Woodworking spots to visit while on the west coast?

[Tristan Williams]

My wife and I are planning a three week holiday on the west coast later this year, starting with my brother's wedding in LA in October. We live in Finland so its a good excuse for a nice break! We were thinking of spending a week in and around LA and then spending a couple of weeks winding our way up to Seattle via Yosemite, SF, the Spruce Goose and a few other bits and pieces.

Right now we're at the stage of sticking pins in a map of everything that we're interested in, before we start to figure out whats practical and whats not.

So - are there any "must visit" woodworking related shops/spots between LA and Seattle?

[Chris Padilla]

Yosemite will definately be a treat. The Giant Sequoias are something to awe at.

The area around Mt. Shasta is gorgeous. Crater Lake in Oregon is NOT to be missed.

Pick up a Rand McNally atlas and look it over...it is full of all kinds of spots you can check out. My wife and I do this all the time on our spontaneous 2-week car trips throughout the US and we have yet to be disappointed.

The Mendocino coast if full of neat spots, too. Look up College of the Redwoods. :)

[Brian Kent]

The Sam Maloof Historical residence in Ontario California is astounding:
http://www.malooffoundation.org/tours.cfm

I hear the Pasadena Greene and Greene house is also wonderful:
http://www.gamblehouse.org/

The Greens Restaurant in San Francisco has a lot of beautiful burl furniture:
http://www.greensrestaurant.com/about-greens/our-restaurant

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in Santa Cruz is another spectacular Redwood forest.

[glenn bradley]

What Brian said plus; the Queen Mary has more BE maple paneling than I have ever seen in one spot.

150471

The rooms are a trip too.

[Joe Pelonio]

McBeath Hardwoods in Berkeley, and there are several Woodcraft stores up the coast, including Seattle.

While in this area try to get to Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park, it's a ferry ride plus 2 hour drive from Seattle but well worth it.

I'll warn you that the only time you can "almost guarantee' dry weather here is July 5 to the end of August.

[Rod Torgeson]

The Gilmer Wood Company in Portland, Oregon is a neat place to visit and spend some money. http://www.gilmerwood.com/

The Oregon coast is a great place to visit all the way from the California border to the Washington border. There are some nice Myrtle wood shops along the Oregon coast. If you are driving inland there is Crater Lake in southern Oregon. As was mentioned before, Olympic National park(hurricane ridge). Then there is Pike Place market on the waterfront in downtown Seattle.

The wine country north of San Francisco is also a good place to visit or drive through. Then north of there are the Redwoods along highway 101.

Hope you enjoy your trip.

Rod<---in Appleton, WA

[Rob Cunningham]

Definitely make the trip to Yosemite. It's amazingly beautiful. We can't wait to go back someday.

[Brent Ring]

Maloofs is a great place to stop and visit in the LA area. There are a couple of Creekers in the So. Cal. area as well.

Yosemite is worth going thru, but it takes a couple of days to see it, and you will miss the best parts if you are just driving thru. Gotta hike a little.

[Ben Martin]

Defintely the Gamble House, see the thread that I posted the other day in the General Woodworking foum.

Another spot to visit would be the California Lodge at Disneyland, it has lots of mission furniture there.

There is also another Greene and Greene house that can be toured further up the coast, but I can't remember what it's name is...