Pacific Coast Highway 2
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 6,129
Likes: 143
From: Santa Cruz
I would not skip Yosemite. I'd skip 395. Take 120 into the park and 140/49 down and 41 across the valley 46 to Cambria. 41 is no fun but ya got to get there somehow. No need to go all the way up to Eureka but few places to stay up there. Ya could also skip 50 and take 80 back to Reno. Also could skip 4/108 and take 88 (cross between 50 and 4/108) from Tahoe over to 49. Ya got a couple good days on the coast and another couple in the mountains plus a good day crossing the valley a couple times.
Road Warrior
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,480
Likes: 25
From: Santa Fe NM
46 from 101 to Cambria is nice... but not worth enduring 41
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 79
Likes: 6
From: Cobleskill,New York
Tell me then, how many days will you have the bike?
Do you want to stop and take pictures?
Will you be stopping for a sit down lunch?
What time in the morning will you be rolling and what time do you want to get off the bike... ?
Camping or Motel?
When I'm sightseeing I generally keep my miles to around 250 a day, allowing me to stop at the vistas and take in the scenery and snap a decent picture or two.
When I'm going somewhere I average about 400+ a day.
In looking at your planned route there is one place that I'm sure you would like to see that I would pass on. Yosemite.... while beautiful, is infested with humans and their cars, trailers, and motorhomes...
You have two rather boring slogs. One between Bishop and San Luis Obispo, the other between Red Bluff and Placerville.
What I would do.... and I will work up a map for you... eliminate Yosemite and take a ride around Lake Tahoe on my way south. Then make the miles down 395 and across to San Luis Obispo. Enjoy the Coast Hwy. and forget Eureka take 36 as planned but take the cut at Platina to Redding. From Redding depending on how much time is left perhaps run up to Burney and check out Burney Falls. If time is short pass on Burney falls and then head to Lassen National Park and ride through the park from Manzanita Lake and out the South entrance. Head to Lake Almanor and take 89 back to the interstate just West of Reno.
My Map - google map Then again it depends on what you really want to see....
Do you want to stop and take pictures?
Will you be stopping for a sit down lunch?
What time in the morning will you be rolling and what time do you want to get off the bike... ?
Camping or Motel?
When I'm sightseeing I generally keep my miles to around 250 a day, allowing me to stop at the vistas and take in the scenery and snap a decent picture or two.
When I'm going somewhere I average about 400+ a day.
In looking at your planned route there is one place that I'm sure you would like to see that I would pass on. Yosemite.... while beautiful, is infested with humans and their cars, trailers, and motorhomes...
You have two rather boring slogs. One between Bishop and San Luis Obispo, the other between Red Bluff and Placerville.
What I would do.... and I will work up a map for you... eliminate Yosemite and take a ride around Lake Tahoe on my way south. Then make the miles down 395 and across to San Luis Obispo. Enjoy the Coast Hwy. and forget Eureka take 36 as planned but take the cut at Platina to Redding. From Redding depending on how much time is left perhaps run up to Burney and check out Burney Falls. If time is short pass on Burney falls and then head to Lassen National Park and ride through the park from Manzanita Lake and out the South entrance. Head to Lake Almanor and take 89 back to the interstate just West of Reno.
My Map - google map Then again it depends on what you really want to see....
Plan on stopping for lunch, but probably nothing fancy.
We are a couple early risers, as it will be all about what we can see, making the most of the day. Trying to figure on 250 miles per day.
Staying at some consistent type of lodging like a BW, or Holiday Inn Express.
We talked over the weekend about Yosemite, and will leave that up in the air at this time.
Looks like your route gives the option of going west on 120 if we want to check it out. If time runs short, I think the options may be as we head north up the coast. Taking 36 across to 89, and then down 395. Not sure if there is a way that would be best, but also looking at somehow heading east after the Golden Gate, toward Sacramento, like 80 to 50? Thanks much for all your help. We are booking the flights today.
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 79
Likes: 6
From: Cobleskill,New York
I would not skip Yosemite. I'd skip 395. Take 120 into the park and 140/49 down and 41 across the valley 46 to Cambria. 41 is no fun but ya got to get there somehow. No need to go all the way up to Eureka but few places to stay up there. Ya could also skip 50 and take 80 back to Reno. Also could skip 4/108 and take 88 (cross between 50 and 4/108) from Tahoe over to 49. Ya got a couple good days on the coast and another couple in the mountains plus a good day crossing the valley a couple times.
from Carson city to 88hwy west to see Lake Tahoe go up 207 Kingsbury Grade to South Lake Tahoe and loop around to 50 to 89 back to 88 west to 49 south over to 120 Yosemite east to 395 south. I like Hwy 4 Ebbetts Pass and 108 Sonora Pass (but if you don't now them they'll raise havoc on time) I drive all four of the Pass a lot 88 and 120 are ease to travel. The rest of the rout I like to it raps around my home place. It some thing to look at.
If your running out of time on the cost you can go to the Russian river and head east on 116 t0 12 to Santa Rosa - Sonoma - Napa to 80 back to Reno. It well shorten the time if other stop were to long. To see Calif in seven days you'll need a airplane and still won't see all of the state.
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Road Master
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 875
Likes: 2
From: Where I lay my head is home.
OP... there's some great advice all through this thread (having ridden there, I also heartily recommend Lassen Park).
My little bit of advice:
There's no way you can see everything there is to offer around this part of CA in 7 days... just way too much cool stuff to see and roads to ride. I would strongly suggest you prioritize what you want to see (sounds like you already have for the most part) and plan out what you can do comfortably in FIVE days. You will easily fill up the extra two days with screwing around at all the great stops and finding cool little side trips to take... and more importantly... you won't feel rushed to "see it all"... and end up enjoying very little of it.
My little bit of advice:
There's no way you can see everything there is to offer around this part of CA in 7 days... just way too much cool stuff to see and roads to ride. I would strongly suggest you prioritize what you want to see (sounds like you already have for the most part) and plan out what you can do comfortably in FIVE days. You will easily fill up the extra two days with screwing around at all the great stops and finding cool little side trips to take... and more importantly... you won't feel rushed to "see it all"... and end up enjoying very little of it.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 12,566
Likes: 85
From: Calgary
OP... there's some great advice all through this thread (having ridden there, I also heartily recommend Lassen Park).
My little bit of advice:
There's no way you can see everything there is to offer around this part of CA in 7 days... just way too much cool stuff to see and roads to ride. I would strongly suggest you prioritize what you want to see (sounds like you already have for the most part) and plan out what you can do comfortably in FIVE days. You will easily fill up the extra two days with screwing around at all the great stops and finding cool little side trips to take... and more importantly... you won't feel rushed to "see it all"... and end up enjoying very little of it.
My little bit of advice:
There's no way you can see everything there is to offer around this part of CA in 7 days... just way too much cool stuff to see and roads to ride. I would strongly suggest you prioritize what you want to see (sounds like you already have for the most part) and plan out what you can do comfortably in FIVE days. You will easily fill up the extra two days with screwing around at all the great stops and finding cool little side trips to take... and more importantly... you won't feel rushed to "see it all"... and end up enjoying very little of it.
Traffic around Lake Tahoe can be brutal as well.