Seattle to Los Angeles: The Wild West Coast

Leg One of your West Coast motorhome itinerary is the perfect introduction to the culture, nature and history of this side of the states. Ideally, you’ll get some sunny days along the way so you can enjoy the various outdoor attractions, but there’s no shortage of indoor places to explore, either. This entire leg is a simple drive south along Route 5, before turning off to the Devil’s Punch Bowl State Park to include some of the coast in your road trip. You’ll get to see several of the west’s best attractions, including the Seattle Space Needle, the Nisqually River and the cultural hub that is Portland. Take your time, stop whenever you see anything that appeals to you, and be sure to pick up a few souvenirs along the way!
 
Seattle’s nickname is The Emerald City, and once you set foot in this tree-covered, water-surrounded, nature-inspired destination, you’ll understand why. The most iconic - and one of the most visited - landmarks in Seattle is the Space Needle. This tower reaches 605 feet towards the sky, and is open with a revolving restaurant at 500 feet for brunch, lunch and dinner. Above that, you can experience a 360-degree view of the city from the observation deck. Closer to the ground, the Pike Place Market is an enthralling maze of stalls with foods, crafts, and everything in between right on the waterfront of Elliott Bay. It’s also the oldest continually open market in the US, having started in 1907. And since it’s Seattle, be sure to check out the kind of gross but mesmerising gum wall behind the markets. It’s brick wall that’s absolutely smothered in used gum. If you don’t think too hard about it, the array of colours and texture is actually quite awesome! After your visit to Pike Place, check out the aquarium and waterfront park, which are right next door. For a fantastic free activity, don’t go past the Olympic Sculpture Park, which is a 9-acre outdoor art space and beach operated by the Seattle Art Museum. 
 
When you leave Seattle, you’ll take Route 5 heading south to Tacoma. This city is a port town with an incredible collection of beautiful attractions, so is well worth stopping in for the day. The Museum of Glass and Bridge of Glass are two unique attractions that will have you staring in awe. The Chihuly Bridge of Glass is a 500-foot pedestrian overpass that takes you from downtown to the Museum under a stunning, colourful and magical tunnel with a roof of bright glass. The Museum of Glass offers a gallery of exquisite glass masterpieces, as well as the chance to see glassblowers in action in the workshop. Point Defiance Park offers a great opportunity to get outdoors with its numerous walking tracks around promenades, through rhododendron gardens, and along nature trails. There is also a zoo and aquarium in the park to see a little more of the wildlife from the area before you leave. 
 
The Nisqually River Delta is brimming with fantastic wildlife, including otters, salmon, harbour seals and a variety of birds. The Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge has been in place for more than 30 years in order to protect this area and the species that call it home, but it’s open to visitors who can enjoy the scenery and flourishing animal populations. There are as many as seven different hiking trails through the refuge for you to spot the many animals in the area, but the main one (and most popular) is the Estuary Boardwalk Trail. This takes you over the water when the tide is in, or over the mudflats when it’s out - both of which are truly spectacular sights, especially with the help of a set of binoculars to get a closer look of the wildlife. The visitor centre is open 9am to 4pm from Wednesday to Sunday, but the trails are open all day every day with a $3 fee per vehicle. 
 
Just a little further down Route 5 is the town of Olympia and the Deschutes River. The Tumwater Falls along this river are a series of small but stunning waterfalls in a 15-acre outdoor park. This park is located on the edge of Capitol Lake, which is where the final 82-foot cascade crashes into the water. As well as the attraction of the falls themselves, you can wander along the viewing trails, see the native plant garden, and watch as the salmon use the man-made fish ladder to make it upstream to the fishery. Be sure to pack a picnic and ensure it on these beautiful grounds. 
 
Portland, further south along Route 5, is another culturally rich and exciting city in Oregon. It’s the perfect place to pick up a great read or two for the remainder of your West Coast road trip, as it’s home to Powell’s City of Books - the largest new and used bookshop in the world with more than a million tomes in the collection. Spend some time exploring Portland’s living room, the Pioneer Courthouse Square that’s gone from being a drab parking area to the heart of the city and the most visited location in all of Oregon with almost 10 million visitors every year. The 40,000-square foot area is a public space that hosts everything from live performances, to weekly markets, and free movie screenings. The Pittock Mansion is another fascinating site, this time for its stunning architecture and rich history. The structure is more than 100 years old and sits serenely on Portland’s skyline, and today is a great place to visit for a glimpse at the past through a restored mansion. 
 
Continue driving south then take a right at Salem to the Devil’s Punch Bowl State Park.

