Pacific Coast Highway - September

Eomer

Eomer

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Gents, I'm going to go on a romantic bike trip with a good buddy of mine, the second week of September. We even have matching bikes, it's that gay! In any case, looking for some suggestions on things that we should see or do along the way. Route and itinerary as follows:

- Day 1 (Sept 6): Truck Bikes to Rossland - 625km (distance from Calgary)

- Bike down to Spokane 195kms

- Day 2 (Sept 7): Bike from Spokane to Mt. St. Helens (583km)

- Day 3 (Sept 8) pick up the 101 by highway 30 through Lewis and Clark National Park then head down to Florence - 470km

? Day 4 (Sept 9): Florence to Redwood National Park - 370km

? Day 5 (Sept 10): Redwood to Sacramento - 385km (We can stop off in Napa for some wine or go take the bikes across the Golden Gate Bridge)

? Days 6,7 (Sept 11/12) head straight back to Spokane in two days on the main highway. It's 1300km between the two on the main highway so we can stop somewhere along the way.

? Day 8 (Sept 13), Drive from Spokane to Rossland and Pack up the bikes and head home.

That's a copypasta from an email. All suggestions welcome! We've definitely got some spare time on the way down, those are pretty short days. We'll be doing a mix of camping and hotels.
 
Dyvim

Dyvim

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Im so happy you and Kuriin found each other. Remember to post some wedding pics from SF when its happening ;-)
 
A

Adam12

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Drive through Sacramento and up to Lake Tahoe. Totally worth it and a great place to hike/bike. Keep in mind that the Crescent City area to SF will take you most of the day, even if you take the 101 instead of the 1. It's another couple of hours (traffic willing) to Sacramento from there.
 
OneofOne

OneofOne

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Don't go to Napa, go to Sonoma or Calistoga (hot springs) or up 12 - there's a bunch of wineries along there and it's a nice drive.
 
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Adam12

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Yeah, Napa makes better wine (from what I've heard) but Sonoma is a much better place to visit.
 
DiddleySquat

DiddleySquat

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Eomer_sl said:
- Day 2 (Sept 7): Bike from Spokane to Mt. St. Helens (583km)
Click to expand...
Wait I know you're sporty, but isn't this a bit ambitious for one day? And by 'bit ambitious' I mean totally unrealistic.

Edit: Ok never mind, I'm guessing bike = motorbike, not bicycle?
 
Eomer

Eomer

Trakanon Raider
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lol, yes, motorbikes. I don't intend on riding a road bike 2000 miles in 10 days.
 
DiddleySquat

DiddleySquat

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Just shows how high the standards are we hold a Canadian to nowadays. I am disappoint.

As for some actually useful info: this spring we drove a camper from Lake Tahoe over Sacramento to Napa valley to Bodega Bay on the Pacific coast, then south over the US1 (SF, Santa Cruz,...). Lake Tahoe is splendid. The road from there to Sacremento is beautiful to. Compared to that, the whole part from there over Napa valley is a disappointment, until you get to the Pacific coast. Avoid the 29, 37 and 101, they are very busy and we got stuck in traffic at several spots.
The US1 north of SF is exceptional: very very curvy (plenty of 15MPH bends), narrow and with the steep, rocky coast just next to the road at times. It was the most stressy road we drove on with our camper (besides getting almost stuck on a dirt road near Yosemite but I digress). So if you can handle the road it's beautiful but it's not always for the faint-hearted.
 
TJT

TJT

Mr. Poopybutthole
<Gold Donor>
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Go from Florence and hit up my hometown of Coos Bay. Enjoy some small town coastal bliss.
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O

Obtenor_sl

shitlord
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0
The road from Sacramento up to Portland is the most boring shit ever.

Source: I've drove from Seattle to LA and that section + the Cali Valley was complete zzzzzfest
 
A

Adam12

Molten Core Raider
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The 5 between Sacramento and Portland is ok in a couple of spots. The Shasta area up through maybe an hour's drive north of the Oregon border is very nice, but that doesn't compare with the coast. Avoid the 5 unless you're strapped for time.
 
OneofOne

OneofOne

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Nothing like driving through Redding at 1am and being so hot your AC can't keep up.
 
A

azeth

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Eomer_sl said:
Gents, I'm going to go on a romantic bike trip with a good buddy of mine, the second week of September. We even have matching bikes, it's that gay! In any case, looking for some suggestions on things that we should see or do along the way. Route and itinerary as follows:

- Day 1 (Sept 6): Truck Bikes to Rossland - 625km (distance from Calgary)

- Bike down to Spokane 195kms

- Day 2 (Sept 7): Bike from Spokane to Mt. St. Helens (583km)

- Day 3 (Sept 8) pick up the 101 by highway 30 through Lewis and Clark National Park then head down to Florence - 470km

? Day 4 (Sept 9): Florence to Redwood National Park - 370km

? Day 5 (Sept 10): Redwood to Sacramento - 385km (We can stop off in Napa for some wine or go take the bikes across the Golden Gate Bridge)

? Days 6,7 (Sept 11/12) head straight back to Spokane in two days on the main highway. It's 1300km between the two on the main highway so we can stop somewhere along the way.

? Day 8 (Sept 13), Drive from Spokane to Rossland and Pack up the bikes and head home.

That's a copypasta from an email. All suggestions welcome! We've definitely got some spare time on the way down, those are pretty short days. We'll be doing a mix of camping and hotels.
Click to expand...
edited: scratch that
 
Blazin

Blazin

Creative Title
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Eomer_sl said:
lol, yes, motorbikes. I don't intend on riding a road bike 2000 miles in 10 days.
Click to expand...
dammit, I was reading your post thinking bikes and feeling bad for not being a bad ass Canadian. I did pretty much your exact itinerary two years ago, only place I would add if you can squeeze it in is Crater Lake National Park, hundred miles inland though.
 
BrutulTM

BrutulTM

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I was thinking bicycle as well when I was reading the first day. 195 km is fucking hard core but doable, but then on day two I kind of got the hint.

Sounds like the trip is all about riding and you're not going to be doing much stopping and smelling of the roses/redwoods.
 
Eomer

Eomer

Trakanon Raider
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Nah, the days are short enough distance wise that we can spend a good part of them stopping to see stuff. But yeah, only for a few hours at a time, and preferably in the late afternoon or evenings. 500-600km a day means that if we're on the road at 8am, we're pretty much at our destination by 2-3pm.

Glad to know everyone has such a high opinion of the physical fitness of us Canucks!
 
Eomer

Eomer

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Well, I have dropped about 12lbs in the last few months. Thanks for noticing!
 
jooka

jooka

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If you go by hood river on your way back to Spokane pm me. Can grab a beer or something.
 
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