travelinandgolfin

I know many will say a day isn't good enough, but it looks like that is all we will have for each. But rather than planning my own itinerary and having others critique (as I usually do), I thought I'd try this method and let those in the know plan the two day trips for me, especially since I don't really have any stops in mind on either trip at this point.

You can assume home base is Seattle (but if you really think I should stay in another city as a base for ease of planning, go ahead and suggest such). Starting and returning times are totally up to you, but I'd like to avoid driving in the dark if possible. Could you please include a lunch stop (dinner also if your plans include us still being on the road at that time). Go ahead and include anything you wish....hikes, stops, anything, but it will have to be done in one day, so I undertand if all we can do is pullouts and quick pictures. Our trip is in early September.

Thanks everyone. I look forward to your planning skills!

travelinandgolfin

Oh, that's one day for EACH trip. NOT both in one day. Much thanks.

PaulRabe

The suggestions by the NPS at
http://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisi...#CP_JUMP_75438
are almost exactly what we did during our day trip to Olympic, and we saw enough to whet my appetite for more. Of the literally thousands of photos I've taken over the decades, the one at sunset on Rialto Beach is one of my all-time favorites.

For Mount Rainier, decide whether you want to want to go to Sunrise or to Paradise -- you won't have time for both in one day. I recommend the latter, but others may disagree.

In either case, take I-5 south from Seattle, then get over to State Hiway 167 -- depending on traffic, this can be done via I-405, SH 518, or SH 18. Go south on Hiway 167 until you reach the hiway to get to your choice for Rainier. For Sunrise, that would be SH 164 east; for Paradise, SH 7 south. In either case, follow the signs into Rainier and then just drive up the mountain roads. If the weather is clear, you might see something like this
http://tinyurl.com/MtRainier13

travelinandgolfin

Hi PR. You don't think we could do the drives of Paradise and Sunset both? Going by the maps, we had planned on driving all the way around Rainier. We had planned on only one prolonged stop (Grove of the Patriarchs for the easy hike), but other than that, it was more, stopping at overlooks to take pictures, then moving on.

Thanks!

boom_boom

It will be a long day of driving, but I've done all the way arouind Mt. Ranier in a day. We were staying to Tacoma.

For the Peninsula, take the Bainbridge Island Ferry then proceed to Port Angeles, maybe a stop in Sequim if you want to take a longish hike along
Dungeness Spit. Port Angles drive to Hurricane Ridge, some day hikes available from the Lodge. Then back into PA for lunch. The Downriggers at the ferry landing is OK for a casual lunch. Next drive out to Lake Cresent. There is a 1-mile-long trail off 101 that leads to a 90-foot high waterfall.
Backtrack on 101 to Route 20 for Townsend. Lots of Victorian architecure. Also Fort Townsend and Fort Worden. Depending on time, either backtrack 101 to the ferry and Seattle OR if it is running, take te Keystone Ferry to Whidbey Island, then follow the coastline until you connect with 525 into Clinton and then the ferry across to Mulkito and back to Seattle. LONG days, but doable.

travelinandgolfin

Hi boom_boom. Thanks for the tips. But you don't recommend drving all the way around Olympic Pennisula? Not much to see on the west side or is it more about the time?

NWWanderer

I wouldn't recommend driving all the way around either, both because it takes too long and there's not much to see at all on the southern edge in particular. For a day trip, going out as far as Lk Crescent, doing the Marymere Falls hike and then heading back is a good plan (doing Hurricane Ridge on the way out or back). I wouldn't take the time to try to include Whidbey since the 2 ferries you'd have to take will add too much time to be worth it. You'll have plenty to keep you busy without it.

I'd have lunch at Lk Crescent Lodge.

PaulRabe

> You don't think we could do the drives of Paradise and Sunset both?

Could you do the DRIVES? Easily. You could DRIVE between Tacoma and both places easily in a few hours.

Could you properly VISIT both? No: simply because each area deserves a few hours -- if not half a day -- apiece to fully appreciate what's there. VISITING a national park involves a lot more than driving through it -- it involves stopping for more than a few minutes at overlooks, hiking for an hour or so at multiple trail-heads to get away from the crowds or just to REALLY experience the alpine meadows, and being at a place at sunset or sunrise or both to get the best possible view.

Mount Rainier is one of the national parks you have to slowly savor to really experience it. Driving from one scenic spot to the next doesn't cut it. And I say that as someone who HAS done exactly that, but wished he had spent more time than he had.

travelinandgolfin

NWW, I'm beginning to see what you folks are saying. Just the drive to Hurricane Ridge visitor center and back to PA is about 1:30 round trip, so driving around the entire penninsula is probably not a good idea. Do you recommend driving as far as Crescent Lake Lodge as far enough to get a feel for the lake area? I assume the hike to the falls starts around the Lodge area. At least it seems that way from the maps.

PR, I understand what you're saying. Thanks for the input.

NWWanderer

Yes, Lk Crescent Lodge is a good turn around point, and the hike to the falls does start there.

travelinandgolfin

Ok thanks. Please feel free to give me any other ideas!

Leann

I read this in Family Fun and started to research a bit more. It looks like a good vacation.

http://familyfun.go.com/vacations/de...cation-712179/

travelinandgolfin

Paul, I'm researching a bit more, both Paradise and Sunrise, and I can see where you say you can't do both in one day! I'm leaning toward Paradise as that also seems to have more activities and more listings in those "things you should do" sites.

Leann, thanks for that site. Very informative. I like the family perspective.