Seattle is just a 12-hour drive to the north

Whenever I'm out west, I'm reminded that people view distance a little differently. Just up the road can mean 25 miles.

Seattle is just a 12-hour drive to the north

That 12-hour drive could be more fun than being in rainy old Seattle. But then I spent a week bicycling down the Oregon Coast.

At least they're being decent about it.

The bigger story is Seattle's Klout play. They're giving free all-expenses-paid trips +$500 spending money to people who are social media influencers. http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/post/2012/01/high-klout-score-can-ea rn-you-a-free-weekend-in-seattle/606460/1

You mean cities advertise in other cities? What a shock!

Also, their "2 Days in Seattle" is a blatant ripoff of their counterpart's "49 Hours of San Francisco".

/may or may not work in the industry

"Reach around and grab" would have been funnier, subby.

Omnivorous: Seattle is just a 12-hour drive to the north

That 12-hour drive could be more fun than being in rainy old Seattle. But then I spent a week bicycling down the Oregon Coast.

I've already done the drive from SF to LA, and that was beautiful. I think heading north next time might be fun, too. And the one time I was in Seattle, wasn't a bad town, I'd visit again.

A tourism campaign for Seattle will be installed in key visitor destinations around San Francisco Tuesday night, meaning travelers from all over the world will be reminded that Seattle is just a 12-hour drive to the north.

I know when I'm on vacation, I like to make unscheduled, 12 hour, 1-way car trips.

Rapmaster2000: Seattle is just a 12-hour drive to the north

Whenever I'm out west, I'm reminded that people view distance a little differently. Just up the road can mean 25 miles.

When I visited England, I asked our guide how far it is from the southern coast of the island to the northern coast. He said it was 700 miles. I said that sounds like a long day's drive, and looked at me like I was nuts. I guess you can't go very fast over there, or the roads don't go very straight. All the Americans on the tour agreed that 700 miles is a very driveable distance.

While it's a bit on the opposite direction, now that Emirates is flying direct out of Seattle to the UAE this March, I decided it would be fun to take a weekend and go visit Dubai and booked a trip last night. 5:10pm Friday flight out of Sea-Tac, 15-hours of flying, 7pm Saturday arrival. Sat evening and all day Sunday to go visit the sights (ski-dubai, scuba dive in their aquarium, see the top of the world's tallest building) 9am Monday departure, another 15 hours of flying, 1:50pm Monday Arrival back home. Back at my desk at 2:30pm. Only 4 hours of PTO taken to visit the otherside of the planet? Awesomeness.

MrSteve007: While it's a bit on the opposite direction, now that Emirates is flying direct out of Seattle to the UAE this March, I decided it would be fun to take a weekend and go visit Dubai and booked a trip last night. 5:10pm Friday flight out of Sea-Tac, 15-hours of flying, 7pm Saturday arrival. Sat evening and all day Sunday to go visit the sights (ski-dubai, scuba dive in their aquarium, see the top of the world's tallest building) 9am Monday departure, another 15 hours of flying, 1:50pm Monday Arrival back home. Back at my desk at 2:30pm. Only 4 hours of PTO taken to visit the otherside of the planet? Awesomeness.

Do you work in the Airport hotel or something?

FTFA: "...Seattle is just a 12-hour drive to the north."

Well yeah, if you consider driving well above the speed limit and not making single pee-stop for 12 hours you favorite way to get to Seattle in 12 hours, go for it. Otherwise spend two days doing it like regular people do.

FreakinB: Rapmaster2000: Seattle is just a 12-hour drive to the north

Whenever I'm out west, I'm reminded that people view distance a little differently. Just up the road can mean 25 miles.

Seriously. A 12 hour-drive from here (NYC area) would involve 7 states if I went south, or 6 states and 1-2 Canadian provinces if I went northeast. Not impossible trips by any means, but you don't see any ads here that tout the driving proximity of, say, Myrtle Beach.

Keep in mind how few metro areas you'd have to drive through between SF and Seattle. Basically, just Portland.

Seattle rocks. The restaurants kick ass, there are tons of things to do, and don't forget to take a skinny-jeaned pierced hipster home with you!

