Hoping to head to the Washington Pass/Rainy Pass area, and then later to Marblemount and then Mt. Baker. I am tired of Interstate 5 -- crowded, hilly, and bad pavement.I asked Google Maps, and I expected it would give me "395 all the way" as an option. Instead, it took me up 95 to 84 and then north from there on 395, with mileage and elapsed time pretty close to what I-5 would have been.So that is my question -- for those who have travelled to and from Washington and Southern California, what is the best alternative to Interstate 5?I know it is going to be hot (this will be in late August, I hope). And yes, it is just desert most of the way. (I like the desert -- DW not so much.) . Two-lane roads are a plus -- yes, they are less safe than the freeway, but more interesting!!Thanks in advance for your wisdom.

I did the I-15 thru UT for many years. 93 via E NV is kinda cool. 97 thru Bend OR is pretty. Nice dry camping at Rufus OR along the Columbia on the I-84.I always found the drive thru the tri-cites of WA to get on 395 very confusing.

I've done them all a few times. I love 395, especially in Oregon but also in California. Lots and lots of sites to see and places to visit from old ghost towns, Mono Lake, John Day fossil beds, and so much more. But in Washington, not so much but the Hwy 14 along the Columbia is a great road and you could take that to 95 and then go north.

If you're bored with I-5, I would go the 395 route. It's new scenery and there are some great little towns along the way with unique food and shopping. Quite a few historic sites as well.

I drive from Reno to Seattle at least once a year. I like the east side. Take US 395 north. There are several routes you can take. I like to go through Lakeview, OR and then up through Paisley and Silver Lake. I often camp in the Fremont NF which is about half way before I get to Bend. Then take US 93 up the east side of the Cascades. I drop in to Seattle over Snoqualmie Pass. You can keep going up along the Columbia up to Mazama, WA.

395 is scenic and not crowded. 97 is also scenic and takes you by some cool stuff (Crater Lake, all the volcanic stuff south of Bend, Bend itself) but would be more crowded. If it were me I'd probably do 395.

SoCal to North Central Washington: 395 or 95? | Good Sam Community

RickLight
Explorer III
Aug 10, 2019
I182 is great. 395 and I182 overlap for a few miles.
2oldman
Explorer II
Aug 10, 2019
To avoid the tri-cities go east at Umatilla to the 730 then 12 to 395. The drive along the Columbia is nice. About 7 miles up the 395 is the Country Mercantile, a good store to get fresh veggies, candy, a good meal and an overnight in the parking lot next to a corn field.

Up the road apiece is Scooteney reservoir, a pretty little dry campground well off the road.
paulj
Explorer II
Aug 10, 2019
Can you use I182 to connect I82 to US395 north?
2oldman
Explorer II
Aug 10, 2019
RickLight wrote:
Confirmed - the Tri-Cities changes are bad. You get down to some local arterials between freeways. Trust your GPS!
I do use my GPS, but southbound the first exits are very close to each other and easy to miss. I believe it takes 4 exits northbound to get to 395.
Roy_Lynne
Explorer
Aug 10, 2019
obgraham wrote:
2oldman wrote:
I always found the drive thru the tri-cites of WA to get on 395 very confusing.
Heck I live here, and I find it very confusing also! We have morons designing the highways here.

LOL, I thought it was just me.
time2roll
Nomad
Aug 10, 2019
I would take the unfamiliar 95 just for something new. Going to be a lot of open desert.
paulj
Explorer II
Aug 10, 2019
If you follow GMaps north on WA17, be cautious if it routes you down McNeil Canyon Rd. It's one of the steeper roads down to the Columbia. I've enjoyed it in a car, but for a big rig, 17 north to Bridgeport is probably better.
RickLight
Explorer III
Aug 10, 2019
Confirmed - the Tri-Cities changes are bad. You get down to some local arterials between freeways. Trust your GPS!

82 through the Yakima valley is prime wine country with some hops fields along the way, but not much else. Napa valley can't top the wine quality. 97 Ellensburg up to Wenatchee is very good road and nice tree covered mountains. Have a beer in Leavenworth!

On the other hand 395/17 through Moses Lake is through range and scrub land. Dry Falls (biggest falls ever when it was wet), Steam Boat rock and Grand Coulee are worth seeing. (High cliffs carved in massive floods. ) Hanford Nuclear history is interesting and the Hanford Reach section of the Columbia is very nice.

Buy apples and peaches along the way. Wapato tomatoes and Walla Walla onions are world famous.
obgraham
Explorer
Aug 09, 2019
2oldman wrote:
I always found the drive thru the tri-cites of WA to get on 395 very confusing.
Heck I live here, and I find it very confusing also! We have morons designing the highways here.
2oldman
Explorer II
Aug 09, 2019
Nothing wrong with 95.

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SoCal to North Central Washington: 395 or 95?

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