Seattle to SF
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Road Master
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 816
Likes: 172
From: ALABAMA
When we pick up the bikes, then its going to time to ride.
Thinking around Port Angeles the first night and maybe a ride up Hurricaine Ridge.
Then maybe Forks or Quinault the next day before heading down the coast to Long Beach or Florence.
From there it is to Crescent City and ride into the Redwoods. Maybe on to Fort Bragg.
I kind of want to have some flexibility and not be able to see things that I run up on. Not sure how much more I can squeeze i n
We eventually end up in SF to drop the bikes off after 7 days. Thinking about heading over to Reno after droping the bikes so the wife can play some slots (she usually wins enough for a meal or two.)
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 914
Likes: 245
That will make for a much more enjoyable time.
If you want to add more riding the first day check out Deception Pass. You can get to it from the north side then ride down through half of Whidbey Island, take a small ferry from there to Port Townsend. Any route over there is a good one, just different stops along the way.
If possible avoid the Weekend, especially Saturday.
The town of Joyce, west of Port Angeles has the Blackberry Cafe, a small place but if you like Blackberries they have them in everything, even came out good in a Hamburger. The 101 by Lake Crescent is a much, much more enjoyable ride though, enough where I would back track if I was running late. You cannot see the Strait of Juan de Fuca on Highway 112, even though you're right next to it. And Lake Crescent can be the most "never actually seen that much blue in nature before" color depending on the light.
Sorry this topic just has me really wanting to go for a ride over there...
If you want to add more riding the first day check out Deception Pass. You can get to it from the north side then ride down through half of Whidbey Island, take a small ferry from there to Port Townsend. Any route over there is a good one, just different stops along the way.
If possible avoid the Weekend, especially Saturday.
The town of Joyce, west of Port Angeles has the Blackberry Cafe, a small place but if you like Blackberries they have them in everything, even came out good in a Hamburger. The 101 by Lake Crescent is a much, much more enjoyable ride though, enough where I would back track if I was running late. You cannot see the Strait of Juan de Fuca on Highway 112, even though you're right next to it. And Lake Crescent can be the most "never actually seen that much blue in nature before" color depending on the light.
Sorry this topic just has me really wanting to go for a ride over there...
Last edited by CaptainAwesome; Feb 1, 2018 at 12:50 PM.
Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 151
Likes: 27
From: Seattle
Are you riding through on your first day or spending a day or so in Seattle? There is a lot to see but you could easily spend a couple weeks doing it.
If you're riding through, my suggestion of a route to see a few things a long the way:
Take the 509 Highway north, it will merge with Highway 99. If you stay on Highway 99 it will take you past the football and baseball stadium. Then it will ride above the piers. If you're lucky there will be a battleship out there, it's a crazy thing to see one just hanging around.
You can catch a glimps of the Space Needle on this road, but it won't be a proper driveby. Taking the exit for Western Ave and then right onto Broad street will drive you right past the Space Needle, they're currently putting in glass floors for it, hopefully it will be done by the time you're out here.
Heading North... there are 6 bridges that cross over, each one has something cool about it. Ballard bridge has a lot of boats tightly together and it looks like a forest with no branches. Fremont Bridge goes under Highway 99, you can check out the Fremont Troll just a block or two off. Aurora Bridge (Highway 99, this road has like 10 names) is a pretty cool "above it all" route. the i5 Bridge has double layers to it, and if you're going south on it you get a really good look at Seattle and the Space Needle. Not so much going north. The Small bridge under that is neat to go over with the massive i5 overhead. And the Montlake bridge is cool because it looks Victorian... might actually be.
Anyways.
If you got off to check the Needle, you can take Mercer St. to get to the i5, you can get back onto Highway 99 but I suggest GPS for your first time with it. Do not try to get to the i5 on Mercer Street if it's past 2pm. It's probably the most congested area in Seattle anywhere near rush hour. If not it's a straight shot, lol. You can take the HOV lane if you're on a Motorcycle, the Express lane too if it's open.
If it was me and I got off at the Space Needle and was sight seeing. I would turn West on Mercer Street, go down to 2nd Ave W and get a Danish at Nielsens. Don't mess around with parking and be mindful that that stretch of Mercer St is full of people doing stupid things and it's a bit chaotic. Keep to the inside lane, the outside one turns into parking at one point. Expect people to walk out into traffic without looking.
Back onto Mercer St. going West still. The road will curve and connect to Elliott Ave W, curve right (north) onto it, watch for stupid people. Continue north on it, the Ballard Bridge is pretty neat with all the boats. Continue north, you could turn right when you hit NW 65 st then left on Phinney Ave N which puts you right at Red Mill Burgers. They have amazing onion rings.
From there I'd head north, Phinney becomes Greenwood Ave N after Red Mill Burgers. If you're in the mood for coffee then look for a Chocolati, by N 84th St, there is one at Green Lake that I like quite a bit but that area is mostly chaos when it comes to parking.
From there there isn't too much to see, a couple good roads and parks but might be worth while just to get north quicker and get to Edmonds for the ferry.
Since you're stating at Burien you could just go south around the Sound, or use a different ferry. But not seeing the Space Needle when you come to Seattle is like not checking out the Statue of Liberty when you go to New York. You can use Google Maps to see what it would look like from Highway 99 or such if you didn't want to get off the main road.
