Route from Astoria, OR to Wenatchee, WA
We're in a 38' motorhome towing. Google maps suggests two routes. One is I5, SR18 and I90 and the other is US 12 off I5 to I82 to US97. We would prefer the US 12 route, but wonder how that is going...
Forum Discussion
US30 to Longview is a given.
I5 north is busy but rural freeway, relatively straight and uneventful to Olympia. From there north it is increasingly urban freeway, with the usual rush hour issues. WSDOT has a good traffic cameras.
WA18 is a cut off to I90, a mix of 2 lane and divided. The intersection of 18 and 90 is one of the busier ones.
WSDOT photos of this interchange
I90 is the main freeway over the Cascades. US970/US97 is a mountain pass 'short cut' to US2. An alternative is to stay on I90 to the Columbia River, and several state highways on the east side of the river north.
US12 is good highway. Valley bottom to Packwood, then over a pass. As with most Cascades crossings the west side is twistier and steeper, the east side more of a long flowing grade. US82 is a fast low pass between Yakima and I90.
When I first saw the question I was tempted to suggest I84 through the Columbia Gorge, and US97 all the way north. But from Astoria that has to drop quite a ways south, adding a couple of hours to the drive. Still, it is scenic, and I've done it, with a campover along the Gorge.
I5 north is busy but rural freeway, relatively straight and uneventful to Olympia. From there north it is increasingly urban freeway, with the usual rush hour issues. WSDOT has a good traffic cameras.
WA18 is a cut off to I90, a mix of 2 lane and divided. The intersection of 18 and 90 is one of the busier ones.
WSDOT photos of this interchange
I90 is the main freeway over the Cascades. US970/US97 is a mountain pass 'short cut' to US2. An alternative is to stay on I90 to the Columbia River, and several state highways on the east side of the river north.
US12 is good highway. Valley bottom to Packwood, then over a pass. As with most Cascades crossings the west side is twistier and steeper, the east side more of a long flowing grade. US82 is a fast low pass between Yakima and I90.
When I first saw the question I was tempted to suggest I84 through the Columbia Gorge, and US97 all the way north. But from Astoria that has to drop quite a ways south, adding a couple of hours to the drive. Still, it is scenic, and I've done it, with a campover along the Gorge.
