The best time of year to do this will be in the summer (June/July/August), probably sooner in the year rather than later. Wonderful trip sharing you made. Best rates and airports to use. Despite the weather being slightly worse, shoulder seasons are definitely a great time to do the road trip from Portland to Seattle. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: None! Youll get access to five major attractions at a discounted price, so you can experience more of what Seattle has to offer for less. 7. Thanks! Be sure to plan your trip on a day the lighthouse is open for tours, so you can climb the steps down to the lighthouse and lookout beneath the clouds across the sea. Here are the best ways to get from Portland to Seattle so you can explore both and decide for yourself which city comes out on top. After all, a little time on the road never hurts. I hope you had a great drive, Mindy! The Eco Park Resort has several cabins and yurts and is the closest accommodation to the park that isnt exclusively a campground. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue along CA-1 to San Diego, your final stop on this PCH road trip. Its a little tough to guess without knowing the exact dates and which towns/cities you plan to stay in on any given night, but I hope this helps! There are no reasonable alternatives for some of the routes like the one across Bixby Canyon Bridge (shown above). Can you believe theres a rainforest in Washington? The island lies just between the Lewis River and the Willamette River. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: When youre ready to continue on your PCH road trip, make your way back to California Highway 1 and head south. Choose between six, daily routes that are quicker than Greyhound with just one stop in Tacoma, WA. Lake Sacajawea is located inside Lake Sacajawea Park, a state park covering 67 acres of the city area. Thank you again. Head west out of Oregon along Highway 26. It's titled, Scenic Drive from Seattle to Portland, but the items listed in the text aren't on the route between Seattle and Portland; rather they are detours from it or separate trips out of Portland. What day of the week would you recommend starting from WA? Its almost unfair that there are so many great stops in this segment, given the (probably) limited time you likely have to drive it. Briefly, here are some of the other must-see attractions in Seattle: If you want to spend a few days in Seattle, consider purchasing the Seattle CityPass. Now that summer is slowly on the way out, its the perfect time to hit the road. I am planning for this roadtrip this December- starting from Dec 25th. Donna, thanks for your comment! Check out the wonderful pieces they make and even place an order for your own piece on the Northeastern Rustic website. Now I want to take a trip there from San Diego to the Canadian border while sitting on a Honda Goldwing trike. This Portland to Seattle road trip itinerary is a whole vacation on its own though you could use it to connect separate vacation in both cities for a seriously awesome PNW getaway! This highway is a great spot to catch views of Vancouver Island and maybe even some whales so be sure to bring your binoculars. Let me know if you have any other questions while planning or on the road! I dont plan to change any of my travel plans based on the Coronavirus unless there are required quarantines. Monterey is a charming town that is home to a handful of attractions, including the world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium, the historic Cannery Row, and the scenic 17-Mile Drive, which winds along the coast and offers breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. Also, you can probably get away with booking hotels/vacation rentals in the smaller towns only a few days in advance but if you want to stay in any of the big cities, I would book those 2-3 weeks in advance at the latest! Im driving with our 5 kids (ages 1 -13) and my wife. Whats the best time of year to do this? Note: Due to heavy rainfall in California in January 2023, California Highway 1 is closed around Ragged Point; this means you will not be able to do a complete route down the Pacific Coast and will instead divert inland from Monterey to San Simeon (southbound). Thanks again. The latter tells about the history of the region and has a super-interesting map of the more than 50 shipwrecks around the region. Instagram. Tickets cost $15 - $55 and the journey takes 3h 35m. I appreciate all the information! Related Read:When is the Best Time of Year to Visit Seattle? Great read! My wife and I (with our dog) are driving from Pismo Beach to Cannon Beach and staying at a beach house there. I cant even imagine how incredible it must have been to experience all this in person. Thank you so much for creating this itinerary! I hope you have a great trip whenever you can make it! If you want to make the most of the popular and beautiful journey, here are the best stops on the Portland to Seattle drive. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: As you might have guessed continue following California Highway 1 south! Thanks so much for any tips you can suggest on having adequate funds! Thank you so much for this information! Then flying back to Michigan. The Cascade Loop Is One of Washington's Most Iconic Drives. Also wondering if you can tell me where I could get a printable version of your article. Hi Valerie, we are planning a trip from Crescent city back home to Phoenix traveling along PCH. Awesome, Im hoping to do the PCH and NorCal next summer. Ronald, I dont know for sure as I dont recommend people drive in an RV. Thanks for reading, Oleg. Glad to help, Dan! The stadium has a retractable roof which makes it perfect for both indoor and outdoor events. I am flying into Portland to meet my niece and we will rent a car and drive down the coast to LA to meet another nephew. Hello, Thanks for sharing your trips and valuable tips. Thanks for your comment, Vicky! Related