For the second leg of your coastal motorhome tour, you’ll move away from the bustling cities and spend the entire time exploring the wild and wonderful shoreline of Oregon before crossing over into California. Be prepared to spend much of this leg outdoors, as it will take you from rugged clifftops and powerful ocean scenes to caves populated with seals and a sea of sand dunes. Even if you’re here in winter, the stronger weather can make these scenes all the more beautiful - just be sure to bring your wet weather gear so you don’t miss out on seeing it! 
 
The Devil’s Punch Bowl State Park is a glorious first stop along Oregon’s shoreline. Its name comes from a large natural bowl formation in the rock where waves crash into the bowl, churn about and generally create quite the spectacle. This section of shore is very popular with surfers thanks to its big waves, and is great for exploring the many rock pools - note that this is not a beach where kids can jump in the surf and play, however. Plus, if you’re travelling anytime between spring and fall, be sure to pull out your binoculars as the whale migration season sees these beasts of the ocean pass by the Oregon coast, and the Devil’s Punch Bowl is a known location for spotting them at this time of year. 
 
Further down the coastal route is Cape Perpetua, a high bluff on a forested headland just south of the small town of Yachats. At its highest point, Cape Perpetua rises more than 800 metres above the ocean, and offers views up and down the coast that are second to none. The site is part of the Siuslaw National Forest Park, and is where this lush green treescape meets the wild ocean of the coast. There are countless nature walks and viewing areas, plus you can learn more about the expansive history of the area at the local information centre. One of the coolest sights on Cape Perpetua is ‘Thor’s Well’, a natural rock formation that creates a well where ocean waves pour in at high tide. While this spot is an absolute must see, be sure to keep your distance from the well as the crashing waves can be unpredictable and dangerous. If you’d like to spend a night on this wild coastline, Cape Perpetua has a fantastic RV park. 
 
Continue along the coastline and you’ll discover Sea Lion Caves. This site is one of the best places in the world to see the steller sea lion in its natural habitat, as the winter months typically bring in hundreds to relax and live inside the caves. Once spring arrives, the seals begin their breeding and birthing season, and move out of the caves onto the rocks out front where they will stay for the rest of the summer. The male sea lions can grow to a massive 2,500 pounds (1,100 kilos) and measure roughly 10 feet long, while the cute pups are typically around the 40-pound mark, measuring just 3.3 feet. As well as the sea lions, you’ll have the chance to spot many sea birds such as gulls, cormorants, hawks, ospreys, bald eagles and more. And of course, this location is another place where you may see orcas and Gray Whales passing by during their migration. 
 
Driving south along Route 101 on the West Coast just keeps giving with another natural gem a little further along the track. The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is a 40-mile stretch of sand dunes - or really, a massive adventure playground. You can hike, fish, take out a paddle boat, ride around on a four-wheeler OHV, go horseback riding, and camp. Sculpted by the wind, the dunes are up to 500 feet tall, and together create the largest group of coastal sand dunes in all of North America. They are constantly on the move, and are a favourite destination for birders. Even if you don’t spend much time here, the views are well worth the visit and there really is no better place for a scenic picnic break!

As you turn away from the coastal town of Eureka and head inland towards Sacramento, you’ll experience more of what the mainland has to offer. The National Wildlife Refuge is a real highlight with its variety of bird and animal life, and the Avenue of the Giants is one of the most scenic drives you will ever encounter without ever having to leave the motorhome. This leg is serene, scenic and relaxing, so take it slow and enjoy the views and the freshness of the outdoors every step of the way. 
 
Eureka is a small but intriguing town on the north of the Californian coast with a handful of key attractions to visit before you continue on. Prime among them is the Carson Mansion, which looks like something out of a Disney movie. Constructed in the late 1800s, this structure is a three-storey, 18-room home complete with a turret and plenty of nooks and crannies to explore. It’s built in the Victorian style and is a favourite amongst photographers from around the world. The mansion is situated in the Eureka Old Town, which is full of older architecture and other historic sites. The Sequoia Park Zoo in Eureka is a cute attraction with approximately 100 animals on site, and it’s right next to the 67-acre Sequoia Park and its looming trees and beautiful gardens. Eureka is your last stop along the coastline for a while, so be sure to visit the shore for a quick picnic before you leave! 
 
On the road south out of Eureka, you’ll pass by the signs for the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. This refuge is located in an area where tens of thousands of birds stop over during migration, making it something of a birder’s paradise and a fascinating site for everyone else besides. In total, there are more than 250 bird species that you might spot here throughout the year, but this 4,000-acre area is also home to roughly 40 mammal species and more than 100 species of fish and invertebrates. Regardless of the time of year you visit, there will be various birds and wildlife to be spotted throughout the park, from blacktail deer and geese to raptors and river otters. 
 
