Best scenic drive

[CalWorth]

Fly into Seattle & out of Spokane, definitely. Both Hwy. 2 & 20 are beautiful, but 20 is breathtaking. It's true about the snow, however. But the suggestion to sidetrip to Lake Chelan & the Grand Coulee Dam are also good. You could also sidetrip up 395 just east of Spokane & go into the woods via Colville & Kettle Falls, or pass thru Spokane & take a quick trip to Coeur d'Alene. That's just if you need to kill time near Spokane. I would try for Hwy. 20.

[StealthRabbit]

Water and mtns and scenery...
Quick loop east to CDA, north to lake Farragut and museum WW II), (naval training camp (Air Corp and sea), on to Standpoint, across to Newport and north along Pend Oreille river, over to Kettle Falls, then Coulee Dam for laser show, on to lake Chelan for Mailboat trip to Stehekin, north Cascades highway, then ferry to San Juans or drive deception pass to Whidbey island, ferry to Port Townsend, then ferry into Seattle during sunset to see orange skies and buildings and Mt Rainier+ the lights illuminate the city (from the ferry)

[rantiquity]

Originally Posted by 62mike

If we flew into Spokane and flew out of Seattle would that be a mountainess, water filled drive?

We have 3 days to just drive.

Our favorite vacation is stunning scenery with lots of small towns to stop and shop, eat, etc.

We've already done the Seattle and Olympic forest, Mt. Ranier drive.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

I think the most scenic drive in Washington would highway 20 over the Cascades.
Highway 20 actually starts at Discovery Bay at 101, 15 miles east of Sequim to Port Townsend...ferry to Whidbey Island across the bridge at Deception Pass on to the main land cross I-5 pass Burlington, over Washington Pass (closed in the winter) thru the North Cascades mountains leading you to Winthrop to Omak up to Tonasket over Wauconda pass to Republic from there over Sherman Pass, across the Columbia River to Kettle Falls leaving Highway 20 travel south 395 directly to Spokane. Absolutely the most scenic route in my opinion in the state.
Trips to Grand Coulee dam and the light show and to Dry falls is spectacular side trip and well worth the extra time but maybe for another time. If pulling a 5th wheeler or driving a motor home Crescent bar along the Colombia River is a great place to camp out.

[rantiquity]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Water and mtns and scenery...
Quick loop east to CDA, north to lake Farragut and museum WW II), (naval training camp (Air Corp and sea), on to Standpoint, across to Newport and north along Pend Oreille river, over to Kettle Falls, then Coulee Dam for laser show, on to lake Chelan for Mailboat trip to Stehekin, north Cascades highway, then ferry to San Juans or drive deception pass to Whidbey island, ferry to Port Townsend, then ferry into Seattle during sunset to see orange skies and buildings and Mt Rainier+ the lights illuminate the city (from the ferry)

Side note...Farragut was also a German prison camp during the war. Not many people know about that.
My father during the war drove a bus with German prisoners to southern Idaho to work on the farms there.

[rantiquity]

Another trip during the warmer weather would over either Chinook Pass (closed in the winter months) or White pass (usually open year around). Both passes pass close to Mount Rainier and both passes driving east end up in Yakima or going west in south Seattle. The entrance to Mount Rainer is on a connecting pass (Cayuse Pass) south from Chinook to White pass in case Chinook is closed.

[46H]

We did the Cascade Loop a few years ago. It was excellent. We stayed in Leavenworth, the Sun Mountain Lodge in Winthrop, Burlington, and finished near Tacoma.

https://www.cascadeloop.com/

[CalWorth]

Originally Posted by 46H

We did the Cascade Loop a few years ago. It was excellent. We stayed in Leavenworth, the Sun Mountain Lodge in Winthrop, Burlington, and finished near Tacoma.

https://www.cascadeloop.com/

Boom. Do this.