Originally Posted by
valygrl
Don't ride I-5, soooo boring, super hot, and yes it continues to be a high-speed heavy truck-traffic route the entire way. Actually - not even sure it's legal to ride I-5.
Sierra Cascades route would be better than the coast. If you've toured before, you know how much more important the roads are than the cities. "It's the journey not the destination" - right? So, maybe re-think that "have to ride to Seattle" think if you don't want to ride in the mountains.
Actually, traffic was not too bad on I5 through Shasta Lake and up the canyon to Dunsmuir. The sections of old highway I was able to get off and ride on were much better, though, with access to the river (cold) and some fantastic swimming holes in creeks feeding the main stream. The interstate stayed hundreds of feet above the river for the most part, without shade. Past Dunsmuir, you can take frontage roads up to Shasta and join the ACA route.