I would take more time. You will spend a full day - approximately 11 hours - driving between Portland abd San Francisco. I live halfway between the two, so have driven the route many times. Other than a drive through Napa on the way to SF, I would probably skip it with a child. Though you could drive from Portland to Napa, spend one night, then drive the hour or so to San Francisco.

And for Yosemite, I haven't been in decades, but I understand that things get booked up waaaay in advance.

Yes, Yosemite gets booked up way in advance. Plan on a day to drive up from SF and a day to come back, and that's if you only go up to the Village. Or, don't plan to 'do it' in a day. Plan on one overnight. Even the hotels outside the park are a good hour+ to get to the heart of Yosemite Village.

Things to see and do in Portland-Powells City of Books. Amazing bookstore. Waterfront park is fun, and there is Washington Park with a rose garden and Japanese garden. Warning about driving around in Portland-parking is very hard to come by, so most people take the Max or other public transportation.

Outside of Portland, to the East is the Gorge, and Multnomah Falls, which is lovely even in July. Your son might enjoy OMSI, museum of Science & Industry which has things that appeal to everyone. Also you can take the tram to the top of Marquam Hill and see out over the whole city. The Willamette River (pronounced Will-ahm-it) runs through Portland so you might see some nice ships, and you'll likely see an eagle.

Oregon has wine country that rivals Napa-to the west in Yamhill County and there is a Pinot Noir festival going on around the time of your visit.

Portland is very laid back, and alternative, so you'll see a lot of tattoos & piercings as a norm. And since marijuana is legal in Oregon, you will see a lot of references to it (and might smell it often, even though you can't smoke it in public). Also it's a foodies paradise. Food trucks are a must visit-anything you can imagine is available, plus there are amazing restaurants everywhere in down town and all over. Oh, and Portland is very dog friendly.

We CAN get some rain that time of the year, but no one uses umbrellas.

You can email me if you'd like more info or directions. Meanwhile, here is a link to Travel Oregon that is great. Also check on the Willamette Valley link for more things to see and do. Oh, and the best part is there is no sales tax in Oregon, so if you shop, what you see is what you pay.

That's quite a bit of driving around the west coast. To me, that sounds like different trips, but to each their own. :) Between Portland and San Fran, the big appeal that time of year would be the Oregon coast. The coast highway is beautiful for much of the drive, but it is slow moving compared to just taking I-5 south. There are several darling towns on the coast. If you get to the OR/CA border on the coast highway, the redwood forest there is surreal and gorgeous.

There's also Crater Lake...

I agree. Two different trips. Unless you fly from Portland to San Francisco. But I'd still do one area or the other.

I understand the two trips, but we have to be in Portland and I really want see Yosemite and San Francisco, so I'm trying to fit it all in. We don't travel a lot so Im trying to take advantage of this. Thanks for all the tips so far. Napa is definitely lowest on the priority list.

Are you looking for things to do in and around Portland, or just after you leave the area?

My daughter lives there and we made our first visit last year. The rose garden there is so spectacular that I dare even a 14 year old to not enjoy it.

Be sure to take a day for the scenic drive along the Columbia River. Go early so you can find parking at the Vista House and the waterfalls along the way, or save the more popular falls for the return trip when most of the crowds have gone home.

If DS gets restless, he can take a windsurfing lesson at Hood River. If there isn't enough wind (there wasn't the day we were there) you can still rent paddle boards for a couple of hours. If you don't want to participate, there are a couple of food stands on a pier there where you can have a snack, drink a craft beer, and watch. Hood River (the town) is quaint with several restaurants. Ask about the ice cream shop for dessert. It's worth the hike uphill.

The Oregon Coast is beautiful. Remember the movie, The Goonies? It was filmed partially in Astoria, which also boasts a pretty cool monument and a gorgeous (but windy) view of the Pacific. It's a couple of hours north and west of Portland. From there, Cannon Beach is just 45 minutes south. Warning: The water is too c-c-c-cold for swimming without a wetsuit, but the tide pools are neat. We had a picnic there then headed further south to check out a couple of other beaches. Ended the day with a fire on the beach and s'mores at sunset. Magical.

