Need some advice...

[killer cacti]

Ok guys, I'm getting married in July...

 

The fiance and I decided to do a little something different for our honeymoon than to do the usual (for here at least) head to the Caribbean somewhere. We are flying to Seattle and spending the week driving down the west coast. Neither of us have ever been out west and we love to just get in the car and explore...

 

So I was just wondering what sites you would recommend, as well as where to stop for the night, and some good local places to eat (not so much big expensive places, more like the small hole in the wall places that are usually the best places to eat.

 

So if any of you have been out there, please let me know what's good to see, and keep in mind we'll be taking 101 & 1 basically the whole way.

[fro daddy]

a good friend of my wife's is from Seattle. I can ask her & her husband next time we see them.

 

And that sounds like a fun time Killer.

[killer cacti]

a good friend of my wife's is from Seattle. I can ask her & her husband next time we see them.

 

And that sounds like a fun time Killer.

Yeah, we've traveled all over the Carolina's since we've been dating, from the Outer Banks to the Biltmore Estate to the very bottom tip of the triangle that is SC. Her dad (single parent) drove her around everywhere when she was little, and my parents really didn't, so she's used to it, I'm loving seeing a bunch of new things.

 

BTW...in the future we plan to take a these trips:

 

• Montana down to New Mexico/Arizona and hit the grand canyon and all

• The Dakotas down to & through Texas

• Ohio down through Kentucky, Tennessee, and probably ending in New Orleans

• Maine to Florida (another coastal trip)

• We want to take the train from Chicago to Seattle through the mountains

• Take I-40 from it's beginning in NC to the end in CA

 

We also want to go overseas at some point, but we want to see our own country before seeing another.

[knapplc]

From the people I've talked to, the drive along the coast in Oregon is some of the most beautiful scenery in America. You should have a great time there.

 

I lived in San Fran for a couple of years, so I would definitely recommend spending some time in wine country north of the city. You can do some nice winery tours in a couple of hours and still have time to find a hotel and some good grub. There are plenty of B&Bs in that area, too. I would recommend Sonoma Valley rather than Napa. Napa is too commercialized for me. Drive down to Monterrey and see the bay, and stop off at Pebble Beach near Carmel. It's a pretty fun place.

[GSG]

I don't know much about the Left Coast, but I think that sounds like way more fun than a Caribbean cookie-cutter resort honeymoon. Hope y'all have a blast!

 

 

Side note: I lived in AZ for over year, and I never went to the Grand Canyon. WTF?!

[fro daddy]

killer i just thought about a place you could visit. Creater Lake National Park. Its outside of Meford, OR. I think a couple of hours from Bend in the mountains. I know some people that have been there. Said its amazing. Its on the wife and I's bucket list.

 

 

 

Creater Lake

[Husker Hunyock]

From the people I've talked to, the drive along the coast in Oregon is some of the most beautiful scenery in America. You should have a great time there.

 

I lived in San Fran for a couple of years, so I would definitely recommend spending some time in wine country north of the city. You can do some nice winery tours in a couple of hours and still have time to find a hotel and some good grub. There are plenty of B&Bs in that area, too. I would recommend Sonoma Valley rather than Napa. Napa is too commercialized for me. Drive down to Monterrey and see the bay, and stop off at Pebble Beach near Carmel. It's a pretty fun place.

 

Definitely check out the wine country in Sonoma county. Since you are driving south, be sure to turn off right before you get to the Golden Gate Bridge on Conzelman road and drive up to get a view of the City and the bridge. Watching the fog roll into the bay from there is awesome in the late afternoon.

 

Of course check out the cable cars and Alcatraz and Fisherman's wharf in San Fransisco. Be sure to dress for very cool weather there. Lots of good restaurants right there by the wharf. If you are staying in San Fran for more that a day, you may want to take a tour bus and then go back and hit the things that interest you the most after.

 

Also, the 17 mile drive between Monterray and Carmel is great. Check out Cannery row in Monterray as well as the aquarium. The beach at Carmel is nice. The Pacific Coast Highway south of Carmel is great as well but be sure to start that drive early in the day. I don't think that there are a lot of places to stay along that stretch of road for a while and you will want to pull over to soak in the view several times.

[RockyMountainOySker]

killer i just thought about a place you could visit. Creater Lake National Park. Its outside of Meford, OR. I think a couple of hours from Bend in the mountains. I know some people that have been there. Said its amazing. Its on the wife and I's bucket list.

 

 

 

Creater Lake

 

Looks incredible!

[killer cacti]

Thanks to all! Great advice! Keep it coming!!!

[Landlord]

How far down the coast are you going?

 

 

 

Naples, CA (basically Long Beach) has these really neat canals, and they even offer gondola rides. I surprised my girlfriend by showing up when she was out there two summers ago and took her on one, she loved it.

[killer cacti]

How far down the coast are you going?

 

 

 

Naples, CA (basically Long Beach) has these really neat canals, and they even offer gondola rides. I surprised my girlfriend by showing up when she was out there two summers ago and took her on one, she loved it.

San Diego

[huKSer]

Just avoid Bodega Bay - especially if you have 2 love birds and a convertable sports car.

 

[killer cacti]

 

Of course check out the cable cars and Alcatraz and Fisherman's wharf in San Fransisco. Be sure to dress for very cool weather there. Lots of good restaurants right there by the wharf. If you are staying in San Fran for more that a day, you may want to take a tour bus and then go back and hit the things that interest you the most after.

Even in mid July???

[Husker Hunyock]

Though Sam Clements didn't really say it, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." does bear repeating. I did my Honeymoon to Sonoma County in early June and made the mistake of going to San Fran in shorts and a polo. I learned that you should layer your clothes there. Wear jeans and a jacket and comfortable shoes as you will probably walk a lot. I found it very interesting that almost all the shops down by Fishermans Wharf sell jackets and long sleeve shirts. It will warm up by mid day there though and you may find while walking around that depending where you are, it will be warm or cool so a jacket or sweater that you can remove will be handy.

[T_O_Bull]

a good friend of my wife's is from Seattle. I can ask her & her husband next time we see them.

 

And that sounds like a fun time Killer.

Yeah, we've traveled all over the Carolina's since we've been dating, from the Outer Banks to the Biltmore Estate to the very bottom tip of the triangle that is SC. Her dad (single parent) drove her around everywhere when she was little, and my parents really didn't, so she's used to it, I'm loving seeing a bunch of new things.

 

BTW...in the future we plan to take a these trips:

 

• Montana down to New Mexico/Arizona and hit the grand canyon and all

• The Dakotas down to & through Texas

• Ohio down through Kentucky, Tennessee, and probably ending in New Orleans

• Maine to Florida (another coastal trip)

• We want to take the train from Chicago to Seattle through the mountains

• Take I-40 from it's beginning in NC to the end in CA

 

We also want to go overseas at some point, but we want to see our own country before seeing another.

 

When you do the Dakotas stop in Sioux Falls dinner will be on me and JD KC. HWY 1 down the Cal. coast is breath taking.

T_O_B