lanejohann

Ok.. You might shake your heads and it's just an idea...We only have four days to do this.
We leave the boat in Bellingham at 12 pm August ...Wednesday 19
I want to have the afternoon in Seattle
Then onwards to Idaho ..drive maybe 3 hours til dusk
And so on through to Utah and back west to LAs Vegas where we can overnight...and then Sunday we drive to LA to catch plane at 10 pm
So...what are your thoughts?
It's only three hours more than your previous suggested routes through the redwoods etc
We live in Sydney so coast is always nice but nothing new..we really would love to do the inland and have just been map gazing and fantasising about seeing the beauty of Utah
I know we can't have too many stops...but are there at least roads we cAn take that are more scenic than others?

Thanks for your suggestions!

emalloy

If you use Googlemaps and put in Bellingham WA to Seattle WA to Boise ID to Springdale UT to Las Vegas NV to Los Angeles you come up with 24 hours of driving time with no stops. That would be 3 eight our days of just driving.

Your plan would have you stopping before Boisie, so would make for longer drive days later on. That said you would be in scenic areas when you got to UT and you might be able to do a quick drive though Bryce Canyon NP and Zion NP. Both are very beautiful.

lanejohann

Thanks emalloy
I know it's a lot of driving
It's our last leg after our 'boat safari ' in Alaska ...we were just going to fly from Seattle to LA but now have decided to drive so exploring all possible options

Gardyloo

I understand you wanting to see as much as you can in the time frame, but this really isn't doable without you running the risk of being a hazard to yourselves and others.

My suggestion - Drive from Bellingham to Seattle, then that evening drive down to the Portland airport area, around 3 hours from Seattle.

The next morning, drive along the Columbia River gorge, just east of the airport, then return the car and fly to Las Vegas. Get another car and spend the next day driving to Zion NP - around 2 1/2 hours from Las Vegas. If time is still a crunch, this can even be a long day trip, provided you start early. This would also let you skip trying to locate accommodation near Zion, which can be in very short supply.

Transiting Oregon and Idaho at high speed to get to Utah is time that could be better spent at either end.

happytrailstoyou

It's only three hours more than your previous suggested routes through the redwoods etc
We live in Sydney so coast is always nice but nothing new.

The Oregon Coast from Yachts to Florence and from Port Orford to Brookings is spectacular and the redwoods of northern California are thrilling to see. I've seen these sights many times over many decades, and I never tire of them. That said, here are two possible routes to help you avoid them:

Bellingham – Seattle – Baker City OR – Winnemucca NV – Las Vegas – Los Angeles, which is 1530 miles and 24 hour of driving.

Bellingham – Seattle – Ellensburg – Lewiston ID – Boise ID - Winnemucca NV – Las Vegas – Los Angeles, which is 1670 miles and 27 hour of driving.

HTtY

janisj

Your original idea was only rushed/difficult -- but it was doable.

This one is much worse -- and it also travels through some pretty desolate territory.

Either drive down the coast and through CA like you originally wanted -- or fly to Vegas and explore the National parks- If you flew, you could visit Zion AND Bryce. But the Southwest will be very HOT in August. Vegas could be 120F.

tomfuller

Forget Idaho. I do use it as a stop on my way to Yellowstone but you have no time for that.
The two National Parks that should not be too hot that you could include in your route are Crater Lake and Yosemite.
Drive south from Seattle on I-5 and turn off on I-205 past the PDX airport to get on I-84 east. There is a parking lot (left exit) in the median strip for Multnomah Falls. For a great view climb up the paved path/stairs to the top of the falls.
Continue east on I-84 and drive up (south) on Rt. 35 to US 26 along the east side of Mt. Hood. Aim for Bend but if it is too late, Madras or Redmond will do.
From Bend it is 90 miles to the north entrance of Crater Lake NP. After seeing the Lake, you will exit via the south entrance to Rt. 62. It is your choice to go south by Klamath Falls (US 97) or Medford (I-5).
Spend the night in or near Sacramento for a good start for your time in Yosemite.
I would also skip Las Vegas and Zion. They are often too hot in August.

happytrailstoyou

Forget Idaho. I do use it as a stop on my way to Yellowstone but you have no time for that.

The drive from Lewiston to Boise on Highway 95 is very scenic. I don't advise it as a route for you, but it is a beautiful stretch of highway.

HTtY

marvelousmouse

if there's a more annoying and tiring road than 101, it's 95 in Idaho. Plus, parts of that will be unpleasantly hot and brown (not scenic) in August. Then you have a long, long drive south to look forward to. There's a whole lot of nothing in southern Idaho (except some cool places to hike which you have no time for anyway).

