Need some advice from BC Snowbirds.

[rbrand]

For many years in January, we have taken the Coho from Victoria to Port angles and then spent a day or so in Sequim stocking up on groceries and getting ready to head to Cannon Beach and on down the coast to California. However this year we have a family holiday commitment and the Coho will be in refit when we get back.
So now we will have to take BC Ferries to Tsawwassen and cross the border at Peace Arch.

So the questions are.

1.Is there a good RV park between Blaine and Seattle where we can stock up on groceries and get ready?
2.Since we have to go through Seattle what route or time, do you suggest?
3.Same question for Portland.
Thanks in advance.

[slickest1]

Last year we crossed the border on friday, stopped at Tulalip Casino in the afternoon. We then did all our shopping( there is Costco Walmart and any store you could want close by). We got up early Sat. morning and went through the worst of it before the traffic got to bad. I thought it was probably better on a Saturday morning but maybe we just hit it lucky.

[enblethen]

Bill Gates was from Seattle area and went to New Mexico for college.
Bill Gates SR was born in the Seattle area(Bremerton) and has lived in Seattle area much of his life.
Bill JR was born in Seattle!

[n7bsn]

paulj wrote:

myredracer wrote:
...
Ever since Bill Gates moved to Seattle, the traffic has gotten really bad. .......

You must have a long memory. He was born in Seattle, nearly 60 yrs ago. And the roots of MS are nearly 30 yrs ..

Well, true, but they also moved to the Seattle area. They started MS down in New Mexico as I recall, then moved to Seattle in about 1979

[paulj]

myredracer wrote:
...
Ever since Bill Gates moved to Seattle, the traffic has gotten really bad. .......

You must have a long memory. He was born in Seattle, nearly 60 yrs ago. And the roots of MS are nearly 30 yrs old.

Driving through Vancouver isn't much more fun.

[crabbin_cabin]

Z-Peller wrote:
Well, if you are REALLY averse to I-5 and Seattle/ Portland, then you could always get groceries etc in Bellingham area, then head out towards Anacortes and down Whidbey Isl and take the Port Townsend ferry, then carry on with your old route down the coast from there. Option to overnight at Deception Pass SP too.
Otherwise, as stated earlier, between 10 & 2 thru Seattle....205 bypass for Portland..

This is the way I was about to suggest.I, therefore, second the motion!!!

A very very pretty route and misses Seattle - always the best choice.

[myredracer]

For food, if you want to get it sooner than later, I would drop in to Fred Meyers in Bellingham. Easy access, enough space in one area for RVs and cheap gas. Have never had problems parking our 29' TT and truck there. It's the exit heading left (east) where the exit on the right is to the Bellingham airport. FM is pretty good on prices. Just never, ever buy food and gas at the border because they like to gouge Canadians that don't know any better.

Ever since Bill Gates moved to Seattle, the traffic has gotten really bad. When we have our TT behind us, we go 405. I think I-5 can be "sorta" okay at certain times of the day. Seems to start getting a lot busier just south of Everett.

If you aren't in a real rush, taking the ferry over to Port Townsend from Whidbey Island and then driving down the west side of Puget Sound is nice. Get back onto I-5 near Olympia or head over to the coast from there. The ferry might not be much slower anyway compared to going through Seattle and it's definitely more relaxing.

ps: I lived in Victoria and Saanich for 20 years and miss it a lot.

[donkeydew]

1-5 to longview truck route over bridge to 30 west to astoria and pick up 101 south. if time permits sunday am thru seattle 1-5 if there isn't a football game

[Z-Peller]

Well, if you are REALLY averse to I-5 and Seattle/ Portland, then you could always get groceries etc in Bellingham area, then head out towards Anacortes and down Whidbey Isl and take the Port Townsend ferry, then carry on with your old route down the coast from there. Option to overnight at Deception Pass SP too.
Otherwise, as stated earlier, between 10 & 2 thru Seattle....205 bypass for Portland..

[enblethen]

Tulalip Casinos allows over night camping in the back of the Casino parking area.

[paulj]

The Tulalip casino in Marysville is close to a Walmart supercenter. It would easy to shop there when you get up, and head into the Seattle after rush hour.

[rbrand]

obgraham wrote:
There's no easy answer at Seattle. 405 would be my choice rather than 5, but both can be a complete mess. Somewhat fewer multilane merges on 405.
At Portland, I would choose 205 over 5.

Thank you

[rbrand]

enblethen wrote:
When do you plan on returning?
Coho schedule
Aren't they going to put a replacement ferry on the route?

The Coho just goes out of service for refit. Black Ball only has one ferry. Returning in late April is not a problem.

The last time I went through Seattle and Portland in an RV was in 1966 on my honeymoon. I've always managed to avoid them since.

[obgraham]

There's no easy answer at Seattle. 405 would be my choice rather than 5, but both can be a complete mess. Somewhat fewer multilane merges on 405.
At Portland, I would choose 205 over 5.

[enblethen]

When do you plan on returning?
Coho schedule
Aren't they going to put a replacement ferry on the route?