More Trip Advice

[paul102a3]

We will be departing the Crescent Beach/Astoria Oregon area at the end of this week with the Hoover Dam as our destination.

We are planning to come down 101 to at least Coos Bay and not sure what route to take from there.

We enjoy scenic routes and our only limitations are a 13' 6" overall height. 

Appreciate routing advice and would love to hear of places to visit along the way.

Thanks,

Paul

[eagle19952]

139 to Reno was my choice.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Coos+Bay,+OR/Lee+Vining,+CA/Hoover+Dam/@35.7997596,-121.4336436,7z/data=!4m20!4m19!1m5!1m1!1s0x54c3842b1c6c04e1:0x67d7f4c7ddc01229!2m2!1d-124.2178903!2d43.3665007!1m5!1m1!1s0x80963656dc3b47d9:0xd033576091571beb!2m2!1d-119.119943!2d37.957592!1m5!1m1!1s0x80c92d6aac057ccf:0xdbe1573a13c65336!2m2!1d-114.7376675!2d36.0157617!3e0

[TomC]

I'd advise coming out to I-5 south to 99 south to Bakersfield taking hwy 58 east to 15 north to Las Vegas. Easier route, less mountainous driving-and on interstates the whole way. Good Luck, TomC

[Dave5Cs]

 I-5 south to 7th standard onto 99 south to Bakersfield taking hwy 58 east to 15 north to Las Vegas to Hoover.

[eagle19952]

I'd advise coming out to I-5 south to 99 south to Bakersfield taking hwy 58 east to 15 north to Las Vegas. Easier route, less mountainous driving-and on interstates the whole way. Good Luck, TomC

We enjoy scenic routes and our only limitations are a 13' 6" overall height. 

[eagle19952]

I-5 south to 7th standard onto 99 south to Bakersfield taking hwy 58 east to 15 north to Las Vegas to Hoover.

We enjoy scenic routes and our only limitations are a 13' 6" overall height. 

[windtrader]

If you have time and enjoy the scenic beauty, then take the 101 all the way down to the Bay Area over to the 5 and down and over to Vegas. There is some incredible coastal forest country you'll be missing. You can park right on the Rogue in Gold Beach for a few bucks. Try not to miss it if you can

[lvmci]

Hi Paul, are you coming to that Dam Rally? lvmci...

[RJ]

Paul -

Are you pulling a toad?  Several suggestions below are worth exploring in the toad while the bus is parked elsewhere.

From Coos Bay, continue down 101 to Eureka.  Take the time to have lunch/dinner at the Samoa Cookhouse.  Family food served family-style, what's on the menu for the day is whatever the head chef decides.  Old logging camp cookhouse, you go for the experience and fun, as the food's not gourmet, but nourishing.

After you leave Eureka, take exit 674 off of 101 into the Avenue of the Giants.  Redwoods older than dirt, great, relaxing drive with plenty of photo ops.  The road meanders south thru these magnificent trees, and, if you drive the whole length, it will return you to 101 at Exit 645.  I always take this drive when I'm in the area, if for no other reason than it's an excellent excuse to get off the darned freeway!

IF, and it's a cautious IF, you don't mind some rather twisty stuff initially, pick up Hiway 1 at Legget and follow it all the way to Bodega Bay (where Hitchcock filmed "The Birds.")  As you meander along the road just north of Fort Bragg, you'll see coastline extremely similar to the west coast of Ireland!

After you leave Bodega Bay, you can either cut over to Petaluma which can take you to Napa and the famous vineyards, or you can continue on Hiway 1 thru the Point Reyes National Seashore to Mill Valley, where you can rejoin Hiway 101 and on into San Francisco - if that tickles your fancy.

From "The City" (SF - the locals do NOT call it "Frisco!"), you've got several choices - across the Bay Bridge to Oakland to I-580 to I-5 is one.  Hiway 101 all the way to Ventura in SoCA is another, or you can again pick up Hiway 1 and go all the way down the coast to Monterey.  This also takes you thru Santa Cruz, where, if you have the time, you need to experience the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk - home to the oldest wooden rollercoaster in the country.  Monterey is also a nice place to explore (and the county fairgrounds has RV sites with hookups!)  There's a fabulous aquarium, a typical seaside pier, and nearby Carmel has a charm of it's own, plus one of the 21 Missions of the CA Mission System founded by Father Serra (where he's also buried.)

