PNW Trip this Summer (Seattle, Olympia: rentals, motel, homes)

[jabogitlu]

I like that idea! Grove of the Patriarchs is a very cool stop.

[Bluefox]

I still think you can do the peninsula if you wanted to, but I would modify your schedule to add an extra day there. Spend one day just focusing on Hoh (and maybe catch the sunset at Ruby Beach), and one day just doing Hurricane Ridge and exploring PA or nearby areas. Unless you had something specific in mind for your “ferry day” I would just head back to Seattle that day and you could take the Bainbridge ferry back so you still get that experience. I would drop Crescent Lake - you drive through it on the way to PA anyway and there are viewpoints to stop at on the way. An extra day would make a big difference in terms of how much driving you’d have to do each day.

Basically, instead of going to Seattle Saturday night, stay on the peninsula until Monday AM and you still have several full days to see the city.

[wolfdog]

If you're doing the Oregon coast(and probably WA coast, as well), drive north to south. The primary flow, and better views. Safer and easier ingress/egress from all the popular stops.

[leastprime]

And just before Olympia, is Tumwater. The Brewery state Park and Falls is next to I-5. The water is natural spring, sweet, soft, and renown. Bring a clean, odor free, very clean jug.

[MechAndy]

If it were me I’d cut out the Hoh and the Pacific area of WA

You might consider,
North on 101 along side of the Hood canal.
A meal at the Hamma Hamma oyster place.
A night at the tribes new hotel in Blyn while you checked out the local scene.
Dinner at the John Wayne Marina is always a winner for my gang.
Hurricane Ridge the next day. It is a short half day trip for most.
The other half maybe Cresent Lake, Madison Falls and a nice meal in PA.
Hop the ferry to Victoria for a day or so from PA.
Ferry from Victoria to Seattle.
Do some whale watching and see the local Seattle scene.
Ferry rides are fun and not all that long so you might want to add another to see more area.
You won’t get stuck in bored with cabin fever doing this.

This is a nice fun filled loop you might like and would be easy to modify to suite your needs.
I think some of the other ways might have you bouncing around like a pinball.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by wolfdog

If you're doing the Oregon coast(and probably WA coast, as well), drive north to south. The primary flow, and better views. Safer and easier ingress/egress from all the popular stops.

Yes, probably better to fly into Seattle and out of Portland. Spend two or three nights in Seattle, with a full day there, and then do the Olympic Peninsula counter-clockwise, spending two nights each in the PA and Forks areas, visiting Hurricane Ridge, Lake Crescent, the Hoh Rainforest, etc. Visit Ruby Beach/Kalaloch and possibly Lake Quinault on the last leg out. From there, there are two options: 1) Aberdeen > Raymond > Astoria > Seaside/Cannon Beach (stay one night) > Portland, or 2) Aberdeen > Olympia (stay one night), and then shoot down I-5 early to Portland, with a side-trip to Mt. St. Helens. Spend two or three nights in Portland, with a possible side-trip to the Columbia Gorge.

[scocar]

UPDATE:

So I have nixed the idea of driving up the coast. Maybe another time. Tix have been purchased. We fly into Portland on July 26th (this was done so I could attend the Oregon Brewers Festival there the weekend of the 28th-30th. We will be leaving Portland the morning of the 31st and coming up to Seattle, most likely via Flixbus or Amtrak. Then we will be in Seattle area through July 5th. Scoping out Air Bnb's in Seattle right now.

[mayfair]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

I like that idea! Grove of the Patriarchs is a very cool stop.

It's very cool but currently closed because of flood damage.

[Diana Holbrook]

Originally Posted by scocar

UPDATE:

So I have nixed the idea of driving up the coast. Maybe another time. Tix have been purchased. We fly into Portland on July 26th (this was done so I could attend the Oregon Brewers Festival there the weekend of the 28th-30th. We will be leaving Portland the morning of the 31st and coming up to Seattle, most likely via Flixbus or Amtrak. Then we will be in Seattle area through July 5th. Scoping out Air Bnb's in Seattle right now.

Sounds good. Check in close to the date and people can probably make some specific restaurant or local event suggestions based on what's happening then!

[leastprime]

Originally Posted by scocar

UPDATE:

So I have nixed the idea of driving up the coast. Maybe another time. Tix have been purchased. We fly into Portland on July 26th (this was done so I could attend the Oregon Brewers Festival there the weekend of the 28th-30th. We will be leaving Portland the morning of the 31st and coming up to Seattle, most likely via Flixbus or Amtrak. Then we will be in Seattle area through July 5th. Scoping out Air Bnb's in Seattle right now.

Brewers fest is a blast. So many brews.
Take the Cascades Amtrak (OR-WA funded) train. Better ride. Better seats. Better club car. And unlimited internet. You can get up and walk around. Tables.
Amtrak Starlight is OK but no internet and the club car is weak. Dinning car is not worth the price for a short trip to Seattle.