in August 2019 we plan to spend 4 weeks heading north from San Francisco up to Washington and perhaps BC. I'd love to hear suggestions, especially for campsites.
Rough schedule [REVISED]
Days 1-3 San Francisco to Shasta to Ashland to Portland
Day 4 St Helens
Days 5-6 Rainier
Days 7 -9 North Cascades NP/Methow Valley
Days 11-13 Mt Baker
Days 14-16 San Juan Islands
Days 17-20 Olympic National Park
Days 21/22 Oregon
Days 23-28 California, including Lost Coast
I am looking for thoughts re the Washington part (Days 5-20), but am happy to get ideas for any part of the trip. If you had this much time to spend in Washington, how would you spend it? (assuming you haven't exhausted Rainier and ONP, by now)
For example, would you camp at SJIs, or would you just do it as a day trip (or do a lodge and not bring the camper)?
Would you spend time camping near Bellingham and not do the SJIs, at all?
(I have a friend in Bellingham who has invited us to stay, and I would do that in Bellingham, rather than camp, unless someone tells me the greatest campground in the world is nearby)
Would you spend more days in ONP and less time in SJIs?
My itinerary is very flexible at this point. If someone says, "spend a week in ONP and forget about Cascade NP," I'd like to hear it!
Our plan for this trip is less time in Oregon and California as those are easier than Washington for us to do in the future. We are even open to ballin the jack through Cali, entirely, on the way north, to get north ASAP. But we don't want to drive really hard for the last few days of the trip. Maybe 5-hour drives instead of 8-10.
We don't need tips for Sf to Portland, as we plan to get to Ashland and then Portland ASAP, to see friends. Then to St. Helens and then to Rainier. About 2 days in Rainier and then 9 or 10 days or so between San Juan Islands/North Cascades NP/Mt. Baker Olympic National Park. Then about a week to head south, hopefully stopping on California's Lost Coast for two nights or so. Then another California spot and home. I'm really looking for ideas for the Washington portion, but am happy to hear suggestions for all of it.
We don't want to move every night. We prefer to stay someplace for a few days and explore it. This is not a "checklist" trip, though it is our first real visit to Rainier and Olympic National Parks (and Rainier and North Cascades and Mt. Baker).
We don't plan to spend any time in Seattle. (The friends we are visiting are in Ashland, Portland and maybe Bellingham.) We aren't averse to spending some time in cities/towns - this doesn't need to be a national parks-only sort of trip. But we are more interested in hiking and wildlife than we are in cities and museums, on this trip, at least. Food recommendations are welcomed, as are all cultural recommendations.
Also, if there is some place we should go and not take the teardrop, please recommend it. For example, maybe a day trip to the San Juan Islands (and a night in an inn?) makes more sense than bringing the TD on a ferry and camping out there.
-Al
Rough schedule [REVISED]
Days 1-3 San Francisco to Shasta to Ashland to Portland
Day 4 St Helens
Days 5-6 Rainier
Days 7 -9 North Cascades NP/Methow Valley
Days 11-13 Mt Baker
Days 14-16 San Juan Islands
Days 17-20 Olympic National Park
Days 21/22 Oregon
Days 23-28 California, including Lost Coast
I am looking for thoughts re the Washington part (Days 5-20), but am happy to get ideas for any part of the trip. If you had this much time to spend in Washington, how would you spend it? (assuming you haven't exhausted Rainier and ONP, by now)
For example, would you camp at SJIs, or would you just do it as a day trip (or do a lodge and not bring the camper)?
Would you spend time camping near Bellingham and not do the SJIs, at all?
(I have a friend in Bellingham who has invited us to stay, and I would do that in Bellingham, rather than camp, unless someone tells me the greatest campground in the world is nearby)
Would you spend more days in ONP and less time in SJIs?
My itinerary is very flexible at this point. If someone says, "spend a week in ONP and forget about Cascade NP," I'd like to hear it!
Our plan for this trip is less time in Oregon and California as those are easier than Washington for us to do in the future. We are even open to ballin the jack through Cali, entirely, on the way north, to get north ASAP. But we don't want to drive really hard for the last few days of the trip. Maybe 5-hour drives instead of 8-10.
We don't need tips for Sf to Portland, as we plan to get to Ashland and then Portland ASAP, to see friends. Then to St. Helens and then to Rainier. About 2 days in Rainier and then 9 or 10 days or so between San Juan Islands/North Cascades NP/Mt. Baker Olympic National Park. Then about a week to head south, hopefully stopping on California's Lost Coast for two nights or so. Then another California spot and home. I'm really looking for ideas for the Washington portion, but am happy to hear suggestions for all of it.
We don't want to move every night. We prefer to stay someplace for a few days and explore it. This is not a "checklist" trip, though it is our first real visit to Rainier and Olympic National Parks (and Rainier and North Cascades and Mt. Baker).
We don't plan to spend any time in Seattle. (The friends we are visiting are in Ashland, Portland and maybe Bellingham.) We aren't averse to spending some time in cities/towns - this doesn't need to be a national parks-only sort of trip. But we are more interested in hiking and wildlife than we are in cities and museums, on this trip, at least. Food recommendations are welcomed, as are all cultural recommendations.
Also, if there is some place we should go and not take the teardrop, please recommend it. For example, maybe a day trip to the San Juan Islands (and a night in an inn?) makes more sense than bringing the TD on a ferry and camping out there.
-Al
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