VERDICT: We gave 5 out of 5 tickets and here’s why!
This guide forms part of our complete USA Travel Guide, featuring scenic road trips, iconic destinations, practical travel advice and honest first-hand travel experiences from across the United States.
Day 1: Historic Bridges, Sea Lions & Astoria’s Waterfront ✅
Day 2: Haystack Rock, Puffins & Oregon’s Most Beautiful Beach ✅
Day 3: Shipwrecks, Cheese & Portland’s Weird Side ✅
Day 4: Volcanoes, Forests & The Mountain That Changed America ✅
Day 5: Small-Town Charm, Ferries & The Journey Home ✅
Crossing Puget Sound, exploring Lynden and completing our 1,397-km Pacific Northwest adventure
After five days, two states and almost 1,400 kilometres on the road, it was finally time to point the car toward Canada. But our Pacific Northwest adventure wasn’t quite finished yet.
After our stay at Robin Hood Village Resort in Union, Washington, we enjoyed a lovely breakfast before packing up the car one final time. We’d spent the previous few days exploring everything from the Oregon Coast and Portland to Mount St. Helens, and Union had given us a peaceful waterfront stop before the final journey home.
Rather than simply driving north, we’d decided to make Day 5 a little more interesting.
Our route would take us from Union to Bremerton, where we’d put the car on a Washington State Ferry and cross Puget Sound directly into downtown Seattle. We’d never travelled this route before, so we really didn’t know what to expect.
Union to Bremerton
Leaving Union, we headed north along the Kitsap Peninsula toward Bremerton.
The drive took us roughly an hour, passing through the heavily forested landscape and small communities that make this part of Washington such an enjoyable area to explore.
After several days of major attractions, coastal highways and volcanic landscapes, this section of the journey felt wonderfully relaxed. Eventually the signs for the Bremerton ferry began appearing and we followed them toward the waterfront and the ferry terminal.
Bremerton itself is the largest city on the Kitsap Peninsula and has a particularly strong connection with the United States Navy. If we’d had more time, there was certainly enough here to justify stopping for several hours.
One of the city’s major attractions is the USS Turner Joy, a Vietnam-era naval destroyer that is now a museum ship on Bremerton’s waterfront. Nearby, the Puget Sound Navy Museum explores the region’s naval heritage and the history of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
The waterfront also offers parks, public plazas, restaurants and walking routes, making Bremerton much more than simply somewhere to catch a ferry.
For us, though, Canada was calling.
We entered the Bremerton Ferry Terminal, purchased our tickets ($27 USD each – great price) and were directed into one of the vehicle waiting lanes. Then we waited, fortunately, only for about 30 minutes.
The terminal is right on Bremerton’s waterfront and provides vehicle and walk-on access to Washington State Ferries travelling across Puget Sound to Seattle. It was all very straightforward.
Once our sailing began loading, the lanes started moving and before long we were driving aboard the ferry. Car parked. Engine off. Time to head upstairs and enjoy the ride.
Instead of another stretch of highway, we could walk around, enjoy the fresh air and watch the islands, boats and shoreline pass by.
The city’s skyline gradually grew larger as the ferry approached downtown.
After beginning our road trip by driving straight through Seattle without stopping, there was something rather fitting about returning five days later, this time arriving from the water.
Arriving in Downtown Seattle
About an hour after leaving Bremerton, we arrived at Seattle’s waterfront. Back downstairs, back into the car and we were soon driving off the ferry and straight into the city.
Seattle could easily have become another major stop on this itinerary, but we’d explored the city previously and still had quite a distance to travel before reaching Canada. Our route now took us north toward Interstate 5. From Seattle, I-5 provides an almost direct run toward Bellingham and the Canadian border.
But there was one place we couldn’t resist visiting before leaving Washington.
One Final Stop; Lynden, Washington
Rather than staying on I-5 all the way north, we turned toward Lynden. And it was worth the detour.
Lynden sits only a few kilometres south of the Canadian border and has a very different personality from the big cities and coastal communities we’d visited during the previous five days.
The community has strong Dutch and Scandinavian roots, something that’s still reflected in parts of its architecture and local identity.
Downtown is compact and easy to explore, while the surrounding countryside is dominated by farmland, dairy operations and berry fields. The Lynden area is particularly well known for its raspberry production.
It’s one of those small American towns where you can park the car, wander along the main street and immediately feel the pace of the trip slowing down.
After Portland, Astoria, Cannon Beach, Mount St. Helens and Seattle, Lynden was an appropriately quiet final American stop.
If you have additional time, the Lynden Pioneer Museum is worth considering. Its collections explore local pioneer history and include what the Lynden Chamber of Commerce describes as the largest collection of horse-drawn buggies west of the Mississippi.
Other Stops Between Seattle and the Canadian Border
If you’re turning this route into a longer day trip, there are several worthwhile places between Seattle and the border.
Everett provides access to the waterfront and aviation attractions, while Mount Vernon makes a good stop for exploring the Skagit Valley.
A short detour west takes you to La Conner, one of our favourite small communities in this part of Washington, with its waterfront, shops, restaurants and historic downtown.
Farther north, Bellingham and the historic Fairhaven district are also excellent stops before reaching the border. We actually enjoyed breakfast in Fairhaven on the way down at the beginning of our journey.
Our objective today, however, was to finish what we’d started five days earlier.
Back to the Sumas Border
From Lynden, we continued east toward Sumas. There was something satisfying about seeing the border signs again. Five days earlier we’d crossed here with a full road trip ahead of us.
