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Topic: Seattle Wa. To Cedar city Utah.  (Read 560 times) previous topic - next topic
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Seattle Wa. To Cedar city Utah.
A quick question. When traveling from Seattle to Cedar City Utah in early December what would be the best/safest route? The LD will be towing a 16’ boat with the wife following in our Yukon with a Uhaul trailer. A little concerned about bad weather. After 60 years in Washington we’ve had enough. Moving south permanently.
Lynn and Lori
Re: Seattle Wa. To Cedar city Utah.
Reply #1 –
You will probably get other suggestions but here's mine.   Stick with the main highways as they will the most likely to be clear, one way or another.    If you take a route of S I-5 to Sacramento to I-80, up and over the Sierra, down into Reno and keep going East all the way to Salt Lake City.   From SLC, hit I-15 South to Cedar City.    If there is no snow at the point of  crossing from OR into CA , there is a much easier crossing of the Sierra by cutting off I-5 at McCloud, CA - Hwy 89 which turns into Hwy 44, a short bit of Hwy 36 and into Susanville, CA.   At Susanville, you will beon Hwy 395 which will take you south right into Reno, NV where you will catch I-80.   A warning:  this route has little in services between McCloud and Susanville.  There is one RV park but I don't know if they are open all year.   There are no gas stations once you leave McCloud until Susanville.  About 140 miles.   From Susanville to Reno is about 85 miles.    Reno to SLC is about 550 miles.   There are long distances between towns, fuel, and food.   RV parks are few.    Elko is the only city of any size and it is very doubtful you would be able to find an RV site to stop for the night.  Be sure to call ahead.    Crossing Nevada will mean crossing a series of mountain ranges, regardless of your route.     Getting from anywhere in CA to UT will mean crossing NV.   Going so far south as to go through  Las Vegas will still mean crossing mountains and there is the traffic in Las Vegas to consider. 
Best of luck in your travels.    If I can help with road conditions, weather, directions, please let me know.

Juli W.
Former owner 1994 mid bath,  2006 26.5'rear bath
Re: Seattle Wa. To Cedar city Utah.
Reply #2 –
Thanks so much JuliW!!
Lynn and Lori
Re: Seattle Wa. To Cedar city Utah.
Reply #3 –
Maybe I-5 south to  Portland then I-84 to SLC.   I-84 is a major west-east freeway.   Early December can be ify but it's well traveled.

glen
personal fine art photo stuff
TF Mack | Flickr
It's all good .......
2014 Twin King
Re: Seattle Wa. To Cedar city Utah.
Reply #4 –
I looked at the suggested routes between Seattle and Cedar City. (I've driven all of the roads mentioned, but not in December.) However, if I were traveling between the two points mentioned at that time of the year, I believe that Glen's suggestion of 84 from Portland to SLC would be my choice. (From SLC, 15 to Cedar City.)

Interstates offer more services, 4-lanes (the OP stated that he and his wife would be "tandem traveling", and this is less stressful when following motorists have a passing lane), and are much more likely to be plowed pretty quickly if a snow storm hits. (I would also definitely check to see if chains might be required along the route.)

Just my opinion; YMMV.
2003 TK has a new home
Re: Seattle Wa. To Cedar city Utah.
Reply #5 –
Thanks Joan,
That’s our normal route. Cabbage pass coming out of Pendleton Oregon is a pretty big elevation gain. But I guess anyway I go is going to have that issue. When going from 400’ elevation at our current home to 5,850 ft at our new place we’re going to have hills to deal with LoL. I’m so looking forward to our new adventure.
Lynn and Lori
Re: Seattle Wa. To Cedar city Utah.
Reply #7 –
Just for curiosity I entered those two cities into my RV friendly trip planner. 82 to 84 to 93 to 6/50 to 15.
Steve and Jill, Steve posting
1999 26.5 Mid-Bath
Re: Seattle Wa. To Cedar city Utah.
Reply #8 –
Can you be a bit flexible for weather?  Glen & Joan have a good point. 

