Seattle to San Francisco

Am beginning to plan a car trip with wife and 11 year old from Seattle to San Francisco. Want to see some unique Oregon sights and stay and eat at unique places along the way. Want a memorable trip. We like everything from great natural scenery and hiking, to urban life and great restaurants. Will take a few days to make the trip. Not sure where to begin in the planning. Any advice appreciated. Am architecture and history buff. We are urban dwellers who are also backpackers and hikers. My daughter likes the theater.

Seattle to San Francisco

Before responding, a few questions for you. When is your trip? How long is ';... a few days...'; How flexible can you be with time? You want to see some ';... unique Oregon sights... ';. Have you been here before and looking for something different? There is so much of interest to see for all the three of you, your responses will matter. Thanks.

Seattle to San Francisco

This would be more than ';a few days';, but I%26#39;d suggest I-5 from Seattle to Kelso, cross the Columbia River at Longview onto hwy 30 to Astoria, down the entire Oregon coast on hwy 101 to Crescent City, CA, back into Oregon on hwy 199, then south again to San Francisco. Among the MANY sights/activities within reach along this route, you might consider: Mts. Rainier and St. Helens, Cape Disappointment St. Park (at the mouth of Columbia River - Lewis %26amp; Clark history here), dune buggy ride on Oregon Dunes, jetboat ride up the Rogue River, hiking in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Crater Lake, the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, and Napa and/or Sonoma Valley wine country.

How much time do you have? ;-) And what time of year?

It will really help to know how many a %26#39;few days%26#39; is. I know it is hard to figure when you are just starting to plan a trip, but there are so many things to see here-especially if this is your first trip. It sounds like you like to do everything-so here are my suggestions and ideas for %26#39;favorite places%26#39; in Oregon near your route.

Coast- Great all the way from Wash-Calf. Hiking, scenery to keep you occupied for weeks! :) Fort Clatsop/Fort Stevens near Astoria are historical interesting. I think the coastal bridges are architectural beautiful-look these up if interested. Keep in mind that -if time is an issue-the farther south on Hwy 101 you go the longer it takes to get back(highways going east/west get longer and windier) to I-5 from Hwy 101. I hope that makes sense?

Crater Lake/Diamond Lake- I really like this highway loop on the N. Umpqua River down through the Rogue River Valley. Crater Lake is amazing-I think the boat ride in the lake is worth the extra money.

Definetly stop at the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland if you are interested in theater. It does take a break from performances in the winter so check the website if your going in the winter.

I also like Silver Falls State Park in the Cascade Foothills. Portland has some pretty interesting parks and urban life if interested. If you go in the spring, the Willamette Valley has many type of nursery and flower bulbs farms that bloom and can be very beautiful.

Thanks for the replies to my query as I just begin to plan a car trip from Seattle to San Francisco. You have mentioned some sights which will start me on my research. You asked a few questions. We have never done this road trip before but have been in the two cities many times. The length of the trip will depend on how interesting the car trip sounds. We will fly to Seattle the last of May 07, spend a few days there, then spend several days on the road to San Francisco, and then spend some time there and fly back.