How worried should I be? they are 75 and couldn't give me the route other than along the coast! Let go and let God I guess!!

if you both have iPhones they could share locations and you could find them in the event you need to do so.

Flat Tire, Lost off course, mechanical etc.

Phrase it that they can turn it off after and it's there if you need to send help or come get them in case of a problem.

The cali. part would be the worrisome part. Where are they headed there?

My sister has them on her phone..I'm more worried about them being targeted, robbed, carjacked or in a MV accident

hence the cali. part.

The vehicle accident is the most likely problem point, I would think.

It's not too hard to avoid sketchy high crime areas with basic observation and common sense... I'd think most people taking on such a road trip would be pretty capable of that. My wife and I drove from Bellhingham, WA back to our home in Modesto, CA. No issues at all. I made sure not to stop in Portland as I know that city has a reputation of being a antifa hotspot, but even given that, I am 100% confident there are plenty of safe places to stop in Portland, whether it be for gas, food, or overnight.

A lot depends on their intended route, of course. If their route takes them through the Bay Area of CA, there are some places I would ensure I was gassed up before driving through so I wouldn't have to stop, but there are lots of ways through the area. Freeways are fine, almost universally.

I'm contemplating a road trip with the family from the US/Mexico border to the US/Canada border following the highways closest to the coast the entire time. I think that would be a fun trip to do. Not sure what software/website I can use, though, as all the major mapping sites want to route onto the interstates for efficiency.

If they stick to the PCH, save for crossing through the Golden Gate, it’s actually not that bad. The drive from Monterey to Morro Bay (Big Sur) is stunning.

If they drive inland more than a few miles, then get concerned.

The one place where there is concern is Crescent City, CA, and that only because it is near Pelican Bay Prison.

Interstate 5 would be long but okay.

101 would be longer and more tiring but mostly okay.

If really 'along the coast' and highway 1, this would be scenic but very tiring and slow going (for much of the way) depending on how far south they are headed. This, in my mind, would be a multi-day trip, at least 2-3 days.

quote:

Originally posted by Sig2340:
If they stick to the PCH, save for crossing through the Golden Gate, it’s actually not that bad. The drive from Monterey to Morro Bay (Big Sur) is stunning.

If they drive inland more than a few miles, then get concerned.

The one place where there is concern is Crescent City, CA, and that only because it is near Pelican Bay Prison.

Is PCH open all the way from SF to LA (or at least Pismo)? Last I heard was there were closures along the way (but can't remember where).

If driving along the coast, the driver has to drive w/eyes on the road, not on the scenery.

I take it this is a pleasure/scenic drive? One of the best in the country. Not fraught with peril, but there are a few things to watch out for.

From NE WA, a likely route is US 101 down the OR coast. Crossing into CA, there are two routes down the coast: continue on 101 through the giant coast redwoods for ~100 miles, then a choice of continuing on 101 or picking up CA Route 1. Both routes will eventually converge in San Francisco, then split off again, with Route 1 hugging the coast while 101 is more inland. For almost its entire length in CA, 101 is freeway or divided highway. Route 1 north of San Francisco is all two-lane and quite hilly and twisty; there are places where one could drive off a cliff and have nothing to stop the fall until one hits the ocean. This might be a challenge for an elderly driver.

To continue south on the CA coast, one must go through SF (part of it on surface streets as no freeway goes through it), or on heavily urbanized freeways (part of this through Oakland and other bad areas) to go around it.

Sounds like a great trip! Oregon has its problems for sure but the Oregon Coast is a visual treat and the state govt seems to have done some good work along the coast. Perhaps they would be able to keep the drive time between the hours of 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. I know that my night vision has slipped over the years.

Wishing them a great trip!


Silent

If they can map out Costco’s for gas, that should be a good, safe route.

Honestly , use common sense and they’ll be fine. If they see a dozen panhandlers at the gas station, move on to the next.

Oh, and gas is $4.35-5.50 per gallon in CA.

Should be a beautiful trip, not hard to avoid problem areas and, like thumper said, traffic collisions would be my biggest concern.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Is PCH open all the way from SF to LA (or at least Pismo)? Last I heard was there were closures along the way (but can't remember where).

It looks like the answer is, “No.”

https://www.bigsurcalifornia.o...hway_conditions.html

Where are they driving to in CA?

If they drive along 101 they'll be fine, plenty of enjoyable stops all along the way, the CA Central Coast from Monterey to Santa Barbara is one of my favorite drives, exceptionally pleasant; same also driving along the East side of the Sierras on 395. Driving I-5 is exceedingly boring but, it's the fastest North-South route...whcih also means a lot of truck traffic.

The PCH or, Hwy-1 is closed just north of Cambria and south of Carmel.

They did mention seeing the redwoods. Not sure what routes they are taking but I will refrain from offering them any advice.

I feel much better after reading the comments.

Two years ago my wife and I took a vacation to Napa, and I only drove Hwy 1 from Stinson Beach to Muir Beach and I wouldn't want any 75 year driving through that unless they were very sharp and alert for their age.

If they're literally driving along the coast on HWY 1 in northern California, they'll be negotiating elevation changes, constantly twisting roads, and extremely high gas and food prices. I would not recommend it.

If they're taking HWY 101, they'll do a lot better and still be close enough to detour to the shore if they have a spot they really want to see.

They're as safe as anywhere else. There's not bands of marauding road pirates on Highway 101. As mentioned, dark at night and winding, so driver's need to pay attention. The Oregon Coast is beautiful, as are the Redwoods. They should have a great trip.