Where are good places to go to on a roadtrip of northern california? -

My friend and I want to go on a road trip to the very tip of california and back (we ll be starting in modesto). Where would be some good places to stop along the way?

This kind of depends on the time of year. During the winter some of the mountain highways are closed as are some of the state parks. Here s what I would do if I had unlimited time and it wasn t winter. I-5 is the only fast road north of Sacramento and really the only one that is reliable in the winter - but there s just not much to see on it.1. From Modesto, head over to San Francisco and see the sights there (better to park outside the city and take BART in)2. Then start heading up the coast on CA-1 for a more scenic drive or US-101 for a less carsick drive. Point Reyes and Fort Ross are worth stops.3. US-101 and CA-1 combine and become very curvy. But Humboldt Redwoods State Park and Redwood National Park are worth stops. Might want to check out Humboldt State University in Arcata to see hippies in their natural environment.4. There are a whole bunch of state parks along the coast as well as private campgrounds, but not too many Motel 6 s.5. At the very tip of California is the Smith River, the only river in the state that does not have a dam.6. Then I d take CA-199 (not advisable in snow) up to Grant s Pass, OR and get on I-5 heading south. Shasta Dam north of Redding is worth the tour. There are a lot of houseboats on Shasta Lake if that interests you.7. Then I might take one of the back highways like CA-44 east to go see Lassen Volcanic National Park and then head up into the Sierra (bad idea in winter). If you go all the way to CA-395, you can see the backside of the Sierra and the basin and range.8. Then head south on 395 to Reno, NV and see the sights there. Then head south a little further to Carson City, NV. The NV state capitol and museum are worth touring.9. Then head back to Tahoe on US-50. Circle the lake if you want (again, not going to happen in winter) and then head back down to Sacramento on US-50 or I-80.10. In Sacramento, the highlights are the state capitol building tour, Old Sacramento/Railroad Museum, and Sutter s Fort. Then hop on CA-99 and you re back to Modesto!