jvb1982

Hi all
My wife and I are looking to return to the USA in 2012 after our first experience in 2011 (a fly-drive from LA to the Grand Canyon and back on up to San Francisco).

We are looking of flying into Seattle, and have above 14 nights to play with. We will probably have to fly back out of Seattle too, as there does not appear to be many direct flights from / to the UK to in that part of the USA.

We are comfortable driving around 150-250 miles a day, and like to take a good two day stop over every 3 days or so to recharge.

Can anyone recommend any good routes, circuits etc. to do from Seattle for a total of about 1,500 miles, ending back in Seattle? Or, is it better to just drive on down to say Denver, where we can fly directly back to the UK?

Any ideas much appreciated - we are already excited about our return to the USA.

Michael

Since you are in the Northwest, I would consider just a tour of Washington and Oregon from the Pacific to the eastern side of the Cascades. You could add Victoria on Vancouver Island if only for its museum of Coastal Indian art and objects. That could be done with a ferry ride in both directions, or by car returning via Vancouver.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...7622991196341/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...7622981132189/

happytrailstoyou

If you fly in and out of Seattle, highlights would be Mt . Rainier, Olympic NP, San Juan Islands, Columbia River Gorge (Hood River), and the Oregon Coast (Cannon Beach, Yachats, Newport).

If you fly into Seattle and out of Denver, you would be driving much more than you prefer, perhaps going to Denver via Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain national parks.

HTTY

Pegontheroad

Returning to Spokane from Vancouver, B.C., after Expo 86, I happened on the North Cascades Highway (State Route 20) and was stunned by its beauty. The highway passes through Winthrop, a reconstructed Old West town, then intersects with Highway 97 and the Columbia river.

Continuing south along 97, one can intersect with Highway 2 or else with Interstate 80 at Cle Elum and travel the stunning Snoqualmie Pass into Seattle.

I've driven through Snoqualmie many times on trips to Seattle, and I've never failed to be impressed by its beauty and by the sight of the snow-capped mountains in the distance.

If you want to see some wonderful scenery, you won't be disappointed with this trip.

Pegontheroad

I forgot to say that you can pick up the North Cascades Highway about 25 miles north of Seattle.

Gardyloo

A couple of notes...

One-way car hire has gotten quite expensive in the US of late, but it still could give you a lot more flexibility than planning on a circular route. There's nonstop service (mainly BA but some others) to London from Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, LA, San Diego, Denver, Las Vegas and Phoenix, so you'd have plenty of choice if you picked the one-way alternative.

Unfortunately June isn't the best month to visit the Pacific coast from a weather viewpoint. One can get long stretches of "June gloom" - overcast and misty conditions - pretty much from southern California to the Oregon and Washington coasts. Of course some years it's different, and usually if one is a little inland from the coast the cloudy conditions abate, but if your time is at all flexible AND if you want to explore the coastal areas, then later is generally better. Meanwhile, in the mountains (e.g. Mount Rainier, Mount Hood, the North Cascades National Park area, etc.) the winter of 2010-11 was incredibly snowy, with the result that many of the higher elevation areas, such as Paradise Inn on Mt. Rainier and Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood, had very deep snow banks (10 feet and more) as late as July. So things like walks and hikes in alpine meadows... well... But not much snow yet this year, so who knows?

Now having said that, we've hosted quite a few parties of visiting folks from the UK over the years, and inevitably - 100% so far - they've all stated that they were so glad we insisted on them visiting the coastal redwoods in extreme northern California - between Crescent City and Eureka in general, but numerous groves elsewhere as far south as the San Francisco bay area. They are remarkable things, and most of our British pals have stated their reactions fell between amazed and gobsmacked.

With a fortnight and a car, you could do a very enjoyable north-to-south trip (or maybe better, the opposite) between Seattle and San Francisco, doing a little zigzagging in the process - the Columbia River Gorge east of Portland OR for example, or the Napa/Sonoma wine country in California. Or visit some less well-visited (by foreigners) areas like the Gold Rush country in the Sierra foothills east of San Francisco (gorgeous in June). Even the coastal areas - for example the southern Oregon coast, or the coast between the Redwoods and San Francisco (using California Hwy 1) are beautiful even if the sun's not out, so you've nothing really to lose.

If you do want to stick with a loop, then I'd probably suggest heading south from Seattle inland - visit the great "old west" country along US 97 in Oregon and Washington, then cut over to the coast in order to see the Redwoods, then back north along the coast to the Olympic Peninsula (don't miss the Hoh rainforest) before returning to Seattle.

You really can't go wrong with either approach.