What are the best, most original places to go on a road trip along Interstate 5, from Vancouver to California?

My friends and I want to go on a road trip for about 6 weeks between Vancouver and California this summer. We want to see all the coolest, weirdest and wackiest things that Washington, Oregon and California have to offer. Small towns, beautiful landscapes, obsqure museums, etc...We also really want to meet lots of people along the way. Any advice about cheap places to stay (motels, camp sites, whatever) and eat would also be fantastic. We love all things retro so ideas on things like old disco diners, drive in movies, or anything else would be great. This is our dream trip, our last adventure before our lives take us different ways, please suggested things that will make this trip as memorable(for better or for worse) as possible. Thanks

Public Comments

1. You should consider diving along the coast highway in California. Look at a map and check out highways 101 & 1. Besides Mt. Shasta, Shasta Lake and the Shasta Caverns, there isn't much to see along I-5. I-5 was built to move traffic up & down the state rapidly, not for its senic beauty or roadside attractions. It's boring, especially through the Central Valley, unless you like seeing miles upon miles of totally flat lettuce and vegetable farms, stretching all the way to the horizon for hours on end. Most of the time, the only places to stop are run-of-the-mill fast food joints, AM/PM minimarkets, and truckstops. The coast has: Artcata, a funky little town with a statue of President Mckinley in the town square, and Samoa Cookhouse, with its all you can eat, lumberjack cafeteria style breakfast. Humbold Redwoods State Park, where you can drive down the "Avenue of the Giants," which parallels the highway, and you can see 300 ft tall redwoods. San Francisco, where the coast highway crosses the Golden Gate Bridge, and passes through the city. Monterey. Cannery Row is a bit touristy now, but still nice to drive through. Big Sur. Hearst Castle in San Simeon is cool to check out. San Luis Obisbo and Santa Barbara are nice, larger coastal cities to visit. Then it's on into the morass of the LA freeways, where you can link back up with I-5 and continue to San Diego. The coast highway is slower than I-5, but the scenery and views of the ocean are spectacular, and you will have more chances to talk to locals along the way. I-5 is so booooring, unless hearing "can I take your order please" through a drive-thru speaker at McDonalds is all the conversation you want to have with locals. Trust me on this one.
2. I5 is really boaring....... If you have a little more time to spare, I'd take highway 1 up the coast of cali. Lot more stuff to do and places to stay. Split cali in half and spend a day or two in Santa Cruz, you will find the "weirdest and wackiest" things here. I'm born and rasied here, so it's all normal to me by now ;) There are tons of great places to eat, just go to westside and ask people where are good places to eat/stay. Don't listen to advertisments or places that look cool, all the good places are a hidden in the mountins, felton/scotts valley/ben lomand. The nightlife in downtown SC is pretty good too, thursday and friday nights are the best, then recover at the beach on saturday. Have fun.