Seattle to San Diego - Pacific Coast Road Trip!

Hi Jamie,

I'm planning to do the Pacific Coast trip (Seattle to San Diego) in May. And I'm wondering if you could help me.

Considering:
- That I've already been to San Francisco and Napa Valley
- And that I have only 2 weeks

Do you think I will be able to go the whole way? Or do you think it's better for me to do just the California part?

Thanks in advance!

Looking forward to hear from you

Best,

Marcella


===

Dear Marcella --

Thank you for writing in to Road Trip USA. I think you could definitely have a great trip, traveling from Seattle to San Diego, in 2 weeks. Especially if you feel you've already seen San Francisco and the Napa Valley. (Though as a resident I have to say both places are nice to experience, no matter how often you get there!)

That said, and especially if you have not yet seen Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, I cannot over-state that the northern half of the Pacific Coast region is absolutely spectacular -- from Seattle, across the magical San Juan Islands, through historic Port Townsend, and around the sublime Olympic Peninsula, is truly magical. And that's just the Washington section!

The coast of Oregon is if anything even more inviting -- there are more enjoyable towns, lots of good cafes, and many many B&Bs and beaches to wander along.

I cover all of this in the Pacific Coast Highway: Washington and Oregon sections of my big book, Road Trip USA, and I also cover Portland in my "Oregon Trail" chapter.

(Though you didn't mention it in your message, Portland is a very agreeable city, well worth the hour's drive over the coastal mountains!)

The question the comes to my mind is whether, perhaps, you might want to turn your one big trip into two smaller, more enjoyable trips -- doing one loop trip out of Seattle, along the coast, over to Portland and back up via the lovely Cascade Mountains? Followed by a 2 hour flight down to LA or San Diego, for another, very different road trip around Southern California?

Just a thought -- but I think it's worth considering all your options. Let me know what you decide, and what you get up to "on the road" !

Vaya con Dios, Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA