Looking for Things to See on Honeymoon Trip

[Midnite]

My wife and I just got married last Saturday, and are planning on driving down from Alaska along the west coast to Los Angeles, and I was hoping people might let me know of some cool stops that may be along the way.



I knew I picked a keeper when she said okay to visiting Abbotsford, BC to see Piers and DTT. After she said okay to that, she could tell me she wanted to take a short side trip to the east coast, and I'd say "no problem honey!"



We're going to come down through the Yukon and British Columbia (via the Cassiar highway), and then take the pacific coast highway from Washington all the way south, and then I-5 back up.



I'm looking for any and all cool things/places along our route that you all may know of that we can check out--nice campgrounds, beautiful waterfalls, a really great restaurant--anything!



Thanks,

Mike

 

[Whitmore]

congrats

Mike, I can tell you that all the spots I spent time at on my honeymoon were all HOT SPOTS and I didnt see any cool spots at all , if ya know what I mean,



good luck and enjoy each other where ever you go ... ... ... ... . Kevin

 

[EricBu12]

Mike,

Congrats on the marriage, hope you stay together a long time



Washington and Oregon is Very pretty no matter where you go, There is crater lake in the center of oregon on hwy 95 south of bend , OR. (it is a volcano that blew out and rains filled it in)



after that, 95 merges back to i-5 at weed CA and that is the sierra NV. mountain range, very beautifull around there... .



On Pacific coast hwy as you mentioned, there is a place called hearst Castle. He (Hearst) was a millionaire back in the 30's and he has a big place on a hill that overlooks big sur coatline area. He had hiz own zoo and 2 pools, one looks as if it belongs in Olympus fit for Zeus. Big luxury castle surpassed only by the ones in England



There are several campgrounds along the way on that hwy, most with good beach access.

then there is Magic mountain Theme Park just north of LA. they also have a water park next door. and Disneyland (recently remodeled and added attractions) of course.



Not too much on the I-5 between LA and the mountains of oregon cept for one place called Winchester house

A kookie person that believed that as long as she didn't stop building on the house and working on it, she wouldn't die... . Don't ask me but I think she would do something, not finish it, then do something else right next to it so consequently, there are stairs that lead nowhere, doors that open on blank walls, and a number of other contractor nightmares! Then there is the jelly Belly Factory in central CA. (gormet Jelly beans)



Well I hope you can visit any or all these things. I grew up in Southern CA and Now I live in Salt Lake City. I am an interstate truck driver and have seen some of these things I mentioned.

Have a great and safe trip



Eric

 

[RonaldLarson]

By all means..

don't miss the Hearst Castle. Just south is a hotel called the Madonna Inn. Ask for a honeymoon suite, and your bride will remember that night forever! Fabulous place, people and food.

I'd also recomend (farther north) visiting Monterrey and the aquarium there, Big Sur and pebble Beach. A good friend plays piano with his quartet at the Pebble Beach Country Club. Ask for Jan Deneau, and tell him Ron said hello.

Ron

 

[jweir]

Midnite,



IMHO, all of the Oregon coast is well worth seeing. There are loads of good campgrounds and lots of beautiful scenery. If you are going to take Hwy 101, it will take longer but there is a lot to see and do. If you like airplanes, there is a neat museum in Tillimook, OR, and the famous Spruce Goose is housed in McMinville, OR. And some of the most rugged coast line in Oregon is between Yachats and Florence, lots of places to pull out and enjoy the views. If you have the time, you could spend several days making that 20 mile stretch . Further north, there is the Olympic Peninsula, and the San Juan Islands. I am sure some of the locals will chime in here and tell you some of the "good" spots there!



Hope you both enjoy the trip!!



Jim

 

[illflem]

If you folks like tons of beautiful waterfalls and incredible easy hikes don't miss the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area just 25 miles east of Portland on I-84. Mt St. Helens is also very impressive, but a little out of your way. Big Sur is a don't miss. Although the Oregon coast is beautiful traffic can be nasty and reservations are a must this time of year. Have a great time.

 

[JLinder]

Washington and Oregon is Very pretty no matter where you go, There is crater lake in the center of oregon on hwy 95 south of bend , OR. (it is a volcano that blew out and rains filled it in)

Just to clarify, that is HWY-97. It runs from just east of Seattle south through central Washington and Oregon then back into I-5 in Weed. Crater Lake is a must see if you get inland at all, very cool.

If you are going to take Hwy 101, it will take longer but there is a lot to see and do. If you like airplanes, there is a neat museum in Tillimook, OR

The Air Museum in Tillamook is great, just follow the signs just south of town. Also in Tillamook is the Tillamook Creamery Cheese Factory that offer tours, pretty interesting if you are into that sort of thing. If you are sticking to the coast stop in Astoria and visit Ft. Clatsop (where Lewis and Clark spent the winter on their expedition) and the newly remodeled Maritime Museum.

Both places are great, even for us locals. Illflem is right about the traffic on Hwy-101, but if you aren't in a hurry then sit back and enjoy the scenery.



Enjoy your honeymoon!

