Originally Posted by
saint_em
We actually land in Vancouver at about 1pm on the 1st. We like the sound of Portland at the weekend, and it seems the Mt Hood Railroad runs at weekends too.
Is driving straight from Vancouver to Portland, leaving Vancouver at about 2pm, going to be a nightmare? Google says it's about a 5hr drive straight down I5, but I don't know how likely this prediction is to be accurate. Is there anywhere on the way South worth spending the night? We like the idea of the scenic route back North, hence using I5 for this leg.
I would add about 1 - 1.5 hr (worst case) to that as you will be hitting Seattle at just about rush-hour and I-5 can be a bit slow going through Seattle. However, once you get to Tacoma any traffic should open up. If you plan 5-6 hr drive you should have no problems making it. I have done this drive many times, just be prepared for traffic in Seattle.