I lived in northern Idaho for years, and only the st joe area looks remotely tempting that time of year. I frequently escaped to the coast

Given your time frame- I'd fly either way, especially if the coast is not something you want to see. But do you have redwoods in Sydney? The oregon coast is very much worth the drive if you like scenic.

marvelousmouse

You maybe could see some mountains and fly? Best of both worlds? Spend a day or two in the casades or mt rainier, and loop back to seattle to fly out. Then you would get your taste of scenic driving, without the exhaustion or ugly bits or extreme heat of the southwest.

NorthwestMale

There really isn't anything drastically wrong with this person's vision of the inland route. And there certainly isn't anything amiss with their idea for the last day, beginning in Vegas (except for the challenge of guesstimating by what time they can pry themselves away from the glitz of LV for that dull drive to LA).

So given that Bing/MSN maps from Seattle to Vegas sends you through eastern Nevada anyway, one might as well add 150 more miles to pass through Salt Lake City.


Sooooooooo it's Weds the 19th... and I'm betting this person's idea of "noon" from Bellingham ends up being "1:30" (for any of various reasons)... they then drive to Seattle, where they arrive at about 3pm, just in time for rush hour (which is a great excuse to get off the road for a while)

Sunset is 8:15pm... so IF they talk themselves back on the road by 6:30 they can drive through the mountains on I-90 while still enjoying the bulk of the scenery.

I guess the choice for lodging that night is either Yakima, or Tri-Cities, which would be the preference, given the chance to put a few extra miles behind them for future use.

And yes, Tri-Cities would demand a late arrival... the path you'd miss, in the dark, isn't very impressive by daylight, especially in the August heat.

Seattle to Richland is 202 Miles.

(whoa, but the online mapping says to go through Mattawa, and not Yakima... so there would be some scenery on that path, potentially missed)


SO you awaken in Richland on Thursday morning, with 1062 miles ahead en route to Vegas via Boise and SLC.

It is about 650 miles from Richland, WA to SLC, UT... so that seems a very suitable target for the next night... and there won't be too much to do but DRIVE, drive, DRIVE.

300 miles to Boise, where you stop for lunch, gas, and to stretch... and to take-in the searing August heat. Then you keep drive, drive, DRIVING...


Awaken in SLC on Friday morning, let rush hour pass, and then hit the road for 6 hours (420 miles) to Vegas (which will always be open and awaiting your arrival).

Get what you can from a Friday night in Vegas... now wait a minute... there is still another night left, for placement as the user sees fit... so why isn't this whimsical idea quite workable for someone soon to spend an eternity on a plane going from LA to Sydney?


The people responding just aren't laying it out correctly in their minds:

The first response can be countered with it being 1225 miles and 18.66 hours of driving merely from Bellingham to LA on the most direct (I-5) route.

So you're negotiating the addition of 6 driving hours, and 420 miles, for the trade-off of being in less-congested, more lightly traveled paths (AND appeasing the tastes of someone who already has coastal terrain convenient to his home) for somebody who has four days to complete the task.

This person's plan is most clearly doable, and he will not in any way be a hazard to anyone or anything.

suze

One small tip...

I would want to get myself to Los Angeles the day before your flight home. I don't think it's wise to wake up in Las Vegas when you need to be at LAX that evening. One teeny problem with the car and you might miss your flight.

lanejohann

Thank you all for your ideas and opinions!
I will sit down with my husband today and process as much as possible... It's always overwhelming at first lol
I am thinking of these four days as merely a tranportation exercise ...just like if we were embarking on a long train trip across the desert in Australia ( never done that trip incidentally!)
So I'm ok with the notion that we'd just be driving....we'd still see something more than if we flew, still have an encounter or two with towns and their folk

It does worry me a little the time spent driving..I'd be more comfortable with four to five hours a day but husband is of a different breed...an adventurer... A prisk taker...doesn't always plan to the nth degree...
This whole trip with the boat to Alaska is his baby... I've scarcely looked beyond the boat galley menus lol

So there is a very different mood surrounding this adventure for me..I'm kinda just going along for the ride almost and it's quite liberating!Every other triip, I've been in charge of the itinerary ...for the most.
For me, travel is sometimes not necessarily stopping and detouring but just experiencing different landscapes. (One time had a great time driving through washington to Seattle from Banff over a couple of days or so...)
I'm just trying to ascertain if there are more scenic routes to take...even if the scenery does seem monotonous to locals ...it's still different for us ...so unless it's all industrial landscape,I'd be up for 'hot and dry'!

