Day 1 - Port Angeles to Astoria - 7/21

[BlueBus]

I'll post general Day 1 info and updates here.

People can use this to coordinate accommodations, meals, day trips, etc., or start your own topic if you'd like more eyes on it!

[BlueBus]

This day is a tough one, because there's really only one place to stop for lunch, Forks. Forks is great, except we get there too early, and the big lot we all park in near the coffee shack gets the property owner all up in arms.

It's a parking lot, and we must buy 100 cups of coffee, and we're out in 40 minutes, but he's come around hollering the last two years in a row.

Kind of a tough call, there's gas, coffee and food available, then nothing for miles. Maybe we'll just cut it to 30 minutes instead of 60 & get to Astoria a little earlier.

[DonVWMiller]

1.) what is the specific meet up spot for the start?
2.) what time are we starting out
3.) where are people staying in PA on the night of the 20th?

[BlueBus]

1) We meet on Ediz Hook. Go to engineintheback.com and click on the Details link for Day 1, then zoom in on the map.
2) Probably sometime around 9am. I'll add that info to the page above soon.
3) I've camped at the KOA, Dungeness and the WalMart, and I've stayed at the fancy hotel on the water and a few of the sketchy ones. No idea what folks have planned, I'll go start a thread about it, as there's also a club dinner Thursday night a lot of us meet up at.

[doncreasman]

"t's a parking lot, and we must buy 100 cups of coffee, and we're out in 40 minutes, but he's come around hollering the last two years in a row."

I love this comment! Probably the biggest smile I'll have today!
I can't wait to see this guys so upset that he's making $ and selling coffee!
If it doesn't happen- I will be greatly disappointed!

[Jennifer Ingram]

Is it possible to arrive the night before, 7/20, drive out to the meeting place and just bus/dry camp that night. Then wake up, make a pot of coffee and wait for the rest of the group to arrive and meet up at 9:00??
Just a thought.....

[Jennifer Ingram]

As for a campsite the first night of the Treffen (7/21), I managed to book a spot at the Clatsop County Fair and Expo Center. $35 for the night. Seems like they had plenty of space available, if anyone else is still looking for a place to camp.
Best part is it's only 10 min. from downtown Astoria.

[DonVWMiller]

hey folks just saw this on a Facebook group and wanted to share. It sounds like it will be a bit of a grind from Port Angeles to Astoria on day 1...might consider alternatives and meeting up at Astoria.

https://wsdotblog.blogspot.com/2023/06/ ... TfFBwG5B7Q

[DonVWMiller]

I’ve studied the Washington DOT page further and it looks like an alternative route on Day 1 is east on 101 to Port Townsend then south on 101 to Kamilche to take Washington 108 to McCleary, then Washington 8 to Montesano and south on 107 to pick up highway 101. It misses the gorgeous Washington beaches at Ruby and Kalaloch but also the multiple hours-long delays for the fish passage construction. This alternative route will have some slow traffic zones (welcomed by us VWs) but no outright o
Closures or lengthy one-lane road delays and gets us to Astoria

[Francie L.]

The few delays on Hwy 101 on Day 1 will not be "hours long". There might be a few delays, but they are never more than 15 minutes long. They will have flaggers or a temporary signal in place. We have run into this for the last several years and it was never a problem.
There are also delays on Hwy 101 along Hood Canal. One lane through Quilcene and construction near McCleary.

[BlueBus]

Yeah, it's pretty much the same story every year, the entire route is constantly under construction. I just came down from Crescent City on US101 & CA1 & there was a couple of delays where the road went to one lane in NorCal, but it moved along ok. I thin it'll be probably be fine mostly, for sure, maybe.

[BlueBus]

I'll keep an eye on this, and will keep Don's route on standby. Although detours and single lane sections are pretty standard, some times are definitely worse than others. We had a multi-hour closure on 101 south of Crescent City last year, which was fine, we just planned around it.

I don't think it will be an issue, but it's on the radar