Ferndale is a small town located on Route 211 off the main road heading south, so it’s a place you’d miss unless you knew to take the turnoff. When you do, you’ll be treated to a step back in time, as Ferndale is where you can find a Victorian Village that looks and feels as though it’s straight from another era. It’s part of the reason why Ferndale has been named as one of America’s prettiest towns, and it’s where you can find restored old buildings in the Victorian style, as well as antique stores, old inns, sweet shops, and a quaint museum. It’s hardly the place for a thrilling adventure, but it is the perfect spot to relax and unwind as you near the midway point on your drive from Seattle to San Diego in your motorhome rental.
 
Continue back to the main road and onto Route 101, heading south. 
 
By now, you will have seen plenty of giant redwood trees, but there’s no better place to explore them in depth than on the Avenue of the Giants. This avenue is a 31-mile section of Route 101, and is an internationally renowned driving route, known for the incredible beauty of the endless redwood trees in all directions. The Humboldt Redwoods Interpretive Association is at the heart of this route, so is a great place to stop and learn more about these giants of the forest. There are four volunteer-run associations in the area, so you could easily visit any of them, but the main one is at at the Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Here, you’ll find the largest old growth contiguous redwood forest on the planet sprawling across 53,000 acres of incredible greenery. To properly take it all in, you can stay in one of the 250 camp sites (booking in advance is recommended), or hike along some of the 100 miles of scenic trails. It’s open throughout the year, and you can visit the info centre from 10am to 4pm to find out more about the history of th park and what you can do there. 
 
For one more stop before you arrive in Sacramento, spend some time discovering Clear Lake, which runs alongside the road for its 19-mile length and is the largest freshwater lake in California. The lake offers a scenic pitstop, with plenty of opportunities for water sports, walks and picnics along the shoreline. For those interested in geography, the lake is situated on top of a lava field, with Mount Konocti on the south shore as the largest volcanic feature in the area. Fortunately, the more recent volcanic activity was roughly 10,000 years ago, which formed much of the landscape around the lake today.

From Sacramento to Santa Maria in California, Leg Four will take you on a whirlwind tour of exciting, thriving cities through to idyllic forests and mesmerising waterfalls. It’s the longest leg on the route, and will likely take longest time to cover as you make stops in major cities and give yourselves time to thoroughly enjoy all that the Napa Valley has to offer. The coastal route on the second half of this leg certainly isn’t the quickest way from A to B, but it sure is the most scenic, so get your cameras ready and enjoy the ride. 
 
Many assume that Los Angeles is the state capital of California, but in fact that honor goes to Sacramento. This city is also a thriving hub of experiences and adventures, and a fun place to explore before making a start on the fourth leg of your West Coast itinerary. Make your first stop in Old Sacramento, the original township that’s full of old-style buildings, more than 50 cafes, restaurants and eateries, horse-drawn carriages, bike treks, and more. The Sacramento Zoo is always worth a visit, as is the Crocker Art Museum with its historic works. If you catch the city on one of its famed Californian summer days, spend it at the Raging Waters theme park to cool off and enjoy some thrilling rides and relaxing swims throughout the day. 
 
Napa Valley is one of the most famous wine regions in the world, and even if you visited one per day, it would take more than a year to see all the wineries within this area. It may pay to spend some time picking out a handful that you’d most like to see, or opting for a guided tour so that no one in your group has to drive and everyone gets to savour the fine wines on offer. You might like the include HALL St. Helena on your wine tour, where art and wine go together like a good pinot gris and a cheese platter. Or perhaps you’ll visit Castello di Amorosa, a winery set upon the grounds of a 13th-century Tuscan-style castle that inspires the imagination and provides that most fairytale-like backdrop to your wine tasting. Or you could visit the Sterling Vineyards, where you can take an aerial tram to glide over the grapes during your tour. The options really are endless, and the wine at each location is more delicious than the last. Wine fans should give themselves several days at minimum to explore this wonderful valley! 
 
The Muir Woods are found just over the bay from the city of San Francisco, but are a major attraction in their own right, with people coming from all over the world to see this decadent forest of towering redwoods. The tallest of the trees here are as much as 250 feet, and while the youngest are a spritely 400 years old, some of the older ones are closer to the 800-year mark. As well as these majestic redwoods, you can spot tanoaks, Douglas fir, California big leaf maples and red alders. You can drive right up to the park, jump out and walk the trails to your heart’s content, and visit the info centre and gift shop to learn a little more about the trees that have been so carefully protected for more than 100 years. 
 
San Francisco is one of those iconic cities that has its own personality and style unlike anything else. It goes without saying that the Golden Gate Bridge is a must-see. One of the more common ways is to hire a bike and ride it around the harbour and over the bridge, but note that this option does take some fitness. Alternatively, you can take a bus over the bridge and spend the day exploring the quaint township of Sausalito and its cafes and shops on the other side. Alcatraz Island is another major attraction, where you can take a boat out, wander around the old prison on a tour and hear all about its dark past. Within the city itself, Fisherman’s Wharf is a gorgeous spot for dining, strolling and shopping, and the cable car system will help you get around while experiencing one of the city’s most famous attractions. As San Francisco is the original birthplace of Ghirardelli chocolate, it’s also imperative that you try some of this decadent treat while in town - ideally at their store on Beach Street. 
 
