Author Topic: Vancouver to Vegas, Pacific Coast, and back (Read 3854 times)

Ead · « **on:** October 04, 2015, 01:44:08 am »

A number of questions for you experienced folk here.

I'll be heading down to Vegas and back for a conference. Total time on the road (driving) down and back will be about 7 days. I have a few questions; hope you all don't mind providing me with some insight here.

1) Lots of people have lauded the quality of Chevron gasoline. I'm worried about availability on all legs of the trip. In the case that Chevron is not an option, are there any other brands worth considering? Or, perhaps just as important, are there any brands I should keep away from?

2) My trip will involve getting to Vegas on a relatively short time period, but there will be a day's worth of touring possible in the SFO area. My intention is to check out San Fran's Chinatown (history, cultural relevance, and all that). Any other suggestions for things to check out in that area?

3) On the way back, I'll be hugging the coast all the way up. First point of touching the coastal highway will be somewhere around the Golden Gate Bridge. Any "must see" places in: Northern California, Coastal Oregon, Olympic Peninsula?

4) Is it true that only gas jockeys are allowed to fuel up your car in Oregon? Can you insist that they isspay off and let you do the fueling instead?

5) What is there to do in Seattle on a Sunday morning, other than going to church?

Thanks muchly!

A.J. · « **Reply #1 on:** October 04, 2015, 07:35:18 am »

If you're a foodie, Portland has a crapload of food trucks. Something I'd be sure to check out. I'm also a plane geek, so stopping in at Boeing in Everett would be near the top of my Seattle to do list. Trying to catch a football or baseball game in your travels would also be a fun thing to do (if you're into sports). Just be sure to go early because pre game tailgating is half the fun!

RhinestoneChow · « **Reply #2 on:** October 04, 2015, 11:06:15 am »

Doing the drive in 7 days is going to be tough, I made this trip in June and the only area where I was actually driving along the coast was Highway 101 near Redwood National Park which led to the Golden Gate Bridge. For the most part I was driving along Interstate 5, you'll save about 4 hours alone from San Francisco to Los Angeles if you stay on it. As for gas station, I usually stuck with Shell, Chevron or Exxon if neither of those were available. Oh and it's illegal for you to fill up your own car in Oregon, the other state is New Jersey.

How long are you staying in each city? As mentioned sport events are always fun, I was able to catch the Mariners play at Giants during my trip. San Francisco is pretty sweet, check out Twin Peaks, Treasure Island and Grizzly Peak in Berkeley for amazing lookouts. Fisherman's Wharf is always a huge tourist spot full of shops to check out.

https://flic.kr/s/aHskbuSuE4

Markkenko · « **Reply #3 on:** October 04, 2015, 01:33:55 pm »

If you're planning on heading north on highway 101, I highly suggest staying on it until you reach the turn off to head towards Montesano, and in towards Olympia. Cannon Beach,OR and Seaside, OR was where I spend a couple of days surfing, and the stretch of highway from Cannon Beach to just before Montesano was great. Soooo many awesome views, and if you're lucky like I was, you'll get the road mostly to yourself. At that point it literally turns into a track straight out of need for speed.

If you're planning on stopping in Portland at any time, head west out of the city on highway 26 towards Cannon Beach and then head north on 101. The highway going west to Cannon Beach was also really really incredible towards the end. Smooth pavement, high speed sweeping turns, etc. Definitely recommended. This is a photo of my car somewhere just outside Cannon Beach.

If you have the chance to stop, I would also recommend stopping at Indian Beach just outside of Cannon Beach. Definitely the coolest place i've ever surfed. The views were something straight out of a movie. This is a photo I grabbed of Indian Beach.

Another really awesome drive is Chuckanut Drive. Its just south of Bellingham, and west of highway 5. Takes an extra 5 minutes to do, but man is that road really cool.

As far as gas jockeys go, I told them to isspay off every time I had stopped for gas. Some of them understood, but most said "sorry bro, its my job"... That frustrated me a lot.

I have a ton of footage from my trip, and this is really getting me to want to look back at all of it. I may post a few stills or even some video from it in here if you want.

Canuckrz · « **Reply #4 on:** October 04, 2015, 02:45:08 pm »

Quote from: Markkas on October 04, 2015, 01:33:55 pm

As far as gas jockeys go, I told them to isspay off every time I had stopped for gas. Some of them understood, but most said "sorry bro, its my job"... That frustrated me a lot.

