Seattle to San Jose and Back in Eight Days. Road Trip Help Requested!

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m going to a Toto concert in Cupertino on September 8th. Originally, I was going to fly there for a couple days but I was talking with my 78-year-old mom and she wants some adventure. She doesn’t like to fly so we’re going to road trip it. Now I have to panic plan a general itinerary in order to get to the concert on time, and I also have a commitment here at home on September 15th.

So in general, leave here (Seattle) around the 4th, go to the concert in Cupertino on the 8th, and be back here the 13th.

What I’m looking for are any budget-friendly lodging, food and entertainment ideas. We like nature and history so anything along those lines as well as foodie bargains! Any quick culture stops? I have a feeling we won’t have time for museums and my mom can’t walk too much, anyway. I figure on the way down we’ll mostly stick to I-5 until northern California.

I have a hotel reservation near the concert venue (Montalvo) for that night but I can’t find anything sort of close for the day before for less than $300. :eek: Any suggestions for being within reasonable driving distance that morning but not in the $300/range?

I know where Trader Joe’s is in Campbell is so no worries there. :smiley:

As for the rest of the trip, we can skip San Francisco as I’ve been there a number of times (although time-willing I’d love to visit again!) I wouldn’t mind seeing Sausalito/Tiburon as I last saw them when I was a kid. We’d also like to visit Sonoma/Napa just to see it as we’re not huge wine drinkers. Any good lunch places? Maybe they’re just drive-throughs although I see a few Airbnb’s in the Sonoma area that are reasonable.

Winchester House is already on the itinerary since it’s a mile from the hotel.

What about out on the coast? Sites you’d recommend for Redwoods? I still remember the smell from a childhood road trip. :slight_smile:

Is there anything to see in Sacramento?

I’m open to pretty much anything that’s interesting and reasonably-priced. I’m sort of familiar with the Oregon coast so I’m not all that worried about it. We’ll probably try to hit Bandon and/or Seaside but since we’ve been to both, not at the expense of something cool in California.

I liked Ano Nuevo and Petaluma but I have a feeling that’s asking too much for our time frame. I guess what I’d like to do is have a few options. I hate following an itinerary!! But it’s unavoidable this time.

Thanks so much for any suggestions! I’m kind of freaking.

2

I live pretty close to Villa Montalvo, and you don’t want to stay near there if you want to save $$. Stay in San Jose-- it’s not far at all. You might even save some $$ by staying in a place like Morgan Hill and still only be about 30 minutes to the concert. BTW, Montalvo is in Saratoga, not Cupertino. Cupertino (home of Apple) is the next city north/east of Saratoga.

Villa Montalvo has some beautiful grounds and some short hiking trails.

Driving down or back you can take the coast road (Hwy 1) for part of the way and stop in Mendocino. Lots and Lots of redwoods there. Good wine country, too. The drive from SF down to Santa Cruz along the coast is pretty spectacular, too. There are redwoods all over the place.

Be sure to drive over the GG Bridge in SF-- i really is spectacular. With your mom not being very mobile, you’re going to be limited as to what to do. If you like wine tasting I can recommend some excellent tasting room just within a 5 mile radius of your concert venue.

3

Crater Lake …

4

I recently drove from SF to Seattle in one day, and did the same on the return trip. Cruise set at 75 for most of the trip so I wasn’t driving like a bat outta hell.

You have PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENTY of time for the drive.

For the Coast you could check out Half Moon Bay, during the week and in the morning can be amazing on the beaches between HMB and Santa Cruz because they tend to be nearly empty.

5

If you haven’t been there, I’d say Crater Lake is a must. The only other advice I’ve got is to visit Humboldt State Park over Redwoods NP–it’ll be less crowded (a bit) and the Redwoods are actually better.

6

Take I5 south to Grants Pass, then cut over towards Crescent City. On the way there there’s the Oregon Caves and Trees of Mystery. Then a nice drive through the northern Redwoods. You can jog over to Ferndale, a quaint little Nor Cal Victorian Village. Then you could either take the coast highway south, or stay a Lille more inland and continue through the Redwoods proper. On the way back you can take I5 north for a while, then cut east a bit, don’t remember exactly where, but it take you by Mnt Shasta and near Crater Lake. Than continue up through central Oregon to cross the river at The Dalles. Right there is the Stonehenge replica and Mary Hill art museum (small but unexpectedly good). Then up through Yakima to I90 and back home.

Did that a few years ago.

7

Thank you for the great ideas! They’re much appreciated! I was kind of overwhelmed.

8

Kinda? But unless you plan on staying on 5 until you get there, there’s not really anything worth the 1-3 hour (each way, depending on route and traffic) deviation from your course.

Mendocino’s worth a look. If you’re on Hwy 1, it passes right through. If you’re on 101 you can cut over in Willits or just south of Ukiah. Both are very pretty and frequently very slow-and-curvy, but Hwy 20 from Willits is much faster.

9

If you have decided to do the coast per Oly’s suggestion, south of Eureka, the drive down Avenue of the Giants is pretty nice as well. That’ll fill you up on the redwoods thing. I caution you that connecting from that part of CA back to civilization is a very long and windy drive in any direction (either back to I-5 or down 101 to Sonoma and SF). It does not seem long on the map, but it is hours of curvy roads and it can be tiring.

If you are coming down I-5, south of Red Bluff is the town of Corning. If you need a break, exit there and check out the ‘Olive Pit’ - lots of olives, nuts, dried fruits, and other treats.

