We are in Kennewick Washington, on our way to pick up our new 5.0.. I have read in the forum about the "Cascade Loop" being a way to get to Chilliwack and avoiding the bridge reroute north of Seattle.
Problem is, I don't know where to find it or where it starts or ends.. We can head toward Spokane area tomorrow or just go toward the detour and take our chances.
So you could get on 82 and head into the Seattle area get on I5 and just bite the bullet and take one of the detours. You could go up to Chelan and go north and catch the North Cascades Highway and at Sedro Woolley take the road to Sumas. You could also keep going straight up the middle of the state and go to Osoyoos in Canada and catch the highway to Chilliwack. I certainly wouldn't backtrack to Spokane. You could also get off I-5 at Mukilteo and go to beautiful Whidbey Island and take a ferry to Anacortes. All of these are going to be longer than simply taking one of the detours off I-5. Any of them are going to take you through beautiful country if you haven't been here before and all of them are prettier than going up I5. So faster take 82 to 90 and then I5. More scenic? Take any of the other routes. Good luck and congrats on the new 5.0.
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Tim and Julie
2013 Escape 15B
2014 Nissan Frontier, Previous 2012 Santa Fe
I just drove Hwy 9 today, accessing it from I5 exit 199, and going all the way to Sumas, then Chilliwack. It runs pretty much due north, east of 5. Slower, probably, but not busy and peaceful. Decent 2 lane. I'm not sure how long the detour delay is, that might make travel times even. After Seattle, I was really glad to be off I5!
Here's my suggestion to get to Escape and see some beautiful scenery and avoid the I-5 bridge problem.
Head north from Kennewick on 395 to hwy 17. Go north on 17 to hwy 97. Go west (south) on 97 to 153. Head north on 153 to Hwy 20. Then head west on 20 to the coast. This is the North Cascades Highway through the North Cascades Park. At Sedro-Woolley go north on 9 to the Sumas border crossing.
Lots of beautiful scenery, and Winthrop is an interesting little town that's worth seeing.