Seriously? Anyone undertaking the 12 hour drive north to Seattle will stop the minute they hit Portland. It has everything Seattle has, and rains less.

/live in Seattle
//visit Portland at least once a month

The_Sponge: Bonus: Seattle's homeless population isn't as aggressive as San Francisco's.

/Or Portland's.

Depends, but between the bush-guy and the best completely drunk harmonica player I've ever seen on a commuter train San Fransisco's homeless population is way more talented, and puts far more effort into it.

leviosaurus: Seriously? Anyone undertaking the 12 hour drive north to Seattle will stop the minute they hit Portland. It has everything Seattle has, and rains less.

Well, sure, if you want to date Jan instead of Marsha, go for it. As my wife says, "Portland is pointless".

Some people like visiting cities where the homeless don't take growlers on the sidewalk.

/couldn't believe what a dump SF was when he saw it the first time
//Seattle, OTOH, is America at its best
///saw it from October to January, too - must be heaven in August

Forgot to add - the women in Seattle are gorgeous. SF, not so much.

Soup4Bonnie: leviosaurus: Seriously? Anyone undertaking the 12 hour drive north to Seattle will stop the minute they hit Portland. It has everything Seattle has, and rains less.

Well, sure, if you want to date Jan instead of Marsha, go for it. As my wife says, "Portland is pointless".

Your wife apparently needs to find someone to show her a good time in Portland.

FreakinB: Rapmaster2000: Seattle is just a 12-hour drive to the north

Whenever I'm out west, I'm reminded that people view distance a little differently. Just up the road can mean 25 miles.

Seriously. A 12 hour-drive from here (NYC area) would involve 7 states if I went south, or 6 states and 1-2 Canadian provinces if I went northeast. Not impossible trips by any means, but you don't see any ads here that tout the driving proximity of, say, Myrtle Beach.

Also helps that the roads out there are pretty empty once you get away from the cities - unlike I-95 which is bumper to bumper from New Hampshire to North Carolina

The joke's on you, Seattle -- Powell St. station is being remodeled. Your ads are going to be behind tarps and construction crews.

beta_plus: Some people like visiting cities where the homeless don't take growlers on the sidewalk.

/couldn't believe what a dump SF was when he saw it the first time
//Seattle, OTOH, is America at its best
///saw it from October to January, too - must be heaven in August

I lived in San Jose for years and out-of-town visitors would always insist that I must love being so close to SF. When I explained it was one of the filthiest cities in America and overrun with an army of angry panhandlers, they would frown or "tsk" at me as if I were being mean. When they returned after a day of sightseeing, they always apologized for not believing me.

If you're not considering moving here: Seattle is green, clean and gorgeous. Great culture, lots to do.

If you are considering moving here: It rains all the time! It's awful. The summers are especially unbearable, I swear. Stay away.

leviosaurus: Seriously? Anyone undertaking the 12 hour drive north to Seattle will stop the minute they hit Portland. It has everything Seattle has, and rains less.

/live in Seattle
//visit Portland at least once a month

Uh, you're kidding, right? Portland is a shiat hole.

leviosaurus: Your wife apparently needs to find someone to show her a good time in Portland.

Anything we would want to do in Portland can be done in Seattle where I get to pump my own gas if I feel like it. That's what makes it pointless to go there. I do enjoy your professional sports teams, though.

Look, I don't want to argue. Let's just both be glad we don't have to live in Tacoma.

89 Stick-Up Kid: leviosaurus: Seriously? Anyone undertaking the 12 hour drive north to Seattle will stop the minute they hit Portland. It has everything Seattle has, and rains less.

/live in Seattle
//visit Portland at least once a month

Uh, you're kidding, right? Portland is a shiat hole.

Detroit is a shiat hole. Get some perspective.

StoneColdAtheist: Well yeah, if you consider driving well above the speed limit and not making single pee-stop for 12 hours you favorite way to get to Seattle in 12 hours, go for it. Otherwise spend two days doing it like regular people do.

I did the drive from SF to Seattle in a moving van in a day. If you're in a car, you can make it.

stewbert: Detroit is a shiat hole. Get some perspective.