Sadly, you won't be able to experience the most scenic coastal route in the country, Hiway 1 between Monterey and San Simeon, as it's closed due to a massive mudslide near Big Sur last winter.  Because of that, your best bet is to take Hiway 68 back over to Salinas, then 101 south again. 

If you'd like to do a little more wine-tasting, there are quite a few new wineries off Hiway 46 just east of Paso Robles to sample.  Continue E on Hiway 46 to Cholame, where there's a monument to the actor James Dean, who was killed nearby when his Porsche Speedster collided with a Ford Tudor in 1955.  Hiway 46 will take you to both I-5 or Hiway 99 (your choice), where you can again turn south.  Choose either Dave's suggestion of 7th Standard Rd off I-5, or thru Wasco to Hiway 99.  Either way, pick up Hiway 58 in Bakersfield towards Barstow.  (Side note: The Costco at the Rosedale exit off Hiway 99 has diesel very competitively priced if you need to fuel.  Keep to the far left pumps, but don't try to go out the same drive you came in, instead, go around the back of the main Costco building, as there's a signaled exit on the other side that's much easier to get out of - it's the same one the supply trucks use.) 

Final note:  Once you pick up I-15 to Lost Wages out of Barstow, be aware of Baker Grade.  It's a long climb that has brought many an inexperienced bus driver to his knees with embarrassment when the coach shuts down from overheating.  So don't be afraid to just roll along in 2nd or 3rd (depending on your engine) in the truck lane with the flashers going and keeping an eye on the temp gauge.

Enjoy the journey!!

FWIW & HTH. . .

[lvmci]

Great itinerary RJ, so true about Baker Grade, the little village of Baker has plenty of space and fast food restaurants to park, before taking on the grade. I have disconnected the toad before driving the grade and she followed, that certainly has helped with the overheating problem,  lvmci...

[paul102a3]

Thanks for the info.

RJ - great write up. Your route and itinerary sounds awesome. We thought about going down 101 but wasn't sure if the coach would fit as we had heard it was pretty narrow. No worries about Baker Grade. We are traveling in our friends truck conversion speaking of which, does anyone know if we need to to stop at weigh stations in CA? We haven't stopped at one yet and haven't been chased down by any DOT person either but......

Ivmci - I thought about going to the rally but I am not sure about our timing. It depends on how long it takes us to get down the coast. It is taking us way longer to do this trip than we expected. It seems there is way more to see at each stop than we planned. We have added almost 4,000 miles to the toad since July just sightseeing.

Thanks again for the info.

[windtrader]

does anyone know if we need to to stop at weigh stations in CA?

If you're registered as an RV, non-commercial, no need to stop. I have wondered if you do can you get a free weight tag, or maybe a ticket. lol

[Iceni John]

RJ's itinerary is excellent!   If you choose to follow it, the section of Highway 1 between Fort Ross and Jenner is spectacular as the road winds up high on the hill side with just the Pacific many hundreds of feet below you, then drops sharply with some switchbacks down to Jenner.   From there you can also follow the Russian River to Guerneville through some magnificent coastal redwoods, then head towards 101 South.   If you want to continue south on 1 all the way you'll pass Stinson Beach, from where you can take an exhilarating short walk up Steep Ravine and back down over the hills  -  this is one of the most beautiful walks anywhere, climbing up through a small coastal ravine full of redwoods that tower up into the sky like being in a cathedral.   However, after Stinson Beach the road is very narrow as it climbs over the hills to Mill Valley and the 101.   You can avoid SF entirely by taking 101 south to the 580 at San Rafael, then the SR-Richmond bridge (it's free going south!) towards Oakland  -  this is how I go between Novato and home, quick and easy (except in the rush hours . . .).

John

[lvmci]

Hi Paul, the 101 is a full fledged freeway and a lot of it was repaved 2or3 years ago, stop in Solvang and Buellton for wine tasting and good food, there's a blueberry farm on the 101 on the way to Santa Barbara, they give you a bucket and you pick your own, I ate more than I put in the bucket! By the way, LV is 72° right now, that dam rally is 17/19nov, weather is going to be great, lvmci...

[TomC]

Just came down 101 south from San Jose to Camarillo. At Paso Robles they are widening the highway, so some slow down. But not problem with my 40 x 102 bus. Good Luck, TomC