The west side of the Sound also has some attractions from the Twilight book series. Belle Italia in Port Angeles was in it, and a good place to eat. Forks itself has a lot of Easter Eggs left in the town, so does La Push. If nothing else stop by the Forks Chamber of Commerce on the way out and see the maps that show just how many people came out there and imagine what that must have been like to a town of less than 4,000 people.
If you're riding through, my suggestion of a route to see a few things a long the way:
Take the 509 Highway north, it will merge with Highway 99. If you stay on Highway 99 it will take you past the football and baseball stadium. Then it will ride above the piers. If you're lucky there will be a battleship out there, it's a crazy thing to see one just hanging around.
You can catch a glimps of the Space Needle on this road, but it won't be a proper driveby. Taking the exit for Western Ave and then right onto Broad street will drive you right past the Space Needle, they're currently putting in glass floors for it, hopefully it will be done by the time you're out here.
Heading North... there are 6 bridges that cross over, each one has something cool about it. Ballard bridge has a lot of boats tightly together and it looks like a forest with no branches. Fremont Bridge goes under Highway 99, you can check out the Fremont Troll just a block or two off. Aurora Bridge (Highway 99, this road has like 10 names) is a pretty cool "above it all" route. the i5 Bridge has double layers to it, and if you're going south on it you get a really good look at Seattle and the Space Needle. Not so much going north. The Small bridge under that is neat to go over with the massive i5 overhead. And the Montlake bridge is cool because it looks Victorian... might actually be.
Anyways.
If you got off to check the Needle, you can take Mercer St. to get to the i5, you can get back onto Highway 99 but I suggest GPS for your first time with it. Do not try to get to the i5 on Mercer Street if it's past 2pm. It's probably the most congested area in Seattle anywhere near rush hour. If not it's a straight shot, lol. You can take the HOV lane if you're on a Motorcycle, the Express lane too if it's open.
If it was me and I got off at the Space Needle and was sight seeing. I would turn West on Mercer Street, go down to 2nd Ave W and get a Danish at Nielsens. Don't mess around with parking and be mindful that that stretch of Mercer St is full of people doing stupid things and it's a bit chaotic. Keep to the inside lane, the outside one turns into parking at one point. Expect people to walk out into traffic without looking.
Back onto Mercer St. going West still. The road will curve and connect to Elliott Ave W, curve right (north) onto it, watch for stupid people. Continue north on it, the Ballard Bridge is pretty neat with all the boats. Continue north, you could turn right when you hit NW 65 st then left on Phinney Ave N which puts you right at Red Mill Burgers. They have amazing onion rings.
From there I'd head north, Phinney becomes Greenwood Ave N after Red Mill Burgers. If you're in the mood for coffee then look for a Chocolati, by N 84th St, there is one at Green Lake that I like quite a bit but that area is mostly chaos when it comes to parking.
From there there isn't too much to see, a couple good roads and parks but might be worth while just to get north quicker and get to Edmonds for the ferry.
Since you're stating at Burien you could just go south around the Sound, or use a different ferry. But not seeing the Space Needle when you come to Seattle is like not checking out the Statue of Liberty when you go to New York. You can use Google Maps to see what it would look like from Highway 99 or such if you didn't want to get off the main road.
The west side of the Sound also has some attractions from the Twilight book series. Belle Italia in Port Angeles was in it, and a good place to eat. Forks itself has a lot of Easter Eggs left in the town, so does La Push. If nothing else stop by the Forks Chamber of Commerce on the way out and see the maps that show just how many people came out there and imagine what that must have been like to a town of less than 4,000 people.
Club Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 20,418
Likes: 24,204
From: WetCoast
When your riding through Port Orphid, and you are on the south end of town, the road is pretty straight for a bit. Than 101 veers to the Left. Straight ahead of you there is a road that goes up a hill, written on the road it says “VIEW”. Go up that little road and have a look. It’s worth it.
Edit.....
Another nugget is when your in Tillamook, after cheese & Airplanes, take 131 out to Netarts and then hug the coast all the way to Pacific City. No disappointments.
Edit.....
Another nugget is when your in Tillamook, after cheese & Airplanes, take 131 out to Netarts and then hug the coast all the way to Pacific City. No disappointments.
Last edited by CanadianRocky; Feb 7, 2018 at 08:28 PM.
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Cruiser
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 167
Likes: 13
From: Albemarle, NC
Love that ride. If you go to Post #40 of The Journeys Of Darla you can see it all the way from Port Angeles to San Fransisco. Your heading the right way. South. The view is to your right and the pull outs are on Ocean Side.
Plan to spend a few days in Crescent city and take some walking shoes so you can walk amongst the giants.
Rent a dune buggy in Florence and enjoy the Sand Dunes.
Plan to be done by 2/3 every day. Enjoy the seafood restaurants.
I have posted about North and South trips on the coast. I would suggest reading Both directions as I put different things in both.
Plan to spend a few days in Crescent city and take some walking shoes so you can walk amongst the giants.
Rent a dune buggy in Florence and enjoy the Sand Dunes.
Plan to be done by 2/3 every day. Enjoy the seafood restaurants.
I have posted about North and South trips on the coast. I would suggest reading Both directions as I put different things in both.