Washington and Seattle Itinerary

Old Aug 30th, 2015, 03:40 PM
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Washington and Seattle Itinerary

We're trying to determine what we can fit into our trip the third week of September. We're arriving SEA about 2pm Monday 9/21 and departing Saturday at 1pm, so we have 5 nights and about 4 1/2 days on the ground. We move quickly, and our experience proves we see more than the average vacationer for the time elapsed. Example: We did the Oregon counterclockwise loop a couple years ago in 4 1/2 days (including plenty of time hiking, sightseeing, not just driving) when all but one person on the forum said it was too aggressive. We generally spend a small amount of time in cities, with a great majority out in the countryside (except in SFO).

We'd like to see/do the highlights of ONP, Mt Rainier, and the Cascades Loop - and we're banking on the fires not keeping Hwy 20 closed. We'll spend some time in Seattle (half day?) hitting only the hottest spots such as Pike Place and perhaps Seattle Center if time permits. Considering our arrival time, it doesn't seem smart to head into Seattle and attempt a ferry westward on Day 1 - but before getting into those details, does this seem sensible? Reading the forums, we're not seeing much emphasis on the Hwy 20 loop eastward and down thru Chelan and Leavenworth. Should we leave that on our list or ditch it?

We think we'd be able to do Mr Rainier in one day and still include the Skyline Trail and key stops on the south side, but wouldn't necessarily visit Sunrise. As for ONP, is it best to consider the clockwise loop (lots of miles) beginning in Olymipa and then returning via the Bainbridge Ferry? We'd certainly want to visit one or both rainforest areas, Ruby Beach. Crescent, PA, Hurricane, - but does it make more sense to establish a base at maybe PA and drive to all of these spots over two days (skipping the southwest corner of ONP)? Returning via Bainbridge would potentially bring us into Seattle for out time there, but then traffic and timing are important.

All suggestions, comments, critiques are appreciated.
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Old Aug 30th, 2015, 04:26 PM
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On a clear day, Mt. Rainier is the best possible day trip from Seattle.

Living in Seattle, we go to the Olympic Peninsula two or three times each year. We like to stay in Port Angeles at the Red Lion Inn in a room with balcony on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. There are several good restaurants in PA. We especially like LD's Woodfire Grill and Sabai Thai.

Port Angeles is a good base for Hurricane Ridge, the Elwha Valley, Lake Crescent and the hike to Marymere Falls. Sol Duc Hot Springs, Ruby Beach, Rialto Beach, Neah Bay, and the Hoh Rain Forest can be done as a day trip from Port Angeles.

but does it make more sense to establish a base at maybe PA and drive to all of these spots over two days (skipping the southwest corner of ONP)?

Yes.

If you go to the Olympic Peninsula on the ferry that departs from Edmonds, you will pass through quaint Port Gamble.

The ferry from Bainbridge Island to Seattle provides great views of the skyline and, on a clear day, Mt. Rainier, the Cascades, and the Olympics.

HTtY
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Old Aug 31st, 2015, 11:44 AM
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Well, for starters, Highway 20 (North Cascades) is already open again.


Anyone should do the North Cascades Highway as far as Winthrop, and once there, the choices become to double-back over ground just traveled, or go south and at least chart new territory in the process.

So it prooooooooobably makes the most sense to cover new territory from Winthrop, WA. (Though nobody has ever been harmed by seeing the N.C. highway in both directions)


While Chelan may not thrill you, it is probably still most scenery-cost-effective to go from Winthrop to Leavenworth, and then Ellensburg, Yakima VIA THE RIVER ROUTE - hwy #821!!!, Hwy #410 or Hwy #12 toward Mount Rainier (depending upon your whims) and then back toward Seattle.
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Old Aug 31st, 2015, 11:52 AM
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Thanks, NM - What you wrote is one of the paths we are considering to see most of Cascades loop and get to Rainier from the east. And thanks for the Why 821 suggestion as an alternate to the Interstate. We could even do Rainier first, then your route up to Leavenworth and Chelan and Hwy 20 back westward, then down to Seattle for some city time and a ferry ride over to ONP as HTTY suggests.
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Old Aug 31st, 2015, 05:32 PM
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Since it seems the clockwise Cascades Loop is strongly favored, we won't do what I wrote above, but will possibly try this. This will seem aggressive but is it possible?

Monday PM: Drive to Port Angeles from Sea-Tac and get settled. Arrive near dusk on equinox. Ovenright in PA.

Tuesday: Start early and do Hurricane first, then west to beaches and Hoh and Forks and perhaps Marymere. Overnight again in PA.

Wednesday: Ferry to Seattle, spend a few hours around Pike and perhaps Center. Mid-afternoon drive north to Burlington for overnight, or farther to Rockport/Newhalen.

Thursday: All the rest of the loop down to Leavenworth environs for the overnight.

Friday: Drive to Rainier via Ellensburg and Yakima. Spend remainder of day in MRNP and overnight there.

Saturday: A bit more in Rainier before the drive to Sea-Tac.

