"Cecil Chapman" wrote in message
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[...]
Go up along the coast and you have some airports but they are mostly along
the coast and subject to coastal fog (makes problems for a needed fueling
stop). Go up along I-5 and parts of the route get dark brown really fast.

Anyone do this? If so, what route did you take and why?

I've flown between the Seattle area and both Los Angeles and San Francisco.
As CJ says, I-5 route is probably easier, but other than the basic weather
issues, neither route should be terribly challenging.

As far as "parts of the route get dark brown really fast", I'm not sure
exactly what you mean, but the minimum altitudes necessary are definitely
not a big problem. There are some high areas around the Siskiyous, to be
sure, but nothing as bad as going over parts of the Sierra Nevadas or the
Cascades (never mind the Rockies).

You should certainly have some basic mountain training before doing a flight
like that, but on a nice day (scattered to clear, or a nice high ceiling,
and winds that aren't too strong), the flight should be well within the
capabilities of even a relatively new pilot. Just pick a cruising altitude
that is well over the mountains.

The only "unpretty" things I can think about the route are some of the
sections along the north and south of the Siskiyous that are just plain
uninteresting to look at, especially when the visibility is less than 50
miles. Otherwise, the coast and the I-5 route both have great scenery to
offer, and a perfectly reasonable challenge level for a pilot paying
attention to the weather.

Pete