Driving Up The Coast From CA to OR
 

Are there any sites along the way that you would recommend or not recommend for that matter..LOL

Making the drive up in January.

It would be helpful it you told us how long you have to spend, what types of activities you are interested in, and what research you've already done.

- - - and from where you will be starting.

where in CA are you driving from (I'm guessing LA)? how much time do you want to spend?

Herst Castle is nice, big sur, and montery are the big items I'd suggest off the top of my head. 17 mile drive near montery can be skipped unless you like paying to drive near some good golf courses. plenty of good things to see on the drive without paying for it.

btw, be warned that hwy 1 gets old after a while if you're not in a fun car or if your passengers fall asleep. I'd say get on/off 101.

In San Luis Obispo: Madonna Inn (It's a hoot!)

In Marin County, just north of San Fran:

-- Top of Mt. Tamalpais (if the weather is clear)
-- Muir Woods

Don't do it. People die making that drive. A man died just recently in Oregon when his family became stuck in the snow. In Nothern California the dangerously weaving road along the coast will drive you insane and there is no easy way to get back to the freeway.

Let's see...

Take in some coastal wineries in Santa Barbara & SLO counties.

Visit Solvang for Danish baked goods and/or hit Buellton for "Pea Soup Anderson's" all-you-can eat soup and fresh bread.

If you like over-the-top kitsch, the Maddona Inn near SLO might be for you...if not, stop at Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort off the Avila Beach exit from 101 and get a very comfortable spa room with its own spring-fed private hot tub.

Stop in some of the great state/federal parks and forests along the way, including Phiffer-Big Sur, Ano Nuevo, Golden Gate NRA, Point Reyes, Humbolt Redwoods, Redwoods NP, Del Norte, Harris Beach, etc.

Founder's Grove: Humboldt Redwoods SP
 

Between Garberville and Eureka, a nice spot to pull over for a 30 minute walk in the primeval redwood forest is Founder's Grove, just off the 101 freeway. If someone had just one opportunity to investigate the redwoods between SF and Oregon, this would be my recommendation. It commemorates the group of individuals in the 1920s that decided to purchase some of the first lands for the redwood parks that exist today.

Just south of Orick (north of Eureka) is the Redwood National Park visitor center, located on the beach. All the facts about redwoods can be discovered here.

Further south, near Hopland, the Fetzer winery is adjacent to the road.

In fairness, they were driving to the coast from I-5, not along the coast, and not via the highway but on a one-lane mountain road, at night, and had driven off this road onto a logging access road which is ordinarily gated in winter where they became stranded in snow.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object...MT3NJ1.DTL&o=0
http://news.com.com/2009-12-6141617.html