Your thoughts/opinions?
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Old Aug 31st, 2015, 11:47 PM
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Hmmmmmm,

Well, would it not better optimize all that you hope to include if you landed at SeaTac, and then headed due north for the North Cascades Hwy, then to Winthrop, Leavenworth, Ellensburg, Yakima, Mount Rainier, and then northwest to the Olympic Pen... maybe going directly to the coast, from, say, Olympia, then up the coast, around to Port Angeles, and finally driving either to Bremerton or Bainbridge for a ferry ride into Seattle, OR driving around via Tacoma, spending some of your last precious day/hours in Seattle at Pike Place Market.

Were you to reverse that last, run-on sentence, then you'd be stuck with the east-to-west path along the North Cascades (which is far from terrible).

Since your trip is 'compact' in terms of nights... perhaps the optimizing might be ideal.

2pm Monday is going to (ruin) you in terms of hitting the teeth of Seattle rush hour going north... where are you renting a car?

at such an hour, it might even be best to take the Link Light Rail into central Seattle, and rent THERE... saving heaps of taxes... (and even boldly make your round-trip rental there - returning there before it's time to go to the airport for the flight home - before a similarly easy ride back to the airport on the rail that runs beneath 3rd avenue)

Then you save money, and get a 'free passage' (vs traffic ONLY) into central Seattle, where, perhaps, you could even spend some time at the Pike Place Market - at least casing the joint for future reference - though you couldn't hope to get there much before 5pm, and most elements of the market are shutting down by then.

Just no use leaping into a car and sitting in traffic going north at that point, so best to make efficient use of your time.

But, aside from that... lets say... nights in these spots (and of course I don't know that you aren't already committed to the order you listed)

1. Burlington or somewhere immediately convenient to the North Cascades

2. Leavenworth (after 250 miles, and just under 5 hours of driving time)


3. Maybe gun for Olympia-Aberdeen-Ocean Shores by the 3rd night, BUT it is a loooooooong day of driving, as Leavenworth-Yakima-Mount Rainier (just passing)-Olympia is 271 miles, 5hr 15 min ... and you'd need a handful of stops in that

BUT it would set you up reasonably for the 4th night in Port Angeles (Olympia-Forks-Port Angeles = 200 miles, 4 1/2 hours)

Then the Friday night, you might get yourselves back to central Seattle, where you maybe arrange to turn-in the car beFORE 96 hours are up, thus saving even more on the vehicle, and then having a night downtown and an early trip to the airport for your 1pm flight.

Just another thought... but there may be reasons why it wouldn't mesh with what you have etched in stone.
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Old Sep 1st, 2015, 06:20 AM
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As you know, with these sorts of high-speed trips, it's all about choices. I'll just throw out my personal opinion and let it be.

While the North Cascades are beautiful, and while I'm all for supporting the tourist businesses in Winthrop (which have been hammered by the impact of the fires), I'll just throw out the idea that you could do a more southerly loop through the Cascades that will pack quite a punch on its own, while being quicker than the SR 20 loop.

I'd head to Stevens Pass on US 2, stop for some yodel-ay-hee-hoo at Leavenworth, then south on US 97 over Blewett Pass and all the way to Yakima, then west on US 12 to Mt. Rainier and eventually all the way to the coast, then north along the Pacific coastal strip of Olympic NP, visiting Lake Quinault, Ruby Beach, and the Hoh rain forest on your way to Port Angeles. I'd return to Seattle via Whidbey Island, using the Port Townsend - Coupeville and Clinton - Mukilteo ferries.

This would add some great orchard country, some excellent "old west" scenery, plenty of mountain vistas, and would straighten things out a little in terms of road-hour efficiency.

Map - https://goo.gl/maps/5yNGp
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Old Sep 1st, 2015, 06:52 AM
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NM, your suggestions certainly have merit and would possibly make this work better, but we're beginning to think we just flat can't do all of these with any degree of enjoyment/engagement in the time available to us. We are just about to make the chop and kill the Cascades in order to get some real hiking time in the other places .... until ....
until Gardy chimed in with the suggestion to do only the southern part and take Hwy 2 over to Leavenworth and then south and west to Rainier. The question at this point is whether this portion of the Cascades is worth the extra hours of driving, considering it's a pretty long ride from Leavenworth to Rainier. We are not the types who'd make a trip solely to visit Leavenworth, but we'd enjoy it for a few hours if it were part of a larger journey. So what you've suggested is certainly worth considering as an alternative to cutting all of the Cascades from our itinerary this time around.

Skipping the drive north on I-5 to Burlington also removes the afternoon rush hour traffic concerns on Day One. But it would be so nice to see the Hwy 20 views ....

Regarding the return via ferry: We've read that the PT ferry is the only one that runs via reservation; guessing that is because it can be crowded and the wait could be long. Doing it the way you suggest would require us to decide in advance exactly which crossing we'd ride, so we'd need to get serious about timing. I think we'd want to head into Seattle on Friday afternoon, going against the heavy commuter load, and avoiding the larger crowds in Seattle on Saturday mornings. I haven't checked into the Clinton ferry yet so that's on the list of items to research.

