Preferred route to Seattle, WA

We've come into the Bainbridge area from the east. From Iowa there are many secondary highways to take but if you wanted to do interstate, take I-90 but not into Seattle. Get off around Ellensburg, Washington and head to Hwy 12 then west to Hwy 7. Then head north on Hwy 7 taking you into Tacoma and on to Bainbridge. We've come in via Hwy 12 and it was easy to do.

WA104 from I5 to the Edmonds ferry should be fairly easy in an RV. It's 4 lane with center turn lane most of the way. A bit curvy and downhill, and busiest between I5 and WA99.

West bound the ferry traffic is heaviest in the afternoon rushhour (commuters heading home) and Friday afternoon (people heading out of town for the weekend, with their trailers and boats). There are ferry cams to check wait lines.

The same traffic pattern applies to WA16, Tacoma Narrows bridge, and I5 south to Olympia.

One option, would be US2 to to Everett, then down I5 to Edmonds and take the Edmonds Kingston ferry then drive down to the Agate Pass bridge. What ever you do don't try to take the ferry from downtown Seattle there's lots of construction, and congestion and its a flippin mess. Having said that, as a Seattle native, I would highly recommend parking in Winslow, and walking on the ferry and taking it over to Seattle, especially if you can time it for twilight, it's a very spectacular ride.

You'll be passing through some amazing country, so it would be a shame not to stop and see some of it. You should plan a stop to see Yellowstone and Grand Teton. From there, the most logical route is to cross Idaho and then wind up in Ontario, Oregon on I-84, then take continue all the way to Portland, north on I-5 to Olympia, north on Hwy 101/3 to Bainbridge. It's correct that you don't want to come west on I-90 and wind up in Seattle.

How you cross Idaho might depend on your time frame. I-84 is the fastest from the Yellowstone area, but there are routes through the mountains, such as Arco-Stanley-Payette, that feature awesome scenery. Also, set aside a little time for the waterfall drive on Historic US 30 just east of Portland. You will also be passing near Mt. St. Helens with this route--worth a side trip.

Thanks to all for the suggestions and recommendations! The kids just moved there last month from Santa Cruz, CA area which was also a very congested area.

Crossing the Cascades, I recommend you not take US-2 or I-90. That puts you into the city of Seattle.

The worst traffic on I-5 is south of Seattle traveling thru Tacoma. Coming up from the south you can miss the worst traffic getting to the Kitsap Peninsula/ Bainbridge.

Taking the ferry across the sound to Bainbridge sounds exciting, but the roads to the ferry terminals in Seattle will definitely not be an RV friendly drive. And the ferry is not cheap. You will have to reserve your crossing far in advance. Unless you can arrive a few hours early, you risk missing your reservation if traffic causes more than normal delays. Frankly if you are not used to taking your RV through major city traffic, worse than Dallas, Houston or Atlanta, you want to avoid Seattle.

You can cross the sound on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, but traffic both north and south of the bridge will be at a long stop and go pace.

The easiest way onto the peninsula will be WA Hwy 3 from US-101. Turn west at Olympia to get to that route.

US-12 across the Cascade range is s scenic drive, but some folks will not be comfortable with the up and down grades.

I-80, I-84, I-5 or make your way from Davenport to Albert Lea, MN, then I-90 to western SD, 212 as a short cut to I-90 in MT, then I-90 to the Seattle area. If you cross MT, stop at Wheat Montana, exit 273 or 274 just west of Three Forks for some of he best baked goods you could ever wish for.

If you not in a hurry, US2 across the northern part of the country would be my first choice. Lots of scenery and nicer experience than the interstate.

Best for what? From IA it's about 2000 miles. You can take lots of different routes without changing to total mileage too much.

Your son may be best source of information for the route close to Seattle, knowing your preferences and equipment. For example you might want to approach Bainbridge from the south (Olympia or Tacoma) rather than take the ferry from the end of I90 in Seattle.

A decent all freeway route would be I80/84/5 via Portland, with a minor tweaks where those freeways cross (eg. US30, I205). In Iowa you are already close to I80. U84 through the Columbia Gorge is scenic, and the flattest way across (through) the Cascades. And you can take 101 and 3 from I5.

But with the right vehicle and time I could scope out a 15 day trip with a lots of scenic driving and camping. I moved to Seattle a couple of decades ago in 8 days, taking backroads between most of the states.

Washington WSDOT has a good traffic site. They also have info on the ferries and toll bridge(s). The equivalent in Oregon is call Tripcheck.

i-90