Pacific Northwest suggestions needed

They are right... 6 weeks is not enough time to see the Pacific Northwest area. DW and I have spent 6-8 weeks each summer the past 10 ... 11 years touring the different parts of the Northwest area from Yellowstone to Glacier, over to the San Juan Islands (DD lived in Friday Harbor till her passing), up & down the Washington, Oregon coasts & part of California coast and still haven't seen all there is to see or do.

Milo

Oho and if you are driving anywhere along the I90 in Idaho/Montana, and you like to ride bikes, you should definitely check out the "Route of the Hiawatha" It is the most amazing bike ride that my family and I have ever done!!!!

Lauren, we do the same. We have a 3 week vacation in June most years, and we head to Oregon. This year we're doing the coast again. We booked all of our spots last week and most of the SP campgrounds didn't have much left in the way of FHU. When we used to tent camp, we never made rezzies, we jut went for it because we knew we could fit into any spot, but now with the trailer, we don't like to "hope" that we get one.....and don't want to spend hours of our day looking for a campground with spots. Now we wait for December 1st when I can book the beginning and end of our trip in California.

As people on here that know me know - I am a reservation person. For key places as much as a year ahead of time. Then we get the spot (or type of spot at least) locked in. If "stuff" happens you call and adjust; that is no big deal -- and sure beats chasing around / spending time looking for a spot when we could be hiking or doing something we enjoy. And we don't get the spot next to the dump station designed for a class B when we have a 35' 5er to get in to it.

Even made changes with reservations (adjustments / cancellations) - very few over all these 17 years - and never had an issue. And less than a handful of cancellation charges.

Thank you all so much for the great information and suggestions you have given us. We appreciate your help. We know six weeks isn't long enough, but with our obligations at home it is all we'll be able to spare. We may drop Yellowstone on this trip because we've all been there before. And although we know the Oregon coast is gorgeous, we have seen it before, also. We really want to focus on places that will be new to us. Thank you, jamesu, for the suggestion to read "Undaunted Courage" first. Having such background information really makes a trip more meaningful. We'll be researching the suggestions you all have given us, and I'm sure we'll incorporate many of them into our trip. If you have any more suggestions, please keep them coming. Thanks again.

TyroneandGladys wrote:

2gypsies wrote:
Traveling from Maryland I'm amazed that you can easily predict when you'll get to Yellowstone for making reservations! What about weather, roads, mechanical issues, illness? Good luck to you!

IMHO That is part of planning and hope for the best.
If you want to stay in some of the state parks that are ON the beach you need to be making reservations now and hope that there are any spots. Example Beachside State Park OR. is full for the 4 of July next year, yes one spot is ours, and for June 23 for two days only 7 electric sites left. California reservation for May of next year open December 1st.
Three years ago we wanted reservations in 5 California State Beaches the reservation window opened for all 5 on the same day and the same time. I was making reservations the very second they became available and by the time I got to the fifth park it was completely booked.

Yes, everyone travels differently. We've stayed in national parks (Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Glacier and many others) without having any reservation. We've also secured spots in the Oregon coast state parks without reservations. There are ways to do this. We don't need hookups, we arrive early morning when folks are leaving, even in reservation-only campgrounds there are always cancellations and most importantly, not every site is reservable. We just never had problems but I can understand that some folks may not want to take the chance. Also, if a person is still working and has a limited time for their annual vacation then reservations are advisable. However, if you're retired or a full-timer and have flexible time, they're not required.

2gypsies wrote:
Traveling from Maryland I'm amazed that you can easily predict when you'll get to Yellowstone for making reservations! What about weather, roads, mechanical issues, illness? Good luck to you!

IMHO That is part of planning and hope for the best.
If you want to stay in some of the state parks that are ON the beach you need to be making reservations now and hope that there are any spots. Example Beachside State Park OR. is full for the 4 of July next year, yes one spot is ours, and for June 23 for two days only 7 electric sites left. California reservation for May of next year open December 1st.
Three years ago we wanted reservations in 5 California State Beaches the reservation window opened for all 5 on the same day and the same time. I was making reservations the very second they became available and by the time I got to the fifth park it was completely booked.

If you can work it out, Portland Blues Festival is on the 4th of July and wonderful. There are not a lot of RV parks in the area but you can drive in.

Washington: I would cross the Cascades on Hwy 2, stopping at any of the wonderful little campgrounds along the road, go to Whidbey and take the Ferry over to Victoria as a day trip (You'll need a passport or enhanced drivers licence) and the put the rig on the ferry to Port Angeles for a circuit of the Olympics Wonderful hikes around Neah Bay, and a day stop must is Ruby Beach for some photography. Another must stop is the Redwoods in Northern Ca and Oregon beaches.

Part of our travels this summer was up the Oregon and Washington coast then to St. Mary's KOA. It was WONDERFUL !!!!!
We love the Washington and Oregon Coasts. Some of our favorites stays were at Pacific Beach State Park WA and in Oregon Sea Perch RV Resort Beachside State Beach Harris Beach State Park and Oceanside RV Resort Coos Bay.
We did the Cape Flattery trail to the farthest NW point in the 48 states.
A great park for a base in that part of WA is the Elwha Dam RV Park.
If you are traveling with dogs Elwha Dam RV and St. Mary's KOA have dog walking services on site.
PM me and I will give you my Facebook info since we posted pictures of every stop of our trip.

Everybody's focusing on the coast which is beautiful to visit but you also asked about the North Cascades. One of our favorite trips is to take the North Cascades Highway and visit the town of Winthrop which is a re-creation of a small western town complete with the wooden sidewalks. A favorite National Campground stay over is Colonial Creek campground which is on the eastern banks of Lake Diablo which is on the western side of the pass. There are no hook-ups which is very common for NPS campgrounds here in WA but there are lake front sites or wooded sites often available. There is a tank dump available. The scenery is amazing which includes pristine green/blue mountain lakes and abundant wildlife.

A second route over the Cascades is on Highway 2 which is a little further to the south. Stops along this route would include Wenatchee which is the fruit belt of the state, Lake Chelan and the Bavarian town of Leavenworth. I can't recommend any campgrounds as I have relatives in Leavenworth and usually stay at their place.

The only caveat is fire season which has been particularly fierce this year to that part of our state. If we have another dry winter, I'd check the fire situation very carefully along my chosen route.

I am a New England transplant here but I love the NW as a native. In fact I even married a native girl 41 years ago and it was the best thing that ever happened to me! We prefer the coast for camping but this state has beauty everywhere you look so no matter which route you choose, you won't be disappointed. Enjoy your trip and come back often.