Los Angeles to Spokane

[rpounds]

My wife and I are pulling up stakes an moving to the Spokane, WA area at the end of February. Realistically, we have a choice of two routes, one of which is up interstate 5 and picking up 97 in Oregon. The second, which on the surface appeals to me a bit more, is up 395, cutting off on 139 in Susanville, CA. Another choice would be to stay on 395 all the way to Spokane.

I'm looking for comments on the difficulties of any of these routes and/or opinions as to which might be the best to take. We have three days to get there. We are leaving on February 27th or 28th and have to be present on March 2nd to sign escrow papers on our new property.

We will be pulling our TT and the rest of our belongings are being moved via a moving company.

Thoughts?

[Blazing_Zippers]

WELCOME to the Northwest! For the next few years, you've got several thousand places to visit, so better git going.
Oh yeah, Farragut State Park opened today.
See you out there someplace.

[rpounds]

Well, we did indeed travel the 97. It was cold, but the weather was clear so no worries about snow. It was great advice to check the weather though. If it had been snowy, 97 probably would have turned out to be a difficult trip.

We are in Spokane now (actually, Nine Mile Falls) and loving life. Thank you to everyone who chimed in with advice. It was much appreciated!

[Naio]

You can decide the night before you go, based on weather :). All the routes are beautiful, in my experience.

[rollexx]

97 isn't difficult at all. This time of year though you may run into icy conditions. If that is the case l 5 to 84 would be the best bet. I would check the road conditions when you hit Weed and then choose which way to proceed.

[paulj]

US97 is often used by trucks to bypass the I5 pass, though overall US97 is higher (but dryer). Some people just weigh the pros/cons of snowy conditions differently.

[rpounds]

Rainier wrote:

RWjSIM2003 wrote:
I would use 1-5 North then take 1-84 East through the Gourge and up to 1-82 East. Then to 395 North to I-90 East to Spokane. This is the fastest Route and would be the best for the time of year. Plenty places to stay along that route also. Mostly all freeway and for the most part decent road surface.

This is the way I'd go for sure. Drive safely!

The I-5 to I-84 is about a hundred miles farther. Is 97 a difficult and/or slow route?

[paulj]

If you take US395 to Oregon, you can switch over to US97 via OR31 (roughly Lakecity to LaPine). 31 is Oregon's Outback Scenic Way - scenic but flat. It skirts Summer (dry) lake and Christmas Valley.

[Rainier]

RWjSIM2003 wrote:
I would use 1-5 North then take 1-84 East through the Gourge and up to 1-82 East. Then to 395 North to I-90 East to Spokane. This is the fastest Route and would be the best for the time of year. Plenty places to stay along that route also. Mostly all freeway and for the most part decent road surface.

This is the way I'd go for sure. Drive safely!

[ramyankee]

From where live in NorCal, we take Hwy 70 to Hwy 395 at Hallelujah Junction and head North/left towards Susanville and 1 1/4 miles past the Rest Area take County Road A-3 about 7 miles to Standish, turn right on 395 and go to Alturas. Once in Alturas there are two choices. We always take the left onto Hwy 299, go 20 miles through Canby and 1 miles past Canby go right onto Hwy 139 to Klamath Falls. Halfway through K Falls you catch Hwy 97 and go through Chiloquin, Chemult, Gilchrist, LaPine through Bend, Redmond and Madras. 20 miles or so out of Madras a fair climb to the desert country. Just past the Rest area stay to thr right towards Biggs Junction. This part of the trip is fairly slow two lane (55 to maybe 60 if lucky). That gets you to Hwy 84, then maybe 75 miles to the 395/82 turnoff. To Kennewick, Pasco and North on 395 to 90 then to Spokane. A phone app or GPS unit is very helpful as through the Kennewick to Pasco can be confusing. GOTTA watch all the turns/signs close. About 5 miles North of Pasco is a really neat merchantile, all sorts of goodies. But it is not the first merchantile sign, that is a new place.
Long post but that is our route because we always stop in Bend. It is the halfway point when we go to Coeur D'Alene where we will probably be relocating...
Enjoy tour trip. Several routes are all are good...

[korbe]

As others have stated, and considering the potential weather at the end of February, I would go up I-5 as far as possible, and then head east. It's the potential of snow that I would not take any of the more eastern routes.

[RWjSIM2003]

I would use 1-5 North then take 1-84 East through the Gourge and up to 1-82 East. Then to 395 North to I-90 East to Spokane. This is the fastest Route and would be the best for the time of year. Plenty places to stay along that route also. Mostly all freeway and for the most part decent road surface.

[Billinwoodland]

Well, I can comment on the drive north from Susanville, as I've taken 139 to the Oregon border many times. First, it's unusual to get chain controls on that road even when there are chain controls on nearby passes. 139 is on the rain shadow side of the mountain. As you leave Susanville, there is a climb to the summit, and then nothing major to Oregon. If you are going through the little town of Adin at lunch time, stop by for a great burger at the "Ony." you can't miss it, it's right on the highway and about the only place to eat in Adin.

[paulj]

In southern Oregon, US97 is flat, straight and flanked by ponderosa pine forests. North of Bend it crosses dryer lands before dropping to the Columbia.

US395 is also flat and straight in the south, but in a dryer basin-and-range land (like Nevada). It will have less snow. North of Burns (yes, the one in the news) it crosses low mountains, so will have more curves, grades and snow.

[rpounds]

I hadn't thought of that. You're right - this time of year could be a real problem on 395.