Our trip was a short one and we spent most of the rest of it eating (Portland's a great foodie city!) and drinking (They've also got a bunch of microbreweries and some pretty interesting Mimosa combos!).

Can't wait to go back.

If you're set on both, fly from Portland to SFO. Trade Yosemite for Big Sur/Monterey, bag Napa and make it 10 days. That would work.

If you are going to drive, be prepared for a long drive down I-5 from Portland. You could overnight in Crater Lake or Lake Shasta (and take a side trip to the volcanic regions of Mt. Lassen). You can do San Francisco for a couple of days, and then head to Monterey/Carmel/Big Sur (Aquarium, Beach, scenery). You can then cut across the valley and head over to Yosemite. (Vegas is really far away). You could then head north and go to Lake Tahoe and fly out of Reno or Sacramento or return to the Bay Area directly for a flight out. Besides SFO, other airports to consider include Oakland and San Jose. It's a lot of driving, so be careful.

Note along the way there is a Sea World (in Vallejo) with a large amusement park, just south of Napa Valley There is also a Great America (amusement park) in Santa Clara, in the south Bay.

Napa is very wine (and food) oriented. I don't know about doing it with a 14 year old for anything but a drive through.

The Oregon coast is lovely, but it would be a slower trip down to SF than I-5. It depends on your priorities.

Do you like outdoor stuff or urban stuff? Someone mentioned Multnomah Falls, and the drive on the historic highway to get there is lovely. Silver Falls state park is to the south and also lovely.

In California, I've done non-wine-related loops of Napa and Sonoma counties. Bale Grist Mill, the Calistoga geyser, the petrified forest, Sonoma State Historic Park.

In San Francisco, the cable car museum is interesting (small), the Ferry Building, Fisherman's Wharf, Fort Point, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Palace of Fine Arts. Sutro Baths is an oddball attraction. Muir Woods, Point Reyes, Mount Tamalpais (Mt. Tam to the locals) are nice outdoor destinations.

Definitely put crater lake on the list...bluest blue I've ever seen.

I like the Portland Art Museum, specifically the Northwest Native American Art exhibit. Totems and canoes, very old artifacts of beading, clothing, and moccasins. The Saturday Farmers Market in the Park Blocks is great, and the Saturday Market is popular. You'd want to do a day trip to the Columbia River Gorge/Mount Hood area and two nights on the Oregon coast.

Before moving to Portland, I drove from Sacramento to Oregon on I-5. That is a desolate drive, especially in July when everything is dry as a bone, especially on the California side. I returned along the coast from Newport, Oregon down through California. I'd head south from Portland on I-5 and cut over to Newport, where most of the tide pools and sea stacks begin along the southern coast. You're not missing much by not driving directly west to Cannon Beach from Portland. The coast here is different than east coast beaches because the population is small. Much of it is fishing towns, so you won't see souvenir shops and miniature golf. Just scenery and beach combing. Bandon has a golf course so there are more amenities there and it's a good place to stay overnight.

You couldn't drive down the coast and do Yosemite though. I'd fly into SF rather than drive I-5 if that and Yosemite are your priorities. Otherwise I'd do California on another trip and consider going to Seattle, and also plan on going to Victoria on Vancouver Island on the ferry. We did the drive from Sacramento to Sequim WA twenty years ago and really enjoyed that trip. Washington has more of that PNW flavor than Portland imo. More evergreens, more water, more wildlife....more coffee culture!

We were in Oregon last year around the same time. Portland is a great city and we didn't spent enough time there. We did enjoy the Chinese and Hapanese Gardens, the rose garden and several other things. There is also a great market on Saturdays. But we had an agenda for a lot of other things, one of which was the Pinot Noir festival, which is a paid-to-attend in advance event. But do sample some of Oregon's great wines.

Would highly recommend a day of driving down the Columbia River gorge, but do not do this on a weekend day. It's a parking lot, especially near Multnomah Falls. Do recommend going up to Astoria for at least an overnight stay and visit the Maritime Museum there. Then visit the Lewis and Clark historical park/Ft Clatsop just outside Astoria. You can do both in a day. Then drive down the coast and head inland to Crater Lake. Try to stay there a night or two if you can and explore the park. There were several small beach towns along the coast drive. We stopped in a few for the scenery or a photo op at some of the overlooks. I forget which town we stopped in for the night but it was very nice and had a great seafood restaurant.

