Hi Karen,

There are only a few places to get from the I-5 to the 101 to go up or down the Oregon coast. The most scenic, but a bit longer, is to take the first Grants Pass exit (US199, called The Redwood Highway) and follow the signs for Crescent City, CA. You will go right in front of our building a bit past mile post 26 so be sure to stop! Great overnight at our place if you want to. From here you continue SW on the Redwood Highway back into CA and down the scenic Smith River canyon past the Redwood state and federal parks. Before you get to Crescent City there is a cut off road heading NW that will take you into OR and on to the 101 going north. This southern most part of the OR coast many consider the most beautiful and is a definite "don't miss".

The next more northerly way to get from the I-5 is to cross at Winston, just before Roseburg, OR. That road is fine, just a bit narrow and twisty in places but a relaxing drive. If you want to go further north on the I-5 before crossing over, you can get across from Eugene, again from Salem and even highway 26 out of Portland, but one has to ask why you would want to drive the freeway north instead of driving the 101 the whole way along the coast, even both ways. Highway 26 out of Portland is very heavily used so if you like linear parking lots you will love that route, especially on a weekend.

The I-5 going north has five mountain passes varying from Siskiyou pass just as you enter Oregon (that is the highest point on the I-5 at just under 5000 feet), to the others all of which are around 1500 to 2000 foot mean climbs. The I-5 flattens out around Cottage Grove and remains flat the rest of the way north all the way to Canada. Watch your vac gage over these passes and shift into second if you need to rather than using WOT. The mountain pass part of the I-5 is beautiful, the rest of the I-5 is, well, a flat freeway punctuated by cities.

None of the cross over roads are scary, just a bit slow and twisty in places, but by far the best (IMO) is the Redwood Highway as that will take you the whole way north along the coast. We often will weekend over the coast from our place (60 to 70 miles) just because it is so beautiful a drive. We are 30 or so miles from the I-5 so it is less than 100 miles to the coast total along this northern most cross over. About the same distance for all the cross over roads. If you want to take the 101 south on your way home it will go right across the Golden Gate Bridge or you can swing east over to the east side bay roads.

Lots of places to camp along the 101, both public and private in Oregon. If you are a member of the Elks Club there are several good ones on the 101. Enjoy! We hope to see you.

Jerry
Jerry Work
The Dovetail Joint
Fine furniture designed and hand crafted in the 1907 former Masonic Temple building in historic Kerby, OR