Seattle to San Francisco

two travelers wrote:
We'll be in Seattle next year and plan to drive to San Francisco. I notice Rt101 hugs the coast and I5 runs in land. It's about 1,000 mile drive. I'm guessing that while the coast road will be pretty, it might get to be a bit much toward the end of the trip. I'm thinking to do part of each. Suggestions/ideas are appreciated.

Think the ? Is here how much time are you allowing for this drive?

If extended take the 101...you won't regret it.

Definitely drive 101. It's a gorgeous drive and o.k. for big rigs.

Hwy 101 takes you through the redwoods and the scenic towns along the coast until you get to where there is to road to Hwy 1 which does hug the coast but includes Mendocino along the way. I would take Hwy 1 and come out north of San Francisco and then Hwy 101 across the Golden Gate bridge and into the city.

There is so much to see at the state parks along Hwy 101 and along the coast on Hwy 1 that rivals anything you can find almost anywhere in the world. Towns like Trinidad, Eureka, Ferndale, Mendocino, Willits, etc. are very special places and not at all touristy types of places.

I-5 is for the truckers who have to make good time and minimize fuel consumption. I only go on I-5 when there is no alternative and even then for as few miles as possible. It has the scenic attributes of central Texas or along Hwy 75 in Ohio in the wintertime.

Traveled this last winter, note the California dept of transportation has excluded trucks over 30 ft from certain portions of HW 1 - Having driven most of it in my Jeep I can see why. I would stick to HW 101. Depends on how comfortable you are driving your 29 ft motor home.

101 is a beautiful drive best time of year and the worst is mid June till mid September, good because the best weather, worst because so many tourists. Don't have to worry about speeding tickets.

Hwy 101 is not only curvy but it's mostly 2 lane... so if you are stuck behind a slow rig (or if you ARE the slow rig) there's a rule about pulling over to let the long line of cars pass. I think it's a "5 vehicle" rule.

You didn't say what time of year you were doing this but depending on when... fog can be an all-day issue. You could have blue sky on I-5 and low fog hugging the coast line all day.

Everyone should drive the Oregon Coast Southbound at least once in their lives! Absolutely beautiful IMO, and lots to do along the way! But, it is a lot longer than I-5 for sure and really requires many stops along the way to enjoy it. The road is good all the way down for most any set up (you didn't say what you were driving). If you don't have the time, I would not use it simply as an alternate route. You'll be tempted too many times to stop and check out the points of interest and towns along the way which would frustrate your schedule? Realistically, you would have to allow an extra 6 hrs driving time if you just go straight thru cutting over at Longview Wa and coming back onto I-5 at Eugene OR. To do it right, you'd probably want to take about 6 days!