My husband has received a contract near Seattle, Wa (Issaquah) for 9 months starting in January. We are planning to leave mid december and travel in our fifth wheel along Texas, dip into Mexico and up the coast of Cal, ending near Seattle in mid Jan.
If anyone has any info of the area, I would love to hear. We will stay in the RV for a little while but would like to ultimately find a place to house-sit, if possible. It doesn't freeze there so I suppose we could stay in the RV the whole time but we are open to renting if need be.
Does anyone know if I can get passprts for my kids in the next six weeks (for Mexico). I had heard that the application was all that was necessary but not sure of that.
Thanks for any help! Paula in Fl
bjoyce said
07:15 PM Oct 31, 2007
Seattle area, Western Washington really, is where we are from and the area we know the most. You can get freezing weather and snow in winter, it just doesn't happen all the time. Most winter days are in the 40s with nights in the 30s, but I have seen it down in the teens and have seen 2 feet of snow on the ground.
Your route is a good one. We check the weather and if the area from Redding, CA north to Roseburg, OR is snow free we take I-5, otherwise we head to US101 and go up the Oregon coast. That stretch of I-5 is the high elevation section where you can get snow and pass closures. Of course it has been four years since we have worried about being in Seattle in winter.
Seattle has expensive real estate, so check rental prices before you commit. It might not be worth it.
There are some good campgrounds from Issaquah east, one in Issaquah and a couple off the exit for Preston/Fall City. Don't go further east because there is a cold spot on the way to North Bend and you can get snow while Issaquah is raining.
If you drive into and out of Mexico before July 2008 certified birth certificates and picture ID are fine, but passports are best. In July 2008 everyone needs a passport and to get a passport you need the certified birth certificates.
-- Edited by bjoyce at 20:18, 2007-10-31
Floridariz said
08:21 PM Oct 31, 2007
Thanks, Bill! Yeah, I can think of a better time of year to be in Seattle, although we are excited about visiting the NW for the first time! Thanks for the tips.
Paula
Speedhitch said
11:57 AM Nov 1, 2007
Check out the Wondering Wishnies and their travels through that part of the country. Places to stay things to see. I think it would be a good guide for your trip.
Joe and Sherri
haiku said
12:20 AM Dec 6, 2007
Hi Paula!
I currently reside in Bellevue, WA just outside Seattle. While I do not know much about the camp grounds locally (I am still a wannabee fulltimer) I do know about many of the sights. I moved here about 3 1/2 years ago and just love it (even in the winter) The nights do tend to get a bit long but you will just love the Spring. :) A few things I would suggest checking out:
Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens- both of which I would not suggest seeing until late Spring as they close much of the parks during the winter due to weather. Pike Place Market is one of the coolest indoor/outdoor markets I have ever seen. If you like fresh flowers you should check it out... you can get the most beautiful bouquets for $10-15 that would normally cost you $50. Not to mention you have to stick around for the flying fish. :)
The waterfront is gorgeous most of the year even if it can be a bit chilly. There is a Curiosity shop that has a real mummy in it and all sorts of oddities.
There is a park down near the water that they just re-opened this year after turning into a sculpture park. It is quite interesting.
Space Neddle of course
If you are into sports we have pretty much everything even though most of the teams don't win much.
If you like crafts they are everywhere you turn. Glass blowing and fusing seems to be a specialty up here. Tacoma (about an hour South of Seattle) has a Glass Museum where you can watch people blow glass or walk around the exhibits. There is a Best of the NW craft show that is just stunning. Every booth is a WOW moment. (I am a crafty person so I know too much on this topic.)
Most festivals are not until late spring early summer but when they hit they are non-stop. Pretty much every town has festivals a few times a month. There is always a festival going on somewhere.
If you are looking for History there is an underground tour of the city. I have not been on it yet but plan to go next summer.
In April a couple hours north of Seattle there is the Skaggit Valley Tulip Festival. Fair warning at times they cut the tulips before the end of the month. We found that one out the hard way!
Fair warning it has already snowed this year and they say it is going to be colder then usual this winter.
I know we are new to the boards but if you would like we would love to have you come by for dinner. There is little more on earth I love then cooking for people and I just don't get enough oppurtunities.
I am sure I will think of more things to see as I think about it. If you are interested let me know. For tonight I think I should hit the sack.
Good luck on your trip here. Leslie
bjoyce said
08:19 AM Dec 6, 2007
Leslie: You might enjoy Northwest Travel Magazine. We have subscribed for about 10 years. It clued us into many destinations, fairs and festivals we would not have known about. We had a big garden and would order many bulbs at the Tulip Festival and then pick them up in September for planting.
