road trip advice from seattle, washington to boise , Idaho
 

My husband and I are attending the wedding of my son and his wife in Bainsbridge Island Washington. After the wedding, we'd like to explore the state of Washington and Idaho. We will have a car and woud like to include Boise and Couer d Laine. We like scenic drives and have enjoyed many of the national parks in the past. We enjoy small quaint towns. My husband enjoys golf.

We are retired so the timeframe is very flexible. We are thinking of 2-3 weeks. We will be doing a loop from the Seattle area where we'll pick up the car to Boise Idaho then return to the Seattle airport to return the car and fly home to Pennsylvania.

Thanks for your help.

What month is the wedding? (Just wondering if we need to consider weather, mountain passes, etc.)

August 3rd

I would encourage you to take US 2 out of the Seattle area instead of I-90. Make at least a lunch stop if not overnight in Leavenworth WA. Check their website to see what is going on when you are there.
Continue east on US 2 all the way to Spokane to get on I-90 to Coeur 'd Alene. The nearby lake is beautiful.
From Coeur 'd Alene, I'd head for Glacier NP in western Montana. The Going to the Sun road through the park beats anything you will see in southern Idaho.
If you do end up in Boise, get off I-84 in Ontario Oregon and head west on US 20 to Bend Oregon (NOT Burns).
If the weather is good and there is not too much wildfire smoke, you could also visit Crater Lake NP before heading over to I-5 for the trip north to SeaTac.
If you have your passports, bring them in case you want to cross over into Canada either from Glacier or up to Vancouver.

Boise is a great town--good Basque food. Click on my user name for a Boise Trip Report.

Here's a map with a possible route (one of millions) - https://goo.gl/maps/KNwSEiJDWwT2

What it includes:

Travel from Bainbridge Island north to lovely Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula, then cross by ferry to picturesque Coupeville on Whidbey Island and north to Deception Pass. Head east on US 2 over Stevens Pass to the faux Bavarian village of Leavenworth, then head north on US 97 to Chelan. In Chelan, take the Lady of the Lake ferry up fjord-like Lake Chelan to the village of Stehekin, surrounded by mountains (part of North Cascades National Park.)

From Chelan, travel east to Grand Coulee Dam, then through Spokane to Coeur d'Alene. As a wonderful alternative route (if you don't mind some more driving) you could swing over the border into BC and head to the incredibly lovely town of Nelson BC, set in stunning surroundings in the Kootenay mountains. (Nelson was featured in some movies including "Roxanne" with Steve Martin.) Alternative map - https://goo.gl/maps/WAnXuR9dSwk

From CdA, head south through the Washington Palouse (stop at Steptoe Butte for a great view over the wheat-covered hills) and down to Lewiston and Clarkston, and on to Boise. On the map I've "overshot" Boise down to amazing Bruneau Canyon, an under-the-radar site that leaves most people gobsmacked.

After Boise, head back into Oregon, but detour back to the east in order to visit Joseph, Oregon and the Wallowa Lake area. The Wallowa Mountains ("America's Switzerland") are stunning, and Joseph is one of the most attractive little towns in the whole country, with bronze sculptures everywhere, lots of galleries, pubs and shops, and set near Wallowa Lake in its breathtaking valley.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fc025d437a.jpg

From Joseph, head east to the Columbia River Gorge. Stop in Pendleton, Oregon, home of the famous woolen mills, and at the funky Maryhill Museum (Rodin in the sagebrush) and nearby replica of Stonehenge overlooking the big river. Spend a day or two in Hood River, with its wineries, microbreweries and numerous orchards, vineyards and farm stands along the Hood River Valley "fruit loop." It's a charming and impossibly scenic area. Visit Timberline Lodge on the side of Mount Hood, then travel west through the Columbia River Gorge with its many waterfalls and vista points, to Portland, then back to Seattle to close the loop.

This is a lot of ground to cover, but with two or three weeks entirely doable. You'll be left speechless by the variety and the beauty of the region.

The Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho are gorgeous. Anywhere between Ketchum and Stanley would be a good base to explore the area.

Our favorite parts of Washington are the Olympic Peninsula, San Juan Islands and North Cascades.

Thank you for all of your help.

So far our plan is Bainbridge to Port Townsend, then overnight
then travel through Deception Point area to Leavenworth for 2 nights
Chelan for 2 nights which includes the Lady of the Lake trip
Coeur D Alene

We want to include Clarkson/ Lewiston area, Boise, Joseph, Hood River Valley and a little more of Idaho. Since we aren't going to Canada (no car insurance coverage) we have more time. We have spent time in the Portland and Seattle area including the Columbia Gorge and don't need to spend a lot of time there.

Any ideas on what are to stay in Coeur D Alene?

Also how difficult is it to get lodging. We aren't looking for anything fancy since we'll be on the run a lot. However a nicer place here and there would be nice.

Thank you. It's a work in progress.

If you have not secured lodging for both Leavenworth and Chelan, I urge you to do that asap. Both of these towns are very popular and places book up. We needed one night in Chelan for next month before we take the boat to Stehekin, and many places were already completely booked, and this was for mid week, to give you an idea.

Thanks. We are booked for Leavenworth and Chelan.

Does anyone have any ideas where to stay in Couer D Aline? Also what to do in the area?

If you want to include more of Idaho, McCall is right on your route. Stanley & Redfish Lake aren't that far off of your route and are beautiful as well. Your problem will be trying to secure accommodations this late during a busy time of year in the scenic areas of central and northern Idaho (southern Idaho isn't very scenic). Look into taking parts of the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway from Idaho to Joseph Attachment 2657 Good luck!

We stayed in Sandpoint, north of Couer d'Alene. It's a smaller town with a cute downtown area set on the lake. I mention it since you said you like small, quaint towns though again availability may be an issue. I'm curious how you chose Couer d'Alene and Boise?

I know you said you had Leavenworth booked, but just in case,here is one place we stayed once and really enjoyed: https://www.pensionanna.com/

Sorry I cannot suggest anything in Coeur d'Alene.

With up to 3 weeks, I would encourage you to go to Glacier NP in western MT. The Meadow Lake resort in Columbia Falls is a great place to stay within a golf course.
An interesting place to visit in southern Idaho is Craters of the Moon National Monument.