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Driving the West Coast USA

Discussion in 'Marinas & Waypoints' started by dainisk, Mar 8, 2017.

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  1. dainisk

    dainisk Member

    Joined:
    Jan 15, 2007
    Messages:
    62
    Location:
    Perth, Fremantle
    Hello:
    Looking for some ideas from members on the US West Coast. We live in Perth Australia and are planning a short holiday, driving from Seattle to LA in September of this year. We are in our 60's. The plan is to start at Seattle, visit Boeing, then to Anacortes. From there wiggle our way down the coast to LA over the course of 10 days. Being boatie sort of people, I would welcome any suggestions about ‘must see’ things and neat places to stay overnight. There is a wealth of info on the net, but nothing like local knowledge to cut through the maze.
    Thank you
  2. Chuckybas

    Chuckybas Member

    Joined:
    Nov 21, 2007
    Messages:
    48
    Location:
    Great Lakes
    Set aside more time than you think you'll need for photos. There's so much to see along the coast.
  3. Svbelleisle

    Svbelleisle New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 15, 2009
    Messages:
    3
    Location:
    Channel Islands Harbor, CA USA
    We made this trip several years ago and had a great time!
    Look for the lighthouses; our favorites are Yaquina Head and Yaquina Bay lights in OR (if you can find them in the fog), Pt. Reyes (hang onto your hat) and Pigeon Pt. in CA. Stay out of San Francisco as it needs at least a week to see. Canon Beach, OR is gorgeous as is the Monterey-Carmel area. The aquarium in Monterey is worth a day. Stay in the smaller motels/hotels and eat in local restaurants; try the cioppino, made with local ingredients it will be different every night. Take lots of photos and have a wonderful time!
  4. dainisk

    dainisk Member

    Joined:
    Jan 15, 2007
    Messages:
    62
    Location:
    Perth, Fremantle
    Thank you for your comments guys!
  5. RER

    RER Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2009
    Messages:
    1,532
    Location:
    Newport Beach CA
    I agree to skip San Francisco, but that's because I despise the entire bay area. I also agree wholeheartedly that the Monterey-Carmel area is gorgeous, as is Highway 1 through Big Sur. Don't miss it.
  6. PacBlue

    PacBlue Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2009
    Messages:
    1,988
    Location:
    Dana Point, Ca
    Hearst Castle near Cambria below Monterey is always a nice stop , I like to stop by most of the harbors on the central coast like Morro Bay as well as Santa Barbara, then Ventura and Channel Islands for boat watching West Coast style. You won't see many big Yachts until you get to Marina Del Ray. The same comments on SF can be made about LA, just too much traffic and crowds. Keep on trucking south and things open up a bit starting at Long Beach Marina. The vibe is definitely different in Newport Beach and laid back Dana Point, then you know you are in SoCal
  7. RER

    RER Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2009
    Messages:
    1,532
    Location:
    Newport Beach CA
    Well, it looks like you can forget about Big Sur for a while. Up to a year possibly. There will have to be an environmental impact report to ensure that no snails are displaced before they can make repairs...

    http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/wireStory/downed-bridge-splits-big-sur-closes-part-coast-46061016

    California is blowing $75 billion dollars on a bullet train from Bakersfield to San Jose. They continually pay out more than $5 billion per year due to welfare fraud, but there's no dough for trivial stuff like maintaining roads. They are the worst in the country.