There is so much to do around Seattle area. Easy day trips to many nice places like Whidbey Island, Snoqualmie Pass area, Bellingham, etc. Easy weekend trips to Portland, Yakima, Long Beach, and so many more. Easy access to Victoria and Vancouver, BC. Lots of stuff going on locally in Tacoma, Seattle , and Snohomish County. Plus the local fast food, teriyaki, is addictive.
haiku said
06:07 PM Jan 14, 2008
bjoyce wrote:
Leslie: You might enjoy Northwest Travel Magazine. We have subscribed for about 10 years. It clued us into many destinations, fairs and festivals we would not have known about. We had a big garden and would order many bulbs at the Tulip Festival and then pick them up in September for planting.
There is so much to do around Seattle area. Easy day trips to many nice places like Whidbey Island, Snoqualmie Pass area, Bellingham, etc. Easy weekend trips to Portland, Yakima, Long Beach, and so many more. Easy access to Victoria and Vancouver, BC. Lots of stuff going on locally in Tacoma, Seattle , and Snohomish County. Plus the local fast food, teriyaki, is addictive.
I looked the magazine up and was thrilled so I ordered a subscription, got the first one in the mail this last week. Thank you for the suggestion. This is a great reference.
If anyone has any info of the area, I would love to hear. We will stay in the RV for a little while but would like to ultimately find a place to house-sit, if possible. It doesn't freeze there so I suppose we could stay in the RV the whole time but we are open to renting if need be.
Does anyone know if I can get passprts for my kids in the next six weeks (for Mexico). I had heard that the application was all that was necessary but not sure of that.
Thanks for any help!
Paula in Fl
Your route is a good one. We check the weather and if the area from Redding, CA north to Roseburg, OR is snow free we take I-5, otherwise we head to US101 and go up the Oregon coast. That stretch of I-5 is the high elevation section where you can get snow and pass closures. Of course it has been four years since we have worried about being in Seattle in winter.
Seattle has expensive real estate, so check rental prices before you commit. It might not be worth it.
There are some good campgrounds from Issaquah east, one in Issaquah and a couple off the exit for Preston/Fall City. Don't go further east because there is a cold spot on the way to North Bend and you can get snow while Issaquah is raining.
If you drive into and out of Mexico before July 2008 certified birth certificates and picture ID are fine, but passports are best. In July 2008 everyone needs a passport and to get a passport you need the certified birth certificates.
-- Edited by bjoyce at 20:18, 2007-10-31
I currently reside in Bellevue, WA just outside Seattle. While I do not know much about the camp grounds locally (I am still a wannabee fulltimer) I do know about many of the sights. I moved here about 3 1/2 years ago and just love it (even in the winter) The nights do tend to get a bit long but you will just love the Spring. :) A few things I would suggest checking out:
Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens- both of which I would not suggest seeing until late Spring as they close much of the parks during the winter due to weather.
Pike Place Market is one of the coolest indoor/outdoor markets I have ever seen. If you like fresh flowers you should check it out... you can get the most beautiful bouquets for $10-15 that would normally cost you $50. Not to mention you have to stick around for the flying fish. :)
The waterfront is gorgeous most of the year even if it can be a bit chilly. There is a Curiosity shop that has a real mummy in it and all sorts of oddities.
There is a park down near the water that they just re-opened this year after turning into a sculpture park. It is quite interesting.
Space Neddle of course
If you are into sports we have pretty much everything even though most of the teams don't win much.
If you like crafts they are everywhere you turn. Glass blowing and fusing seems to be a specialty up here. Tacoma (about an hour South of Seattle) has a Glass Museum where you can watch people blow glass or walk around the exhibits. There is a Best of the NW craft show that is just stunning. Every booth is a WOW moment. (I am a crafty person so I know too much on this topic.)
Most festivals are not until late spring early summer but when they hit they are non-stop. Pretty much every town has festivals a few times a month. There is always a festival going on somewhere.
If you are looking for History there is an underground tour of the city. I have not been on it yet but plan to go next summer.
In April a couple hours north of Seattle there is the Skaggit Valley Tulip Festival. Fair warning at times they cut the tulips before the end of the month. We found that one out the hard way!
Fair warning it has already snowed this year and they say it is going to be colder then usual this winter.
I know we are new to the boards but if you would like we would love to have you come by for dinner. There is little more on earth I love then cooking for people and I just don't get enough oppurtunities.
I am sure I will think of more things to see as I think about it. If you are interested let me know. For tonight I think I should hit the sack.
Good luck on your trip here.
Leslie
There is so much to do around Seattle area. Easy day trips to many nice places like Whidbey Island, Snoqualmie Pass area, Bellingham, etc. Easy weekend trips to Portland, Yakima, Long Beach, and so many more. Easy access to Victoria and Vancouver, BC. Lots of stuff going on locally in Tacoma, Seattle , and Snohomish County. Plus the local fast food, teriyaki, is addictive.
Leslie