If your concern is the hill out of Pendleton,  going South on I-5 you'll hit the Siskiyou Summit at the CA/OR border.  It's 4,300 ft with a 6% grade out of Ashland  OR.

Keeping with I-5, you can take the suggestion of SR89 at McCloud or continue down and pickup I-80 at Sacramento and take that over to Reno.    From Reno you can stay on I-80 to SLC, take US395 for more scenic (slower) route south US 395 California or US 95 U.S. Route 95 South to Las Vegas.

If the weather is ungood at that point,  you can continue down I-5  to Buttonwillow and take SR 58 East thru Bakersfield and over  the Tehachapi_Pass (elev 3,771) and pick up I-15 at Barstow.  Take I-15 to Las Vegas
Joel & Terry Wiley
dog Zeke
2013  31 IB   Orwan   / 2011 CRV Tow'd LWEROVE
Re: Seattle Wa. To Cedar city Utah.
Reply #9 –
Out of curiosity, you say that you are leaving Washington because "You've had enough".  Wonder what it is that you've had enough of?  Weather?  Politics?  Something else?
Rich - Birch Bay, WA
Former 2000 MB- Now Bullet Crossfire 1800RB trailer pulled by a Chevy 2500HD
Re: Seattle Wa. To Cedar city Utah.
Reply #10 –
We have made the trip from Washington state to SLC in the winter many times in December, January, February and March.  We usually always go on i84 through Oregon and Idaho.  We have had better luck taking i90 to i82 to i84 and trying to time the weather and mostly that route has been ok.  i5 to Portland to i84 has resulted in more precarious travel because if the roads are bad i84 will close and be impassable requiring another route or maybe a backtrack, this has happened to us a couple times, remember Snow-Mageddon?  Seems i84 closes longer then i90/i82?  We have made the trip south twice to bypass the northern route with our old '84 itaska and got trapped both times either at Syskiyou pass, Weed, Donner pass or somewhere in Nevada.  We have hit the weather just right (or Wrong) going the southern route that we have had to chain-up several times on both trips.  On those trips we have had to deal with feet of snow where on the Northern trips it has been inches of snow.

     Karen~Liam
       98 ~ MB
         NinA
1998 ~ MB  WanderDaze
previously a 1984 Winnebago itaska- The Road Warrior, before that several VW Buses and before that a 1965 Chrysler Convertible Newport or our 1969 Chrysler La Barron with an ice box and a couple sleeping bags
Re: Seattle Wa. To Cedar city Utah.
Reply #11 –
Quote from: Rich Gort  - 
Out of curiosity, you say that you are leaving Washington because "You've had enough".  Wonder what it is that you've had enough of?  Weather?  Politics?  Something else?
Rich - Birch Bay, WA

Rich,
It’s not the state I was born and raised in anymore. Crime, filth, politics, way to many people for the infrastructure, cost of living, taxes, vehicle licensing, RTA, Inslee, Ferguson. This list goes on and on.
Lynn and Lori
Re: Seattle Wa. To Cedar city Utah.
Reply #12 –
I totally understand.  I'm just too old to move and too young to die so I will do my best for change.  Wish me luck, as I wish you in your new environment.
Rich
Former 2000 MB- Now Bullet Crossfire 1800RB trailer pulled by a Chevy 2500HD
Re: Seattle Wa. To Cedar city Utah.
Reply #13 –
Rich I’m 60 so I figure it’s now or never. I still have a mortgage on my current home. But with the sky high reality prices in my area. I will sell for 5 times what I paid for my home. This allows me to payoff the mortgage and buy a nicer home. Well already bought it LoL. But ended up with a house  30 years newer, 240 sq ft bigger, no stairs, 4000 sq ft bigger lot and a 600 sq ft shop. And no mortgage.
Lynn and Lori
Re: Seattle Wa. To Cedar city Utah.
Reply #14 –
"This allows me to payoff the mortgage and buy a nicer home."