After passing by San Jose (or stopping off if you’d like to explore), follow Route 101 before turning off to Route 1 for a scenic drive along the coast and through to your next destination. 
 
Julia Pfeiffer Burns was a well regarded Pioneer in the Big Sur, and she particularly loved the McWay Waterfall - which is exactly why this the next stop on this leg is called the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park (not to be confused with the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park a little to the north). The gem of the park is the 80-foot McWay Falls, which drops directly into the ocean in a stunning display of power and beauty. As well as this sight, the park offers scuba diving, hiking through the redwood groves, and multiple spots for whale watching. It’s open from just before sunrise to just after sunset, and while there are camping options in the park, they are walk-in only as vehicles are not allowed. 
 
Proving that the coastline is not just all about rugged views and lush forests, the Hearst Castle offers something completely different again. This epic structure was built in the early 1900s and today stands as a phenomenal example of architecture from the time. It really has to be seen to be believed with its opulent rooms, extravagant artwork collection and pristine condition. The site is already a National Historic Landmark, and it is highly recommended to book your tours as much as two months in advance to ensure a spot. Even if you are too late to book a tour, it’s worth driving up to the site to see the exterior of the building, the gardens, and the Neptune and Roman Pools.

The final leg of this motorhome trip isn't a long one, but there are enough experiences waiting for you along the way to rival the rest of your journey put together. It starts with one last shot at enjoying some of that wonderful Californian wine, before guiding you down the coast to Los Angeles - a city with far more to offer than just the stereotype of palm fringed boulevards and movie stars. As this leg is the last of an incredible road trip, leave yourself plenty of time to enjoy it before handing back the keys to your motorhome. 
Santa Maria
If you didn’t quite get enough time in vineyards in the Napa Valley, Santa Maria is your second chance to taste a little more of that beautiful Californian wine. The Foxen Canyon Wine Trail is one of the better ways to visit some of the local wineries, including the Fess Parker Winery & Vineyard, the Sierra Madre Vineyard and the Cottonwood Canyon Vineyard. A top winery that you won’t find along the trail is the stunning Presqu’ile Winery, which offers unbeatable views to match its wine. For those travelling with kids, the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum adds a family-friendly attraction to the mix, as does the Santa Maria Museum of Flight. 
Los Angeles
Los Angeles is the home of movie stars and directors from many of the biggest films of all time. It’s where you can walk along Hollywood Boulevard and simply soak up the atmosphere and chaos, and it’s where you can take a hike through Griffith Park to reach the famed Hollywood sign in giant letters across the hills. Universal Studios is another of LA’s big drawcards, as you can get behind the scenes of current films, take a ride on Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, walk through the Simpsons’ Springfield, discover The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and more. Of course, LA also offers a Disneyland experience just out of the city, which is the original theme park created by Walt Disney and offers nine different ‘lands’ and countless rides for the young ones and grown ups alike.
For a touch of history, make your way to the La Brea Tar Pits, one of the most famous excavation sites in the world. The pits have been excavated for more than 100 years, and have been turning up unbelievable fossils in that time. The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles is another excellent spot to visit: kids and adults alike can marvel at the ancient artifacts and intriguing specimens which are found around every corner in this massive place.
Speaking of museums, Los Angeles is renowned for its many museums, galleries and theatres, so if theme parks and Hollywood attractions don't appeal, there's a rich vein of cultural treasures to discover. Hauser & Wirth, the Getty Center and L.A. Louver are some must visits for art aficionados, while other cultural essentials include the Griffith Observatory, Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, and Petersen Automotive Museum
Finally, spend an afternoon strolling along the Santa Monica Pier, a historic attraction full of eateries, activities and the relaxed beachy vibes that LA is known for. 
A road trip from Seattle to Los Angeles (or vice versa) treats you to a huge chunk of the United States' West Coast, crossing borders from Washington to Oregon and then on to California. It’s one that offers a massive spread of attractions, with a solid mix of natural outdoor spaces such as the glorious Avenue of Giants, right through to one of the most frenetic cities on the planet - Los Angeles. Each and every stop is worth the time, and each one will become part of treasured memories and photo albums for years and years to come. It’s not a question of whether or not you should do this road trip, the only question is: When?
 
To enjoy more of the US, begin your road trip in other locations. More than the amazing RV rentals from Sacramento or Los Angeles in California, Motorhome Republic has unbeatable deals for campervan hire in Louisville (KY), in Phoenix (AZ), Las Vegas (NV), and all over the USA.