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.

After day 4 (camping), we’ll wake up and depending on where we stayed that night, make a short drive to Port Angeles where we will park our cars and board a ferry to Victoria, B.C. I’m thinking we’ll spend a few hours theres, maybe grab lunch, walk around the shops, and then get back on the ferry to Port Angeles. We’ll then get in our cars and start the return Killa Cali. Except this time, we won’t be taking the coast. Starting with the 101-S around the east side of Olympic National Park, we’ll hit Olympia after 120 miles (about 2 hours). Depending on how we feel, we’ll probably drive down to Portland (another 110 miles), or further, maybe down to Salem (45 miles south of Portland).

I think Nate is going to want to drive his Miata. It’s not practical. It only seats 2 and can barely store his own stuff. But on the upside, it’s his car and I’m sure top down on a summer road trip is something to be envied, if not so cliché. I’ll assume he’s driving.

This is a road trip. The whole thing, aside from hanging around the most awesome friends in the world, is DRIVING! Unfortunately, gas is expensive now and we should probably be smart about which and how many cars we take. But I think Ken will want to take his 240sx. It’s got hatchback utility, 4 seats, and is quite fun to drive. His backseats are useless. It’d probably be smart to take them out and just have more cargo space.

So 4 seats down. Now we need something comfortable that has a nice sound system and people can sleep in. I think Phil’s hybrid is a must. It’s automatic, anyone can drive it. It’s quiet, has an awesome sound system and gets crazy good mileage, not to mention it comfortably sits 4 people (or 5). It can also carry quite a bit of shit in the trunk.

And lastly, I’m going to be buying a car just for this. Not sure what I’m going to pick up yet, but I’m looking into an EG Civic hatchback, DC Integra, E36 318i/325i. Something that everyone will be fighting to drive

We’ve been on the run
Driving in the sun
Looking out for #1
California here we come
Right back where we started from

Hustlers grab your guns
Your shadow weighs a ton
Driving down the 101
California here we come
Right back where we started from

California!
Here we come!

On the stereo
Listen as we go
Nothing’s gonna stop me now
California here we come
Right back where we started from
Pedal to the floor
Thinkin’ of the roar
Gotta get us to the show
California here we come
Right back where we started from

California!
Here we come!

We’re going to be pooped the next morning, probably tired of driving, but we’ll call the nights over early and probably head out at 7-8 AM in the morning. Day 2 is going to be more coastal traveling. We’ll be driving up the 101… doo doo doo doo doo…California here we come!

Before Eureka, we’ll turn off onto Mattole Road. It’s mostly a 2 way, narrow highway. Reminds me of the Top Gear M3 CSL road on the Isle of Man.

“Mattole Road is mostly two-lanes, although they’re usually very narrow lanes, with plenty of curves. Even though it’s a while before the ocean comes into view, it’s still an awesome drive.”

“As you travel along, you feel like you’re on top of the world. The road crests some hills, and hugs the sides of others. All the while, you’re passing rolling farmland, and hundreds of those “happy California cows” from the cheese commercials.”

“Finally, the ocean appears ahead of you. At this point, you’re coming close to Cape Mendocino, the westernmost point in California. Fences run on both sides of the road, and beyond them, everything is private land. So, your only choice is to enjoy the scenery from the road.”

After this detour, we’ll head straight up to Eureka where we’ll call it a day.

*Special thanks to TakeMyTrip.com for the pics! I’m using their site to help plan this trip.