Another plus for the ferry ride. Takes you right to the Peninsula and saves hours of driving.
The HOH requires at least some hiking to appreciate. Otherwise it is just woods along the road.
If renting an RV there are length restrictions on CA 1. Lots of pullouts to take pictures from so allow stop times. A lot of driving but doable. A lot of the picnic/scenic areas are state parks that charge a fee. I believe you can get weekly pass in both Oregon and CA. Gives you plenty of areas to turn the kids loose on the sand and surf to burn off some energy.
We did bits of it through Oregon in 1985 and it was lovely. We did most of it from LA to SF in 1994 and it was also lovely, just different.
If you are at all a nervous driver on roads with steep drop-offs, you may be better going south-to-north. I don’t recall what the road was like when we drove in 1985 (WA/OR/very northern CA) but when we took the trip in 94, I was very glad we were northbound - more road between us and a long quick trip down with a sudden stop at the bottom.
The Astoria column is fun with kids, the climb up the inside stairs is manageable even for the very young (or those of us at advanced age as well!) and the view from the top is amazing. There’s also the Goonies house to check out and a lot of excellent restaurants in town. I heartily concur with the Astoria bridge, I’ve had some dreams that feature coming north over the big hump down to the causeway bit and finding out too late there’s a big gap missing. Yikes!
And I’m in solid concurrence that you should say fuck that to Olympia and driving around that mess–I-5 through there is something like forty seven lanes wide and always jammed with traffic. I took my son on the opposite trip, north from Portland around the Olympic peninsula then caught the ferry into Seattle so his first ever view of the city was on a cold clear winter night coming in to dock near the Pike Place market. That was a sight to see. A ferry trip is a defining feature of having been to Seattle and the Puget Sound, I would 100% do that over miles of shitty traffic on a huge interstate.
Nice info, thanks! Yes, we will be heeding the advice here and taking the ferry to Bremerton.
As you are driving around the northside of the Olympic Peninsula, you will come to the town of Sequim. It’s pronounced “Squim”, but don’t tell your passengers that until they have said it the other way a few times. 
Also along the north side of the peninsula is the Olympic Discovery Trail. In Port Angeles the trail runs right along the waterfront for some great views. If you have some time you may be able to rent some bikes (the trail is paved). You can also drive out to the end of Ediz Hook for even more sunning views (on a clear day) of Vancouver Island to the north, and the snow-capped Olympics to the south. If it is a really clear day you will see some of the snow-capped Cascades to the east!
Any reason why you want to go to Portland? If not just skip it and stay on the coast.
Spend the night in Astoria and then lunch in Newport the next day is doable and then on to Crescent City. Astoria is a nice little town, (I live a dozen miles from there). You get a great view of it while crossing the bridge. Lots of historic old houses on the hillside, like a smaller version of San Francisco. Great maritime museum.
Be aware that the coastal highway is mostly 2 lanes so be patient and you may or may not make good time. You will be traveling during land barge (motor home) season and once you get behind one just enjoy the view because you are probably not going to be able to pass.
@Southern_Yankee , here’s an entire older thread (from about a year ago) I just came across again, on the subject of planning a Pacific Coast Highway road trip. You might find it helpful.
Awesome, thanks Senegoid.
We did that exact drive in 1985 - a total of 3 longish driving days (also while living in NC 
). . We were camping, which limited the length of our driving days. Not a huge amount of time for sightseeing en route though we did catch some gorgeous views and did see the redwoods (truth in advertising there: them’s some BIG trees).
At one point in northern CA, US 101 goes inland and you have to take California Route 1 - which involved some rather hairy driving along narrow, windy roads where you’re being tailgated by logging trucks each carrying about 5 logs (see BIG trees, above) to get to the actual coast.
We wound up going back inland after a short-ish stretch on that bit, which I regret somewhat but it was slow going and we needed to be in Berkeley that evening. Lovely, though.
I’d suggest you use one (or two) days on I-5 to get there, then the bulk of the remainder for the slower, sightseeing days going back north - the coastal bits are a lot easier on the northbound side because the cliffs that drop off into the ocean are thus on your left, with an extra traffic lane between you and the dropoff! You could even look into cheap one-way flights from Seattle to SF (or Oakland) and a one-way car rental, which would avoid the I-5 bit entirely. A day in Seattle to sightsee, then fly south, then a leisurely drive north.
You guys are making me a little nervous about the southbound drive on the coast… Is it really that dangerous? I consider myself to be a very competent and confident driver. I have driven on the western coast of Ireland (wrong side of the car and wrong side of the road*) and it was pretty hairy, but nothing that freaked me out (too much.)