Now we were returning with hundreds of photographs, hours of video and enough experiences to keep us writing stories for quite some time. We crossed the Sumas Border back into British Columbia and headed home. Our Pacific Northwest road trip was officially complete.
► Five Days and 1,397 Kilometres Through the Pacific Northwest
What started as a relatively simple five-day getaway turned into one of our favourite road trips. Our journey covered 1,397 kilometres through Washington and Oregon.
We crossed an international border, explored the historic streets and waterfront of Astoria, discovered trolls, visited the Columbia River Maritime Museum and ate fish and chips served from a boat.
We walked the spectacular shoreline at Cannon Beach beneath Haystack Rock and explored one of the finest stretches of the Oregon Coast.
We found the strange Octopus Tree, visited the remains of the Peter Iredale shipwreck and stopped at Tillamook Creamery.
Portland gave us an entirely different experience.
We explored Powell’s City of Books; the world’s largest independent bookstore, tried the infamous Voodoo Doughnut and found Mill Ends Park, famously recognized as the world’s smallest park.
Then the landscape changed completely.
We headed back into Washington and toward Mount St. Helens, travelling through forests forever changed by the catastrophic 1980 eruption. Along the way we discovered Bigfoot stories, small Washington communities and some wonderfully unexpected roadside stops.
Our final overnight destination at Robin Hood Village Resort in Union brought us to the shores of Hood Canal before today’s ferry journey carried us across Puget Sound to Seattle. And finally, Lynden gave us one last small-town stop before crossing back into Canada.
► The Best Part? The Pace
One of the things we enjoyed most about this road trip was that we never felt as though we were racing from one attraction to another. Five days isn’t a huge amount of time. But the distances between our overnight destinations were manageable, which gave us the freedom to stop when something looked interesting.
And we did. Some stops were planned. Others weren’t. Those unexpected discoveries often became some of our favourite memories. That’s exactly what a good road trip should be.
► Our 5-Day Pacific Northwest Road Trip Route
Day 1: Sumas Border → Bellingham → Seattle → Astoria, Oregon
Day 2: Astoria → Oregon Coast → Cannon Beach
Day 3: Cannon Beach → Portland
Day 4: Portland → Mount St. Helens → Union, Washington
Day 5: Union → Bremerton → Seattle → Lynden → Sumas Border → Canada
Total distance: 1,397 kilometres
Five days. Two American states. One international border. An ocean coastline, a major city, a ferry crossing, one very famous volcano and more unusual roadside discoveries than we’d expected.
We packed an incredible amount into five days without ever feeling that the trip had become exhausting.
Would we do this road trip again? Absolutely. Although next time, we might need more than five days.
Before You Go
by My Return Ticket
Local Tip
Tickets, when leaving Bremerton, may only be purchased at the Bremerton Terminal and not online. Therefore getting there at least 60 minutes early will help guarantee your passage on the next ferry.
Information Verified: 07/31/2026
The Bottom Line
Making the decision to travel by ferry from Bremerton to Seattle was the perfect choice. It was peaceful, relaxing, scenic prior to the drive from Seattle back to the Canadian border. Highly recommended.
► Explore Seattle in 48-Hours
Day 1: Classic Seattle
Start around Pike Place Market in the morning, when the market is lively but before the biggest crowds build. Find the Gum Wall, then walk through the new Overlook Walk toward the waterfront.
Have lunch around Pike Place or the waterfront before heading toward Seattle Center.
Spend the afternoon at Chihuly Garden and Glass, followed by the Space Needle. If time and interest allow, add MoPOP.
For sunset, I’d choose the Space Needle or head over to Kerry Park for the classic Seattle skyline photograph.
This gives visitors an extremely strong first day without spending half of it in traffic. Seattle Center’s concentration of attractions is especially useful during a short stay.
Day 2: Seattle Gets Weird
Start in historic Pioneer Square with an Underground Seattle tour. Then head north to Fremont, photograph the Troll and continue to Gas Works Park. From there, head to Ballard Locks.
Finish the afternoon or evening around Ballard, Fremont or back along the Seattle waterfront.
Continue Exploring Washington and Attractions
- Alderbrook Resort & Spa: A luxury waterfront resort featuring fine dining, spa treatments, marina access and beautiful Hood Canal views.
- Olympic National Forest: Thousands of kilometres of hiking trails, waterfalls, old-growth forests and scenic mountain drives begin just minutes away.
- Potlatch State Park: A peaceful waterfront park popular for kayaking, beach walks, shellfish harvesting and wildlife viewing.
- Lake Cushman: One of western Washington’s most beautiful lakes, offering boating, swimming, hiking and access to Staircase in Olympic National Park.
- Theler Wetlands Belfair Nature Preserve: Boardwalks, birdwatching, estuary habitats and easy walking trails make this an excellent stop for nature lovers.
Nearby Attractions
Planning Your Trip?
Before you go, don’t forget to book the essentials:
- 🏨 Hotels & unique stays
- 🚗 Rental cars
- 🎟️ Top-rated tours & attractions
- 📶 eSIMs for easy connectivity
- 🛡️ Travel insurance
- 🎒 Packing Lists
- 🎒 Travel gear from The Venturio
With every trip, we offer feedback to travel companies along with honest views for you, the reader. We rate adventures on a scale of one to five tickets, judged on quality, service, memorability, and price. A perfect ‘Ticket Rating’ of a five-ticket score means the experience was flawless and we’d eagerly return. Your desire to go back is the ultimate measure of a trip’s worth. Exclusive to My Return Ticket.