I agree with others, it would be a lot to drive to Yosemite and SF on this trip.

Love Yosemite area, the valley is nice but I personally prefer along Tioga Road. Are you serious hikers? You've missed the lottery for the Yosemite High Sierra camps but if you're willing to have one very long hiking day you still might be able to get in for a couple of nights. If you want to climb Half Dome it gets quite crowded so I would suggest starting out very early. Good luck!

Thank you all for your suggestions. I am going to re-evaluate and research staying closer and seeing more. Looks like there is a lot to do there that we would love.

DS and DH are hikers, I'm not in the greatest shape. Ok to walk miles sightseeing, but probably not for "hikes." I'm more foody than them. We love tours, like learning a lot about the areas we are in, and try not to do anything we could do easily somewhere else.

Thanks for the advice!

Backroads has a very nice Yosemite tour (multi sport) staying at the top lodges, but it is a bit pricey and maybe longer than you might want? They depart out of SF.

ETA-- it is 2 nights Tenaya Lodge and 2 nights Ahwahnee so that might be a way to get in if there's still availability.

I will be visiting my sister in OR in June; already developing my tax-free shopping list. The Oregon coast is worth the driving time. If you get the chance, check out a jet boat ride up the Rogue River. The first thing we saw when I went was a Bald Eagle feeding on a salmon, and that was just the beginning....

Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland has a replica of the Globe Theatre which is really fun. Every play I've been to over the years has been excellent.

Besides all the other great recommendations for SF, go to the top of the De Young Museum (in Golden Gate Park) for a panoramic view of the area/bridge. It has been free to go to the top without paying admission, though I don't know for certain that's still the case. CA Academy of Sciences across from the De Young might appeal to your entire family but can take up quite a bit of time.

If your are visiting coastal CA, you must experience the Redwood Forest at least once. For me, the experience is like no other and is quite indescribable.

Yes, get thee to a redwood forest and stand in awe of the oldest, most majestic living things on the planet. There are plenty of places you can find them in coastal Northern California. I grew up in the Bay Area and assumed redwoods grew everywhere. Nope. They need our fog.

Yes, Linelle! We finally made it up to Redwood Natl Park last summer. Awe-inspiring!

I meant to add that in my post. Driving south along the coast allows you to see the redwoods.

Further south is Mendocino, which I always heard is a picturesque little town. When we lived in Sacramento area, we'd go to Bodega Bay for tide pooling, which is just north of SF. We'd drive through the Napa Valley and bypass SF, so you could head down from Sacramento to Yosemite, return to SF and fly home.

Redwoods are pretty, but to me, Giant Sequoias are the must-see and more impressive tree of the two species! Many out-of-state visitors, and Californians even, don't realize they are not the same.

After I re-read your posts, I realized you're not planning a longer stay in Portland-but you really should! I'd really second the idea of flying to San Fran if that is on your agenda, because that drive from Portland is brutal. It IS along I-5 and once you get about 150 miles south of Portland, it's just brown and nothing to see until you hit the Shasta area.

Driving the coast route sounds lovely, but many, many parts are inland and it's just a two lane road for the most part. And it takes MUCH longer than driving the freeway. But if you DO decide to drive from Portland, cut over from I-5 to the coast around Winston (take a trip to Wildlife Safari) and head south, you'll have a couple hour drive down to the Redwoods area but it's better than heading all the way down 101. Definitely plan for an entire day of driving however.

It IS along I-5 and once you get about 150 miles south of Portland, it's just brown and nothing to see until you hit the Shasta area.

Are you kidding? Sure it's not that interesting between Portland and Roseburg, but then you start getting into the mountains, and until you get to Redding it's mostly curving mountain scenery, except the Rogue Valley, but that's just about an hour's worth of I-5. But there are tons of wineries in the area if you want to stop.

I have to agree that past Redding until you get to I-80 and Napa it's pretty boring.

One of my favorite place along I-5 is the Sundial Bridge in Redding and is not very well known. It's a walking bridge over the Sacramento River that creates a giant sundial. It's a great place to stop and have a picnic. There is also an interesting botanical garden there, that has plants from sites from around the world with the same type of micro climate.