*-I realize it’s not “wrong” to the folks who live there…
It’s not that dangerous; you just have to be sober and attentive, and your passengers have to have the stomach for curves and sharp drop-offs. There is generally plenty of shoulder and a lot of pull outs where you can stop and take in the view safely. The only real danger comes from heavy rains (which you will not experience in summer) and overly aggressive drivers who you can just pull out and allow to pass. If you’ve driven the coast of Ireland, this is nothing in comparison; even the ‘scariest’ parts north of Mt. Tam and in southern Big Sur are nothing compared to the narrow lanes and tiny, speed-bump sized barricades that the Irish enjoy.
Stranger
I concur with @Dallas_Jones about maybe skipping Portland. I say that as a resident who loves it here, but I’m just not sure it’s worth the extra 2-3 hours if you’re not spending at least a day or two. I think spending the night in Astoria and then continuing down 101 will be more enjoyable.
If you do stop in Newport for lunch, Local Ocean has the best seafood on the entire Oregon coast. But don’t feel tied to that schedule. You’ll go through a small town every half hour and can easily find lunch in any of them (especially if you like clam chowder).
But if you still want to see Portland, I have boys about the same age as you and can recommend some places for a brief visit.
Thanks!
Thanks. I have always wanted to visit Portland (I’m working on my neck beard now…) We are actually spending 2 nights there. So any recommendations will be welcomed. Is the Japanese Garden worth a visit?
The Japanese Garden is nice, but I’d suggest starting at the (free) International Rose Test Garden just down the hill. The roses should be brilliant when you go, and you can get nice glimpses of the city, river, and Mt. Hood through the trees. If you enjoy that and want more, walk up the stairs to the Japanese Garden. But it’s $20 entry, can be crowded, and might still have access restrictions in June (i.e., you might need a reservation).
Your kids (and you) will enjoy Rimsky-Korsakoffee House for after dinner dessert and coffee. It’s a funky old victorian house converted into late-night hangout, often with a live piano player or other musician. There’s no booze and therefore no age restrictions, so you’ll often see a table or two of high school hipsters-in-training. Check the hours before you go, and take cash.
I’m required by city law to recommend visiting Powell’s bookstore. But really, I’d recommend it anyway. Have lunch and/or dinner at a food cart pod, where everyone gets their own choice. I’d recommend the Hawthorne Asylum for the right mix of good food and cool surroundings. I’m not as big a fan of the downtown pods, which seem to cater more toward people on their lunch break so the food is hit or miss.
Yeah. I know I’m the one who mentioned the northbound bit being easier but southbound isn’t unsafe at all, just requires a lot of attention with less wiggle room. If you have any real fear of heights, it might be unpleasant as there are parts where it’s a pretty steep dropoff. I did the larger part of the driving: while I’m nervous about heights, I can deal with them when I’m driving because I’m paying attention to the road, not what’s beside it. My husband did NOT enjoy that part. He also got wigged out when we drove through Glacier National Park which has loads of switchbacks and steep dropoffs.
Thanks!
Said another way, if you’re the sort who rubbernecks while driving (= like me 
), you’ll be in a quandry: the finest scenery on Earth, but no safe moments to stare at it.
It’s only “unsafe” compared to the ridiculously safe conditions on interstates. Most of the 3rd world would love to have roads as safe as CA 1.
This is well said.
////
I’ve lived at or near the coasts of California and Oregon for most of my life and have traveled on Hwys 1 and 101 many times with no concerns or issues.
There was only one time when I felt real fear. I was traveling south on Hwy 101 a short distance from Crescent City. There’s a spot that’s prone to damage, and the road is very high up. The road is cut into a very steep, wooded hillside. It’s a wall of stone and trees to the left with a sheer drop on the right down to the ocean.
The highway was damaged at the apex and traffic was controlled during repairs both north and south with stop and go lights for one available lane. I was the first in line waiting for the green light for what felt like an eternity. I had time to contemplate the jaw-dropping vista, my precarious perch, its already-damaged condition and then, earthquakes. It was stupid, but my panic was real. I’ve never been so glad for a light to turn green so I could get the hell out of there.
Apart from that, the view is spectacular!
Excluding construction zones, the diciest section of 101/1 in Oregon and California is just north of Jenner, as Senegoid mentioned above. It’s the only part that had my knuckles a little white, with a steep climb and long drop-offs with nonexistent, or at best inadequate, guardrails. But as said, it’s not that unsafe or you’d hear about cars plunging over the edge all the time.
Here’s the Google Street View.