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West Coast US Tour - advice


Skids

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Hey guys, Mrs Skids & I are considering a tour down the West Coast of the US sometime between May & Sept 24 lasting 2-3 weeks, maybe starting in Canada then down perhaps as far as San Diego via all the usual tourist spots and I was wondering if there's any advice you could give us -  this is largest pool of US folk I know so seemed like a good idea asking on here. I know a lot's been happening over there over the last few years and we get to hear very little about it so #1 concern is safety (Defund the Police.....seriously????) as you all seem to carry guns (wtf???) then advice as to roads to travel, places to visit etc. Motels or hotels? Is there much difference? Air bnb? Must see, places to avoid etc. We're happy to pay a bit more for quality places to stay (I don't do canvas or cheap sh1t places).

 

I realise it's a 30hrs+ of driving avoiding the highways so maybe we're biting off more than we can chew, so again, happy to listen to advice on that.

 

Sadly, this will likely be made on 4 wheels, though I'm sure I can persuade her to lose 2 wheels for worthwhile sections. 😉

 

Mrs Skids has never been to the US but I have visited LA & SD before and I definitely want to see SF.

 

Thoughts & advice welcome.  :beer:

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Pick what you want to hit... and route accordingly......

Mt. Ranier, Chinook Pass, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood, Crater Lake, Mt. Shasta and a few nice roads in NW California, and numerous others.  Nice ride from Shasta to Lake Tahoe if you pick the right roads.  Oregon coast, but it's slow with traffic.  Likely better coast further south in California.  Don't forget the redwoods.

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I have done a lot of car and motorcycle trips up and down highway 1 in California.

 

North of Leggett is "Avenue of the Giants" which is an old growth redwood forest which is pretty cool, about 25 miles long and parallels highway 1 (101 in that section). Many spots to jump back on the freeway if you get enough. Anything North of that, I have not been...

 

From Leggett to Morro Bay should not be missed. Plan on 2-3 days just for that part, (~500 miles) with plenty of stopping and viewing the scenery. There will likely be fog in some spots and clearing in others as the microclimate weather is unpredictable along the entire coast.  You could have end of the world dense fog, then 20 minutes later you come out into the clearest skies you've ever seen. This will take you south along the coast, eventually through San Francisco, past Alice's, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Carmel, etc... Many side roads to explore, not sure what you're driving or if Mrs. Skids is into performance driving, or if this is purely sight seeing...

 

Going south past Morrow bay takes you inland for awhile. Then you will be near Solvang, look to Google to see if it's for you. Further south is Santa Barbara, Ventura, then you're into Los Angeles area, where my interest stops... 

 

Let me know a bit more about what you want to do, your expectations, etc...

 

 

 

The news makes it seem that we all carry guns, but that is just a distortion of reality. The areas you will be travelling will be safe, except maybe LA and Seattle... :laughing6-hehe:

Most people are just trying to live their lives, it's the few morons that screw it up for everyone else.

 

For myself, and to my kids, I let them know when they are traveling out of town before stopping for gas, make sure you get your situational awareness in check so you are not surprised by some idiot local looking to jack you. Only had one issue in my life, but glad I was aware and just moved on to the next gas station. Just good to be aware and vigilant, since you are in an unfamiliar place.

 

 

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In addition to RC1237V's great recommendations:

 

I will assume that you & Mrs. Skids are interested in great scenery, good food, and interesting places to stay overnight. Below are some CA places to stay that you can google, as a base with many options for fun west coast stuff. Although I actually graduated from HS in Oregon I'll leave the PNW to others to recommend.

 

-Best Western + Humboldt Bay Inn, Eureka: Eureka is nothing special but this hotel is very well run and within walking distance of restaurants including Lost Coast Brewing, and you'll need somewhere to stay after visiting the redwoods.

 

Little River Inn, Mendocino: Spectacular views and right down the road from the restaurants in Mendocino.

 

Harmon Guest House, Healdsburg: wine country.

 

Sunset Inn, Pacific Grove: Monterey peninsula, Carmel, Laguna Seca.

 

Any of half a dozen places in Cambria. It's near San Simeon and the Hearst Castle is pretty cool.

 

The Landsby (upscale), or King Fredrick Inn (affordable) in Solvang.

 

Harbor View Inn, Santa Barbara: oceanfront, great area to explore.

 

The Georgian, Santa Monica: good base to explore L.A.

 

Above is a CA coastal route, really great scenery from Crescent City to San Diego. Inland, the Cascades (Mt.'s Rainier, Hood, Crater Lake, Shasta, Lassen) and the Sierra are also spectacular. As Jim noted, stay aware as you usually would and you will be safe. I consider myself well-traveled--a lot of Europe, North Africa, Indonesia, Australia, NZ, etc., (even Canada!) and CA is better than most for safety. And the locals will be charmed because you're Brits.

