Route from Birch Bay, WA, to Casa Grande, AZ - Comments?

[Pat_Anderson]

We are headed for AZ for six weeks, newly retired and raring to get out of the cold and damp of Washington State in February and March! Blaine is the Upper Left Corner of the continental US! We are headed for Palm Creek Resort based on some recommendations (already reserved of course).

Here is what I came up with, trying to limit driving to about 350 miles a day and staying mostly in Good Sam RV parks. We would love feedback and suggestions to improve this route!

BIRCH BAY, WA, TO CASA GRANDE, AZ

Day 1
Birch Bay to Albany, OR - 352 miles
Blue Ox RV Park
Albany, Oregon
4000 Blue OX DR SE
Albany, OR 97322
(541) 926-2886

Day 2
Albany, OR to Redding, CA - 352 miles
Redding Premier RV Resort
Redding, California
280 N Boulder DR
Redding, CA 96003
(888) 710-8450

Day 3
Redding, CA to Coalinga, CA - 356 miles
Somerville RV Park
Coalinga, California
(559) 935-0711

Day 4
Coalinga, CA to Searchlight, NV - 365 miles
Cottonwood Cove Resort
Searchlight, Nevada
Top Park
10000 Cottonwood Cove RD
Searchlight, NV 89046
(702) 297-1464

Day 5
Searchlight, NV to Casa Grande, AZ - 313 miles
Palm Creek Resort

[SH]

Hey Pat...we are just down the road from you in Lynden. Everyone has shared great ideas. When I visit my brother in Arizona City (just south of Casa Grande) I ride down 93 almost all the way there. Great road, nice ride! Catch 82 at Yakima down to 84 into Boise. Find a route to 93 somewhere around Twin Falls area. There is a gentleman here at RV.net (chevman) that just spent 6 months at the very park you are traveling too. Very nice park! Have a safe and wonderful trip!

(edit) geez...just noticed the date on the original post, oh well)

[Roy_Lynne]

My only problem is keeping to that schedule. I rather enjoy the journey as much as the destination.

Have fun and enjoy the heat.

[Pat_Anderson]

We used 8/85 to bypass Phoenix on the way home, a very pleasant drive!

[crabbin_cabin]

Your route is fine ( without details). We travel from Phoenix to Lacey/Olympia regularly(Jazz festival) and that way is just one of the ways we have traveled.
There are other ways that we have used. PM me if you want some alternatives.
John

[CA_Traveler]

Us out West wrote:

Us out West wrote:
hooking up with the I-10 which will get you to Casa Grande thru Phoenix.

Since our RV Park is on the West side of CG we turn off on the 85 to the I-8 and come in that way which also bypass the Phoenix area.

Thinking now of staying on the 10 into Phoenix instead of turning S on the 85.

Looks like the 17 is a truck route off the 10 which goes S around the airport before hooking up again with the 10 to Casa Grande.

Miles and time look to be about the same either way just thinking the 17 being a truck route might have a little less traffic depending on time of day which for us coming from Indio, CA should be around noon.

Thoughts?

10 vs 17 in Phoenix is the same. The only difference is a tunnel on 10, otherwise 6 of one and half a dozen of the other.

Midday the Phoenix route is OK with traffic. 85/8 will bypass Phoenix of course.

[TyroneandGladys]

One extra day
first night Albany, OR
second night Collier State Park, Or
third night Lake Tahoe, CA
fourth night Lone Pine, CA
fifth night Lake Havasu State Park, AZ

[Ed_Gee]

Us out West wrote:

Us out West wrote:
hooking up with the I-10 which will get you to Casa Grande thru Phoenix.

Since our RV Park is on the West side of CG we turn off on the 85 to the I-8 and come in that way which also bypass the Phoenix area.

Thinking now of staying on the 10 into Phoenix instead of turning S on the 85.

Looks like the 17 is a truck route off the 10 which goes S around the airport before hooking up again with the 10 to Casa Grande.

Miles and time look to be about the same either way just thinking the 17 being a truck route might have a little less traffic depending on time of day which for us coming from Indio, CA should be around noon.

Thoughts?

We just came back from Casa Grande a few weeks ago. Took 85 around Phoenix area to avoid any possibility of too much traffic. Drive on 85 was fine.

