drive to portland
 

i want to drive down to portland, but i want to do as much coast driving as i can since the I5 is so boring to drive.
as far as im concerned i have to get to seattle before the coast starts, is this true?

any suggestions and estimated time, but i also want to check out some of the Diners, dives and drives food that i can on the way.

any suggestions?

thanks

Seattle is not on the coast, but you will need to drive through Seattle to access Hw 101. I would drive to Tacoma, hop over to the coast, then drive south to at least Cannon Beach before turning inland.

The northern Washington State portion of the 101 isn't that great compared to the Oregon coast, which is unreal.

http://www.sunbonnetsuequiltclub.org.../SequimMap.gif

http://www.romantic-oregon-coast.com...travel-map.gif

ya i was refering to driving to at least seattle on the I5 and then to be specific turn to the 101 hwy from about Olympia. then down the coast.

Any good restraunts or things to see on the way either the coast or the I5. the I 5 is kinda boring to drive for that long.

Any one been sand duning, ATVing down there at all. could use suggestions if anyone is experienced in that area

Thanks for ur input.

You have to go to Florence (about 30-45 min drive from Lincoln City) for the sand dune adventures. Don't go to the sea lion cave...its not worth the money. If you want to see those barking sea lions (sometimes dozens) then drive to Newport (go to the pier near Ripley's Believe it or not) and watch them from the promenade.

One of the guys on another board i'm on said "Fuck it" 10 days ago and went on a solo road trip on his dual sport. He wanted to take in all the attractions, dive restaurants, on a low budget.

I thought he'd only be gone for a week. His plan was to drive down the Oregon coast but he ended up in SanFran and last I heard, he was thinking about "since I'm already this far, might as well hit up Reno, NV,"

A lot of restaurant and sightseeing suggestions:

http://bb.bc4x4.com/showthread.php?1...-drive-On-road

The coast isn't any thing special TBH, Astoria and Seaside are worth going to for sure though. It's a pretty sick view of the Pacific Ocean.

For the most part from Seaside - Lincoln City is just trees.. or land where trees got cleared. I haven't ventured lower than that though. Keep in mind there are quite a bit of slower drivers so you might need to pass when its clear. From my experience theres a lot of only 1 lane each way roads.

I agree that the Washington State portion is pretty dull. IMO, Seaside is where the really awesome stretch begins. Cannon Beach is absolutely incredible. Crescent City, although full of rednecks and weird people, is beautiful, too. Same with much of the northern California coast (beautiful redwood forests, incredible beaches).

If you've got a limited amount of time, I'd take the I5 all the way through Washington State to Longview (just north of Vancouver, WA) and then taking Highway 30 straight to Seaside. That way you'll blast through the boring parts and spend your time in the good section (Oregon coast).

Be sure to rend dune buggies and rip around the sand dunes along the Oregon coast. I believe they can be rented in Cannon Beach, among other places.

BUMP

Anyone recommend any hot springs spots in Oregon just south of Portland right along the I5???

no advice on the hot springs but my advice is to take i405 to get to portland...bypasses some traffic spots on the i5

I grew up and lived on the Oregon Coast, hit up Seaside if you are into Games and Cool Clothes, great hotels. Also the seaside aquarium is pretty cool, wy wife almost got bite by a Sea Lion as they aer that close to you.

There is a clothing store there that sells leather jackets, brand new for 20 bucks each and all sorts of other real leather items for cheap.

Mid way between Seaside and Lincoln city is the Devils Punchbowl its an amazing area where when the tires comes in, it enters a came of sorts spins around around and will reach 100ft up in the air. Lincoln city is only fun if you are into Kites. They have a huge festival there. Then be sure to travel down to the Ripley's Believe It or Not show, and the Wax Museum and Aquarium in Coos Bay Oregon. Hello cool stuff.

How like many said be prepared for a lot of 60kph cruising, and lots of times where you have to pass 5 cars in a row just to get an open area to stretch out your car. Most of the road makes a cork screw look straight.

I highly recommend taking a buddy or Girlfriend along to goof off at the places. It makes it 10 times more fun. I am actual in Oregon at the moment. Will be here till the 19th of Oct.

^ more details on the leather items please?

Here is there site. I was just down there last week adn they have tons of cool stuff. Bought a nice pair of Leather Duffle bags with wheels.

Leather Works - affordable leather jackets, purses, belts and accessories

I'll definitely try this route. I5 is so boring.

is Cannon Beach still worth going to if it's raining?

It's better to go on a nice day because you have to walk out to get closer to the Haystack rock and it wouldn't be really fun walking in the wet beach sand when it rains.