Your best bet is to just do the interstate 5 all the way out of Washington, as you've probably already see everytihing there is to in that state. Also stay on the 5 all the way through Oregon, UNTIL you get to the Grants Pass Turnoff, highway 199 West. Take 199 all the way to Highway 101 and you will be blown away.
Make sure you plan your trip around these stops and you'll have a blast:
Avenue of the Giants
San Francisco. Places in Frisco: Bix, Fog City Diner, Brandy Ho's, etc.....
When you leave San Francisco, take the 280 to Highway 1 and exit at Skyline, Highway 35. Take Skyline Drive (35) South to Santa Cruz. It's the original Interstate 5 and was renamed when they built the current Interstate 5 to prevent confusion. It runs the ridge of the Santa Cruz mountains and there is a part or 2 where you can see the bay and the Pacific Ocean at the same time. This is a famous stretch and you'll see so may awesome car and motorcycles, especially if you're there on the weekend. Watch out for bicyclists as you'll never see more of them in your life. It's a mecca for everything on wheels.
If you stop in Santa Cruz, hit the old rollercoaster and bail. Don't eat or you'll spoil your Phils Fish Market appetite.
Phils Fish Market, at Moss Landing, which is about 40 miles south of Santa Cruz. Amazing seafood for the $$. Do not miss it!
Big Sur! It's nice but won't compare to what you've already driven through when you left Grant's pass. It's really jaw dropping right up on that border and then again through Avenue of the Giants.
Quick story, I was driving through there last year on December 30th and saw an old man riding his bike through the Ave of the Giants. Passed him and then a few minutes later I saw a woman riding her bike. I pulled up next to her and rolled down my window to ask where in the world she was headed. She said, "My husband and I are headed to Mexico from Washington. I was blown away as they were both of senoir age and well into their 70's. They had a business card where you could track them and the whole 9 yards. I was astonished and asked if there was anything I could do and she said no, we're doing it!
Anyways, watch out for bicyclists, your speed, and highway hypnosis. Make sure you have a spare tire as there are a lot of rocks on the road in some parts and you could get a flat. If you are driving at night through the mountains, pull over for a few minutes, turn off the car, turn off the headlights and get out of the car. You won't be able to see anything. It's pitch black! Then look up in the sky and be blown away at all the stars you'll see. It's pretty amazing. My wife is scared to death when I flip the lights off when we are driving down the highway. I do it for a split second and she freaks out. I then did it with the car pulled over and she still freaked out.
Enjoy! Wish I was doing that drive.
Thing's you don't need to see:
Hearst Castle, ostentatious and totally takes away the magic of Mother Nature that you have just experienced.
Santa Cruz amusement park: the rollercoaster is the only thing worth doing. Everything else there is just a money pit with old crappy rides and games. The corn dogs are crazy good but will ruin your appetite for the fish market.
There are a ton of other things along the way that brooklyn mentioned and the best way to not miss some of those is to get a paper map at one of the gas stations or AAA. Get the one that has all the little scenic points on it.
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Originally Posted by TunTap
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