Sacramento is not much of a tourist destination, but there is a nice railroad museum which is not too spread-out, as well as the state Capitol museum, and Sutter’s Fort historical park, which is also fairly compact. I would only consider stopping here if you are passing thru on your way to the Bay Area, and if you have a few hours to spend.

10

If you elect to come down U.S. 101 from Crescent City you’ll go through Fortuna in Humboldt County. If you do, and it’s time for breakfast (not lunch), stop at L’s Kitchen in downtown Fortuna. (Closed on Mondays.) The food is fresh made using local meats and other foodstuffs. A tiny bit pricey but the quality of the food is worth it. And if you are doing this Wednesday or later go the extra two miles and visit “Little L’s Kitchen” in Campton Heights. Sit at the counter and tell Therese C. that “Your friend from Alton” sent you. The food is the same but Therese is a sparkplug of a gal and a bit of eye candy as well.

As a resident of the area I also encourage the 101 route and Avenue of the Giants for a look at the truly big trees.

11

Re: lodging–did you check the Best Western in Los Gatos? Right down Hiway 9 from Montalvo and probably less than $300.

IMHO the absolute best redwood drive in California isHowland Hill Rd in Jed Smith State Park just outside of Crescent City. It’s a good gravel/dirt road that is usually okay for regular cars. (but always check road conditions before going!) Stout Grove at the end of the road is fantastic and has a nice trail suitable for almost anyone.

12

I did find a less expensive place to stay in Santa Clara. I wanted to be in the same hotel as my friends but I’ll take saving $150 instead.

Right now I’m thinking we’ll haul ass to San Jose in two days because I’ll be nervous about getting there on time, then take a more leisurely route home along the coast/through redwoods.

Thanks again for all of the suggestions! They’re all going into a file.

13

just be sure to go to Saratoga for the concert, not Cupertino. :wink:

Villa Montalvo is a beautify old estate set right at the base of the Santa Cruz mountains. Very nice venue for a summer concert. If you have to time to go out there early, stop by the Cinnabar Winery Tasting room in “The Village” (as downtown Saratoga is called). It’s nice spot to taste some good local wine.

Or, spend some relaxing time at Hakone Gardens, with it’s authentic Japanese Tea House.

Both are just a mile or two away from Montalvo.
“Down town Saratoga” is about a 6 block stretch of Big Basin Way just before it heads into the mountains. Mostly fancy restaurants, cafes and boutiques.

14

Former hotel was in Cupertino so I got to thinking of it all as Cupertino. I’ll be sure to go to the right place for the concert. :smiley: I’ve looked at the website and it looks beautiful! I was already hoping to spend a little extra time there.

15

I go for short hikes there all the time. You can spend hours just wandering around the grounds. IIRC, it’s the home of a former CA governor. They have an artist intern program there, where they provide housing and workspace for up and coming talent. Sept is usually our warmest month, but it can also be chilly at night so be prepared for 90 deg weather and 70 deg or even 60 deg weather.

16

I’d take the coast route if you aren’t in any big hurry.

If you go down along the coast on 101, be sure to hit the Tillamook County Smoker Factory Outlet north of the town of Tillamook, 'cause they don’t sell them there!

For some real adventure, peel off the 101 (heading south) around Ferndale, CA, and head out to “The Lost Coast” on “highway” (yeah, right!) 28. See Matoli Beach and Petrolia. On the way back to civilization you will get to go right through some spectacular redwoods. Not a road for the faint of heart, but you will be glad you did (at least as much as you regret it). Have a full tank of gas when you leave Eureka.

17

I have insomnia but at least I’ve been able to work on our trip undisturbed. :smiley: It’s going to be a lot of driving. I’m tired already! One more question. Thanks for the warning that the roads from the California coast back to civilization are tiring. What do you think the least tiring route would be? I’d like to go from the coast to the Crater Lake area.

I’m going to be so sick of driving but my mom will love it all. :slight_smile:

18

I should add that I’m looking at heading towards Crater Lake from somewhere north of Fort Bragg. I’d like to stay on the coast as long as possible.

19

As I am sure you see on the maps, Hwy 1 north from Ft. Bragg goes along the coast and then turns inland to meet Hwy 101. From there it’s not far to Avenue of the Giants. Then Eureka, then Crescent City, where you can cut over to I-5 at Grants Pass via Hwy 199, then find your way to Crater Lake. Very scenic, and long. The only other option from Ft. Bragg is taking Hwy 20 all the way over to I-5 at Williams, then north to Medford, then to Crater Lake. Less scenic, and longer. Either way you are looking at a very full day’s drive.

20

A couple of good places to stop along the California coast:

Trinidad, California is a cute little town on the northern California coast, and has great places to eat in Trinidad Bay Eatery and Gallery (if you’re there for lunch or dinner, try the berry cobbler) and Seascape down by the ocean (only been there for breakfast, but it was a great breakfast.)

Salt Point State Park is also a great spot - nice campgrounds, not usually too crowded, great rocky shorelines (wonderful tidepooling if you’re there at a good low tide)

Jenner is also a good spot - nice beach and ocean views, although the water isn’t calm or warm. Driving east a bit on CA 116 will get you to Duncans Mills which has some good eats.

And, as always, the Point Reyes National Seashore is a wonderful spot for hiking, ocean views, beaches, wildlife, etc.