Hello from up north, again! Dave here from Manitoba. I'll be heading your way in mid May. I had already posted about things to see. We've made some plans for sure. One quick question though. I read on the Lassen volcanic park website, that the raods in the park are closed until mid-June!! This did not make my day. I was really hoping to go there and show the kids around.
On the other hand, we'll be taking hwy 299 (I think) from Redding to Eureka after a few days in Anderson with family. And then through the Ave. of the Giants before taking hwy 1 all the way to SF. We'll be taking 2 or 3 days for that stretch. Why not, eh? Then spend a few days in SF with more family and go sailing in SF bay with a buddy form one of my sailing forums.
Somewhere in there we'll make a quick jaunt down to Big Sur. Hopefully see some whales and a Condor or 2 ??? My oldest boy is quite the birder. He's really hoping.
Anyway, sorry for the long post....., but, did I miss anything????
Especially up north....
Thanks guys.

 

Hey Dave,
I grew up in Redding. I used to make the 299 trip frequently. It's a beautiful drive. Just watch the road. You don't want to end up in the Trinity river. The Hwy 1 / 101 is another beautiful route. It get's pretty narrow in Lake county. Have fun and drive safe.

 

As long as you're heading down Hwy 1 to Big Sur,might as well spend a day/night in Santa Cruz,my stomping grounds.Lots to see and do,including all the bizarre people on Pacific Garden Mall,like hippies who took a wrong turn at the 70's and got stranded.Really nice for the kids is the Beach Boardwalk,especially on a Friday night,as they have free concerts on the beach,usually prominent bands from the past,and usually family friendly.The Beach Boardwalk is one of the last ocean-front amusement parks in the U.S.I'd show you the sights myself,but I'm in Baghdad now.Don't miss it if possible,just about two hours north of the Big Sur area.Steve

 

Hwys 1 and 101 don't go though Lake county, they both go through Mendocino county (I know, I live in Lake county and used to live in Mendocino county after moving down from the Redding area...! You're going right through all my old stomping grounds!)

Even though the roads through Lassen park are currently closed, you should be able to at least get into the park for some sightseeing in certain areas by the time you're down here. Don't write it off yet, put it down as a possibility.

You'll be going right through Weaverville on 299W, I'd make that a lunch stop with a little time for some sightseeing. It's gold mining country and has a lot of interesting history as such. A couple of great museums there, including the Joss House.

After you go through the Avenue of the Giants, you'll turn off of hwy. 101 at Leggett to take hwy. 1 over to the coast. It's all very twisty from there clear down to the Bay Area, so planning on taking 2-3 days to do that stretch is a good idea, especially if you still plan on pulling a trailer. It's a puker...

You'll probably want to set aside some time to check out the towns of Fort Bragg and Mendocino (MacKerricher State Park just north of Fort Bragg has some of the best beaches and tide pools on the North Coast, it's good for at least a half a day, also a great place to camp.) Mendocino is a cute little touristy fishing village with tons of cool little shops. It was a filming site for the old series "Murder She Wrote" and many of the local shops had signs that they'd change for filming that all said "Cabot Cove" instead of "Mendocino".

Let us know when you'll be coming through, I might be able to hook up with you somewhere along the way to say hi. I'm pretty much due east of the Fort Bragg/Mendocino area.

 

I was thinking of the hwy that goes along the shore of Clear Lake. I thought that was 101.

 

Ahh, you must be thinking of 20. Runs along the north shore. It does intersect 101 just north of Ukiah.

 

Yep, That's it. A fun trip pulling a 33 foot travel trailer and no exhaust brake.

 

Yeah, it's generally advised to go around the other side of the lake when towing by taking 53 to 29 and back to 20.

 

Thanks again for the input. Dan, I won't be pulling the camper after all. I'm borrowing my Dad's Park Avenue. A little better on fuel than the F350.... I'll be pulling a tiny trailer just big enough to hold our tent and sleeping gear. That stuff in the Fort Bragg -mendecino area sounds great. That's exactly the kind of stuff we're looking for. How is camping in the state parks along no. 1??? I've heard it's pretty good. No services, but scenic and quiet. Twisties would drive me nuts if I didn't plan a LOT of time for them. Last time I was on Vancouver Island, I nearly ran down the traffic ahead of me ( I was driving the F350 that time) just so I could get moving. I guess this ol' prairie boy will just have to get used to it for a couple days....
The wife will have her laptop along, so I'll be checking in from time to time. If we can meet up for lunch or eaven coffee, that'd be cool.

 

There are some really great campgrounds all along hwy. 1. I'm most familiar with MacKerricher and Russian Gulch although I haven't camped at either one in years. MacKerricher's campground has plenty of amenities including hot showers. Here's a little info on the park:

MacKerricher SP

 

Thanks a bunch!

 

Dan is right, you should be able to get into Lassen Park and see some stuff. The north entrance off of Hwy 44 can get you into the Manzanita Lake area and a little beyond depending on how far the road is plowed.

The south entrance off of Hwy 89 is closer to the volcanic features and you may be able to drive in a distance or take a short walk to the first of the natural features. The DWR site says that there is still 10' of snow at the peak and the current conditions say that the road is closed at the SW entrance station. I live not far from there in the Lake Almanor Basin so if you come that way say hi!

Rich