Road trip to NorCal

[Abeo]

So I've decided I want to do a road trip, down to Salt Lake City, across to Reno, head through Redding, up the coast to Seattle, and back to Calgary... I'm undecided whether I want to cross the rockies back in the US or Canada. I'd be leaving on Saturday, driving alone, and would like to avoid big cities.

Its going to be a road trip, so lots of driving with short stops... but I'd like some ideas of what to see/eat :D

plans so far:
stop at the Bonneville Salt Flats
see the redwood forests in northern California
visit an In-N-Out

Any suggestions? How bad is the desert to drive through this time of year? How is driving through northern Washington compared to BC?

[cancer man]

This time of year if your going thru the Mojave Desert good luck.
Have A/C plenty of water and wear gloves when you open your door.
Needles California took the skin off my finger tips.
Grand Canyon is a must and the Cedar forest is OK.
The Salt Flats are amazing but dude your going at the hottest time of the year.BRING LOTS OF WATER....Break downs are very common and keep an x-tra set of belts with you.
Good Luck.

[Abeo]

The desert wasn't that bad... I think I saw 2 cars broken down in 1500 km of desert, with alot of shitty cars making the trip. AC was on its warmest setting for the most part (with no tinted windows). 110 deg F doesn't feel that warm without humidity... I wasn't about to go jogging in it, but I was suprised how toleralbe it was. The salt flats were insanely bright, but I'm glad I stopped (on the actual flats :D). Inland California.. now that feels hot.

I'm on the Oregon coast now, its about 60 deg F but absolutely stunningly beautiful. Making my way back through the mountains today to Washington today.

[lint]

Can you post up an itinerary? I'll be doing about the same drive in the opposite direction and wouldn't mind seeing where you stopped along the way.

[Abeo]

Sure, once I get back

Gotta warn you, though... I am doing it for the driving, not for the stops, and I'm bypassing cities.

[AE92_TreunoSC]

I just did a Oregon Coast drive, and we headed down to SanFran rather then looping North Cal.

The drive on the mainland sucks, we used it to cut down on travel time during our trip back, but it was awful and 36c hot.

Dont drive from portland across northern Oregon to spokane, the road is shit and boring as hell.

The drive from Seattle to spokane was much better on the way back.

[Abeo]

