Looking for Fun Stops

[ImaDVCwannabe]

I am taking my mother and daughter to Disneyland in December to celebrate my daughters 6th birthday. We have been throwing around the idea of driving from Spokane WA to Disneyland and are looking for some ideas for fun stops along the way. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance

 

[LavenderPeach]

My parents are from Spokane so we would drive up to see the grandparents every year or two. We were driving from northern california (bay area) though. I'm trying to thik of some of the places we would stop at. Well, one place we almost always stopped at was Multnomah Falls in oregon. I love that place - very nostalgic for me. The last time we drove up to washington we stopped at the big Harry and David store in Oregon (sorry, forgot which town it's in) but it's where their headquarters are. They even have a tour you can take but we didn't have time and i think you might need to make reservations for it. In northern california we would always stop around Mt. Shasta at a rest stop there that has lots of grass, trees, etc for running around. There's also a cave tour somewhere around there. Mt Lassen i think? Not exactly sure where that is. We've also stopped at Crater Lake in Oregon, we went to the sand dunes in oregon one time and we went through some caves (was it in Cave Junction maybe?).

Also in California is Sacramento (old town, the capitol building, etc), San Francisco, Monterey bay aquarium, hearst castle, solvang, santa barabara. And there's all the missions in california.

Hope that gives you a few ideas.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

I want to go there some day, but I hear the Redwood National Forest in northern California is a must see. Also, Muir Woods outside of San Francisco is something else.

We enjoyed Monterey Bay, the Aquarium and the 17 miles Drive. You should also stop and see Big Sur.

Solvang is a fun place. It looks like an old dutch settlement.

 

[ImaDVCwannabe]

Thanks those are all great ideas

 

[CADisneyMom]

You can also go to Santa Cruz on Hwy 1. They have this place called the Mystery Spot. It's really neat, haven't done it since I was a kid but it was really cool then. I drove all the way to Disneyland on Hwy 1 one year just since we weren't in any time frame to get there. I live right on the coast and when I want to destress I just take a drive down the Hwy to Santa Cruz and back. Very relaxing. There are also a lot of fruit/vegetable stands on the Hwy. There's also the Distillery restaurant that is reportedly haunted by the blue lady. There's a place right near there called "Three Palms" that gets very creepy at night. There's also a book called "Weird California" that lists all kinds of really neat places to visit.

 

[vegasnative]

Multnomah Falls won't be on your way. You will cut South before you get that far west. When we drive, we go the other way, I-90 into CDA, we go thru Vegas, but that is because we have family & friends there. We are doing the drive this summer too. We are making a loop. Going there we are I-90 East into CDA & Montana, then I-15 South, going thru Utah and Vegas. Utah has really nice parks like Zion, that is well worth a stop in my opinion.

Our return trip home we are heading up thru Cali. Definitely if you have time stop in Monterey or SF, but you wouldn't normally go that way, it's quicker to stay more Inland going thru Sacramento. We are just heading home that way for a change of scenery & to be honest we haven't decided on the return route, we may come back thru Vegas again.

It's kind of a crappy drive, imo. Not much to do along the way without really going way off the direct route.

 

[reynmagsmom]

In southern OR there is a wild animal park drive thru that we try to stop by every trip it is off the 5 and fairly easy and quick to get to..... it is alot of fun if your child likes animals...
Heres the website for it
http://www.wildlifesafari.net/park_info.asp#Admission

 

[Mikes:)Mom]

Sounds fun. We are going to drive down from Salem, Oregon. We decided to take our time getting down. We are going to see the redwoods. It’s awesome! You can even drive your car though a tree! Then we are driving HWY 1. It adds a lot of time but it’s so beautiful.
In Oregon off I-5 stop by the Oregon Caves. It’s a little out of the way but worth it. They have guided tours. The wildlife Safari is cool too. It’s in Winston.
I’ll have to think some more. You can stay in Yosemite. I’ve always wanted to go there. Maybe next year?!

