Michael

Hi...We will be in Seattle for a week during the last week of August. Considering driving the Cascade Loop (From Everett up Hwy 2 to 97 and around to Hwy 20 to Burlington) From everything I've read it's certainly a beautiful worthwhile drive. My question is, Can this drive be done in 1 day? I realize that will leave virtually no time to stop and explore. But our schedule will not permit an overnight stay along the way. Anyone done this drive in a single day? How long did it take? Did you have time to make brief stops to enjoy the scenery etc.?
Thanks for any and all advice and information!

Michael

Polly

I guess you could do it but I can't imagine it. We did it in the reverse direction...and granted, we stopped many times for hikes, but all of them short. We made it from Everett to Wenatchee the first day/nite. It was very late when we checked into the hotel and we only went that far because we could not find lodging in Chelan. Second day we diversed to Ellensburg and Roslyn (the little town where exterior shots on Northern Exposure were made) and then backtracked along 97N to Route 20 and back to Everett area by very late afternoon. Suggest you go to Mapquest and plug the route into their program to see how long it should take driving direct. You MUST get out of the car at Ross Dam and Washington Pass if no place else.

John

Figure a minimum of 8-9 hours driving Seattle to Seattle, subtract an hour if you're starting in Everett. It is a lovely drive, and if you start at the crack of dawn you'll have plenty of time to see the sights in daylight before returning to Seattle. The earlier the start the better, because both US2 and SR20 westbound will have you driving straight into the setting sun after around 7 PM - very tiring. Use SR522 from Seattle to connect with US2 at Monroe - US2 near Everett is under construction and the delays in both directions are nasty.

Wendy

I might suggest driving up to Leavenworth, spend the day or go hiking and then drive back to Seattle. As others have said the loop is very long and with construction it can get much longer. How enjoyable will that be to sit in the car for over 9 or 10 hours! eek!

Michael

Thanks, for the suggestions . I had also thought about only driving a portion... for example as far as Leavenworth and back.
Any other suggestions for a "partial" loop drive or similar and "must" stops with short hikes etc. along the way? We especially enjoy waterfalls.

Thanks for your help,
Michael

John

If you want to shorten up the drive, and if you're starting in Seattle, you can still do a loop, except turn right at US 97 rather than left, go south to I-90, and return to Seattle on the freeway. This will cut roughly 3 hours off the drive. You can stop at Snoqualmie Falls on the way back, easy access from I-90. On the eastbound leg, you can stop at Wallace Falls near Gold Bar - lovely falls and park.
http://www.parks.wa.gov/parkpage.asp...Falls&pageno=1