Long Beach, WA to Spokane

How about different route?
North on I-5 to Weed, CA, then US 97 to I-84, East on I-84 to US 395 to Spokane. About 1225 miles

Boy, you don't have a good choice here:
#1: All that traffic through Olympia/Tacoma and SR18. Once on I-90 not so bad.
#2: All that traffic through I-205 and Portland, then the bad directions through Tricities on 395. (Stay in left lane through Kennewick regardless of your instincts!)
#3: US12, White Pass, is a winding mountain road, 2 lane with turnouts. Not bad after Yakima.

Choose your poison. I would choose #3, especially if you are a Coloradoan and don't mind the passes.
I think you have at least a 9 hour day in store.

thx, but it's Long Beach, WA

Thanks obgraham

I know I can't avoid the passes, but if I DID mind the passes, which route would you recommend?

If you want a scenic drive and avoid stop and go traffic, go White Pass, but plan for a scenic drive with winding roads, a pretty good incline and good hill going down the pass. This is my choice if I don't want to sit in stop and go. This is also our newest destination for camping - but before you go, check the fires in Yakima. Not sure if any fires are effecting the roads over there.

If you want the easiest drive on your vehicle, lots of freeway, truck traffic, stop and go, then go 90. Once you get to North Bend (or off 18) it is pretty good, freeway travel. This is also your fastest option, depending on how much rush hour traffic, or just plain overcrowded.

If you haven't done White Pass, I would recommend that for the view and scenery.

Don't go Portland to 84, unless you are trying to avoid a pass. Long boring and lots of traffic.

When I go to Spokane I break up the drive by going to Wild Horse Casino in Pendleton, OR for a day or 2. They have an RV park (nothing to write home about), commercial truck parking area, an RV parking area, and an Arrow gas station. I use the RV parking area with the other RVers. The casino has a nice buffet and a 5 theater cinema. The buffet has a nice view of Cabbage Patch Hill. I don't know what their present restrictions are.

I'm in Chinook right now. This is the route I would take:

101 South to Astoria, OR
OR-30 East to Longview, WA (433) - (it's easier than driving WA-4 on the WA side of the Columbia)
In Longview - 433 to 432 to I-5 South
I-5 South to I-205 South to I-84 East to Pendleton, OR

Then double back 30 miles on I-84 West to I-82 West
I-82-West to I-395 North to I-90 East to Spokane

I have found that Biggs Junction, OR is an easy in/easy out location for fueling.

I-395 is a really nice road. You can set the cruise control and enjoy the drive.

I avoid freeways like the plague. This is the way I would go. White Pass is very doable. WA 24 & 26 are good roads and basically flat and US 395 is all four lane now up to I-90. Plus is that you miss pulling the grade out of Vantage. Used to run Portland-Yakimia-Spokane and from Yakima that was the route we took.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Long+Beach,+WA/Spokane,+WA/@47.284874,-117.7064745,9.87z/data=!4m24!4m23!1m15!1m1!1s0x54930d412550d6c9:0x8d06ff04da86900!2m2!1d-124.0543234!2d46.3523219!3m4!1m2!1d-121.5405462!2d46.8675459!3s0x5490cba160e05085:0x212c1d70751c219f!3m4!1m2!1d-119.6894794!2d46.6661755!3s0x549852eaa81c597d:0x18f0f873b6b8c161!1m5!1m1!1s0x549e185c30bbe7e5:0xddfcc9d60b84d9b1!2m2!1d-117.4260465!2d47.6587802!3e0

If you go Portland you aren't missing any grades as you need to make the pull over Horse Haven on I-82 between Umitilla and Kennewick.

State makes a big difference!
Could look at WA 6 to Chehalis, then US 12 to I-82, WA 821 up the Yakima River canyon, Great camp round along river at Big Pines. Then I-90 to Spokane

I'd go with scenic US 12, White Pass. From 12 you can access I-90 by heading north from Yakima and east at Ellensburg. All sizes of rigs take this route. The only problem is that in summer there are often some areas of road construction.

MRC54 wrote:
Thanks obgraham

I know I can't avoid the passes, but if I DID mind the passes, which route would you recommend?

I guess I'd go Tacoma--18--I-90, but only because Portland is even more annoying.
I, like others here, still think White Pass is your best choice.