[Pat_Anderson]

We did not follow the original route, After I posted that route, our son and daughter in law in Alameda had a baby, so we had an obligatory stop in California! We are now back in Birch Bay. Thanks to all for your suggestions, and we will take them into consideration for next year!

Here is how it actually went:

Birch Bay, WA, to Albany, OR (Blue Ox RV Park).

Albany, OR, to Redding, CA (Premier RV Park).

Redding, CA, to Pleasanton, CA (Alameda County Fairgrounds RV Park).

Pleasanton, CA, to Bakersfield, CA (Orange Grove RV Park).

Bakersfield, Ca, to Blythe, CA (Riviera RV Park).

Blyte, CA, to Casa Grande (Palm Creek Resort).

All the parks were great except the Alameda County Fairgrounds RV Park, but it was the only one we could locate anywhere close to the East Bay area. Orange Grove was by far the coolest park!

Six weeks in Casa Grande, and we reserved for 3 months for next year! Palm Creek is a wonderful park, so much to do there, and Casa Grande is great, half way between Phoenix and Tucson, easy to go eaither direction on I-10!

BTW, we just bought a new-to-us 2013 Columbus 295RL today, so will have to change my sig as soon as we get the new rig home!

[Islandman]

A backup route if weather is bad (snow on mountain passes on I-5) when you leave in February would be advisable. Just take US 101 south down to Clear Lake area of CA, then get over to the Sacramento area and continue south and east on your original route. Easy way to get to US 101 is from Coupeville (on WA 20) over to Port Townsend on the ferry, or wait until you're in the Olympia area and head west over to US 101. Might be rainy all through OR, but at least you don't have to worry about snow, lots of fine SP's along the OR coast so not to worry about places to stay.

[TyroneandGladys]

IMHO I would go to Emerald Desert RV Resort in Palm Springs, CA from Coalinga, CA would be 306 miles then from Palm Springs To Casa Grande 316 miles. As 2gypsies stated you could hit some ugly weather in Nevada at that time of the year as well as in that part of Arizona.

[Roy_Lynne]

The Siskiyou's can be really if'y in winter and I would really suggest that you take chains with you. I heard that Les Schwab would sell you chains and if not used, you could return them. I'd also have a weather radio as I've know them to close I 5 south of the Oregon border when it starts to snow. If that happens, 7 Feathers RV would be an excellent point to pull in and wait it out. Since it's winter you shouldn't need reservations
350 miles a day is really ambition in winter when it starts to get dark by 4. We like to be in camp, set up and with a cool beverage before that, so we usually try for 250 miles a day, but that is a personal decision, and I can sure understand getting out of the cold
Also, I would think about taking the Needles I 40 also. Probably the most boring road to drive, but boring isn't bad after a long trip.

[Us_out_West]

Us out West wrote:
hooking up with the I-10 which will get you to Casa Grande thru Phoenix.

Since our RV Park is on the West side of CG we turn off on the 85 to the I-8 and come in that way which also bypass the Phoenix area.

Thinking now of staying on the 10 into Phoenix instead of turning S on the 85.

Looks like the 17 is a truck route off the 10 which goes S around the airport before hooking up again with the 10 to Casa Grande.

Miles and time look to be about the same either way just thinking the 17 being a truck route might have a little less traffic depending on time of day which for us coming from Indio, CA should be around noon.

Thoughts?

[MottissMT36RL]

I usually pull the route that 2gyspies recommended when going home from Bothell to Texas. The only thing about your route is one rv park, Redding premier was a little tight to get into, the interior roads were narrow as were the sights. We stayed in Red Bluff for the last 3 years at Durango RV resort, It is first class 5 of 5 stars and about the same price as Premier in Redding. Headed home Tuesday but not pulling this year, truck with canopy only. Be safe...John
P.S. we stayed at Palm Creek last year, First Class.

[2gypsies1]

You can get into some bad weather at that time of year in Nevada.

I would suggest this route:

I-5 south to Bakersfield, CA and pick up 58 East to I-40

I-40 east to AZ95 at Havasu City to Parker to Quartzsite.

I-10 east at Quartzsite, AZ to Buckeye

Pick up Hwy 85 south to I-8 east to Casa Grande