You do realize that there's a $500 fine in Oregon for that. Also yes, it is kind of their job, and they would be out of a job possibly if people pumped their own gas like everywhere else. So I don't really see a problem with defending it that way so long as they don't so a itshay job at it.

That being said I also hate and avoid full serve because I prefer pumping my own gas. Mostly because almost every time I go to full serve stations they always go a few bucks beyond the fill stop to bring it to a round number. Which drives me nuts.

Markkenko · « **Reply #5 on:** October 04, 2015, 04:30:08 pm »

Quote from: Canuckrz on October 04, 2015, 02:45:08 pm

You do realize that there's a $500 fine in Oregon for that. Also yes, it is kind of their job, and they would be out of a job possibly if people pumped their own gas like everywhere else. So I don't really see a problem with defending it that way so long as they don't so a itshay job at it.

That being said I also hate and avoid full serve because I prefer pumping my own gas. Mostly because almost every time I go to full serve stations they always go a few bucks beyond the fill stop to bring it to a round number. Which drives me nuts.

I was unaware of such fine. I do realize it's they're job, and I let them do it if they insisted. Regardless, I still found it to be a frustrating thing.

The first guy managed to spill gas on my car when he removed the nozzle. From then on, I always asked, and I seem to have gotten away with it in the smaller coastal towns.

Ead · « **Reply #6 on:** October 04, 2015, 10:27:22 pm »

Quote from: A.J. on October 04, 2015, 07:35:18 am

If you're a foodie, Portland has a crapload of food trucks. Something I'd be sure to check out. I'm also a plane geek, so stopping in at Boeing in Everett would be near the top of my Seattle to do list. Trying to catch a football or baseball game in your travels would also be a fun thing to do (if you're into sports). Just be sure to go early because pre game tailgating is half the fun!

I'll only be passing through Portland on my way down to Vegas, as I'll be hugging the coast all the way back up (including tracing the Olympic Peninsula). However, if time permits, I might check out Boeing on the way back, as long as they're open on Sunday.

Football or baseball will be impractical for this trip, as the goal will be to try to get there/back in a decent number of days. My fiancée would kill me if I hung around and caught a game or two.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Ead · « **Reply #7 on:** October 04, 2015, 10:34:02 pm »

Quote from: RhinestoneChow on October 04, 2015, 11:06:15 am

Doing the drive in 7 days is going to be tough, I made this trip in June and the only area where I was actually driving along the coast was Highway 101 near Redwood National Park which led to the Golden Gate Bridge. For the most part I was driving along Interstate 5, you'll save about 4 hours alone from San Francisco to Los Angeles if you stay on it. As for gas station, I usually stuck with Shell, Chevron or Exxon if neither of those were available. Oh and it's illegal for you to fill up your own car in Oregon, the other state is New Jersey.

How long are you staying in each city? As mentioned sport events are always fun, I was able to catch the Mariners play at Giants during my trip. San Francisco is pretty sweet, check out Twin Peaks, Treasure Island and Grizzly Peak in Berkeley for amazing lookouts. Fisherman's Wharf is always a huge tourist spot full of shops to check out.

https://flic.kr/s/aHskbuSuE4

Thanks for sharing the photos - they're awesome!

If things work out according to plan, aside from the few days of the conference where I'll be staying in Vegas, each stop will be an overnighter. I have reserved one day to check out San Francisco, so on the trip down, I'll be in the Bay area for two nights, but staying in different cities (basically to better position myself on the 2nd night for the leg to Vegas). My goal for San Fran is to check out the Chinatown, as it is the oldest one in North America (and I'm a bit of a history nut), and I hear that there are quite a few things nearby that I might end up checking out (such as the Fisherman's Wharf).

The coastal drive will be reserved for the trip back, and the plan is to take Hwy 1 / US-101 from essentially the Golden Gate Bridge to just east of the Olympic peninsula. I'm pacing myself moderately for those legs, as I do intend to take regular breaks to enjoy the scenery. Redwood Nat'l Park is one of the stops I intend to make.

I recognize that making the trip in essentially 7 days worth of driving is a bit maniacal, but as mentioned earlier, my fiancée isn't too happy about me going on this trip alone, and so the short timeframe is in part to ensure I'm not gone for that long. Plus the more overnight stays I make, the more expensive the trip becomes, and I'd like to make sure I have some money to buy Christmas presents with when the time comes around...

Thanks for the info!