If it were not for my age and several other contributing factors (family commitments) I would have been a resident of Santa Fe, NM long before this!   ;)
Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Cedar
2004 30'IB (Island Bed)
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery
Live for the day!
Re: Seattle Wa. To Cedar city Utah.
Reply #15 –
Quote from: Duro  - 
Rich I’m 60 so I figure it’s now or never. I still have a mortgage on my current home. But with the sky high reality prices in my area. I will sell for 5 times what I paid for my home. This allows me to payoff the mortgage and buy a nicer home. Well already bought it LoL. But ended up with a house  30 years newer, 240 sq ft bigger, no stairs, 4000 sq ft bigger lot and a 600 sq ft shop. And no mortgage.

Sounds like a good move, Lynn. If I didn’t have most of my family in Cali, I might join you!
Greg & Victoria
2017 Mid-Bath  “Nocona” towing a manual 2015 Forester
Previously a 1985 TK
SKP #61264
 
Re: Seattle Wa. To Cedar city Utah.
Reply #16 –
It's been my observation nothing is like it was when we were young.   <smile> After all we changed it if I'm not mistaken.   As Pogo once said "we have seen the enemy and the enemy is us".

glen
personal fine art photo stuff
TF Mack | Flickr
It's all good .......
2014 Twin King
Re: Seattle Wa. To Cedar city Utah.
Reply #17 –
Quote from: colddog  - 
It's been my observation nothing is like it was when we were young.   <smile> After all we changed it if I'm not mistaken.   As Pogo once said "we have seen the enemy and the enemy is us".

glen

Very true Glen. But I think this move will be a drastic change for the better. The county I currently live in has 2.28 million people. The county I’m going to has 54,000 people.
Lynn and Lori
Re: Seattle Wa. To Cedar city Utah.
Reply #18 –
Quote from: Duro  - 
Very true Glen. But I think this move will be a drastic change for the better. The county I currently live in has 2.28 million people. The county I’m going to has 54,000 people.

So, Lynn, where is this new paradise? Cedar City? I promise I won't move there.  :)

Chris
Formerly: 2002 30' IB
Re: Seattle Wa. To Cedar city Utah.
Reply #21 –
Quote from: Chris Horst  - 
If you went just a few more miles down the hill to St. George, you would have very pleasant winters.

Chris

We actually started our search in the St. George/ Hurricane area. But for our needs (lots of parking) and our price range. We had a hard time finding something we liked in the southern areas. Miss one in Washington that looked great on a 1/2 acre lot. It sold in less then 24 hours. And watching the weather over the last few months I was a little hesitant about months of 100 degree plus days. If Cedar gets to cold in the winter it’s just a short drive to the warmer weather at Sand Hollow State park.
Lynn and Lori
Re: Seattle Wa. To Cedar city Utah.
Reply #22 –
"Yeah Cedar City Utah. About 32 miles from Zion National park."

When you get settled in and have nothing better to do, take a short trip over the Interstate and visit the Mountain Meadows Massacre Site... plenty of history there!   :o
Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Cedar
2004 30'IB (Island Bed)
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery
Live for the day!
Re: Seattle Wa. To Cedar city Utah.
Reply #23 –
Quote from: Duro  - 
If Cedar gets to cold in the winter it’s just a short drive to the warmer weather at Sand Hollow State park.
Yup, that's what the LD's for.
 ;)
Joel
Joel & Terry Wiley
dog Zeke
2013  31 IB   Orwan   / 2011 CRV Tow'd LWEROVE
Re: Seattle Wa. To Cedar city Utah.
Reply #24 –
Quote from: joel wiley  - 
Yup, that's what the LD's for.
 ;)
Joel

Yep that’s our thought. Being from Washington there are lots of places we can go explore in the winter like the south/ southeastern areas that were to far for us. Now we will be a thousand miles closer.
Lynn and Lori