Costs. This is probably going to make or break our trip. It will cover 3 things basically: Fuel, Food, and Motels.
In the maps I made, I assumed that the cars would get 25 mpg and gas would be $4/gallon. Keep in mind that we are mostly getting regular unleaded fuel. Also gas prices in Oregon and Washington are consistently $0.20 to $0.30 cents cheaper than in socal. Phil’s hybrid gets 35+ mpg. I’m sure the other cars we take can touch 30 given that it’s all easy freeway mileage (with a few canyon drives mixed in). Everything is per car or per person.
Motels are about $50-60 per room. So about $30 per person, per night (or $15 if 2 people per bed with 2 beds).
Food includes snacks, drinks, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast is usually free from the motel. Lunch and dinner should be between $10-$20 depending how frugal we are feeling lol.
Day 1 is about 468 miles.
If 35mpg and $3.75/gal then fuel will be $50. If 30mpg, then $58.50. If 25mpg, then $70.
$15-$30 per person for the motel (in Petaluma or Santa Rrosa)
$10-$20 for food
Day 2 is about 339 miles.
If 35mpg, then gas is $36. If 30mpg, then $42. If 25mpg, then $51.
$15-$30 per person for the motel in Eureka
$10-$20 for food
Day 3-4 are about 691 miles.
If 35mpg, then gas is $74. If 30mpg, then $86. If 25mpg, then $104.
$15-$30 per person for the motel in McMinnville. Camping day 2 should be about $5-10 per car.
$20-$30 for food (grille hot dogs night 2?)
Day 5 is about 231 miles.
If 35mpg, then gas is $25. If 30mpg, then $29. If 25mpg, then $35.
$15-$30 per person for the motel in Portland
$25-$30 per person for the ferry ride to Victoria and back
$10-$20 for food
Day 6 is about 490 miles.
If 35mpg, then gas is $52. If 30mpg, then $61. If 25mpg, then $74.
$15-$30 per person for the motel in Chico
$10-$20 for food
Day 7 is about 464 miles.
If 35mpg, then gas is $50. If 30mpg, then $58. If 25mpg, then $70.
$5-$10 for food
Arrive Home!
So to total it all.
If 35mpg, fuel is $287. If 30mpg, then $335. If 25mpg, then $404. This is per car. 4 cars, 8 people; split costs in half. $143, $167, $202.
$80-$160 per person for motel.
$65-$130 per person for food.
$25-$30 per person for the ferry ride.
So the minimum comes out to $313. $522 maximum.
Add $20 per person for extra fuel costs (in case). You might also want to bring more money to buy souvenirs (tshirts and whatnot)
It sounds expensive but it’s less than 2 paychecks for most of us, plus you can’t put a price on this experience and the fun we will have!
So lets just say it will cost $350-$550, but probably somewhere in between.


