 

[Cummins4Life]

If ya have the time to kill and the diesel to burn head out into south-eastern Oregon. Hart Mountain and Steens Mountain are worth a visit. Crater Lake would also be a good place to swing by.

 

[Joe G.]

If you come down into California on US101 and have plenty of time look around Humboldt County. That's my home and one of the most beautiful places around. Especially get off the freeway on the Avenue of the Giants. It's the old US101 highway. It goes thru some wonderful redwood groves and tiny towns. Then when you get into Mendocino County take SR 1 to the coast and on south from there. Lots of great coast and little towns. This road is not for those in a hurry!

 

[BV]

What they said and more

Mike - Congrats



And don't forget Fort Stevens in Astoria (Military history). Then there is the Oregon Coast Aquarium at Newport. You could visit the Sea Lion Caves between Waldport and Florence. Gold Beach has Jet Boat rides up the Rouge River . There are fish hatcheries and light houses along the way. A little off the beaten path but fun to see is the Oregon Caves National Park, They have logdes and camping near by. As you cross the border into CA you have the Redwood Forest and more senic hwy.



On your return trip if you missed the jet boats you can grab one from Grants Pass and go down the Rogue via Hellgate Jetboat Excursions.



Oh - and have some fun along the way

 

[NVR FNSH]

Winchester Mystery House in San Jose off 101 - not I-5. As Joe said Hwy 101 & 1 (PCH) have some great views in NorCal. Get a map of NorCal from AAA and look for the backroads along the coast from Eureka to Willits.



Stay of I-5 in the San Joaquin Valley - Bakersfield to Redding - if at all possible. It is incredibly boring.



Brian

 

[Utah Willie]

Looking for things to see on Honetmoon trip

That sounds like the trip I hope to take soon... . in reverse! Now, after seeing the glories of the Pacific coast... . and there are plenty to see, head around to the Southwest and run up I-15 through Las Vegas and Utah, Wyoming and Montana into Alberta or eastern B. C where you can eventually pick up the highway (s) home. You didn't say how you were traveling, except, I assume, by CTD ... If in a camper, California is especially crowded in their ocean front camps. Reservations are usually a good idea or even a requirement. When you get there, you'll see why Zillions of folks all looking for that "wilderness experience". The upside to this is that you won't be lonely. . This last piece of advice. I lost the love of my life last October... . there are a lot of things I reflect on that I could have done to make her life even more pleasant. It is amazing how easy it would have been had I the wisdom at that time. Just remember, she needs regular servicing... . just like your truck... well, not quite the same

 

[Midnite]

WOW! Thanks very much for all the replies! We're doing the last of our packing as I type this, and I'm printing out the whole thread (easier than taking notes )



Thanks again for all the great suggestions!



Mike

 

[LandShark]

Hope I'm not to late. I've done that trip a few times and agree with all the suggestions. A fun place to stop on the northern part of your trip is Prince Ruppert in BC. Don't miss Cowpucinos in Cow Bay and the cannery tour near by.

 

[Midnite]

Well, we made it, and no problems with the truck! We pulled into Los Angeles around 10pm last night, and have seen quite a few of the things people have posted. We also stopped at the Hearst Castle in San Simian--that was just plain amazing.



While at Piers' shop just outside Abbotsford, he advanced the pump timing and swapped my stock 21cm turbo housing for a non-wastegated 16cm. It was a blast talking with him, and he mentioned the camshaft he was coming out with--that sounds interesting!



Dang--highway 1 along the coast south of San Francisco is NOT for the faint of heart! I actually had to pull over and lock out overdrive so I wouldn't have to ride the brakes so hard. What I would have given to have a manual transmission and an exhaust brake...



I'd forgotten how irritating it is not being able to pump my own diesel in Oregon. When we had to fuel up there, I just decided to do it and play dumb if confronted. The girl came over quickly and looked at me with huge eyes and said, "do you know that's ILLEGAL?!?" She went on about how her station could be fined, I could be fined, and the whole world would just generally slide down into total chaos. I dropped my jaw and said "WOW--that's crazy! You guys might want to put some signs up so us people from other states know about that" (not one sign *anywhere* mentioning you can't pump your own fuel, so it helped my dumb act). On our way back north I'll top off right before we leave California, so hopefully along with the extra 6 gallon can we won't have to fill up at all in Oregon.



Not much planned on the return trip, other than stopping for a winery tour, and hitting Laird River Hot Springs in Canada. We'll start heading back north around 6/17, and I think we'll probably just play it by ear and pull over if we see anything remotely interesting.



If any of you are planning any get togethers in the next week or two, please post it here as soon as possible--I'd love to meet some of you and put some faces to the names!



Thanks again,

Mike

 

[NVR FNSH]

Once you get north of Redding on I-5 there isn't any cheap diesel in CA. There is a Pilot & a Beacon at Dunnigan, CA - where 505 & 5 meet north of Sacramento - that are usually pretty good prices. There is a Flying J & a Texaco(?) at I-5 & Hwy 12 (Lodi) that are both good prices. I usually fill up there or Santa Nella BEFORE heading back towards the Bay Area/Santa Rosa if at all possible. If you're heading back via 101 you'll want to fill up in Hopland - just south of Ukiah.



Brian