Seattle camping recommendations

[sequoiacoast]

You guys are sooooo awesome! Thank you so much for all the great advice! I think we will take the ferry early Saturday and get dressed for the wedding at the hotel the rest of the family will be at. Then on the way back we'll see how late it is, but may take the ferry again, just to see it at night.

Thanks again - the heads up on construction will be very useful. We'll be leaving Portland in the early AM and try to beat the 2PM traffic. (fingers crossed)

[lewster]

Just got back from a 2 day service call to this RV park. It is a beauty!!! Nicly laid out around the lake, ducks and swans in the lake and very quiet!!!! Nice folks there also.

It is just a mile south of exit 26 of I-405 and very easy to get to and is also in very close proximity to downtown.

BTW......avoid taking I-5 all the way into Seattle from the south. There is a major construction project underway and the delays are HOURS LONG .

[Mel]

Originally Posted by lewster

BTW......avoid taking I-5 all the way into Seattle from the south. There is a major construction project underway and the delays are HOURS LONG .

They completed the construction project on Friday the 24th, so it should be back to normal traffic headaches.

[sequoiacoast]

Is I-5 it from Portland... I need to make it from Portland to Deception in one day (Friday)?


"Normal" traffic...uggg... I get bothered when it takes me an extra 10 minutes to get through town... that's traffic here...

[3Ms75Argosy]

No problem, just take your time... if you can, try leaving Portland early to miss the rushhour traffic through Seattle (figure 3.5hrs to Seattle)... take the express lanes (on the far left from the carpool lanes on I-5) when you get to Downtown Seattle.

By the way, I tow in the carpool lanes... just don't drive in the fast lane. If that makes sense at all.
Marc

[sequoiacoast]

It's making some sense... I think... there are 3 to choose from: express, carpool, or fast (& slow). Does the express leave the Interstate, making you feel confused and lost, but not as mad as when you realize you should have taken it but didn't. Ha-ha.. stay in express, maybe carpool if you have to, and leave early. Got it. Thanks a million!

[bhayden]

Lew, are you still up in this area? Pleasant Lake is only a few miles from our house.

Traffic is a nightmare anytime of the day, any day of the week. Listen to the traffic reports on AM radio. A stall or acident throws everything into chaos. The construction on I-5 through Seattle was completed ahead of schedule but the lanes are still all messed up through Tacoma which is bad enough without the additional headache. I-405 bypasses Seattle around the east side of Lake Washington but in general you're better off sticking to I-5 since the I-405/SR167 interchange is a bottleneck, Bellevue is generally a parking lot and depending on the time of day Kirkland all the way north of Bothel can be stop and go.

In Portland you should be able to find Northwest Cable News which will give you traffic reports and an idea of where all the choke points are from Portland all the way to Everett.

-Bernie

[lewster]

Originally Posted by bhayden

Lew, are you still up in this area? Pleasant Lake is only a few miles from our house.

Traffic is a nightmare anytime of the day, any day of the week. Listen to the traffic reports on AM radio. A stall or acident throws everything into chaos. The construction on I-5 through Seattle was completed ahead of schedule but the lanes are still all messed up through Tacoma which is bad enough without the additional headache. I-405 bypasses Seattle around the east side of Lake Washington but in general you're better off sticking to I-5 since the I-405/SR167 interchange is a bottleneck, Bellevue is generally a parking lot and depending on the time of day Kirkland all the way north of Bothel can be stop and go.

In Portland you should be able to find Northwest Cable News which will give you traffic reports and an idea of where all the choke points are from Portland all the way to Everett.

-Bernie

Hey Bernie,

I was there last week for a day and a half to work on one of those $1million+ rock star busses. I love driving 8 hours and getting paid for it!!! Back in Hood River now, enjoying the new mountain bike!

[sequoiacoast]

Well we're back and had a great trip- too short, bus awesome anyway. It ended up taking us two hours to get from Mukilteo to the campsite at Deception Pass so we only camped there one night and stayed at the reception location in Mukilteo the next night.

We are definitely going to have to go back as we hardly got a chance to see anything due to a tight schedule. I will say I5 into and out of Seattle has some ROUGH roads! It was a bit like a trampoline!

Here's some pics of the trip:

[bhayden]

Originally Posted by sequoiacoast

I5 into and out of Seattle has some ROUGH roads! It was a bit like a trampoline!

Usually traffic isn't moving fast enough for it to be an issue

Nice pictures and glad you enjoyed your stay.