Road trip in Washington state from Portland
 

We're renting a car in Oregon and have 4 places on our agenda but can't figure out which is the best route to include all 4 places.
The places we're to visit from Portland are:
Leavenworth WA, Seattle WA, Victoria BC and Vancouver BC.
There are so many variables but the key issue is the car and four people.
Is it worth taking the car to Victoria or Vancouver? (Driving across the border can be time consuming and traffic is an issue in Seattle and Vancouver) Can you do day trips to Leavenworth and Victoria?
Here's the initial idea:
Portland to Leavenworth Leavenworth to Seattle
Seattle to Port Angeles to Victoria Victoria to Vancouver
Vancouver to Portland
OR
Portland to Seattle Seattle to Vancouver to Victoria
Victoria to Port Angeles to Seattle Seattle to Leavenworth
Leavenworth to Portland
BOTTOM LINE:
Which is the easiest route?

How long do you have and what time of year?

I would first entertain

Portland-Seattle (add Mount Rainier?? and/or Mount St. Helens)

Seattle-Leavenworth

Leavenworth-Vancouver <b>via Winthrop, WA & North Cascades Hwy</b>

Vancouver - Victoria via BC Ferries

Victoria - Port Angeles, WA via ferry, and then drive down either side of the Olympic Peninsula depending upon your inspirations.

Those ferries cost a pretty penny with a vehicle, but as <i>"Victoria"</i> is on your list, a ferry is a necessity. And no, a <I>"day trip"</i> to Victoria is too filled with transportation to and from, to leave you with enough time to justify going to Victoria in the first place.

The trip is scheduled for the second week in July and we have 10 days.
How expensive is taking a car across from Vancouver to Victoria to Port Angeles?

According to cohoferry.com, the cost for one car and ONE driver is $71.50 for a ONE-way trip from Victoria to Port Angeles on some random Friday in July.

(the Vancouver-Victoria trip is another ferry system, which you can easily locate online)

IF the ferry proves too costly/cumbersome, then you would skip Victoria, and again, give serious thought to heading to Seattle, perhaps via Mt. Rainier, and THEN to Leavenworth... and around via Winthrop to the North Cascades Highway... and finally reaching Interstate #5 and going north to Vancouver from there. That would be plenty of trip, minus the hassle and expense of the ferry.

When it is time to head home, your path becomes a fairly routine straight-shot down I-5.

I would consider skipping the N Cascades and focus on the Olympic National Forest- less driving, equally if not more beautiful, Pt Townsend is a very cute little town with lots of things to do in the area.

Have spent time in both areas and much prefer the ONP and surrounding area -

If they skip Victoria, after learning of the costly ferry, then O.N.P. would be considerably out of the way. Where as, once Leavenworth is a given, it adds 130 miles to a one-way trip from Leavenworth to Vancouver to see the stunning North Cascades Highway (and adorable little Winthrop as well).

At any rate, they should visit either one <b>on the way north</b>, so as not to opt out of it when pressed for time when en route back to Portland.