Lots to think about ...its a nice position to be in! I'm sure we will pare down the ground we want to cover..I aliso don't want to be in a mad rush dropping off a car and running through the terminal on the last day!

We are all so lucky to be able to see bits of the world, snatch a bit of time out before knuckling down to business again ��

Thank you again everyone! Appreciate everybody's input!

happytrailstoyou

The scenic route is down the Oregon Coast and through the redwoods--there isn't any question about it.

Yes, the drive from Seattle to Banff can be extremely interesting and scenic. The same cannot be said for most of what you would see if you take off to Idaho and down through the heart of Nevada.

We wouldn't lead you astray.

HTtY

lanejohann

Thanks happy trails! I know people give advice from both head and heart and that's a great thing!

emalloy

lanehohann,

I had another idea. What if you drop the car in Seattle, fly to Las Vegas rent a car and drive up to Zion for 2 nights (look for lodging in Springdale), then head for Bryce and back to Vegas, drop the car and fly to LA?

This would let you do a bit of driving in a very beautiful area. You often can find inexpensive flights to Las Vegas and cars are generally less expensive there too.

lanejohann

Thanks emalloy
We were going to fly to la initially and just hang round Seattle and do day trips
Thing was... The flight to la really cut into our last day so I had the brilliant idea with just doing e drive all the way to LA
And now husband is excited bout the prospect of the inland route
I am seriously considering the redwood way though...but nothing will probably be decided til we get Alaska 'done and dusted '
and see how we both feel after 21 days on the boat... Could be exhausted.. Could be fine...don't know.. So how much driving husband will be up to will be seen when we disembark ...check out the weather etc
All I know is we've got ourselves a car..what route we take is still up in the air!

tomfuller

If there are long stretches in California that are not that interesting to you remember that you can take the Amtrak Coast Starlight to get from Seattle, Portland and Sacramento to Los Amgeles.
You can also take the San Joaquin from Sacramento or Martinez to Bakersfield. The drawback to the San Joaquin is the bus from Bakersfield to LA.Some people (like me), hate driving in the Los Angeles area.
There is a "flyaway bus" that takes passengers from the LA Union Station to LAX.

lanejohann

Thank you to all who contributed to my post!

We just got frack from our juneau to LA trip and I'm so pleased we followed the advice of those who suggested we do the coastal route through Oregon and also to see the redwoods
In the end we left the boat in Bellingham one day early instead of remaining in the marina so we ended up getting the car the afternoon before our scheduled date and drove to Seattle where we stayed at the motif hotel on 5 th avenue..great hotel...great location
We had a wander round that evening, ate at the Athenian in the pike market area
And spent the morning exploring on foot

Left at noon and got onto the coast road ending up in Seaside for the night...had a look round town that night..walked the promenade
Next morning we stopped off at cannon beach to have a look at haystack rock...walked the beach then drove on to coos bay for the night

Spent the next day driving with short stops here n there..ended up at fort Bragg just on sunset but we did have a good look at eureka and fern dale beforehand so that cost us...we just about got the last room in town at the best western

The following day we realised we'd be doing nothing but driving...no stops except for lunch but I had the go pro ready!
We got through the coastal route and exited towards Petaluma and then headed across the golden gate bridge then through Santa clara, lunched at Sunnyvale and then battled on through gilroy and onto los banos for a comfortable stay at another great western

Late start on the last day..11 am
We had a pretty easy drive along 5 to LA and got in around 4 or so and had plenty of time to drive along sunset blvd and then on to Santa monica and Venice beach
It was good to have a little sneak preview of San fran and a bit of
LA for when we return with the kids next January
We left the car at hertz at 6
In at the Qantas lounge by 630...time to unwind...eat..shower..catch up on phone calls etc and board the 10 pm to Sydney

So so glad we saw the amazing Oregon coastline and the redwoods..loved Seattle all over again
It was a wonderful five and a half day trip tacked on without much planning but with plenty of fodorites advice tucked away

Very grateful...your words were ringing in my ears all the way down the coast road , happy trails! Lol

It is amazing what you can see in such a short trip and of course we would've loved to have had at least two weeks to explore the many little towns and beaches..(also got a bit hairy getting accommodation at best only a few hours before arriving.. At worst scrabbling round in the last rays of sunset hoping for a room! Not ideal but we just didn't know where we'd be each night..how much ground wed cover)

I doubt we will ever do that leg again but I'm excited to tell my family and Aussie pals about Oregon and northern cal...I just don't think too many of us have heard about the majestic scenery...we all tend to head to
New York or Southern California

Many many thanks again to you all!

happytrailstoyou

Thanks for the report and good cheer. HTtY