WE are traveling to the Olympic Penn. in late Aug and will be driving through Quinnault and up to Lake Crescent. On the return trip I assume I want to take a ferry back to Seattle. Would I leave out of the Lake Townsand terminal ? And our hotel is going to be in the Pike Peak area- which of the Seattle terminals do I want to get off at?

The most direct route would be to take the ferry from Bainbridge Island to downtown Seattle. The *Port* Townsend route would lead you to Whidbey Island and then you'd have to take another ferry from there to the mainland and drive south to Seattle so unless you want to day trip to Whidbey and take the scenic route, taking that ferry wouldn't be the best route.

No Pike Peak here ;-)...the Pike Place Market is in downtown Seattle and that's the ferry terminal you want--from Bainbridge you won't have a choice, it just goes back and forth between Bainbridge and downtown Seattle.

Thanks. How far away is Bainbridge Island from Lake Crescent. I have never taken a ferry before. Anything special I should know?? How long is the ferry ride?

anngmoore, You are in for a treat!

Here is the current schedule for the Seattle/Bainbridge Island ferry:

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/Sche...roundtrip=true

The trip from L. Crescent to the ferry is about 2 hours. Run a search on the internet of the route, from the address of the lodge to Bainbridge Island Washington, and you can find the route and timing.


The ferry crossing is 35 minutes. The ferry wait depends on how busy it is when you get there, but you might want to count on it being an hour. If you are coming on Sunday night, it could be longer. You will queue up on the right shoulder of the road.

The ferry crossing is generally smooth as the waters are protected. You may want a book to read in your car while you wait for the ferry. The ferry crossing could be windy and chilly, so you might want to have warm cloths handy so you can go outside on the boat. You can usually buy snacks on the ferry, and sometimes warm food. Great views. It's a lot of fun.

I would allow 2.5 hours from Lk Crescent to get to Bainbridge as it's a bit west of Port Angeles, and aim to get there about 20-30 minutes in advance of the ferry you want (unless as previously noted it's a Sunday afternoon or evening, in which case the lineups are likely to be longer).

Thanks for the pointers, You've been a lot of help and I can't wait to go !!