 

edit: I didn't even mention SF, didn't know where to start. Despite some real problems it is one of the greatest cities in the world. You could spend weeks there. If there are specifics you need just ask.

 

The view from the Little River Inn:

 

IMG_6251.JPG

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Just South of SF, and North of Santa Cruz, if you drive inland for 15 minutes....

 

Alice's on the weekend...(during the week it's just a commute stop)

 

 

alice-2.jpg

alices.jpg

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11 hours ago, 3rdgenred said:

Ooh that sounds fun! 
Where are you departing from?

Where in Canada? 

No idea yet.

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@RC1237V Thanks for all that, some great info to get stuck into.

 

@St. Stephen Great suggestions, we'll get onto Google and investigate those places.

 

@bmart - I've read enough tales on here to know that I would love to ride out with some of you guys down some of the best routes the west coast has to offer but this is not a bike holiday. We had a truly memorable tour around South Island NZ a few years ago on a VFR but this trip needs to have enough room for a larger suitcase or 2. As I mentioned though, I'd be keen to slip in a day or 2 on a bike if that was possible though the logistics of hiring all the kit as well may preclude it and anyway, I've no interest in hiring a Hardly, just a VFR.

 

We have no great plan at the moment, it's just a thing Mrs Skids wants to do and we have no idea of all the best places to visit/stay etc hence asking on here. Sadly, we wont have enough time to do this properly, that would take months which we don't have.

 

We'll hire a car, maybe a soft-top assuming the weather will be warm but it wont be anything special ($$$).

 

The Redwoods will be a must as Mrs S is a horticulturalist in her spare time. Otherwise scenery, good food, a bit of history (no jibes from me) but this has given us a great start and a basis for framing the holiday. Sadly, your country is just too darned large for short visits; I'd love to head east further inland but we just don't have the time.

 

LA is not on my must-see list; visited briefly 30-odd years ago and it just seemed to be an urban sprawl but I did enjoy SD when I visited there at the same time; loved the vibe of the Gaslamp district and although it would be great to go back, maybe ending the journey further north may give us more time to explore the riches of the PNW, Oregon and Northern California. That's something we will have to discuss. 

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Oh, and wine country! Definitely need to visit there!

 

Had a day touring vineyards in Marlborough, NZ when we were there so that's definitely on the list! 

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Skids, looks like you'll have a blast! Admittedly, I did not enjoy any of the cities, just the "other" places. Not LA, SD, SF, SJ. Loved the desert, redwoods, mountains, etc. Each to their own. 

 

I was in NZ on a trip in 2005. Rented a (hated it) 2005 VFR800 for ~2k miles through https://gotournz.com/. That VFR rental was one of the main reasons I decided to keep my FJ1200 for so long! Then I discovered 5th gen...with mods. 

 

I remember eating the best shrimp sandwich (only!) I ever had out in CA. So many great 50s/60s style restaurants to enjoy!

 

 

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Don't believe much of what you see in the news. Many of us still don't carry. Most of those who do, you won't see it. Most of the issues are in major cities and you will know you shouldn't be there when you see it. It is not the Wild Wild West. I hope you get a chance to ride while you are here.

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Sounds like an amazing trip, even on four wheels!  🙂

 

My wife and I have been considering a West Coast trip, too, but only California.  We just celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary and want to do a special trip, and driving Highway 1 was one of our first thoughts.  Unfortunately, we're leaning toward something else now, but we will do that CA trip someday!

 

I agree the gun carry thing gets overblown in the media.  The US is not the wild west.  Same thing with the 'defund the police' movement.  There's a lot of media hype.  You will be fine.

 

The one thing I will say is to check national and local news sources on the web for any problems with the roads you want to drive.  There have been landslides, fires, etc. that have closed roads or regions of California the last several years.  It's isolated, but you might save some time and heartache knowing ahead of time you'll need to detour a couple times.

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If you’ve already seen a lot of the coast and this is by car, I would consider this.  Day trip into Big Sur from SF/Santa Cruz/Monterey, then inland from SF once you check out Napa Valley and the usuals.  Drive through Yosemite National Park from the west side to the east, and expect to take a day taking it in.  Spend a day in Mammoth Lakes, and/or drive north to Lake Tahoe to check it out.  Drive down the back side of the Sierra Nevadas, or back through to the coast to go down through Big Sur.

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You'll have read plenty of good suggestions so some of these aren't new, but here's my thoughts.

 

 

1. Founders Grove in Humboldt Redwoods State Park:

https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/425/files/HumboldtRedwoodsFinalWebLayout2017.pdf

This is one of the best spots to experience the enormous redwood trees. An you can jump off the Hwy 101 onto Avenue of the Giants. It parallels the highway but at a slower pace.

