V-Flyer

Can anyone please advise on how;

a. achievable a drive from San Francisco to Seattle would be (over, say, 4 days)

b. enjoyable a drive from San Francisco to Seattle would be

Thanks

Paul

a. It's about 700 miles (maybe a few more) so depending on how long you like to drive in a session 2 or 3 days

b. Well, there's 700 miles of the I-5...... Or a more costal route, which will add a bit more time and get you up to that 4 days.

quote:Originally posted by Slipperman

b. Well, there's 700 miles of the I-5...... Or a more costal route, which will add a bit more time and get you up to that 4 days.


That'll teach me to form my questions more precisely...possibly a better question..

b. Is there much to see and do on the way, particularly when not on the I5...

Paul

Much quicker to fly VX SFO-SEA [;)]

I5 route is about 800 miles, coastal route is closer to 1000 miles. Lots of little towns you can stop by for the night, sort of Carmel without the money if you know what I mean: Mendocino/Fort Bragg, Eureka, etc etc. Scenery is stunning, better than the drive south. It's foggy and wet sometimes (Eureka is the rainiest town in California, more Blackpool than Bakersfield). The little towns, well, it depends on what you mean by 'lots to do', but those more suited to tourists tend to have lots of B&Bs and nice restaurants which aren't quite of the quality you might find in SF or Seattle, but nice. You'd be on the road 5/6 hours a day, so in the end not sure you'd be looking for much more than a relaxing pit stop along the road, the beauty of the drive itself is really the selling point for something like this.

quote:Originally posted by Neil
Much quicker to fly VX SFO-SEA [;)]


Thank you, oh master of stating the bleedin' obvious. The intent is to see something of the north western seaboard...and, before you say it, yes I know you can probably see quite a lot of the seaboard from 35000 feet...oh, why do I bother.

MM - that sounds like what I was hoping for.

Paul

I have driven up the coast of California as far as Eureka - well actually further as we went as far as Arcata and Trinidad Bay. As MM said there are some lovely places and the scenery is stunning. The day we went to Eureka and Trinidad Bay it was foggy! I loved the Old Town in Eureka and would have liked to have spent more time there.

Coming up on the 101 to Eureka there is the Humboldt Redwoods State Park and the Avenue of the Giants - awesome! The Victorian town of Ferndale, looks like it is straight out of a western film but has some nice little craft shops. In the Ladies at the place we ate (which I think was the Victoria Inn) the cubicles and doors were curtains!!

I would heartily recommend staying in the Benbow Inn just outside Garberville which is 200 miles from San Francisco. Another nice place but nearer San Francisco is the Little River Inn. It is just outside Mendocino and Fort Bragg. I've done reviews for them both and stayed at both twice. The ladies from Little River Inn remembered me from two years ago!

Just my thoughts.

I've driven it up I-5 and it was generally ghastly...MM and HL (our missing pub mistress!) are quite right...the coastal route is much better and HL's recco on the Humboldt Park/Avenue of the Giants is spot-on.

Do it!

GJ

quote:Originally posted by GrinningJackanapes
I've driven it up I-5 and it was generally ghastly...MM and HL (our missing pub mistress!) are quite right...the coastal route is much better and HL's recco on the Humboldt Park/Avenue of the Giants is spot-on.

Do it!

GJ


I thank you all and I shall be attempting to persuade MrsPJH this weekend..

Paul