San Francisco to Seattle

My husband and I are thinking of taking a trip out to the west coast at the end of the month. We would leave Washington DC on a Tuesday and return the following Monday. Originally we were thinking of flying in to Seattle and spending a day or two there. Then we were planning on driving to San Francisco leaving ourselves a couple of days there as well. Neither of us have been to the Pacific Northwest. Are our plans over ambitious? Should we pick one city and then just do day trips? Or is our original idea doable?

Thanks!

San Francisco to Seattle

Cell0, that idea is doable, but you%26#39;ll find (as I did when I attempted something similar) that there are so many interesting things along the way that you%26#39;ll wish for a LOT more time... the redwoods, for instance, or Crater Lake in Oregon. You can catch I-5 for a straight shot from Seattle to San Francisco. However, it sounds like a rushed trip to me.

There is so much charm in both cities... can you manage another trip next year? Pick one this year and do the other one next year?? Then the year after that, come to Idaho and spend some time in the Sawtooths???

Unhelpfully yours,

Pug

San Francisco to Seattle

I agree with the previous poster. With just 6 days (maybe just 5 depending on your flights), and trying to spend time in both Seattle and SF, the drive would just be a long frustrating one where you%26#39;ll have to zip by things without stopping, and there%26#39;s SO much to see on the way, especially along the coast. I think that unless you can take *at least* 3 days to do the drive, it%26#39;s not worth it, if your goal is to really enjoy the gorgeous scenery this area has to offer. Even that is pushing it, IMO (I just drove down from Seattle to SF and back last month along the coast--I took 3 days down, but I skipped much of the OR coast because I%26#39;ve been there a whole bunch of times--but it shouldn%26#39;t be missed as a visitor and about 6 days coming back up and I still could have taken longer).

You%26#39;ll have plenty to keep you busy in either city--you can do day trips, or you could stay 2-3 days in either Seattle or SF and then go stay in a scenic area for 2-3 days such as Mendocino or the wine country from SF, or the San Juans or the Olympic Peninsula from Seattle.

I would pick one city or the other.

It is about a 15 hour drive from Seattle to SF with no traffic, junk food stops or potty breaks.

If you had 2 weeks that would be a nice trip. Doing that in one week you will see more freeway than city, and there%26#39;s so much to see in both cities.

Two summers ago, my husband and I considered doing the same thing. Then, I realized he had totally forgotten the great state of Oregon and how long the drive would be.

We ended up booking a package with Expedia. We landed in Seattle on Saturday where we stayed three nights. We toured the city, visited Mt. Rainier, and actually had a little time to relax. On Tuesday, we flew to San Francisco and spent four nights there. We traveled to Monterey one day and spent the other three traipsing around SF and having a great time. It was my first visit to the Pacific and we truly enjoyed ourselves without going home worn out.

We decided when we retire we would like to drive the same route, but only when we have enough time to meander around. Through Expedia, the entire trip was fairly affordable and the extra flight in between cities did not add much to the cost.

Just a thought. Whatever you choose, you will enjoy either/both cities and their beauty.

Suzy

I feel it would be too much to attempt thes two great cities in that amount of time unless you were to fly to both of them. I visited Seattle last Sept and spent 5 days there visiting both Seattle and Victoria BC one day. I just got back from my first trip to SF and spent 4 days in that great city and wished I could have stayed a couple of more days. I would loveto do the type trip you described - I%26#39;m sure the drive would be beautiful but you would not get to see much of these 2 cities. I would just do one city and if I had to choose one it would be SF. The city has so much to offer and you also have the option of the wine country and the coast down towwards Montrery and Carmel. I hope to go back there someday .