route 101 ore ?

[mussfly]

in planning my trip across the states in a 28' class c i am looking for info on route 101 in ore. traveling form the north going south. one ? i have is about pulling a toad( is that route friendly for a toad? ).

is there a lot of hills and switch-backs?

where would be the best place near or south of cresent city to cut across Calif. cause we want to see the redwoods and petrified forest then on to the other big national parks in calif. and i want to stay away from the big cities and as much mountain as i can.

[Lauren]

Going north to south puts the scenic pulloffs easy and most are quite large. Hence, normally not a problem - just depends on traffic Stop at Tillamook Cheese for some great ice cream as well. The Coast is wonderful!

[mussfly]

thanks to all that posted and it sounds like it will be a nice drive !
still have a ? though. with a toad behind me makes the hole rig about 42' cause i use a dolly,so will scenic turnoffs be a problem ????????????? turnoff for gas be a problem towards the southern end ? turnoff for some shopping be problem ?

in Maine there are lobster shacks that you can get a good lobster meal cheap, is this also the case around Seattle area?

[OregonTravelers]

There is bridge work on the north side of the tunnel just south of Heceta Head Lighthouse just north of Florence. They are replacing the guard rail and doing other work on the bridge. Currently there are flaggers with one way traffic. The tunnel is not a problem for motorhomes.
When traveling Hwy 101 in a RV, strongly suggest traveling north to south. That way the numerous pullouts and viewpoints are on your right and you do not have to cross traffic to stop. The same with pulling back out into traffic. If traveling north to south you do not have to cross oncoming traffic to get back underway.

[MacManOne]

I had forgotten the tunnel! Should be no problem. Good advice about Fridays. Also fueling up in Oregon, cheaper and keeps you from having to look for fuel in small stations. Several links on here to pics from one of our trips, southern Oregon, Northern California.
http://www.macandchris.com/8-06-blog.htm

Happy travels!

[paulj]

It's the nature of highways to go to and through towns. It's only when traffic becomes too slow and bothersome that the town and highway department make a bypass - hopefully one that speeds up traffic without loosing business.

On the map it looks like US101 goes right through the middle of Tillamook, but it uses 2 one way roads (Main and Pacific). Both are 13 blocks long.

ODOT has started on a project to improve the US101 and OR6 intersection in Tillamook
http://oregonjta.org/region2/?p=tillamook-home

I just make a quick scan of Oregon US101 and did not see any town bypasses. Stick with I5 if you want to bypass towns.

[old_guy]

if you are traveling north to south, DO NOT GO TO THE COAST ON A FRIDAY. the traffic from the portland people is bumper to bumper and I got passed by two snails. that's a fact. just be sure you have a full tank of gas, you will need it. I had to laugh when we went, the cops in a little town that causes the bottle neck, were sitting watching the flow of traffic like they were looking for speeders. ODOT screwed up by putting that road right in the middle of town. they should have down like they did at tillamock, go around it.

[n7bsn]

There are some windy bits and a few grades, one tunnel that is of concern to a few (probably not you). But yes people take it all the time

[Lauren]

x3 what was said - good postings, guys. BTW, if you are there late Aug / early Sept we may see you -- spending a month at Cannon Beach, Newport and Bandon.

[amandasgramma]

Ditto what they said

[MacManOne]

101 south through Oregon is a wonderful trip. You'll have no problem with a 28' Class C and a toad. We've done all or part of it in a 37 and a 40 footer with toad.

There are only a few steep grades, and those are very short. There are a few curvy sections but nothing to worry about. Scenery most of the way is beautiful and if you're like us it will take you all day to travel 100 miles between stopping at scenic viewpoints, interesting little shops and restaurants, walking on the beach. Etc.

Regarding the Redwoods, you may want to keep going south after Crescent City. 101 passes through Redwoods State Park, Redwoods National Park, and Humbolt Redwoods Park.

Happy Travels!

[donn0128]

Yes,
Not a problem. Trucks use this highway all the time.
Hwy 20 around clear lake.
US101 is a beautiful and very scenic drive. Lots of traffic in The summer and fall. Best time to visist the coast is September.
For more information on traveling the coast, use the search function at the top of the page. Put in things like US101, Oregon coast travel, grab a large cup of coffee and be prepared to spend a long time reading.