Calif. to WA State via Hwy 5

[Astrodokk]

I'm leaving for Kirkland, WA from Sacramento, CA. Will be taking Hwy 5 all the way north through Oregon. I want to take my time, although I've been told it takes only about 16 hours.

Does anyone have any recommendations about where to stop for gas, eats, rest, stretch, 'mechanicals' , or anything else like neat sites, et cetera? This is my first real road trip besides the one I did when I bought the rig and drove it from WA to CA. Spent an overnight at a rest stop. I took a different route though.

My sis says it may be snowy and icy. Aren't these rigs all terrain vehicles?

[Stefrobrts]

We stayed at a great county park in Ashland, OR, just north of the CA border. It was The Point RV Park at Emmigrant Lake. I don't know if it's still open this time of year or not, it might close for the winter. If you do stop in Ashland, splurge a little and take yourself to Martino's in town (on the same block as the Shakespere theaters) for some spectacular italian food!

I5 has a lot of fairly nice rest stops just for taking breaks at. The freeway is lined with outlet malls, truck stops and such all the way to Seattle, but you can also pull off into some neat small towns along the way. If you like air museums take a side trip to McMinnville, OR and see the new flight museum with the Spruce Goose.

I think they keep I5 pretty clear of snow unless there's a bad storm. I'd definitly aim to travel during the day so you don't hit ice on the roads, especially in the mountains. Once you get to Eugene, OR it's flat farmland (the Willamette Valley, to be exact) all the way to Portland, and the road is usually clear. I drove it year 'round between Corvallis and Portland when I was in college, and there were only a few days a year when it got nasty.

Take your time and have a safe trip!

[Tin Hut]

Don't know if I'd consider the trailer all terrain. I suppose it various in degrees based on your tow vehicle, type of hitch, sway control, one or two axles. etc. When it comes to ice even the "all terrain" 18 wheelers end up in the ditch. I doubt you'll have an issue on Hwy 5 though and if it gets bad, pull over and enjoy the interior of the Air Stream until it clears up. Good luck.

[Astrodokk]

I've actually been in the pilot seat of the Spruce Goose, when it was in Long Beach, CA, before they started putting dummies in the seats (real ones). Talk about roomy interiors!

Sounds like exactly what I was hoping for, I 5 lined with retail outlets! I expect that we can stop anywhere with our motorhomes and not worry about needing anything, because after all, these are really set up as self contained dry campers if you really look at it. But just in case I need help if there's a breakdown, God forbid, I'll have plenty of company around. That's good.

I'll be dropping the kids off at school Monday morning, Nov. 24, and leaving immediately. They'll be with their mom for the week. Visiting my folks for Thanksgiving week. I don't have to be back to work til the following Monday. If all goes well, I'm planning to do it again for Christmas, with the kids this time. They aren't looking too forward to it because they think they'll be bored and it'll take too long. They're 11 and 8. I'll try to make it interesting. They've been to Ashland for the Shakespeare festival before with their mom, so they know at least that part of the road.

[Creampuff]

Let us know how the test run goes for turkey week. I'm planning a trip up to Vancouver, B.C. for a family Christmas from L.A. and was weighing the idea of leaving Creampuff at home . I'd rather fight the weather from a motel if it's going to be fog /snow !