Advice please

I have been saving and planning on taking a road trip to the PNW. I have longed for many years to visit Olympic National Park. I would like to drive, and don't want to pass up anything on my way up there. I would like to take a route up the Pacific Coast Highway. Not having ever been out of Texas and New Mexico I would love any and all advice from you locals on what to stop and see and also what month is best to visit. I want to see everything to the fullest :)

Merry Christmas. I live on Hood Canal right by the Olympics. We drove home today from Bremerton and the mountain with snow were just glowing. So beautiful. What a fun trip you will have.

I would say July, August and September would be the best chance for good weather. You would see everything there is to see from the coast highway. It is a beautiful trip. I've driven it from Los Angeles to here. If you take it all the way around back to Olympia you can meet up with I-5.
Someone who is better with words than I am will come on and give you more information.

I agree with those months. August will be the best month. Beginning of July can sometimes be rainy. But still pretty. There is a lot to see. Hopefully you can get some guidebooks from the library and choose what appeals to you the most.

Late July-Early August would work out perfect for my schedule :)

Willow ~ Thank you. It's great to know that things wont be that far from the highway. I have read/heard that it is beautiful. I can't wait to experience it.

Gwen ~ I have read several and bought a couple of books. What would you suggest as a MUST see?

I started mapping out some of the things I wanted to see early last year. I had to postpone last year because I slipped in my bathroom fractured my tibial plateau and ruptured my ACL. As a result I had to have surgery to repair my ACL and weeks of bed rest for the fracture. I AM going this year and I just want to get it all right from the start. I want to have a worry free road trip and shoot some amazing pictures on the way.

If you come up i5 u want to leave it at marys corner, taking hwy 12 to its junction with hwy 410. left on hwy 410 proceed over chinook pass to mt Rainier. You can lose days seeing Mt. Rainier and not waste time. By the way, if you stop at top of Chinook Pass and head south on dewey lake trail you will see one of the most beautiful displays of wildflowers in the park,{in the world, no kidding} in the first mile and a half of trail. Huckleberries too! For this reason i reccomend sept. 1. The summer is still very much with us, the berries are ripe and the beauty of the high country has unfolded. Early August- late july is good too. Merry Christmas!

Wow! Thanks Frank. That sounds like a wonderful sight to see!!

Catzgalore, I am so excited for you! The Olympic Peninsula is my favorite place in Washington. I've done the loop around the park a few times, so I'll tell you what I enjoyed most about it. The drawback is that there's a lot of driving involved. The best places to see are sometimes way off the beaten path. Also, bring sturdy shoes because there's a lot of walking too. Or sometimes, hiking.

I agree with Willow wind, follow I-5 to Tacoma, get on 16, follow that to Bremerton, follow it to Highway 3, head towards the Hood Canal Bridge, go over the bridge, get on 104, then to Highway 101. Highway 101 loops around the perimeter of the Olympic National Park, since there are no roads allowed through it. Hence, called the Loop. Along the way are many state parks and picturesque towns, such as Gig Harbor and Poulsbo. I just usually keep on going until I reach Sequim. I'm a sucker for lavender, and Sequim has many farms of it. It's located in the sunshine belt, or called something like that. Anyway,Sequim has a lavender festival in July, if you're interested. Sequim is known for its Dungeness crab, and I would recommend dining at the Three Crabs restaurant there. It's on the waterfront. There are many hiking trails there also.

From there, you go to Port Angeles. You can go south to Hurricane Ridge from there, which I would recommend seeing. Or, take the Black Ball ferry to Victoria. I don't know if you're interested in going there, but it is such a lovely city I wouldn't want to miss it. Continuing on the loop west, you'll come to Lake Crescent. I've taken the hike to Marymere Falls, which is okay. After that, you have a choice; go on to Forks or go off 101 to Cape Flattery, the most western point in the continental US. Cape Flattery is gorgeous, breath-taking. To me, it's worth it. Unfortunately, you'll have to backtrack to 101 and proceed to Forks. I haven't been there post-vampire. I'm referring to the Stephanie Meyer books, of course. There isn't much in Forks. It's a logging town. I have stayed at La Push, where the Quileute tribe has nice places to stay at the beach. Again, I haven't been there post-werewolf either. I would recommend hiking down to the First and Second Beaches. From there, I go to Kalaloch lodge and go to the Hoh Rainforest, which has many trails. I've left out somethings, but it's a start. Have fun!

