Recommendations for OAK - PDX drive

I used to live in Humboldt, so I can offer you some advice there.

Eel River has perhaps the best food of any brewery, which is to say not too shabby. Their beer is mediocre.

The food and beer at Lost Coast are not very good.

Redwood Curtain is the newest brewery in the area. They make the best IPA up there and have a little more room for experimentation than the larger breweries up there. Definitely worth a stop.

Humbrews has 22 taps (I think), and they always include the same old boring stuff: Local standbys and faux craft schwag. Food is decent.

Mad River makes a solid lineup of beers and often has pretty nice experimental sours and other barrel aged projects on tap. They also have a nice seating area outside and Blue Lake is always sunny. Also worth a stop.

6 Rivers has ok beer and makes some really weird stuff too. Their food is ok. Take it or leave it.

There are a few places you missed that are definitely worth hitting: The Local Beer Bar in Eureka and Blondies in Arcata. They're both run by Darren, a man who knows his beer and also listens to his customers. These 2 places are really bringing the beer scene there up to speed. Blondies has a few taps and a well curated selection of bottles for there or to go, as well as nice food. The Local has a nice draught selection, especially for the area.

Hope this helps, have fun!

 

I think there is a Wild River in Brookings.

MrFootstones pretty much nailed it when describing Humboldt. The best places are probably Mad River and Eel River, Redwood Curtain seems to be getting better and better too.

If you want bottles, I found the selection to be pretty good at the Co-op in Arcata.

 

Keep in mind that parts of 101 north of Santa Rosa are one lane roads that tend to get very slow. I'm not sure you could pack all this into 2 days.

 

Thanks for this topic! Just this weekend my wife and I decided to finally drive from SFO to PDX next month. So, let us know what you liked!

 

Block 15 in Corvallis

 

Seriously. 101 the whole way is a 15 hour drive without stops. That's not even taking Highway 1 into account. Beautiful drive though and if you can swing it, go for it. I just don't think 10 stops is realistic. If I was doing this I'd stop at Russian River or Lagunitas for Lunch and get up to Arcata to spend the night (maybe stop at Eel River or Lost Coast for dinner). Then get a very early start on the second day and stop at Rogue in Newport and then head East on 20 to Corvalis to Block 15. Then North on 5 to PDX. Any way you slice it that second day is a crap ton of driving.

 

Wow, just looked up Blondies. That place looks pretty cool. Is that the old Toucan Market site on L.K. Wood?

 

Yeah, if you really want this to be a relaxed drive with lots of stops, it's three days minimum. But well, well worth it.

 

Hm, sounds likely. When I moved up there in 2004 it was East Side Deli.