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Old 07-16-2015, 01:51 PM
 
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I'm going camping up there in a few weeks. We're leaving on Friday and coming back on Sunday. I'm guessing that since it's summer, traffic and ferries will be bad. I am planning to leave the Seattle area at around 4pm.

I guess I have a few options:

1) Take the Edmonds-Kingston ferry. This looks like it runs once/hr. I will have a minivan. Should I assume that I will have to wait a few hours to get onto a ferry with a car since it's a Friday late afternoon / evening?

2) Drive around the bottom to Tacoma.

I think from a timing perspective it's not that different even though the distance is much further driving around Tacoma.

I'd prefer to take the ferry but not if it's going to be a crazy wait. I think I have

Any advice on what time to leave on Sunday to come back?

RVD.
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Old 07-16-2015, 09:17 PM
 
Location: Seattle
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It's either long wait in the ferry line or long drive in some heavy traffic.
Pick your poison!
Sunday likely best to drive around.
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Old 07-17-2015, 06:09 AM
 
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I've been on that ferry a lot, & the wait on summer Friday nights is looooooong. Drive around. Stay late on Sunday & drive back.
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Old 07-17-2015, 07:50 AM
 
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I often go to Port Angeles on Fridays, and would never take the ferry. I drive around, and come back on the Edmonds Ferry which is not a bad wait if you get there by 3pm. The Friday traffic driving around is heavy to Federal Way, then nasty around Fife to the Narrows bridge, but the rest of the trip is OK. It will still get you there in the same or less time than taking the ferry over, and the gas is offset by the cost of the ferry trip. Coming home, it's backed up on the Narrows bridge all the way back with the traffic coming back from Portland or other points south, worse than the ferry traffic. I no longer use the Bainbridge Ferry at all, with the mess along the waterfront.
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Old 07-17-2015, 10:33 AM
 
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Ok looks like I'll drive around on Friday night and come back late on Sunday via ferry.

Instead of leaving at 4pm, if I leave earlier on Friday, would that be any better on the ferry? The earliest I can probably leave Seattle (University District) is going to be around 2pm although it could get pushed back a bit.
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Old 07-17-2015, 11:42 AM
 
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,553 posts, read 81,067,970 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RVD90277 View Post
Ok looks like I'll drive around on Friday night and come back late on Sunday via ferry.

Instead of leaving at 4pm, if I leave earlier on Friday, would that be any better on the ferry? The earliest I can probably leave Seattle (University District) is going to be around 2pm although it could get pushed back a bit.
The earlier the better, but I have left work at 2pm on a Friday and had to wait for the 2nd boat at Coleman Dock (near my office). I haven't tried Edmonds but there is are several Apps and alerts you can use to check it today and the next few Fridays before you go from a smartphone or computer. Just check the App Store or Play Store and search WSDOT or Ferries. The website has cameras to see how many vehicles are waiting. Even now at 10:41 it looks like there is a 1/2 mile line at Edmonds. A lot of people leave work early on Fridays.

WSDOT - Ferries - Cameras
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Old 07-17-2015, 04:45 PM
 
5,151 posts, read 4,523,595 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RVD90277 View Post
Ok looks like I'll drive around on Friday night and come back late on Sunday via ferry.

Instead of leaving at 4pm, if I leave earlier on Friday, would that be any better on the ferry? The earliest I can probably leave Seattle (University District) is going to be around 2pm although it could get pushed back a bit.

Any time on the ferry on a Friday will be difficult. I have had to see a specialist in Seattle several times this summer, & a friend is having frequent medical testing at Swedish...we live on the OP & make sure that we never have appointments on Fridays...that's how crowded the Kingston-Edmonds ferry is right now.
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Old 07-17-2015, 10:15 PM
 
2,064 posts, read 4,432,609 times
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Ok I'll just drive around Tacoma to get there. Sounds like a plan...thanks!
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