KOA in Seattle/Tacoma

[wetzk]

We noticed there is a KOA park in Seattle, really a town named Kent.
We figure hey it's been a long time since we went near Seattle so we are thinking of trying that park if it is any good.
The reason I ask is because I know some parts of Tacoma can be shall we say interesting. We stopped one time at a hotel there and I guess you had to know it was a rent by the hour.

[Miguezc]

Hi Wetzk,
We are picking up our 2017 19' in mid May. Just spent a few weeks in Gainesville visiting my daughter at the University of Florida. What is the best time of the year to spend a few months in Florida without worrying about the "big" storms?

[cpaharley2008]

My guess, December and January......

[wetzk]

Our favorite times of the year are March to mid May, after that the sauna comes back, then Mid October through Mid November. The nice and comfortable season actually is from Mid October through Mid May but I would avoid snowbird season as that is crowded and rv sites , hotels, and short term rentals are high. They start in Mid November, are in full force by early December and leave sometime around Easter.

[Miguezc]

Thanks for the advise.

[wetzk]

Also, from Ft Myers to Texas has a chance of Gulf hurricanes in the autumn months, but so far we have been lucky.

[Greg A]

Originally Posted by wetzk

We noticed there is a KOA park in Seattle, really a town named Kent.
We figure hey it's been a long time since we went near Seattle so we are thinking of trying that park if it is any good.
The reason I ask is because I know some parts of Tacoma can be shall we say interesting. We stopped one time at a hotel there and I guess you had to know it was a rent by the hour.

I believe that is the KOA we stayed in for one night after leaving Lynden KOA on our way home from pick up. It was probably about 90% occupied with full-time transient workers who had come to WA for temporary employment. All types of trailers represented there in all states of condition. The owners are really super people and have big hearts for giving back to people. We arrived there on Thanksgiving Day and they invited us to Thanksgiving dinner that they prepare every year for everyone staying at the park. So all in all we found it to be a totally different experience from the KOA parks.

[arniesea]

Originally Posted by wetzk

We noticed there is a KOA park in Seattle, really a town named Kent.
We figure hey it's been a long time since we went near Seattle so we are thinking of trying that park if it is any good.
The reason I ask is because I know some parts of Tacoma can be shall we say interesting. We stopped one time at a hotel there and I guess you had to know it was a rent by the hour.

I don't have any personal experience at that KOA but I do live in the greator Puget Sound area and can tell you that it is located in the Kent valley that used to be mostly farms, but now is mostly warehouses. It is not in a questionable urban area.

If you are looking for a base camp to explore Seattle, I would recommend Dash Point State Park. It is right on Puget Sound, is well maintained and closer to Seattle than the KOA.

[wetzk]

Thank you, we are going up to pick up our trailer in April and plan on heading back slowly to Florida. How bad is the traffic going towards and away from the Dash point area? We plan on spending one night close to Chilliwack then we hope to stop somewhere near Seattle for a couple of days.

[cpaharley2008]

I hope you will stop in Osoyoos and see maybe another 150 Escapes at the rally in late May.

[NW Cat Owner]

The KOA isn't too far off the freeway (I5). I had a free night there when I signed up for KOA through them when I had my motorhome rental. I stayed there just long enough to empty out the tanks, flush 'em with water and refill the propane before returning the rental the next day. However, I did check out the bathrooms and they seemed fine.

I have noticed lately that it's pretty full, even during the winter. At first I think it was construction workers for the new warehouses that were going in. Now I think it's a lot of Amazon warehouse workers. There are some empty spots, but it's pretty full.

You're right next to a bus line that will take you to the airport and the light rail into Seattle and the UofW. If you wanted to explore downtown Seattle, this would be a good way to do it.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by wetzk

How bad is the traffic going towards and away from the Dash point area?

As I just said in another post, , traveling is luck of the draw. Yes, the whole Tacoma-Seattle-Everett corridor can be a nightmare sometimes. But recently we did that corridor in the afternoon without any stops or delays. We use the carpool and express lanes.

I wouldn't avoid going to an area because you thought the traffic would be bad. Maybe it will be or maybe it won't. We do avoid rush hours when possible, but for some areas it's rush hour all day. We listen to traffic, look up the traffic cams for the area and then go unless there's a disaster in progress.

Ron

[arniesea]

Originally Posted by wetzk

Thank you, we are going up to pick up our trailer in April and plan on heading back slowly to Florida. How bad is the traffic going towards and away from the Dash point area? We plan on spending one night close to Chilliwack then we hope to stop somewhere near Seattle for a couple of days.

You will be coming from the north and Dash Point is south of Seattle, but it is also south of the I-5 / I-405 interchange near SeaTac airport. So if I-5 south is really bad, you can go around Seattle via I-405 via Bellevue. However 405 can be bad too.

Traffic is really determined by day of week / time of day more than anything. generally weekends mid-day are your best bet unless there is a sporting event going on. You just need to check WA DOT @ WSDOT - Seattle Washington Cameras to see what is going on.

BTW, Dash Point has Full Hookups, Electric/water only and no service sites. Be sure to pay attention when you make your reservations.

[luckyone]

If it has been awhile since you were last in Tacoma check out https://www.americascarmuseum.org/ . Well worth your visit if you like cars and you are only 20 minutes away. It might have even replaced that motel you mentioned.

[arniesea]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

As I just said in another post, , traveling is luck of the draw. ... We listen to traffic, look up the traffic cams for the area and then go unless there's a disaster in progress.

Ron

You mean like yesterday when a propane tanker truck overturned on I-5 downtown. Blocked all lanes NB and SB for 8 hours!

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by arniesea

You mean like yesterday when a propane tanker truck overturned on I-5 downtown. Blocked all lanes NB and SB for 8 hours!

Well, like I said, traveling is luck of the draw. A couple of weeks ago, when we came through the Seattle corridor in record time, we got up to Mt. Vernon, ho-humm, clear sailing now up to the border. Flooding on a local road produced a major delay out onto I-5. Never happened before, probably won't happen again. So we don't change routes because the most direct one can sometimes be really slow. We do check conditions and times etc. but after that, it is what it is.

Ron

[MyronL]

We were driving through Victoria to get to the ferry during the big annual street runner marathon, once. That was fun.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by MyronL

We were driving through Victoria to get to the ferry during the big annual street runner marathon, once. That was fun.

Then you should do just fine if you ever come through Portland, Oregon when the Naked Bike Ride is going on

True story... Keep Portland Weird.

[MyronL]

One hot August day we did a 25 mile canoe trip down the Delaware River. South of Matamoras, PA, or was it Bushkill Falls, we came up on about 25 canoes. It was a Tri-state nudist group, out for the day. I almost fell out of the boat.

[Donna D.]

In Portland for the NBR, the police ask everyone to wear a helmet and shoes. ... and they do, but that's it!