Day 1: http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=FYjiCgMd-p8z-SnVP4SfA3BxUzE6tlK2sTttJg%3BFVU_lwIdp35S-Sm1EpVzTllUUzHJSUwJ_MkRIw&q=calgary+to+idaho+falls&sll=50.941464,-114.08156&sspn=0.009343,0.018604&ie=UTF8&z=6&saddr=calgary&daddr=idaho+falls
~1000 km, just getting into the drive. Southern Montana is pretty twisty/hilly and has a bunch of construction, so it was a little slow at times.
Day 2: http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=idaho+falls&daddr=40.705628,-112.214355+to:reno&hl=en&geocode=FVU_lwIdp35S-Sm1EpVzTllUUzHJSUwJ_MkRIw%3B%3BFaEsWwIdVcnb-CmdoJKSrkCZgDGH9zh0zsXFQA&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=7&via=1&sll=41.489395,-115.925345&sspn=5.685557,9.525146&ie=UTF8&z=7
~1150 km, stopped at the salt flats (pretty interesting to me), the roads were straighter and had a 75 mph speed limit. Salt lake city drivers sucked, and the 'lake' stunk of marsh. I didn't need much AC to keep the heat down in the truck. Stayed outside of Reno in a hokey resort/casino.
day 3: http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=reno&daddr=I-80+W+to:CA-65+N+to:CA-32+W+to:40.632714,-122.566223+to:Eureka,+Humboldt,+California,+United+States&geocode=FaEsWwIdVcnb-CmdoJKSrkCZgDGH9zh0zsXFQA%3BFSiZUAIduCjH-A%3BFXCeUwIdfKDC-A%3BFRh9XgIdPnq4-A%3B%3BFReXbgIdp2mZ-CmnTv_mg__TVDGVBim4ZgeGKg&hl=en&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=4&sz=9&via=1,2,3,4&sll=40.386305,-122.192688&sspn=1.445575,2.381287&ie=UTF8&ll=39.512517,-121.190186&spn=5.855599,9.525146&z=7
~700 km. The sierra-nevada mountains are quite stunning... but I didn't enjoy Cali when the towns grew thick, and I5 was like driving the 401 near Toronto. 299 heading from Redding to Eureka would be heaven in a sports car or bike... just an amazingly twisty 2 lane road with good pavement and good elevation changes. It takes about 3 hours to complete.
day 4: http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=FReXbgIdp2mZ-CmnTv_mg__TVDGVBim4ZgeGKg%3BFR0fnwId_2Ka-CkFR2SMBYDBVDHcOiOwZMAG2w&q=eureka+to+florence+or&sll=42.391009,-124.244385&sspn=5.606089,9.525146&ie=UTF8&z=7&saddr=eureka&daddr=florence+or
I didn't like my night in Eureka, it seemed like a hick town. Leaving there, it was a beautiful drive. Lots of construction and RV's, but the coast makes up for it. Was moist with daytime highs of 60 deg F. I wish I had more time, and brought my dirt bike for all the dune riding areas (you can rent dune buggies too). Best part of the trip, but I made terrible time (400 km in a day? wtf..). Stayed on the beach at a resort hotel got $60 a night.
Day 5: http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=FR0fnwId_2Ka-CkFR2SMBYDBVDHcOiOwZMAG2w%3BFRw31wIdgTgA-Snl57swXBieVDGx2YQL1sn83Q&q=florence+or+to+spokane+&sll=42.892064,-122.211914&sspn=5.56119,9.525146&ie=UTF8&ll=45.813486,-120.761719&spn=5.291028,9.525146&z=7&saddr=florence+or&daddr=spokane
~850 km. The drive from Florence to Eugene was relaxed and easy, and the temps rose about 25 deg F just by moving inland. I determined that day that I don't like I5 drivers... driving inland away from Portland was easy and fast. Made some good time, and wasn't delayed by construction or chocked down roads, just smooth sailing. Spokane was hot (85 deg F at night), and had a lot of young people around where I stopped.
Day 6: http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=spokane&daddr=49.016257,-111.939697+to:Calgary&geocode=FRw31wIdgTgA-Snl57swXBieVDGx2YQL1sn83Q%3B%3BFYjiCgMd-p8z-SnVP4SfA3BxUzE6tlK2sTttJg&hl=en&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=7&via=1&sll=47.945786,-114.016113&sspn=5.085094,9.525146&ie=UTF8&z=7
~1050 km. Again, a straightforward drive (I had to go through sweetgrass because I had parts waiting for me). 200 was a 70 mph road, and didn't have any crazy elevation changes... I was surprised how easy it was to cross the rockies this way.

My odometer read 5500+ km driven, so the route distances are approximate.
Next time I'll shave a couple days of driving off, spend more time in Oregon, and maybe bring a passenger.

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by lint
Can you post up an itinerary? I'll be doing about the same drive in the opposite direction and wouldn't mind seeing where you stopped along the way.

This was our 2 week trip this summer.


Originally posted by Tik-Tok
14 days
2 Provinces, 7 States
5 campgrounds, 5 hotels
24 Bottles of wine
6646.8 kms
82:00 driving hours

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Camping at Sandpoint, Idaho

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Jimmy Hendrix's grave

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Sweet ride in Seattle

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Camping in Redway, CA (nicest camp spot ever)

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Minty Studebaker in San Fran

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We got googled on the way to San Jose

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First time I've seen a BMW 2800CS, pretty f'ing dusty too.

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Big Sur

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Death Valley (and not your pussy paved highway route either) The dot in the middle of the 3rd one is Ze Panzer at the campsite.

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Finally hit pavement again, but the desert just kept going...

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Bonneville Raceway! 2 weeks to early, but at least we got a room, lol. It rained the night before, so the salt flats were covered in an inch of water

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And when we finally got home... the vibration I'd been feeling for the past 1000 kms :rofl:

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u64/TykTauk/Roadtrip%202010/USA201019.jpg

[n1zm0]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok


This was our 2 week trip this summer.



damn that is probably one of the most ideal cars to use for the type of road trip you did.

did you top speed the wagon on the salt flats? lol are you even allowed to pay a fee and try?

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by n1zm0


damn that is probably one of the most ideal cars to use for the type of road trip you did.

did you top speed the wagon on the salt flats? lol are you even allowed to pay a fee and try?

Hahah, I wish! It's public land though, and I believe anyone can race on it, whenever they like. There's no buildings or anything, just that sign. The entire area was covered with and inch of water that day, so there was no way I was taking a ze panzer on it.