Hwy 101 from Canada -> Cali - seeking advice for best Oregon & N Cali routes (in Feb)
 

Hi everyone,

I will be driving my GT3 Touring from Vancouver to Mexico, and want to drive the entire 101 along coast. I'm not from the Northwest, so I'm seeking advice on any must drive areas or stops inland - especially for my next segment from Washington to Central California. I really wanted to drive to Idaho and Montana, but it is February and currently snowing in Seattle, so I'll do that portion later.

For now I'm planning to do this route:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Seat...a,+California/
(I've already done the portion from Neah Bay / Port Angeles to Seattle, and about 4,500 miles in Washington and Canada so far)

I know some parts of 101 are inland, but just wanted to seek advice from anyone who has spent more time out here. Thanks in advance!

Also let me know if anyone wants to meet up and drive for a bit. You can hear what the Dundon Loud exhaust system sounds like on a GT3 with Touring Package (hint: it sounds amazing).

~Wandering Hope

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...8b50b1d1f9.png

I have nothing to add, other than I am in Vancouver and would love to hear this exhaust in person as I've been debating pulling the trigger on Dundon Race headers for a couple of months now.

I drove the coastal route from Seattle to northern CA in December of last year. Despite much of the trip in the rain and in the dark, it was a gorgeous drive. I barely caught any traffic.

1. If you're into bread, stop by Pacific Sourdough in Waldport, OR; it put most of the bread I get in Seattle to shame. Highway 34 from Waldport to Corvallis was also a really fun road that runs parallel to the Alsea River.
2. Stop by Simpson-Reed Trail just off of 199 shortly after entering California. It's a quick detour, just 10 - 15 minutes off of 101, and the mulch parking lot is right off of the north side of the the highway. I wouldn't call it a trail, but rather a quick < 1 mi. walk around a redwood grove.
3. Patricks Point has easy access to some stunning overlooks over the Pacific.
4. This is probably obvious, but time your driving with daylight if possible. The roads are extremely dark and otherwise you'll miss quite a lot of the coast's beauty. Growing up on the east coast, I was flabbergasted how remote the Pacific coast felt by comparison the first time I drove on the 101. The Big Sur segment also has practically no shoulder, and when I drove through the area, a thick fog descended on the road right as the sun set. Not driving conditions that I would enjoy.

I assume you'll take Hwy 1 South out of San Francisco. From Morro Bay, a very worthy detour would be 41 to Atascadero, 101 south to 166 (or 58) to 33 South to Ojai/Ventura.

Another option out of SF is 101 South to Hwy 35 through Hollister to 198, then 198 west to 101. But with this you lose Hwy 1 through Big Sur unless you do a big backtrack.

When are you coming through???

Looks like an epic trip.

My comments:

1. looks like you are cutting over to 101 at Valley Ford. You are missing some great coast and driving over the Golden Gate. See my recommendation here. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Seat...37.3541079!3e0
2. Alice's on Skyline Drive is a Mecca for car guys on the weekends. You could get breakfast there and then head through the hills down to 1. Joe can give you the recommendations there.
3. On your way back I would highly recommend 33>25 (or 25>33 on the way down) as Joe mentioned. Its like a 200+ mile Nürburgring through the middle of California. Ive driven it down and back from SF to LA twice and its amazing. See my post here on it: https://rennlist.com/forums/west-us-...n-america.html

Good luck and let us know when you are coming through.

Great trip! I recently did LA to PDX.

I'm from the Portland area. When cutting over to the Oregon Coast, highway 30 is pretty boring, with nothing notable along the way, and not particularly scenic.

I haven't gone from I-5 to Astoria on the Washington side, but looking at Highway 4, it's a bit longer, but looks like it hugs the Columbia River for the most part and would be a lot more scenic.

I'm semi familiar with the last part of the drive where you cross the bridge into Oregon, pretty cool bridge and view coming into Astoria. If heading there mid day or towards dinner, the Bowpicker is a small popular fish and chip spot. Tuna is the specialty. Thought it was weird until I tried it.

Cannon Beach is a nice small beach town to stay at.

Bandon Dunes is pretty epic if you're a golfer.

The redwoods was an amazing detour inland a bit and great drive.

Enjoy the drive and post some pics!

Oregon dunes

Sorry I don't have the specific roads, it was an "on the fly detour", but I ended up at the Chandler Tree in Leggett, CA. Hopefully someone know's the most scenic roads up there, but the area south of it was amazing!
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...98c3107e05.jpg

That's "Chandelier Tree," and you were probably on Hwy 1 where it splits/joins 101.

Thanks to all for the amazing tips. I have saved all of your recommendations.
I hope to be coming through later this month or in March!

I am considering making one trip all the way down the coast, and the next trip back up (inland) on some of the other recommended routes. I don't mind backtracking, as I bought the car to drive!

Haystack Rock - Canon Beach, OR
Mo's Seafood and Chowder - they are located all along the Oregon Coast
Tillamook Cheese Factory, Tillamook, OR
Astoria Maritime Museum - This is a must visit if you like coastal history, plus Astoria is a great town to check out

You might want to check out this thread, too
https://rennlist.com/forums/west-us-...n-america.html

Sounds like an amazing trip! In fact, I just did part of that route when I picked up my new-to-me 991S in Seattle and drove it home to the SF Bay Area.

I took HWY 5 from Seattle to Grants Pass, OR, and then headed West on 199 out to the coast where you meet up with 101 in Crescent City, California.

Then I took 101 south to Leggett, where you can pick up HWY 1 back out to the coast and do 1 all the way down across the Golden Gate Bridge. It was an amazing drive, but it rained the entire way for me so I wasn't able to push it that hard. The roads are great and the car will be right at home.

You can read a bit and see pics from my trip here:
https://rennlist.com/forums/991/1115...l#post15547022

I'd definitely do it again!

I'm doing v2 of the trip - going WA to CA again but this time doing more inland (Mt. Hood, Bend, Oregon and Cascade Mountains) this week. Just crossed from Medford, OR into CA today, and drove State hwy 96 in CA today. It was absolutely amazing. I will go from Leggett to Ft. Bragg tomorrow, it's supposed to be incredible. See some of you guys in Monterey, hopefully!