Yes, what they said! They've covered all the best places. I love the lavender farms in Sequim too. Many of them are open all summer, not just during the festival.

Realize that Victoria is in Canada and you'll need either a passport or a birth certificate to travel there. But soooo worth going!

Little and Lewis is over on the olympic penninsula as well but you'll have to make an appointment in advance to visit their stunning garden.

I love Port Angeles. You might want to come up the olympic penninsula and see all that stuff, then get over to I5 and Seattle and see some of the Seattle sites. There aren't many I'd recommend but Pike Place Market is fun and the Seattle Underground Tour is also fun.

drtgr ~ Ohhh....Thank you!! I had no idea about the lavender or the festival. I had considered taking the ferry to Victoria, but wasn't sure if it would be worth it. Thank you for letting me know it is :) I'm thrilled to hear you've been to several of the places I plan on seeing. I am most thrilled about the ones you mentioned that I hadn't considered. I will be adding Cape Flattery, First and Second beaches, and Three Crabs to my list now. I will also be looking up Gig Harbor and Poulsbo. Merymere Falls and the Hoh Rainforest are already on my list of MUST sees. What do you think about Ruby Beach?

Thanks Gwen, I was wondering about the passport thing. I guess I'll get one of those in the next couple of weeks. I did not know about Little and Lewis but I will now be sure to make an appointment to go. I'm still very undecided about staying/seeing to much in Seattle. I've heard/read that it's a great city though. I am in the DFW metroplex and get to see/drive/live in plenty of the big city life. The jury is still out on that unless there are some "can't pass this up" things there. I seem to remember there being a great place to whale watch up there too?

Catz
i don't know how much time you are planning for this trip
BUT the coastal highway 1 is really really long
it starts in San Diego it runs up the coast of Calif
north of L.A is San Simeon = Hearst Castle
then up the coast to Monteray
jumping around the Bay area (San Francisco) it starts along the coast again around Tomales Bay and north to Fort Brag
then it goes inland and up thru the Coastal Redwoods a site to be sure and see
when you get to the Oregon Border the ocean views are unbelievable

there was a thread about this same type of a trip last July
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1116614/

when you get to Astoria and the mighty Columbia River you can go on up the Washington coast
or over to Portland and scoot up 5

once you have gotten this far your senses will be overloaded already with all you have seen
and you can follow the above instructions to see some of the best of Washington, Victoria & Vancouver

enjoy your trip where ever you go

Dick

Catz, Wow you'll be doing a lot of driving! I agree with all above comments, but I'm with you, Seattle would be too much. The traffic really really sucks there too. I hope you have a lot of time for this trip because I'm adding to your list. Yes to Ruby Beach. Very photogenic. Oregon coast is the best though for beaches. Gig Harbor is right off 16, head to downtown. There are upscale shops and restaurants there, but what I love is the scenic harbor with Mt. Rainier looming in the background. Poulsbo's claim to fame is its Norwegian heritage. Lots of Norwegians settled in the Northwest, my family included. Not a must-see, but quaint.

Bainbridge Island is home to some fantastic gardens, but is off the beaten track. I would recommend the Bloedel Reserve (no reservations required) there also. It is one of the top rated gardens in the US, encompassing many styles.

However, a must see is Victoria. It's not too far to go on the ferry. If you love British stuff, you'll love Victoria. Most things are located in the harbor there, museums and shops, but of course I will add to your driving by recommending the Butchart Gardens, the Disneyland for gardeners. I think you can take a bus there too. If you're into tea, try the White Heather Tea Room instead of the Empress, which is a tourist trap. I'd better stop now...have a fantastic trip! Cheers, Susan

I mean to say I loved Pt Townsend above, not Port Angeles (which is nice too). If you take the speed ferry to Victoria, you won't need a car to get around. That ferry takes you direct to Victoria. I'm sure there are buses to Butchart if you wish to see that. (Overrated imo. Too manicured for my tastes and too many 'ordinary' plants. Still, I'm glad I saw it the one time.)

I would not go to the added expense and hassle of a passport if you don't already have one. You can get in and out of Canada with your birth certificate and driver's license.