Good Luck!

 

[Magix]

You can also go to Santa Cruz on Hwy 1. They have this place called the Mystery Spot. It's really neat, haven't done it since I was a kid but it was really cool then. I drove all the way to Disneyland on Hwy 1 one year just since we weren't in any time frame to get there. I live right on the coast and when I want to destress I just take a drive down the Hwy to Santa Cruz and back. Very relaxing. There are also a lot of fruit/vegetable stands on the Hwy. There's also the Distillery restaurant that is reportedly haunted by the blue lady. There's a place right near there called "Three Palms" that gets very creepy at night. There's also a book called "Weird California" that lists all kinds of really neat places to visit.

You can't go to Santa Cruz without visiting the Boardwalk!! They do have kids rides there. Right on the beach and a great, great day. Be sure to ride the Cave Train - stupid fun!! You can also head up into the mountains just a few miles and visit Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. They have a loop railroad you can ride (for a fee, of course). Deeper in the mountains, you'll find Big Basin Redwoods State Park, California's first state park. Absolutely beautiful. Just a couple miles down the coast, you can also visit the SS Palo Alto - it's a cement ship built for WWII (but not used in the war). You can't go on the actual ship anymore, but it's still out there at the end of the pier and there's a small visitor's center that gives historic info. Interesting stuff.

Further down the coast, when you hit San Luis Obispo, be sure to visit Bubble Gum Alley. Gross to some, great to others. You can leave your own bubblegum to be part of the tradition. Also, be sure to have dinner in Shell Beach at F. McLintock's Steakhouse & Saloon. Brilliant steakhouse! It's right alongside the 101 fwy as you hit the coast after SLO. Be aware, though, the crowds at dinner time are huge, so give yourselves plenty of time to wait to be seated (or arrive very early).

Have fun on your trip!

 

[mamacatnv]

You can also go to Santa Cruz on Hwy 1. They have this place called the Mystery Spot. It's really neat, haven't done it since I was a kid but it was really cool then.

The Oregon Vortex right outside of Grants Pass I-5 is the same idea. I think the Mystery Spot is actually located on Hwyn 17 a jog off of Hwy 1 (I could be wrong, going off of memory)

It really depends on the route you are going to take

The redwoods are beautiful - the drive thru tree, Fern Forest where parts of Jurassic Park were filmed, the Skunk Train to the coast etc. In the Santa Cruz area you have Roaring Camp which is another train and the California Coast is beautiful. The southern Oregon coast has the sand dunes, the sea lion caves, a jet boat ride out of Gold Beach on the Rogue River and some amazing beaches.

If coming down I-5 the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield, CA is a bit off the beaten path but would probably be fun for a 6 yr. old. Central California is pretty boring, not a lot to see or do from just below Redding all the way to BakersField....Lots and lots of farm land, cattle ranches etc.

Hwy 101/1 is certainly prettier but will take substantially more time.

 

[ORDisneyfans]

Redding has a new sundial bridge and park that is just off the freeway and really pretty. Shasta lake is beautiful but hard to stop at because the banks are so high, no real beach areas. You can stop at the dam area and walk around a bit. Redding has a large waterpark but it is an all day thing ($19 PP). We live in Medford area and drive south a lot. It is a pretty boring drive actually. We like to stop at the in and out burger whoo hoo!

In Medford we have Harry and Davids country store and tours, a mall, multiple restaurants (though none to write home about) and lots of parks and lakes.

Jacksonville is about 5 miles from the freeway and it is a quaint little gold mine town like the old west. Lots of character, good food and little shops. Also a trolley car to ride around the town. Many of the houses are on the historic register and some are available to tour.

Ashland is 10 miles north of the CA border and is the home of the Oregon Shakespeare Theatre. It is a world renowned theatre and people come from all over the worl to see plays here. Ashland is a college town with a mini San Fransico feel to it. It also has a large science museum that is fun but could take several hours. (price about $7.50pp)

Sandee