Saturday arrival Seattle airport to Lake Crescent
 

I'll be arriving in Seattle tomorrow around noon and need to drive to Lake Crescent. Our current plans are to take the Kingston Ferry across to ONP. How is the typical Saturday afternoon traffic along this route? Is this the best way to drive or would anyone suggest
a better route?

Thanks so much. We're looking very forward to a week in Washington/Oregon, despite the weeks weather forecast!

Frankly I'd take the Seattle-Bainbridge boat instead - bigger, more frequent. There's a lot of construction on the central waterfront, so take I-5 into town and follow the signs for the ferry. Traffic on I-5 <i>through</i> Seattle on the weekends can bog down; you'll miss most of it by exiting for the Seattle ferry dock. For a lengthier afternoon, you could also head south from the airport, cross the Tacoma Narrows bridge, then head north on SR16/3 to the Hood Canal bridge, thence to PA and Lake Crescent via 101. I'd pick the Bainbridge boat instead, but the total travel time won't be hugely different.

Saturday afternoon traffic usually isn't a problem. It is faster to drive there by going south toward Tacoma and over the Narrows Bridge.

Ferries to and from Seattle provide great views of the Seattle skyline and, on a clear day, mountains in all directions.

HTtY

PS Victoria, BC, can be visited as a day trip from Port Angeles. In Port Angles we like to have dinner at Wildfire Grill or Sabai Thai.

Thanks so much. I took the Bainbridge ferry on foot last year and loved it. My husband hasn't been. If driving, do you get out of your car or stay inside when on the ferry? Sorry for not knowing. Haven't done this before.

I notice on the WSDOT ferry site that all ferries are very crowded tonight. Is that because it's Friday night? Is Saturday better? Nice sunny weekend it looks like.

Not going to Kingston means missing Port Gamble. Is that a big loss?

Yes, Fridays are busier.

You can get out of your car and go up to the upper decks - cafe, coffee, great views, fresh air... Or you can stay in the car. The Seattle - BI ferry takes around 40 minutes, so ample time to walk around.

Many people use the ferries to commute, so that added with people getting out of town for the weekend makes the Friday afternoons busier.

I personally like the Edmonds/Kingston run, and we did that just last weekend on our way to ONP.

As for Port Gamble, it is cute, but very small so does not take long at all. If you want to stop, then do:)

<i>Not going to Kingston means missing Port Gamble. Is that a big loss?</i>

Port Gamble is a VERY short detour from SR 104 at the east end of the Hood Canal Bridge, maybe a mile at most. You can take the Bainbridge boat and still see Port Gamble with ease.

Thanks so much. I appreciate your suggestions. We'll check the traffic and decide tomorrow!

When we arrived the North route to Seattle was blocked due to a car accident.

We drove south thru Tacoma. The drive was easy and fairly quick. Stopping in Port Gamble was worth an hour. It's a darling village and I highly recommend the stop. There is also an excellent quilt shop in the town.

Lake Crescent Lodge was peaceful, beautiful and served excellent food.

Our week in Olympic National Park, Astoria, Cannon Beach, Portland, Columbia River Gorge, Mt. Rainer & Seattle was perfect. Each day was full but not overly so. Rain greeted us often but wasn't to horrible, except on our long travel day from the Forks area to Astoria.

Thanks for your help, and I may be able to post a picture trip report later. October was an outstanding time to visit with the fall color and few people hiking on the trails.

Thanks for the report. You were lucky with the weather. It has been quite wet the past few days, and a lot more rain is predicted for the next ten days.

HTtY

We were in Seattle during the high wind storm. That was amazing. Loved dining at Purple that evening. It was outstanding. Snow showing up in the mid west, so the rain isn't so bad!