If you're taking the coast highway all the way, that is a LOT of driving. Once you get north of SF, it becomes very windy, esp up at the northern end of Calif and southern end of Oregon. So you can't make very good time. Once past that CA/OR border, tho, the Oregon coast is nice and can be fairly quick because it's not windy. I've never been up the coast highway in Washington but I understand that it's not a quick drive. I hear it's stunning though.

You might want to make a stop in Stinson Beach, which is just north of San Francisco, over the Golden Gate bridge. It's a charming seaside village and from there you can continue up PCH north. If you want to visit a city, Portland is not very busy and bustling, but rather laid-back. WARNING: once you visit the PNW you will want to live here!

Also by Port Townsend are a couple of forts from WWll. Fort Flagler is one. They are on the strait and very interesting to some people. Near Port Angeles are Cresent and Agate Beaches good for beach combing and agates finding. We used to camp there but it is generally foggy after July and can be cold and very windy. But beautiful. And I saw a grey whale at Agate Beach.
Wouldn't miss the Rainforest. There are orcas in Hood Canal at times. We watched them from our friends house in Hoodsport. There is a Rhododendron Nursery at Brinnon on hwy #1. It is worth a look-see. " Whitney's".
Are you a camper or moteler? If you would like to stay a night with us get in touch. We live in the tall trees.

I went to the Olympic Peninsula one time and we stopped at sol duk (sp) hot springs. We hiked up to a falls (can't remember the name) in that same State Park. Maybe some one from that area knows. I thought it was wondeful.

Oh, Not sure how you plan to swing home but you could head up over the North Cascade Pass and then drive home in land. The Eastern part of Washington is very different from the western side.

One more thing. Your may want to read through this post on this forum Vacationing in the PNW mid August, ideas? Another person was traveling here also. It is a page back.

One more quick note: as of June 2009, if you are traveling by water to Canada, you need a passport, not just a driver's license and birth certificate. Gwendalou's information is incorrect. (Sorry there Gwen). I went on an Alaskan Cruise and needed a passport for everyone to get into Canada.

Cruises are different. From what I understand, if you're driving or taking the speed ferry, you can still get in with a birth cert. That will change at some point. It was supposed to change a year or so ago but then they extended it. It may well have changed already but every time I check, you can still get across with a birth cert. I'll ask around from people that I know go back and forth a lot and see what's up. But I do know last time I checked (last summer), I was told the rules are different if you're on a cruise ship. (No idea why.)

P.S. Also flying you need a passport.

Here are the 'new' rules. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2009286959_webborder01.html You probably will need a passport since Texas probably doesn't have the 'enhanced' driver's license. I guess it's more the driver's license than the birth cert that has been getting Washingtonians across the past two years.

Wow, are you ever in for a treat! It has taken me years to enjoy all of the things recommended above, and I will concur on most., A couple of comments for you to consider.....if you are going to the Pacific beaches, (I LOVE first, second and Ruby) be sure to check the tide tables as you will want to be there during low tides. Thought that is something a Texan wouldn't think about. Also, if you want to take in the wildflowers in the mountains, I believe late July is the peak as springtime comes very late in the high altitudes. I love Mt. Raininer but recommend that if you go during the busy season you plan a very early start in the day in order to find places to park in the prime areas. Victoria is a wonderful city and, as suggested above, you do not need a car in order to enjoy most everything it has to offer. There are certain parts of 101 that take you far enough from the ocean view that it would be a bit of a waste of time to follow it the whole distance. I can't remember exactly where, but I would do a bit of research there as you will have som very many things to see that you won't want to waste one bit of time on the less than spectacular. Enjoy!

Oh, and by the way, be sure you are ready for lots of uphill and downhill walking. Flat country it is not, and the hikes in the altitudes here are also just a bit more taxing for your lungs than other places.

If you have the time, I would take Highway 1/101 all the way and just enjoy the coast. Stop often to enjoy the views. Don't pass up a trek through the Hoh Rain Forest, and if you can go all the way up to La Push (or even Neah Bay to see the upper NW corner of the US). Rainier is a bit off the path if you are on the coast, and a drive up to Hurricane Ridge (Olympic Mountain Range) for mountain hiking/wildflowers is also very beautiful. I always enjoy the sea lion caves in Oregon, although last time we headed down seems it had gotten quite expensive. Will you be camping, RVing or moteling it? That can make a difference also.