 

2. Monterey Bay Aquarium

https://www.montereybayaquarium.org

Monterey, Pacific Grove, and Carmel are well worth visiting, and the aquarium is one of the highlights. If you plan to overnight, especially on an even weekend, it is best to book a room ahead of time. Time your visit right and you might catch an even at nearby Laguna Seca raceway.

 

3. Lassen Volcanic National Park

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

If the weather permits a drive through Mt Lassen park is a good way to spend an afternoon.

 

4. Yosemite National Park

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

A visit here is almost a must. Yellowstone Valley has the main visitor centres & accommodation, but also some great walking paths. If you have the time Glacier Point has fantastic views of the valley 3,000’ below, as well as El Capitan to the north and Half Dome to the east.

 

5. Hurst Castle

https://hearstcastle.org

Not my cup o’tea but friends tell me they thoroughly enjoyed visiting.

 

6. Lake Tahoe

https://visitinglaketahoe.com

Lake Tahoe is a beautiful part of California. It is busy during the summertime, but Hwy 89 on the west side of the lake offers the most dramatic views.

 

7. Pacific Coast Highway

No driving trip through California would be complete without Hwy 1, the Pacific Coast highway. This is one of my favourite routes, and I’ve ridden it dozens of times. It can be cold and damp in the summer, tho.

 

8. Napa Valley

https://www.visitnapavalley.com

If you enjoy wine & wineries then add Napa Valley to your list. Lovely scenery, though the southern part is quite built up. Calistoga is at the northern end, and Silverado Trail is a much quieter road than the main highway, Hwy 128.

 

9. Golden Gate Bridge

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

Terrific views of San Francisco and the bay, especially from the headlands northwest of the bridge. Pro tip: you only pay the(modest) toll southbound.

 

10. San Francisco

https://www.sfmta.com/getting-around/muni/cable-cars

https://www.fishermanswharf.org

I’ve not spent much time in San Francisco considering how many times I’ve driven thru. If you should end up here take a ride on the cable car. We hopped on at Fisherman’s Wharf for a trip to Chinatown. The cable car is terrific fun to ride, and the scenery ain’t half bad.

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Hey Skids,

If you're coming to the southern part of Cali in the early part of your timeline (May), there are some beautiful desert areas to see.  Death Valley and Joshua Tree National parks come to mind.  These are great bike and car trips, but also offer great hiking/camping opportunities.

 

Death Valley

https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm

 

Joshua Tree

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

 

If you come down to San Diego, I always recommend visitors drive up to Cabrillo National Monument on Point Loma for the best views of San Diego and the coast north and south  to Mexico.  Do this at sunset and cruise back down to the city for an outdoor dinner in Little Italy or the Gaslamp area.  Hey, you could even take in a Padres game at Petco Park.

 

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

 

I live in North County San Diego.  Look me up and we can ride a few of the best bike roads in SoCal (I have bikes) and sample some of the best microbreweries in the country.

 

Either way, have fun.

 

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@Marsman99 thanks for the info m8, really appreciate it.

 

I've driven through JT NP when I drove from Vegas to SD many many years ago, very interesting. 

 

Sunset views are always the best, especially when followed by good food and drink! :beer:

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Tahoe is definitely worth a visit, especially up the west side on 89. Gambling is fading out, replaced with a lot of nice resorts and hotels. Even Ramsay opened up a restaurant there I tried out recently.

 

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Well, let's say you fly in to Vancouver BC, and make your way to the closest border crossing. From there you could just take I-5 south to Bellingham, WA. It's a nice mid-sized city (if you're into cities). At the south end of Bellingham is the quaint Fairhaven district. There are a number of good restaurants here, but my recommendation would be a place a little outside the Fairhaven district called the Cliff House.

 

After that, you could travel down State Route 11, better known as Chuckanut Drive. Just follow Chuckanut Drive until you get to Burlington, where you will turn onto State Route 20, headed west. Hwy 20 will take you out to Fidalgo Island, at which point Hwy 20 splits and goes north to Anacortes or south down Fidalgo Island. You are going to want to go south. This will take you down the island through forests, past lakes, and over a very high bridge at Deception Pass. Just keep following Hwy 20 and you will get to Coupeville, where there's a ferry crossing.

 

Take the ferry to Port Townsend, and continue on Hwy 20. You will T into State Route 101. At this point, you have a choice of going north or south. I would go north and follow 101 all the way around the peninsula. If you have time, you can head south out of Port Angeles, and go up to Hurricane Ridge. There, you can look across the tops of mountains farther than the eye can see.

 

From there, you will have to head back north, back to Port Angeles, then continue west on Hwy 101. You will pass by the beautiful Lake Crescent, and through a rain forest. Then Hwy 101 turns south. Just follow it until you get to Aberdeen. From there, you can decide if you want to make the three hour drive to Mount Rainier National Park, or continue south on 101.

 

Hwy 101 on the Oregon coast is also a favorite.

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