Ead · « **Reply #8 on:** October 04, 2015, 10:46:07 pm »

Quote from: Markkas on October 04, 2015, 01:33:55 pm

If you're planning on heading north on highway 101, I highly suggest staying on it until you reach the turn off to head towards Montesano, and in towards Olympia. Cannon Beach,OR and Seaside, OR was where I spend a couple of days surfing, and the stretch of highway from Cannon Beach to just before Montesano was great. Soooo many awesome views, and if you're lucky like I was, you'll get the road mostly to yourself. At that point it literally turns into a track straight out of need for speed.

I'm not getting off 101 until I make it all the way around the Olympic peninsula, so I think I've got things covered there.

Although I'm not much of a speed freak, I'm hoping that I'll have the road mostly to myself, so that I can travel it at my leisure.

Quote from: Markkas on October 04, 2015, 01:33:55 pm

If you're planning on stopping in Portland at any time, head west out of the city on highway 26 towards Cannon Beach and then head north on 101. The highway going west to Cannon Beach was also really really incredible towards the end. Smooth pavement, high speed sweeping turns, etc. Definitely recommended. This is a photo of my car somewhere just outside Cannon Beach.

If you have the chance to stop, I would also recommend stopping at Indian Beach just outside of Cannon Beach. Definitely the coolest place i've ever surfed. The views were something straight out of a movie. This is a photo I grabbed of Indian Beach.

Thanks for sharing - that does look pretty awesome. I'll have to see if I can fit it into my schedule on the way back!

Quote from: Markkas on October 04, 2015, 01:33:55 pm

Another really awesome drive is Chuckanut Drive. Its just south of Bellingham, and west of highway 5. Takes an extra 5 minutes to do, but man is that road really cool.

That is definitely up my alley! And something that I could fit in on my way back from Seattle.

Quote from: Markkas on October 04, 2015, 01:33:55 pm

As far as gas jockeys go, I told them to isspay off every time I had stopped for gas. Some of them understood, but most said "sorry bro, its my job"... That frustrated me a lot.

I have a ton of footage from my trip, and this is really getting me to want to look back at all of it. I may post a few stills or even some video from it in here if you want.

Certainly, if you don't mind sharing - by all means, please do! And thanks for all the suggestions!

Ead · « **Reply #9 on:** October 04, 2015, 10:51:27 pm »

Quote from: Canuckrz on October 04, 2015, 02:45:08 pm

You do realize that there's a $500 fine in Oregon for that. Also yes, it is kind of their job, and they would be out of a job possibly if people pumped their own gas like everywhere else. So I don't really see a problem with defending it that way so long as they don't so a itshay job at it.

That being said I also hate and avoid full serve because I prefer pumping my own gas. Mostly because almost every time I go to full serve stations they always go a few bucks beyond the fill stop to bring it to a round number. Which drives me nuts.

I'm very much that way too. I should be able to avoid refueling on the way down (as the trip down I-5 should be relatively straightforward, and I can fuel up in WA before crossing over to OR), but I'm most concerned about the trip back. My rough estimate suggests that I should mostly be able to avoid having to refuel in OR on the way back, but the tricky part is all the side-trips and stops that I'll be making should ruin that estimate. If it can't be helped, though... I guess I could put up with some gas jockey doing it for me just once this trip.

Thanks for the insight and the info about the fine - I didn't realize they take their gas jockeying so seriously. How I wish their new law would've come into effect 3 months early... *le sigh*

jgardiner · « **Reply #10 on:** October 05, 2015, 08:20:28 am »

What new law is that?

Ead · « **Reply #11 on:** October 05, 2015, 04:50:19 pm »

http://www.dailyastorian.com/Local_News/20150821/a-change-at-the-pump

Not sure what the rule is here regarding quoting articles. I'd quote the whole article if I could, but it is quite a long read.

The TL;DR version is:

signed into law in June, comes into effect in January
counties with populations of less than 40k people have the option of having their stations set as self-serve for the hours of 6pm to 6am where staff are not available

The law is meant to convenience those travelling by motor vehicle at late hours of the day, so that they aren't stranded in uckyfay, Oregon, in the middle of the night while they wait for a gasoline station to open.

DubyaRX · « **Reply #12 on:** October 06, 2015, 02:09:24 pm »

If you could it would be worth your while to hit the coast South of SF around Monterrey. There's a killer aquarium there. Then you can hit the Santa Cruz boardwalk on your way North. The 17 mile road past Pebble Beach is God's country. When you're in Oregon get out and see people surfing the dunes outside of Florence. You can rent a quad or get a ride in a sand rail. Make sure you see the Goonies house when you go through Astoria, which also has a huge bridge spanning the Columbia river over to Washington. Too bad you don't want to leave the coast because Crater Lake is something else. Fantastic drive with an awesome view and ring-road at the top.

