Tri-Cities WA to San Diego, Labor Day Weekend
This trip won't be with our RV, we need to take our oldest son down for grad school in San Diego. We starting out Thursday before Labor day with the long drive on Friday, hopefully a short drive on Sa...
Forum Discussion
I expect Labor Day traffic will be heaviest leaving major cities on Friday, and coming back on Monday. Sounds like you'll be avoiding the worst or going against it. While traffic in and out of Portland and Seattle is heavy, it probably doesn't affect the TriCities area, does it?
US97 has a divided bypass through Bend, so I wouldn't expect traffic problems. Most of 97 is straight and flat, even 4 lanes in places.
95 and 93 in Nevada are remote.
I just drove 95 in Oregon (through Jordan Valley) which is about as remote as you can get. I've done parts of 395, but not all. I expect on Friday most of the traffic on 395 will be heading north into the mountains.
Finding a place to stay Friday night as you approach the LA area might be hard, since the out bound people will be seeking that as well.
Another option is to take 95 past Bend, and then 31 SE to 395, and one into California. 395 passes through Reno, but it is new interstate 580 to Carson City, so even a Friday it should be fast.
If you stick with 95 to US6 you'll avoid the more mountainous parts of 395.
Imagine, for example if you leave Pasco Thursday evening. 2-3 hrs of driving will get you to Baker or Ontario OR, where it should easy to find a motel.
Friday 10 hrs on 95/395 will get you to Bishop CA, where it could hard to find lodging.
Saturday looks like an easy 5 hr to San Diego.
I've driven EW across Nevada, with a Tonopha to Big Pine leg, but that was via 168, without any lodging options along the way (we'd motelled it in Caliente NV, and camped in the mountains west of Big Pine).
US97 has a divided bypass through Bend, so I wouldn't expect traffic problems. Most of 97 is straight and flat, even 4 lanes in places.
95 and 93 in Nevada are remote.
I just drove 95 in Oregon (through Jordan Valley) which is about as remote as you can get. I've done parts of 395, but not all. I expect on Friday most of the traffic on 395 will be heading north into the mountains.
Finding a place to stay Friday night as you approach the LA area might be hard, since the out bound people will be seeking that as well.
Another option is to take 95 past Bend, and then 31 SE to 395, and one into California. 395 passes through Reno, but it is new interstate 580 to Carson City, so even a Friday it should be fast.
If you stick with 95 to US6 you'll avoid the more mountainous parts of 395.
Imagine, for example if you leave Pasco Thursday evening. 2-3 hrs of driving will get you to Baker or Ontario OR, where it should easy to find a motel.
Friday 10 hrs on 95/395 will get you to Bishop CA, where it could hard to find lodging.
Saturday looks like an easy 5 hr to San Diego.
I've driven EW across Nevada, with a Tonopha to Big Pine leg, but that was via 168, without any lodging options along the way (we'd motelled it in Caliente NV, and camped in the mountains west of Big Pine).
