WA, Amanda Park to Portland OR

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donn said:
Be prepared for rain.
From Olympia down I5 to the juction of I205 should take about 90 minutes.  Avoid PDX during rush hour
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Arch Hoagland said:
We're going to be in Florence Oregon the first week of August and I'm making reservations now.
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Where are you staying in Florence?  We just left a stay in Florence a few weeks ago.  We've been lucky regarding rain.  We've only had two days of scattered rain in the our trip of up Oregon and Washington coasts and over to Seattle.
 
I'll take all the advice anyone is willing to offer! Lol, I'm really looking forward to the whole area. My kids were born in Portland, so they're looking forward to seeing that too. But for me, Olympic NP makes me all giddy excited.
 
One of our secret places is just north of Florence.  Sea Perch is about 30 feet off the beach.  It's a private campground there is little else in the area so the beach is all yours.  Now that I just blabbed it I guess it's not as secret anymore ;)
 
If you are planning to see North Cascades NP take 2 from Spokane to Wenatchee then  north to Winthrop.  Spokane to Wenatchee can be boring unless you like wheat fields
and open spaces.  Going north to Winthrop follows the Columbia River.  Winthrop is
a western/cowboy themed town that has lots to see.  Hiway 20 over the Cascades can
be a hike but at the top it's like they say, "all downhill from here."  The views are worth the
effort.  Visit the North Cascade visitors center at Newhalem then continue on 20 to
Whidbey Island and Deception Pass ( big state park here) take the ferry to Port Townsend
and you are on the Olympic Peninsula.
 
If you take the coastal route and end up in Astoria, your kids would LOVE the Columbia River Maritime Museum there.  It has a lot of history of the river and a big focus on the Coast Guard.  In fact, they have an amazing full-sized coast guard rescue ship balanced indoors at a crazy angle simulating it going over a huge wave while rescuing people from the water.  The coast guard lifesavers are tied into harnesses and look like they are about to fall out of the boat! 

Look into the big window on their web site:  http://www.crmm.org/    Also, big parking lot along the river with room for RVs.  Good place to picnic along the river, also. 
 
Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend is one of three military bases established during the 1890s to guard the Admiralty Inlet entrance to Puget Sound.  The others are on nearby Marrowstone Island and across the sound on Whidbey Island, allowing them to triangulate on targets.  They never fired a shot in anger.

An Officer and a Gentlemen was filmed at Fort Worden and it's worth a drive through to see the restored buildings and grounds after you leave the ferry in Port Townsend.  Camping is available at the nearby Jefferson County Fairgrounds.  If you're there August 9-11 it's a fun smalltown county fair.  Or head west to Sequim (pronounced Skwim, not See-quim)) and the Dungeness Recreation Area north of town.  It's a county park with a twin loop campground (no hookups) overlooking the shipping lanes in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

http://www.clallam.net/Parks/Dungeness.html#CampInfo

Sequim is a good place to stock up at Costco or Walmart for your Olympic loop..

Cape Flattery is the westernmost point in the continental USA and you can hike down a trail to an overlook on the cliffs.  It's on the Makah Indian Reservation so buy a $10 parking pass at the Makah Cultural Center and Museum or at Washburn's Market in Neah Bay on your way to the Cape.

The Olympic National Park Visitor Center is in Port Angeles.  Hurricane Ridge to the south is worth the drive up with spectacular views if the weather is clear, but be sure to use low gears and engine braking to conserve your brakes on the way back.
 
You better be careful. The Oregon coast has a way of trapping you. I was supposed to have left over a week ago. Im stuck! I cant seem to get my MH to leave.  :eek:

Oh and if you want something to do here, rent some crab pots and go crabbing. Its an experience.  Not to mention you get to eat fresh crab.  ;D
 
cadee2c said:
You better be careful. The Oregon coast has a way of trapping you. I was supposed to have left over a week ago. Im stuck! I cant seem to get my MH to leave.  :eek:

Oh and if you want something to do here, rent some crab pots and go crabbing. Its an experience.  Not to mention you get to eat fresh crab.  ;D
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Oh that sounds fun!!!
 
RVMommaTo6 said:
Oh that sounds fun!!!
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Let me tell you of my experience crabbing. I was doing it underwater off the shore of Malibu in the 80s going out looking for halibut. Halibuts are flat fish that lay on the bottom for a meal to swim by. In order to hunt them you cruise along a sandy area about six feet from the bottom with your spear gun at the ready. If you see a halibut you pretty much can't miss the shot.

This was my first time halibut hunting and it was also my last. My good friend Rex Prey talked me into it. That was my last halibut hunt for me. But during the middle of the hunt I spied a large king crab coming towards me with both of his claws raised up in the air waving them at me. I mean this guy is the size of a dinner plate but he was located six feet below me. He couldn't have hurt me no matter what, but he was threatening me. I almost drowned choking on water when I started laughing. He was such a serious dude and he was going to attack me if I came too close. If I wasn't carrying a spear gun I probably would have had him for dinner.
 
The road across the Cascades, Hiway 20, is spectacular. You could come across the mountains there, then take the ferry across to Port Townsend. Seattle is interesting, but driving a camper in that traffic will not be interesting. From Port Townsend you can head out to go around the Olympic Peninsula.

You're giving those children a very good education.
 
Amanda Park, you MUST visit Amanda Park, the village located south of Kalaloch (say Clay Lock), off Highway 101 on the west shore of Lake Quinault. It's the town where one of the first winners of the Washington Lottery lived, so with your name, you've got to buy a lottery ticket. Safe travels!

Seabury Blair Jr.
Day Hike! Olympic Peninsula
Day Hike! Spokane, Coeur d'Alene
Creaky Knees Guide to Northwest National Parks and Monuments
Wild Roads Washington
 
Another pronounciation note - Sequim, WA is pronounced Skwim, not See-quim like a sequin dress.  I made that mistake when I first moved to the region and it provides great amusement to some locals.
 
Sounds like almost as much fun as we have in Louisiana with people trying to pronounce Atchafalaya or Natchitoches (pronounced NAKATOSH, the end point of the Old Spanish road / El Camino Real de Tejas, which connected Natchitoches to Mexico City, by way of Nacogdoches, TX, San Antonio, etc)
 
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