Driving to Cali

[Superflyer]

So this summer we are thinking of heading to California, and we are wondering what is the best route to take. There are two we are thinking about, heading south to Montana\Idaho\Utah\South Nevada\Cali OR heading west then south, BC\Washington\Oregon\Cali.
We are driving so seeing some sights are great. This will be around July\August so the one thing that I am worried about is driving through the desert in the summer. Not sure if this is a big deal or not, just something that popped into my head.
I have never been any further south the Boise before so I am not sure what to expect so any notes would help as well.

[Clever_Iggy]

I've done both and definitely prefer the BC/ORE/WAS/CAL route. I've taken two separate routes that follow that general path: Calgary through Lethbridge down to Great Falls and then over through Spokane and to Seattle. Then south through Portland/Eugene/Salem all the way through California on the No. 5 Interstate. The benefit of this route is you can hop over to the 101 that runs along the coast which is one of the best drives around. I've also stayed in Canada all the way to Abbotsford and then south through Seattle on the No. 5. Both are great trips... you can make better time heading into the US first, but the drive through BC is more scenic (although driving along 84 in Oregon is pretty nice).

On the way back, I would switch it up and go through NEV/UTAH/MON. Head up Interstate 15 (I assume you'll make it to LA) through Vegas and towards St. George, Utah. If you have time, plan on hitting Zion National Park just north of St. George. Well worth it. Head north on the 15 through Salt Lake and up into Idaho. If you have time, you can hit up Yellowstone in Wyoming before following the 15 to the border.

This is assuming you're doing a round trip.

[jammies]

Montana route is faster by quite a bit, and I've driven them both. I suppose the coastal route is more scenic, but coming down off the high Utah plateau onto the desert is the best single experience.

I would suggest going south by one, and coming back on the other. I wouldn't worry too much about getting stuck in the desert, just plan it so you aren't going thru it in the middle of the day. If I was in no big hurry, I'd stop in Idaho the first day, south Utah somewhere near Beaver on the 2nd, and Vegas on the third, getting to California on the 4th. It's about 23-26 hours of driving all the way from Calgary to LA, so breaking it up into about 5-8 hour segments is best.

If you are thinking of driving all the way through, just make sure you have at least 2 drivers that can eat up big miles without resting. I've done it where I ended up doing 16 of the 20 hours it takes to get to Vegas because the other "drivers" didn't realize how tired you get just sitting in the passenger seat for mile after mile. If you haven't been on a long car-trip like that before, be aware that not everyone can hack it and that an unexpected stop overnight is better than falling asleep at the wheel.

[dj_patm]

Pacific Route = Sight Seeing
I-15 = Speed

I took the I-15 and got to Vegas in 16 hours. But I didn't stop for anything but Gas (bought food and went to washroom in Gas Station)

[Ice]

Driving through the desert is no big deal. The colorful desert hills of the Southern Utah and that corner of Arizona down the 15 is one of my favorite sights on the drive. The longest drive without seeing gas stations seems to be in Idaho. I would definitely fill up in Idaho Falls or Pocatello if you're heading south, Ogden, Utah or just north of there on the way up.

If you want to take the coastal route, I would take Interstate 5 in through Washington and Oregon into Northern California so you can drive through the Siskiyou mountains on your way down. The scenery there is breathtaking as you drive the bridges over the lake and get to see Mt. Shasta from several angles. You can cut over to the coast from Redding, just south of the Siskiyous on Hwy 299. Just head west, through a pine forest to the coast and catch the 101 in Eureka and head south. Its a beautiful drive down the coast to the Bay Area. Then you can take PCH through Carmel, Big Sur all along the coast down to San Luis Obispo, where you can pick up the 101 again and keep heading south.

I was afraid to fly until about two years ago. With relatives in Washington and Montana, I've made these drives at least 20 times.

[Antithesis]

I think, like others, it all depends on how much time you have to enjoy the drive down. If getting to your destination as quickly as possible is of utmost concern, then go through Montana and take the I-15. If you have more time, then I-5 through Washington/Oregon would be good, but it would add a significant amount of time to your drive down.

[gargamel]

If you're going to make a loop, go down the Pacific Coast Highway and back up through the desert. The desert is the same either direction, but you're on the ocean side of the road when you're driving south.

[Superflyer]

Thanks everyone for your help.
To answer a few questions, I am going with my wife and 2 kids so it is not steady driving and setting land speed records. I am OK with driving long distances but they like to take breaks.
The vacation will be for two weeks, that includes the drive there, doing whatever and coming back.

