CA to OR Coast Ride Recommendations

[Linerider]

Planning to take a trip from LA to Crescent City, CA in the summer of 2013. I want to spend as much time along the coast as possible. Anyone have recommendations on the route, lodging, must-see sites along the way, time we should plan to take to get there, etc? There will be at least three of us on dressers with our S/O's.

[FRANKR]

The link below will give you the routes you might want to try....you might consider getting off the coast in some locations and take some of the other suggested roads. Each route has recommended sites to take into consideration. Once you figure what roads you want to travel and how many miles a day you can do, pick a place to stay at the end of each day and check for local accomodations.

Keep in mind that you are talking 1500 straight line miles plus additional travel for siteseeing and other routes. I would suggest planning on 1800 miles with somwhere between 250 to 300 miles per day. I am sure you will get other suggestions of what to see and do.......way too many to name here and your likes might be different than others..........good luck.

http://www.motorcycleroads.us/states/ca.html

[sloxl]

I agree with FRANKR, your miles per day estimates may be very optimistic. The coast especially during the summer can be a slow road with all the retirees driving their 40 ft. RVs while gawking. Since they take up both sides of the road you will go miles without a passing opportunity. However it gives you time to slow down and gawk right along with them.
If you are planning to end the trip in Crescent City I would suggest taking a few hours and hitting Oregon, just to say you did. If you think time will be tight go north on 101 and south on 1, much better view of the coast that way.
San Luis Obispo, Monterey-Santa Cruz-Half Moon Bay, Ukiah and Eureka are good stops going north, add to that Fort Bragg and the San Simeon to Morro Bay stretch on the way south. Motels get filled up by 6, plan on stopping by 5 or even 4 just to be safe. Being from LA I don't need to tell you to avoid SF during rush hour. Big Sur to San Simeon only has one, very expensive, gas station at Gorda.
To finish it off I can tell you from years of experience the 101 from Santa Barbara to LA on Sunday afternoon is a gawdawful slow slog as is the other way on Friday evening.
This picture is in Morro Bay.

[hogcowboy]

I would take about 3 hours off for a Hurst Castle tour. It's an amazing mansion.