Going for longer ride starting from San Francisco - Possible destinations?

Well I've sufficiently recovered from my motorcycle accident on the GRiSO, in San Francisco, and my luggage is probably coming this week. I'm wondering, what is a good 4-5 day trip starting from San Francisco? I was thinking Oregon? Or other direction, San Diego? Or inward, towards Idaho? Also interested in the trip to Vancouver. Wondering if I will hit any snow going north, from any point onward from San Francisco.

Also interested in trip from San Francisco to Alaska, but it already being first week of November, thinking that I will see snow along the way.

I'd go south this time of year or watch weather and plan ahead.

It's definitely fall here in the Pacific Northwet! Lots of rain, roads are covered with slippery, slimy leaves, the days are short and average daytime high temperatures are in the upper 40's to low 50's. And some of the more scenic routes are already seeing snow. North Cascades Highway is already closed for the season, Chinook Pass will close later this month. We'll be out on the Olympic Peninsula for Thanksgiving as we are every year and while I do ride all over the peninsula on that weekend, rain is pretty likely. I'd head south if I were you.

This was at Thanksgiving in 2014, granted, a little colder than usual, but still. I ended up heading home a day early in anticipation of it getting worse the next day.

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This is more typical. As we always say, if you live in the Northwest and you don't ride in the rain, you don't ride much.

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I'd go north along Hwy 1, visit the drive-through tree, continue to around Ferndale.  Then take Hwy 36 to Lake Almanor:

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Then down 89 to Hwy 4 over Ebbetts pass and continue to the Bay Area.

The other option would be to continue down 89 to 395 and come across on 120.  

Your choice just be aware that Hwy 1 should be run slow and expect fog / drizzle.


Mark

Wow thanks all. Definitely ruling out the northwest trip.

algebr wrote:

Wow thanks all. Definitely ruling out the northwest trip.

If you go south, you can hit hwy 1 all the way to Moro Bay and come back Hwy 25 - great sweepers with no traffic and pickup Hwy 9 and Skyline in the Santa Cruz mountains.

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Wow! This. Possible to camp overnight somewhere? Like just setup a tent

algebr wrote:

Wow! This. Possible to camp overnight somewhere? Like just setup a tent

There are some nice campgrounds around Morro Bay - I've done this as a 2 day trip staying along the coast, then cutting back inland the next day. Not a lot of distance, but a twisty path. But you can make this a 4day - lot's to see and lot of nice side roads to explore. You can also stop at Hearst's Castle in San Simeon and there are a lot of vineyards around Paso Robles.


Here's a couple of Morro bay campgrounds

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Fred’s suggestion is a good one this time of year. I would only add a stop at the James Dean crash site/memorial, just East of Paso Robles near the intersection of 46/41. I like to stop there and reflect on my good fortune in living to an age where good sense outweighs the need for speed. The Jack Ranch Diner next door has surprisingly good food too, but no beer, as I recall.

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