I'm doing this route as part of my Big Trip in June from Seattle to San
Diego. I'm from the UK.

I am going the other way - I'm starting in Seattle, driving out to the coast
at Ocean Shores and stopping overnight down the coast, Pacific City, Coos
Bay, Brookings, Eureka, San Francisco. The last "leg" will be a full day's
drive I think, and (fortunately) on a Sunday. I want to allow a reasonable
amount of time during the journey to soak up the scenery etc. and enjoy
myself. After all, I'll probably never go back there again!

I've had to arrange most of the Washington/Oregon coast stops myself, since
these don't seem to be on the normal "beaten track" for travel agents here.

I think 2 - 3 days is a bit ambitious if you're going to have to drive.

Just my opinion, for what it's worth!

Anyway, have fun!

Barb UK


"Lawrence Akutagawa" wrote in message
news

"Daisy" wrote in message
...
I am quite surprised that I cannot get a 2 or 3-day tour from San
Francisco to Seattle. But I can't. I've tried everything.

Is there something wrong with this sort of trip that doesn't attract
tourists? Is the journey too long? Is the scenery that awful?

/snip/

Others have addressed your question quite well. I do like the suggestion
of bartering a personal guide for his/her travel expense-free
accompaniment.
In fact, I'll offer myself with me paying for my own meals. Heck...I'll
even do most, if not all, the driving. :-)

As others have pointed out, there are many scenic areas between SF and
Seattle. A very long day (11 hours or so) of driving will get you from SF
over the 750 or so miles to Portland. Another 4 or so hours will get you
from Portland over the 200 miles or so to Seattle. This will be nonstop
driving using solely the interstate with stops just for refueling, food,
and
rest. And therein lies the reason why you can't find any 2 or 3 day tours
(that stop here and there in nooks and crannies) between SF and Seattle.

But be aware that should you decide on the drive in a rental, the least
expensive rental would be a full week - seven days. And dropping off the
rental in a place different from where you picked it up will incur
additiional charges (someone has to return that car to its origin).

My recommendation would be to research the areas between SF and Seattle to
locate the kind of places you both like. Find these places on a map and
then work out an itinerary.

A couple of points if you do decide on a rental - the California coast
along
hwy 1 is beautiful, but hwy1 is a two laned, narrow curving road that does
not drive fast. While hwy 101 between SF and a bit north of Eureka drives
quickly (I think 4-5 hours non stop), between Eureka and the
Oregon/California border hwy 101 is much like hwy 1 - two laned, narrow,
and
curving. You will not make much time very quickly. And there really is
not
that much to see/visit along this stretch as versus other areas imho.

A better strategy would be to utilize Interstate 5 until you get into
Oregon, then head west to the coast. Follow the coast until you hit
Astoria, then head back east to Interstate 5. If time allows, make the
partial loop of the Olympic Peninsula. This routing will permit you to
visit/view - should you be so inclined - places like McArthur Burney
Falls,
Mossbrae Falls, Oregon Caves, Mt Shasta, Castle Crags State Park, Crater
Lake, Oregon Sand Dunes, the many lighthouses along the Oregon coast,
Tillamook, the haystacks of Cannon Beach, Silver Falls state park, the
waterfalls along the Columbia River Gorge (including Multnomah Falls), a
replica of Stonehenge, Bonneville Dam, Mt. St. Helen, Mt. Hood, the
Olympic
rain forest, the Olympic seashore, and Hurricane Ridge.