Pack for accessibility. Anything that you’ll need before you hit that next home base should be reachable from the passenger seat. Snacks, water and activities for non-driving passengers are essential and having them up front will minimize stops between destinations.
Putting a little extra time into packing the trunk of the car will leave you more relaxed when you arrive at your destination. If you plan to arrive at a campsite in the evening, pack your tent on top of everything else so that you can set up camp as soon as you get there. But if you intend to stop for a picnic on your way, make sure that cooler is right where you can grab it when you pop the trunk.
Leave plenty of time. Often ferries fill up and you may find yourself waiting for the next one if you haven’t made a reservation. If you’ve left enough time this won’t be an imposition. With extra time, you’ll have no problem parking in the ferry line and taking the chance to explore a town you hadn’t planned to as an unexpected blessing.
Be flexible. The best part about our Waterside communities is that they lend themselves to the wandering traveler so easily. As long as you’ve booked a place to stay, our Waterside communities require no set itinerary to have a grand old time.
Get AAA ahead of time. Whether it’s a flat tire or keys locked in the car, it is better to have a service on speed dial than to call every car service business within a 15-mile radius until one comes through.
Look up roadside attractions before you leave to make the stops along the way more fun. Build in stops to stretch your legs and take in some local culture. It’s more fun than stopping at rest areas and quirky stops will make any trip more memorable.
Queue up your music (or podcasts) before putting the car in drive. Topical podcasts for Pacific Northwest road trips are plentiful. The Washington State Hiking Podcast (Jenny Thwing Flaming and Craig Romano) has topical episodes with practical, timely and seasonal hiking advice as well as hike recommendations. History of the Pacific Northwest (Ryan Tate) covers the history of Washington, Oregon and Idaho from the time humans migrated to North America to present day. Salmon Wars, and its season one predecessor Timber Wars (OPB and Propublica/NPR), explore more niche resource history in the Pacific Northwest. Off the Trails (Maegan Moaratty and Danielle Falagan) features tales of people who have been lost in nature all over the world (with a few episodes taking place in the Pacific Northwest), and with plentiful advice for staying safe in our state and national parks, this podcast is exciting and educational for travelers.
Bring bag clips to keep road trip snacks fresh and a small cooler to keep your beverages ice cold.
Document your trip by bringing a dedicated travel journal. Jot down little wonderous things that happen for posterity.
If you’re headed south of the Waterside community ledger, make it a point to find a Pacific Northwest Mythical Troll. There are six giant troll statues throughout Western Washington and Oregon, all by the artist Thomas Dambo. While none of these gentle giants rest in our Waterside communities, they are deeply rooted in the history and culture of the Pacific Northwest and we recommend checking them out should your journey take you into the Seattle area and beyond. There is one troll located in each of the following communities: West Seattle, Bainbridge Island, Vashon Island, Ballard, Issaquah, and Portland, Oregon.
