San Francisco to Seattle: Anybody ever driven it?

[JayJay]

I've driven it but it was several years back.

 

[foodguy]

Originally Posted by Manton

I really dig Eureka and Arcata. Mendocino and Ferndale are great towns. Also Fort Bragg. Avenue of the Giants. Then Ukiah, Sevastapol, etc.

Avenue of hte Giants! how could i forget that? it's super-convenient too ... just a loop off of the 101 and you'll drive for about 45 minutes through some of the most amazing redwood forests you can imagine.

 

[Eustace]

I've seen pictures of those trees that you can drive your car through along Avenue of the Giants. Looks incredible.

 

[Lel]

Done the drive down I-5. Took about 13 hours, wasn't too interesting. If you're not in a rush definitely ride along the coast for a little bit, check out the redwoods, maybe even stop by crater lake if it's not too far out of the way. Other than that, stop by Burgerville somewhere around the Portland area.

 

[Eustace]

Originally Posted by Lel

Done the drive down I-5. Took about 13 hours, wasn't too interesting. If you're not in a rush definitely ride along the coast for a little bit, check out the redwoods, maybe even stop by crater lake if it's not too far out of the way. Other than that, stop by Burgerville somewhere around the Portland area.

We're doing 2 days in Portland/Willamette so Burgerville could be a go. I see you're from Seattle, what are your can't-miss Seattle restaurants? I'm looking for inventive casual since we'll have probably broke the bank wide open after Sonoma and SF. We'll be there for 3 days. Tilth looks like a good option. I definitely want to hit the senior Batali's Salumi for lunch while I'm there. I love seafood, coffee and beer so I'm really looking forward to Seattle.

 

[imatlas]

Originally Posted by Eustace

I've seen pictures of those trees that you can drive your car through along Avenue of the Giants. Looks incredible.
The trees that you (formerly) could drive through are the Giant Sequoias, which grow in the Sierra Nevada. They're the largest trees on earth (by mass). The Coast Redwood is the tallest tree, but they're not as big around as a Sequoia. They're still utterly incredible! Really, once you get into Northern California you'll be in Big Tree Country all the way to Seattle, Douglas Firs, Sitka Spruce, Cedars, all grow larger than anything you've ever seen in your life (insert juvenile humor here). One day for Napa to PDX will pretty much require you to take the I-5 route (and it'll still take 10-12 hours). I'd open that up to 2-3 days, which would allow you to take 101 and make some stops along the way. There are lots of great little towns and coves on the Oregon coast as well; I especially like Coos Bay, Florence and Yachats (the Jewel of the Oregon Coast). You can cross over to I-5 at Florence, Lincoln City and Cannon Beach; I'd probably recommend the Lincoln City route as the most scenic, and it takes you through the heart of Willamette Valley wine country (pick up some Pinot Noir to drink at Tilth). In PDX I'd definitely stop at Crepe Suzette, and Genoa if it has reopened by the time you get there. My favorite Seattle picks are Tilth, Earth and Ocean, and Matt's in the Market.

 

[Manton]

There used to be some drive through trees in the grove at Big Basin in the SC mountains. Scene in Vertigo shot there.

 

[eg1]

I rode 101 on my motorcycle (south from Port Angeles, Washington right to the Mexican border) 20 years ago. The Oregon coast was one of the biggest surprises -- it`s gorgeous, and nobody (well, nobody outside of the USA anyway) talks about it.

Get on the road early, though, before the $%& RVs take over ...

 

[JesseJB]

From Portland to Seattle, theres nothing to see the entire way up. Just keep driving. (Unless you have time to visit Mt St Helens). As for restaurants, just go to the Market and follow your nose. Its all part of the experience. But for brunch I always recommend Cafe Campagne.

Luckily its an El Nino year so youre almost guaranteed dry, warm weather.

 

[Eustace]

Originally Posted by imatlas

The trees that you (formerly) could drive through are the Giant Sequoias, which grow in the Sierra Nevada. They're the largest trees on earth (by mass). The Coast Redwood is the tallest tree, but they're not as big around as a Sequoia. They're still utterly incredible! Really, once you get into Northern California you'll be in Big Tree Country all the way to Seattle, Douglas Firs, Sitka Spruce, Cedars, all grow larger than anything you've ever seen in your life (insert juvenile humor here).

One day for Napa to PDX will pretty much require you to take the I-5 route (and it'll still take 10-12 hours). I'd open that up to 2-3 days, which would allow you to take 101 and make some stops along the way.

There are lots of great little towns and coves on the Oregon coast as well; I especially like Coos Bay, Florence and Yachats (the Jewel of the Oregon Coast). You can cross over to I-5 at Florence, Lincoln City and Cannon Beach; I'd probably recommend the Lincoln City route as the most scenic, and it takes you through the heart of Willamette Valley wine country (pick up some Pinot Noir to drink at Tilth).

In PDX I'd definitely stop at Crepe Suzette, and Genoa if it has reopened by the time you get there. My favorite Seattle picks are Tilth, Earth and Ocean, and Matt's in the Market.


Good stuff. Willamette is a must and we'll spend a night there for sure. Oregon Pinots are my favorite domestic wines, so I'm excited to see a lot of vineyards in person (Patty Green, Adelsheim, etc.). I just checked out Matt's in the Market sample menu and it looks pretty damn good.

 

[kwilkinson]

You should try to eat at Le Pigeon while you're in Portland.

 

[Eustace]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

You should try to eat at Le Pigeon while you're in Portland.

That was actually my only must-do dinner in Portland.

The menu reminds me a lot of Blackbird in Chicago. Speaking of Chicago, I had a great meal at Longman and Eagle in Logan Square a couple weeks ago. I highly recommend it when you return to the Windy City.