Read:12 Spots to See Gorgeous Fall Colors in Oregon. Thanks for reading though , Thanks so much for an in depth post. But even the most straight-shot . I havent stayed at any L.A. hotels, so I dont feel comfortable recommending any. I am going to plan for at least a 10 day trip, its once in a lifetime and truly dont want to rush it I cant wait to see his face when I announce at his local birthday party in July that I have saved for and planned this fantastic trip for September 2021!! It was actually quite a lot colder than I expected so I usually ended up too cold with the top down. Driving Time. The weather in Seattle in winter can be cold and overcast. Have a great trip and drive safely! Thanks for your comment, Victoria! How long is the Pacific Coast Highway? We want to spend 5 days for PCH and not sure where to fly in or out of. We only wish to go South as far as Salinas (more family) or Santa Barbara the furthest. I enjoyed it so much that I wrote a whole article about the experiences I recommend in Santa Barbara! Also, about how many miles a day are you traveling on your 10 day itinerary? Northeastern Rustic LLC, 2761 U.S. Rte 2, Smyrna Mills, ME 04780, USA. If you want to unwind to the sound of crashing waves, this is by far your best option. Thanks so much from a couple of Canucks! From camping to hiking Mount St Helens offers all types of outdoor adventures. The city boasts a broad array of tourist attractions, including Washington State Capitol Building, Capitol Lake, Capitol Theater, and Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. Day 1 Mount Rainier National Park, WA. Related Read:11 Awe-Inspiring Glamping Spots in Oregon. Does that sound reasonable or doable? , Hi. All you have to do is take a cruise down Magnolia Boulevard. Thank you, Archimedes. Thanks for your comment, Pam, but Im a little confused its a 10-day itinerary, so its a 9-night trip. Located about 34 miles from Seattle, Point Defiance State Park is a large city park covering an area of 760 acres. When I drove the PCH, I rented a car and drove it as a one-way rental (meaning I dropped it off in a different city than I picked it up). Youll get glimpses of beautiful greenery as well as views of Lake Washington. While travelers are here, they may also check out the Coaster Theater, Haystack Gallery, and Les Shirley Park. Be sure to check out the remains of the Peter Iredale, a shipwreck that ran ashore in 1906. Thank you for sharing your travels and still helping others along their journey! You thinks thats safe or should I make some. The ideia is to have a West Coast Beer Route drive. For the most scenic (and slow) route, drivers can veer to the coastline and hop the cities there. From Astoria, take the sea-hugging U.S. Route 101 south 40 minutes to Ecola State Park. The coast near Crescent City is dotted with the gigantic rock formations out at sea that characterize most of the northern and central California coastline. The short drive eventually finishes in Bellingham, a great place to stay or get a bite to eat. I am starting from seattle 8/26 down to los angeles taking PCH. Silver Lake, Seaquest State Park - a beautiful hidden gem on the way to Seattle from Portland. If your PCH road trip includes the Olympic Peninsula, follow U.S. 101 west and then north along the eastern side of the Olympic Peninsula toward Port Angeles. Thank you for all this information. This route has everything you could ask for in a classic road trip. Unfortunately, you cant climb the lighthouse steps as it has been closed for restoration since 2001. The Olympic Peninsula. I see we can head to Mendocino and then over to a larger highway to San Francisco or.drive all the way down the PCH to Point Reyes Station & then head over San Francisco but that would be a lot of driving. The 300-mile road trip from Portland to Seattle will take 5 hours to drive. All rights reserved. Follow Highway 12 past Riffe Lake towards Mt. My car is a convertible (BMW 3 series) so I am not sure if it can take on the road during Dec end Seattle and portland area mainly ? Any additional thoughts? 12 of the best hikes to see wildflowers in Washington this summer, A post shared by capturing the bliss of life (@capturing_bliss_of_life). The road trip from Seattle to Portland is around 180 miles and the drive will take you approximately 3 hours. Also, I will have 3 weeks to do this, I like small towns, Vegan food, and too out of shape for extended hikes. Unless youre driving the lengthy coastal route, youll find the best scenery aboard Amtrak. 270 miles. Some of the most prominent attractions of Tillamook include Cape Lookout State Park, Cape Meares Light, Munson Creek Falls State Natural Site, Tillamook Forest Center, and Tillamook Air Museum. Id like to include Olympic NP, Mt. Day 2 Portland, OR. Love it. I didnt want to make all my reservations, but just go with it for one time in my life. I was planning 10-12 days? We definitely want to visit the redwood forest, which is the main reason we want to go so far north. Thoughts? Remain on Highway 101 as it takes you around Willapa Bay. If you want to head over to the peninsula and have some serious Twilight vibes then you need to check out Highway 12. You can take a private garden tour with the resident horticulturalist, catch an animal feeding, or sit in on Q&A sessions with zookeepers who take care of polar bears, wolves, and tropical lagoons. I do have the same recommendations youll see A LOT of fellow bikers/trikers out on the PCH; its a great ride on 2-3 wheels as well as 4 wheels . St. Helens RV Resort. I had lots of recommendations from a friend, specific to Big Sur, but your article was so encompassing and complete. Old Highway 101 is now called the Avenue of the Giants, and I highly recommend slowing down to enjoy this 31-mile stretch through some of Californias oldest living and tallest! Now my only problem is trying to figure out how many extra days were going to need! 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