just glad I'm able to be able to say I did it. And have pictured and T shirts to prove it! Just do it Iron.

My experience says yes, it's too long to accomplish and especially enjoy for that whole stretch. My experience is big parts of the Oregon Coast, basically from Newport south to the Cali border, many times. Then basically the whole length of California, multiple multiple multiple times.

Lots of good info here. Avoid 101 in the bay area during any hours near commute times. Mother in law lives just off it in the Pacifica area. Not fun.

101 south from OR/CA border has nice stretches. Jed Smith Park near Crescent City almost a must see, the Smith River is probaly one of the cleanest rivers remaining in all of Cali. Redwood NP south of there before Arcata/Eureka. Chainsaw carvers abound in Orick! There's a mansion in Eureka that's pretty cool. Built by a lumber magnate to keep his workers employed in the depression I think. South of Eureka is the town of Ferndale, Victorian architecture all around. Forgot, I think there's a logging museum in Eureka if you like that stuff.

Continuing south, take the Ave of the Giants (old 101 I think), stay the night at the Benbow Inn? Cool place. South of there turn right and take Hwy 1 south to the bay area if you can stand going slow and seeing cool coastline towns and views. Bodega Bay, Hitchcock's the Birds town. Looked similar when I was last there 20 odd years ago.

Get through San Fran area the best you can, then get back on the 1 for the slow scenic ride. Most of 101 south of there is freeway all the way to San Diego. cool thing is Pinnacles Nat Monument. Good explanation of where the Pinnacles came from................down near the LA area!!

Have fun, lot's to see and do. I've been many times and there's still new stuff for me to see.

Geno

I'd think a week would be on the short side. You're going to want to spend only about 4-5 hours a day in the car, while getting out the balance of the time. At that rate, just the CA portion is 4-5 days. Hearst Castle tour will eat up (if memory serves) a good three hours. Monterey Aquarium - 4-5 hours. Skunk train in Fort Bragg - 4 hours. Checking out the redwoods off the beaten path a bit - again 4-5 hours.

Des all be at Myrtle Beach firsta June......

You guys out East worry about the silliest things. Better to hope it's not pissing rain.

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.

We've done jetboat on the Snake from eastern WA. Fun.

A week would have to include travel from AK. Lots to see, just trying to focus a trip.

Sand dunes around Florence Oregon are really cool especially if you drive from north to get there.

I done big segments on the Oregon coast. Really can't add anything to what's been said. Slow going, but the scenery is awesome.

If you're coming down via I5, vs a ferry from Victoria, I'd suggest hitting Hwy 20 at Burlington and coming thru Whidbey Island to get to Port Townsend/101. Deception Pass is awesome and you would avoid the hell that is Seattle.

I have driven it from north of San Fran, up to Port Angeles WA multiple times...

this is to just do it for the scenery and leisure, no rush...

I always enjoy it....plenty to do and see anywhere along with way....

We drove the PCH (mostly 1 and some 101) from SD to the top of WA a few years back. There are quite a few interesting places to stop and see - do that to gain the most enjoyment and learning - and it will take at least a week, probably more You will see a bunch of fabulous scenery, but, as already noted, the 30 or 40 miles coming up to SF through Pacifica to the GG Bridge was by far the bad part of the entire drive.

There would be some fog and plenty of rain this time of year...
I tries several times my motorcycle and gave up in the summer as the campers and boats just drag on...I hit it good one time .it was just after the gas took a big jump...I think it was 2003 maybe...I had my speed triple...there was no one on the road and wether was perfict...I went from gig harbor all the way down to northern cal. And back on a weekend trip...

I started after Oakland, on my way to Alaska in 2008, no way in hell would I continue south. I drove I5 all the way to the exit to Oakland. That's another story that drive. Anyhow once you get to Oakland turnaround and go back up..

Yes CA hwy 1 is a must see.

Have seen probably 90% of the coast from Mexico to the the NW tip of Washington, have rode from Crescent City CA. to Long Beach WA. and beyond on a motorcycle.
I would probably go west at Longview WA, cross the bridge into Astoria OR. and then south.

IronB, check this out, happened today on the south Oregon coast-



https://ktvl.com/news/local/highway-101-closed-near-brookings-due-to-massive-slide

Might need 4x4.

Thought in my OP was too much to do, so I'll bump this revised question.

Me personally, I wouldn't go any further south then maybe Avenue of the Giants, but I hate cities.

A bit biased as I have driven much of 101 probably 100 times. Drop dead beautiful areas in Nor Cal and north to WA. Not sure you can do it justice in one week. This is over 800 miles just in Calif and you will eat up time going through the urban areas near SF and SoCal. Some wonderful areas in central coast between these but in one week I would spend it from north of SF and on up into WA.

Ferndale, near Eureka is great as are the giant Redwoods and Fern park area with elk. As noted the Somoa cookhouse is a treat. I have never had a bad meal there and for years I had family living in that area. ( http://www.samoacookhouse.net/ & https://www.yelp.com/biz/samoa-cookhouse-samoa.) Open 7 days a week from 7 am to 9pm and you won't leave hungry. You won't be eating alone either. The coastal area of OR is also wonderful and wild. This part of the west coast will give you a better perspective than just what we know and read of the crowded city areas. Most of Calif, OR, WA are wilderness and farmland. Just the massive number of people living condensed in their enclaves that seem out of place to me.

Whatever you decide, I expect you will enjoy the trip and the experience!