Ead · « **Reply #13 on:** October 06, 2015, 02:22:27 pm »

Quote from: DubyaRX on October 06, 2015, 02:09:24 pm

If you could it would be worth your while to hit the coast South of SF around Monterrey. There's a killer aquarium there. Then you can hit the Santa Cruz boardwalk on your way North. The 17 mile road past Pebble Beach is God's country. When you're in Oregon get out and see people surfing the dunes outside of Florence. You can rent a quad or get a ride in a sand rail. Make sure you see the Goonies house when you go through Astoria, which also has a huge bridge spanning the Columbia river over to Washington. Too bad you don't want to leave the coast because Crater Lake is something else. Fantastic drive with an awesome view and ring-road at the top.

Thanks for the tips!

On my way to the coast from Vegas, I'll be cutting through San Luis Obispo, and then hugging the coast for what will hopefully be sunset. I'll be staying just south of San Fran that night.

As for Crater Lake, since I'll be I-5'ing it on my way down, I might make the detour and head in. You're now the 3rd person who has recommended checking it out.

My only issue is that I'll be doing a 12-hour drive that day (Seattle to just north of the Bay area), so I don't know how much time I'll have to really check things out there.

Ead · « **Reply #14 on:** October 14, 2015, 12:42:53 pm »

Thanks again everyone for the tips and suggestions. I head off tonight - first stop: Seattle.

DubyaRX · « **Reply #15 on:** October 14, 2015, 01:57:38 pm »

Keep it rubber-side down eh...

Ead · « **Reply #16 on:** October 14, 2015, 02:45:48 pm »

Quote from: DubyaRX on October 14, 2015, 01:57:38 pm

Keep it rubber-side down eh...

Thanks, will do!

RhinestoneChow · « **Reply #17 on:** October 14, 2015, 06:56:51 pm »

Have fun! I wish could rewind back to the start of the summer and redo this trip again haha!

Ead · « **Reply #18 on:** October 15, 2015, 07:36:12 am »

Quote from: RhinestoneChow on October 14, 2015, 06:56:51 pm

Have fun! I wish could rewind back to the start of the summer and redo this trip again haha!

Thanks - just finished my over-nighter in Seattle. Now to tackle the 12-hr drive down the I-5!

Rexy11 · « **Reply #19 on:** October 15, 2015, 08:31:19 am »

Feel free to post some pictures if you find yourself with downtime!

Ead · « **Reply #20 on:** October 16, 2015, 08:22:29 am »

Let's see how things work out. The 12 hour drive was as advertised - took 12 hours.

Today is all about laying back and enjoying San Fran. That is, if I can ever get my lazy uckfaying assay out of bed and checking out so that I can move to my next stop (San Jose). Then, it's transit all day, baby!

Back to the drive tomorrow - onward to Vegas. Death Valley or direct? Hmmmmmm...

Ead · « **Reply #21 on:** October 18, 2015, 12:27:34 am »

As fate would have it, the mudslides in California directly impacted my decision on the route(s) I'll need to take to/from Vegas. Initially, I thought I would have to decide between going through Death Valley or driving "straight" to Vegas; the mudslide decided that for me, as CA-58 was closed for clearing the highway. This meant I had no choice pretty much but to go through Death Valley.

For those who have never had the opportunity to do so, I would highly recommend taking Highways CA-178 and CA-190 to and through Death Valley. As a person who loves to take the twisty-turnies, it was a dream come true!

On the trip back, it depends on whether or not the debris will be cleared quickly enough. My backup plan at the moment is to go back via Ventura and Santa Barbara up US-101 to Salinas (sorry, Monterey - looks like I'm not meant to experience you this trip). Shorter timeframe, and possibility of catching a Pacific sunset, even though it's not the one I intended to see initially.

Ead · « **Reply #22 on:** October 21, 2015, 11:57:17 am »

Conference ends today, and I intend to high-tail it out of here the first opportunity I can. Not sure about conditions on CA-58, but I'm going to stick with my revised plans to hit the coast at Ventura/Santa Barbara, and then up US-101 to Salinas.

So far, the drive to get out here was pretty good. The trip home, though, looks to be fantastically awesome, if the weather cooperates.

jellynuts · « **Reply #23 on:** October 21, 2015, 03:42:25 pm »

Soo... What was so bad about Vegas?

snakeman · « **Reply #24 on:** October 21, 2015, 07:21:43 pm »

I'm just gonna assume it was something to do with a transexual hooker.

Because Vegas.