Thanks again all for the suggestions and alternatives. Still figuring this out .....
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Old Sep 1st, 2015, 07:40 AM
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The question at this point is whether this portion of the Cascades is worth the extra hours of driving, considering it's a pretty long ride from Leavenworth to Rainier.

What I like about the US 97 part of this drive is the astonishing variety you encounter in a relatively short distance. First, the scenery around the summit of Stevens Pass is no slouch; whether it's the equal of the scenery on SR 20 can be a point of debate, but they're not THAT different, and the time savings can be significant. But then you pass through lovely orchard country around Cashmere (itself a pretty little town) and along US 97 as you climb into the forests to Blewett Pass, then down into picture-book ranching country around Ellensburg, then through increasingly arid sagebrush and desert country to the Yakima Valley. From there it's the reverse - vineyards and orchards as you climb to (also very scenic) White Pass along US 12, then into Rainier on the incomparable Stevens Canyon Road. So it's not just mountains, it's mountains and orchards and desert and sagebrush, all on the heels of each other, in very short order.

Now having said that, the scenery around the slopes of Mt. Rainier itself is equally stunning - not just the mountain itself, but the views from the mountain into the neighboring peaks. So in my view if you really wanted to conserve your time and still get plenty of bang for your buck, Rainier itself really delivers the goods. Even consider stopping at the Crystal Mountain ski area (just outside the national park boundary) where you can ride the gondola up to the cafe at the top of the ski run, with an eye-level view of Rainier just across the valley - stunning. http://crystalmountainresort.com/

We've read that the PT ferry is the only one that runs via reservation; guessing that is because it can be crowded and the wait could be long.

It's not that crowded and you probably won't encounter a problem. The issue is that the ferry is quite small because the water depth at the Whidbey dock is shallow and a bigger vessel couldn't make it. At the time of month you're traveling I wouldn't imagine crowds will be an issue.

The Mukilteo ferry at the other end is a very frequent commuter boat and a wait of more than one sailing (around 30 min.) at the most would be quite unusual. Taking the Mukilteo ferry would also allow you the opportunity to take SR 526 back to I-5, passing the Boeing Everett plant, home of the jumbo jets and the biggest building in the world.
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Old Sep 1st, 2015, 10:20 AM
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"Leavenworth" doesn't even rate among the others, and the North Cascades Highway is supreme to all but (a day trip to) Mount Rainier.

That Monday evening (of your arrival) doesn't have too much potential for anything, yet as a means through which to set-up full use of Tuesday, it could be all you need to have you poised and ready for the North Cascades (with at least a small bit of Seattle strongly suggested by the rush-hour alternatives).

The path from Burlington to Winthrop to Yakima is 6 hours of driving time (add a few minutes for the aforementioned Canyon Road), and you could do that fairly easily on a day when sunrise and sunset are roughly 7am and 7pm.

So at that, perhaps you've skipped Leavenworth and can now spend the night in Yakima or surrounds. This sets you up for a solid day spent at/near Mount Rainier before you head west to the Olympia-Ocean Shores corridor for another night.

Then a 4th night, at Port Angeles, and everything much like before.


The Path from Seattle to Leavenworth over Stevens Pass, and then to Yakima, is 3 hours, 38 minutes of driving time. SO, you'd miss the North Cascades Hwy to opt for Stevens Pass to save two hours??

(* and yes, I recognize that I didn't include getting to Burlington - but it doesn't matter so much, as your Monday night is more for strategizing anyway, so it doesn't matter whether you go 20 miles or 200 miles that evening) (Burlington is an hour north of central Seattle with no traffic)

And if you drove to Leavenworth on Monday, you run the risk of not getting through Seattle rush hour fast enough to get the full effect of the Stevens Pass route before dark. Although if you hit the ground running, get lucky with quick pick-up of your airport rental car (does that even happen anymore? - when the rental car place isn't even at the airport), and start the vehicle before 3pm, you MIGHT be able to just drive due east on the freeway from the airport, which turns into Interstate-405, and you would follow most of its length, targeting the town of Monroe, via Hwy #522, for what would ideally be a quick-enough getaway, but who knows what happens if things don't go ideally with the traffic...


SO IF you want to, and get to drive to Leavenworth on that Monday night, then you would start out Tuesday morning with just 93 miles to Yakima, and then 65 more to the back door of Mount Rainier.


The bottom line is, that when you add Burlington, WA and Winthrop, WA and then skip Leavenworth, you add less than two hours of driving time to the rest of the circuit of that linked map.

And you could save that and more by not monkeying with the ferries.
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Old Sep 1st, 2015, 10:32 AM
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I find the North Cascades Highway to be much more spectacular and dramatic than ONP. Totally personal opinion obviously.
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Old Sep 1st, 2015, 01:01 PM
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Good recommendations in all directions - although differing - so we're cogitating.

One thing I've found thus far is that accommodations are quite slim on the west and southwest side of ONP, with Quinault being the only logistically workable place for a dusk arrival, and their pricing appears to preclude our staying there. This doesn't affect the Cascades vs Stevens Pass discussion, but it does force us to establish a base for a couple of nights at PA, allowing westward drives to the beaches and Hoh.

Still analyzing ....
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