[henriksedin33]

+1 on taking hwy 101 at least one-way...amazing drive

[shermanator]

US Hwy 101 is amazing for the scenery, but be prepared to add a few hours and multiple layers of sweat to your drive. When I did it, it took about 8 hours to get from Los Angeles to Monterey. There are quite a few hairpin turns where you slow down to 30 by force, and there isn't much to protect you from a large drop to the ocean below.

Also, make sure you pull over at least once and pee off the cliff into the ocean. Very awesome feeling!

[cmyden]

The 101 is one of the most beautiful drives in the world, if you have the time, do it!

If you get sick and tired of windy roads and want to make up some time you can always drive inland to the I5.

Be sure to check out the Avenue of the Giants http://www.avenueofthegiants.net/ home of the tallest trees on the planet.

Driving along the west coast of Oregon/Northern Cali is like being in the world's longest car commercial, with amazing ocean/cliff-side scenery all along the way.

Down the I5, you've got Montana (some nice mountain scenery), Idaho (yawn), Utah (not much to look at from the highway, but beautiful if you have time to explore areas like the Bryce Canyon area. Basically, it doesn't really get interesting until southern Utah or Arizona.

Are you camping? If you make it as far as central Cali, check out the Monterey area (Pebble beach road is nice), and Santa Cruz for a fun little amusement park on the beach.

[tvp2003]

We recently did a very similar trip (spread out over a longer period of time though) -- on the way down to CA we went through Cranbrook BC down to Spokane, over to Seattle, and then down I-5 to SF. If you want a scenic drive between SF and LA, you'll want to take CA-1 (aka Pacific Coast Highway), not 101. That will take you over to Monterey, Carmel, and then South to Big Sur. We spread out the SF to LA drive over two days, with a visit to Hearst Castle in between.

On the way back (from San Diego), we went I-15 all the way through Las Vegas, Utah, Idaho, and Montana. Lots of stops along the way (including a day trip to the Grand Canyon North Rim).

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

I've done both routes and your best bet (highway conditions-wise) is heading West through BC and then South. The highways through Montana and Idaho are horrible. Avoid those states.

[Freeway]

The I-5 through California is very pretty.
Nevada and Utah in the summer are extremely hot.
Plan accordingly.

[macker]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Route_1 Who cares how long it takes. Likely one of the nicest drives in the world. We did a 20 day loop last summer and this was the best part of the drive by far.

[MRCboicgy]

how are these routes for visiting Yosemite? I was thinking the same and was wondering if it's cheaper to drive (rental car) or fly (two people).

[Displaced Flames fan]

I would echo what everyone else has said....but stress the difference in time. If you are at all in a hurry, the I-15 drive will save time that can be measured in days, not hours.

No traffic either., until you get to Vegas of course.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by MRCboicgy

how are these routes for visiting Yosemite? I was thinking the same and was wondering if it's cheaper to drive (rental car) or fly (two people).

I don't think you can fly into Yosemite, you have to drive. (not sure if thats what you're asking) Even late spring, they might need you to have chains for your tires, may want to double check that before you head out. I hear Yosemite is nicer with snow on it, but if you go in the summer, hiking Half Dome is pretty popular. If you do hard core, extreme sports, Yosemite is a mecca for some of that too.

The drive, I find 17-mile-drive in Carmel, and Big Sur to be the nicest. I've done some of the HWY-1 drive, its not that great outside of what I listed above IMO. (Some of you said 101, I think you mean HWY-1? 101 takes you threw the cities, SF-SJ-LA, all inland.)

[Acid Rush]

Yosemite is nice for hiking. There are a lot of routes that you can use to be able to go there you just have to check where you're coming from. We travelled from SF so we used I580, I205 and Hi way 120. If you'll go there during winter time check for road closures and areas that require snow chains.

I'd go with the scenic route (BC, Seattle,Oregon) from Calgary to California. The Calgary-Montana-IDaho is basically boring. I'd never take this route again.
Highway 1 is the scenic route.

[OBCT]

I agree with almost everything that has been said. I've done a version of this trip numerous times (starting from Alberta and travelling to California, and vice versa), and in general, the closer you get to the coastline, the better the scenery & slower the trip.

To me, it's definitely best to maximize the experience by going totally different routes there and back. Taking the slower forest/ocean route there and the quicker desert/mountain route back is my favourite (I see many others agree).

Two weeks is a great length of time to do this circuit IMO, as you're usually just about ready to head home by day 10 on the road, but not so totally spent that you can't still enjoy the scenery and history of the return route.

Have fun planning the trip!