Thank you, Terricks! We have driven the I-5 many times, as we live on the central Cali coast and have family in Eugene and Seattle. That highway, from Redding CA to Roseburg OR is spectacular, one of my favorite drives. You are driving through the Cascade Mountain Range and the scenery is, well, mountainous. The very long approach to Mt. Shasta and the long curve around it, with little towns (with some nice "organic" restaurants and bakeries, where we always stop) up and down the hillsides, with tiny Shasta City, that sits right at the base of the mountain, makes for a great ride. I am not recommending that the OP do this instead of some of the other splendid things that have been suggested; I just wanted to emphasize that this is a drive worth doing if one is not in a hurry.

Considering what DH and I have seen and done in this area, I would divide the time between Oregon and San Francisco. When leaving Portland I would drive along the Columbia to Astoria - the drive on the north side of the river is especially lovely, with places to picnic at water's edge - spend some time in Astoria and then head south. Astoria is at the mouth of the Columbia where it flows into the Pacific, and I always find that an awesome sight. And it's where Lewis and Clark had their first view of the Pacific. So, both historic and beautiful.

I agree with Neetsiepie. I lived on the California Central Coast for five years and then in the Sacramento area for 15, and I never want to see bare rolling dry hills in summertime again. Especially this NY girl, who grew up surrounded by lush summer greenery. You Californians are used to that type of scenery. The Shasta area stands out as the only nice part of the I-5 drive until we got into Ashland area and some forested spots. But why spend hours on I-5 when you can drive along the coast? I assume legomom is from the east, so even if she's been to the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific is an entirely different ocean.

I live in SoCal and would suggest Yosemite book what you can now but know that Oakhurst is a good hour out of the valley Portola and Mariposa are closer.

Leaving Portland I could easy spend 3 days on the road to SF and seeing SF

Nights 4-5 Yosemite

I would take at least two days in Yosemite to take a few short hikes and see Glacier Point, the valley and hopefully Mariposa grove (they were working on trails and had it closed last trip)

Night 6 Lee Vining

leaving, I would take hwy 120 over Tioga Pass. You will come out on hwy 395 and Mono Lake. That is well worth the stop as well. If you have time, plan a drive north toward Bridgeport and see Bodie State Park. An old ghost town and great place to visit

the June Lake loop

Night 7 mammoth Lake (cheap hotels due to off season). Take the bus to Devils Postpile Narional Park and a short hike.

Driving down the 395 the short drive to Convict Lake is worth it. Rock Creek has some nice hiking and is a short side trip

Bishop has some nice lakes up hwy 168

i would probably stay in either Bishop or Lone Pine stop at Mazanar HP and ask for a map at the Lone Pine Death Valley Vistors Center and check out Movie Road in the Alabama Hills

since it will be hot, I would try to time my drive through Death Valley to stop in the early morning and late afternoon We usually stay at the Panamint resort but that is on the Lone Pine side other wise try Stove Pipe Wells (central) or Furnace Creek Ranch (east end) hotels in Beatty are cheap but a drive and some are dives You can get to Las Vegas from Death Valley easy

Buy a National parks pass and stop at Badwater You will have seen a big variety of geological treasures and the highest and lowest points in the continuous US

i have taken my boys to these places and we have enjoyed (of course we don't go in July but my Danish cousins love the heat)

I should add, if you like to camp. All of the places I listed have campgrounds except Alabama Hills but that is blm and you can camp there. Bring water since there is none.

And we I refer to hikes I mean short ones. I love Vistors centers and I think two of the best in the state are the Mono Lake in Lee Vining and the Death Valley in Lone Pine

Alabama Hills is often seen in car commercials (Subaru I think is current).

This would be a very special trip for your son and if he likes nature/geography/geology he will have seen some of the best.

facebook pages to follow:

yosemite (there are a few)

Bodie

monolake

mammoth

lone pine

Death Valley

legomom, I'm not in hiking shape either, lol. Most of the waterfalls have trails for hiking that were way too strenuous for me - but my husband and kids loved them. Thankfully, just about all of them also have really beautiful spots to sit, look at nature, or read a good book while the rest of the fam is exploring.