Driving to DL from North West-

[DnA2010]

Has anyone done the west coast trip from BC/Washington to Disneyland lately? we were pondering an end of August visit to DL which got me thinking- maybe we should just drive there- anyone done it lately and have any recommendations for other things to do on the drive there and back?

 

[ParkHopper1]

I-5 is the quickest route and it cuts through the Central Valley of Californian but there really is not much of significance between Sacramento and Los Angeles except endless freeway and random ag towns.

You could road trip it down Hwy 1 once you hit San Francisco (not much value in Hwy 1 N of SF IMO) to check out Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Big Sur but that could add days to the trip.

That is a haul...with the price of gas hop on a Southwest flight!

 

[bcla]

I-5 is the quickest route and it cuts through the Central Valley of Californian but there really is not much of significance between Sacramento and Los Angeles except endless freeway and random ag towns.

You could road trip it down Hwy 1 once you hit San Francisco (not much value in Hwy 1 N of SF IMO) to check out Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Big Sur but that could add days to the trip.

That is a haul...with the price of gas hop on a Southwest flight!

There's some stuff between Sacramento and LA. I'm not sure Stockton is just a random ag town, although I've been there and it's not exactly a tourist destination. There is Pea Soup Andersen's in Gustine and Harris Ranch. But other than that, I don't think there are really any random ag towns. Just little populated road stops like Kettleman City. Heck - Coalinga and Avenal are located off I-5.

I suppose there is Santa Clarita, which has Magic Mountain.

And CA-1 is actually pretty spectacular north of San Francisco. It goes by Point Reyes National Seashore and Bodega Bay. I've been to Marshall which is where several oyster farms are based. There's restaurants like Nicks Cove, Tony's Seafood, and The Marshall Store. Then there's Mendocino and Fort Bragg. Haven't been up there but I know some people from the area who said it was pretty spectacular. And obviously further north such as Redwood National and State Parks.

https://www.nps.gov/redw/index.htm

I read about some place there which is all you can eat but was established as a place where lumberjacks would eat.

https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/last-logger-cookhouse-in-california-17353456.php

 

[DLgal]

I can't even imagine such a long road trip. Oof. But if you are road warriors, it's a beautiful drive.

 

[Iceman93]

There is Pea Soup Andersen's in Gustine and Harris Ranch.

And CA-1 is actually pretty spectacular north of San Francisco. It goes by Point Reyes National Seashore and Bodega Bay.

Harris Ranch is a must-stop whenever I drive up and down I-5. Whether it's just for a spectacular meal in their restaurant or picking up some super-fresh meat or bakery specialties, it has become a family tradition.

As for PCH (CA-1), is it still closed down by Big Sur? Before planning to take that route (which I agree turns a 5-hour slog on I-5 into a 12-hour exercise in frustration but with better scenery), definitely check to ensure it's open as there are frequent mudslides that sometimes take months to clear.

 

[China Expat]

The drive north of San Francisco all the way up along the Oregon COast is stunning. Highlights in CA include POint Reyes lighthouse, Morro Bay, San Simeon elephant seals, Big Sur, Elk, Mendocino, Ferndale, OLd EUreka, and then all of the Oregon COast, especially Bandon and Cannon Beach!

 

[DnA2010]

That is a haul...with the price of gas hop on a Southwest flight!

We do have an EV which cuts the cost down for sure


Thanks for all the thoughts folks!

 

[mouseknotts]

If you do drive to Disneyland I would strongly suggest downloading the app for the California quickmap. You can also see it from a web browser. I use it all the time to see road conditions and traffic problems. IT is also called the Caltrans quickmap and it covers all of California.

 

[emtink]

As others have said, that's a long drive! But if you have the time, then it could be fun. I believe CA-1 through Big Sur is now open. Other options would be taking the 99 down central CA. It more closely follows the foothills of the sierras and is a much prettier drive than the 5. Another option would be 101, which you could take all the way into LA. Its faster than taking the 1 the whole way, and it does follow along the coast through Santa Barbara/Ventura. 101 also has a lot of old missions along the way, if you're interested in checking those out. I think it depends on what you want to get out of this road trip.

 

[Chickinvic]

I have considered it (I'm on Vancouver Island), but I just don't have enough vacation time to spend it doing the drive. I also don't want to start my DL trip already tired (since I would have to rush down due to limited time off).

 

[Joycek007]

I've done it from Portland, but I like driving. I take I-5 down and stay over night. Usually the Sacramento area or sometimes in Wesley if I want less of a drive the next day. We arrive around dinner time and head to Downtown Disney, grab dinner, walk around and get a good night sleep to start our park day the next morning. It's about 16 hours for me.

 

[RainyDayPixie]

We road tripped growing up (80s/90s) many times and there are lots of beautiful places to stop. I remember one trip going to crater lake and redwoods. And getting stuck in Weed with a flat tire on a Sunday. I live in Seattle area now and it is more expensive to drive than fly and hard to get the time off. But I do think it’s pretty and worthwhile.

 

[DodgerGirl]

Has anyone done the west coast trip from BC/Washington to Disneyland lately? we were pondering an end of August visit to DL which got me thinking- maybe we should just drive there- anyone done it lately and have any recommendations for other things to do on the drive there and back?

If you're looking to spend the night a good place to stop at is Paso Robles and it's really beautiful and you can find wonderful hotels there for a good price and a good hotel is Adelaide Inn which is really nice and you can get a good deal there and Yelp has great reviews of that hotel and if you need to do a little shopping before you get back on the road Paso Robles also has a big shopping center with a Target and a Dollar Tree in it too and it's easy to find on the freeway because you can spot the Target easily
Hope this advice helps you and have a great trip
Dodger

 

[bcla]

I've done it from Portland, but I like driving. I take I-5 down and stay over night. Usually the Sacramento area or sometimes in Wesley if I want less of a drive the next day. We arrive around dinner time and head to Downtown Disney, grab dinner, walk around and get a good night sleep to start our park day the next morning. It's about 16 hours for me.

The OP mentioned an EV, which makes things interesting. But there’s charging infrastructure everywhere now. This is just from ChargePoint.

 

[StormyCA]

Just an FYI, Hwy 1 is still closed as of 6/10/23 in both directions from Limekiln Creek Bridge to Big Creek Vista Point due to landslide removal. No estimated date of reopening.

You can use the CalTrans online 'quick map' to check for status.

 

[IsleofDisney]

Our cousins and Disneyland touring buddies, make an annual trip to Cambria and if it works out for them, to the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo.

Many years ago, we stayed in Fresno for a month, we visited the most unusual home someone built...underground. It's called Forestiere Underground Gardens, it's quite amazing! The immigrant who hand dug the tunnels and rooms created this home for his family over years, definitely a unique experience.

 

[Pluto468]

I've driven from the Portland area a few times and it's a very long trip. It took us 16 hours, but we did it all in 1 day. I imagine it's better if you add an overnight. After the last time we decided to just fly from now on.

 

[DnA2010]

Thank you all for your thoughts, we are going to have a good think about it, but I suspect it will be too much to put together/too much work vacation to use without planning ahead, but we will see.