Detroit doesn't have the hipster problem portland has. So, it evens out.

beta_plus: Some people like visiting cities where the homeless don't take growlers on the sidewalk.

/couldn't believe what a dump SF was when he saw it the first time
//Seattle, OTOH, is America at its best
///saw it from October to January, too - must be heaven in August

September. September, at least to me, is the month to visit WA state. Born and bred there and I love seeing the end of summer/beginning of fall around that time. Seeing orange/yellow leaves of deciduous exploding from densely packed forests of dark green is just lovely. And the weather is, usually, fantastic that whole month.

ohknaks: stewbert: Detroit is a shiat hole. Get some perspective.

Detroit doesn't have the hipster problem portland has. So, it evens out.

Probably true, but I've heard they're making inroads into Detroit these days.

Car_Ramrod: I've already done the drive from SF to LA, and that was beautiful. I think heading north next time might be fun, too. And the one time I was in Seattle, wasn't a bad town, I'd visit again.

A friend and I did a SF->SEA road trip in December on CA 1 and US 101. It was pretty spectacular. I just wouldn't recommend doing it in the winter. Not nearly enough sunlight hours to see the sights if you try to make it in 2 days.

Soup4Bonnie: leviosaurus: Your wife apparently needs to find someone to show her a good time in Portland.

Anything we would want to do in Portland can be done in Seattle where I get to pump my own gas if I feel like it. That's what makes it pointless to go there. I do enjoy your professional sports teams, though.

Look, I don't want to argue. Let's just both be glad we don't have to live in Tacoma.

I don't live in Portland, dude, I live in Seattle :) I've lived in Seattle almost all my life. This isn't "My city vs your city" thing, it's a "I've spent time in both and Portland is clearly better" thing. If you think Portland is worthless, then you really need to find someone to show you around.

/But yeah, I'm glad I don't live in Tacoma.

Sorry, Seattle. Not ever going back since the last two times your residents treated me like puke because I'm from California.

Kiss my ass, entire PNW.

sabreWulf07: //Seattle, OTOH, is America at its best

24/7 traffic jams is America at its best? Sad.

MrEricSir: sabreWulf07: //Seattle, OTOH, is America at its best

24/7 traffic jams is America at its best? Sad.

You clearly have never driven in the DC Metro area, on the I-405, or over the SF Bay Bridge.

GleeUnit: nicoffeine: Sorry, Seattle. Not ever going back since the last two times your residents treated me like puke because I'm from California.

Kiss my ass, entire PNW.

[i411.photobucket.com image 300x170]

Pretty much what I expected, and the vibe I got when I left. I'm kind of disappointed that you didn't include the text on the meme, though. My ex-wife would have remembered.

stewbert: 89 Stick-Up Kid: leviosaurus: Seriously? Anyone undertaking the 12 hour drive north to Seattle will stop the minute they hit Portland. It has everything Seattle has, and rains less.

/live in Seattle
//visit Portland at least once a month

Uh, you're kidding, right? Portland is a shiat hole.

Detroit is a shiat hole. Get some perspective.

Not once OCP is finished with Delta City. Portland's future isn't so bright.

ohknaks: StoneColdAtheist: Well yeah, if you consider driving well above the speed limit and not making single pee-stop for 12 hours you favorite way to get to Seattle in 12 hours, go for it. Otherwise spend two days doing it like regular people do.

I did the drive from SF to Seattle in a moving van in a day. If you're in a car, you can make it.

Sure, you can do it in one day if ya bust yer balls, but my point was that you can't do it in 12 hours. According to google maps it's 808 miles and takes 13 hours 43 minutes at the posted speed limit with no stops. Heck, I'll bet your typical tourist driving from SF to Seattle takes 3 days to do it driving up the coast on 101.

What were we talking about? ;)

Meh, I don't really like places where the locals are snobs and hate anyone not from their city. SF has its problems but tourists are welcomed and the rest of the Bay Area doesn't mind either. Santa Cruz, on the other hand, is filled with close-minded assholes. How can a little town that depends so much on tourism be so antagonistic. Santa Cruz is like a gang to them. Sorry for the tangent, kind of went off topic there. I've never been to Seattle but I assume the people have a similar attitude towards out of towners.

MrSteve007: While it's a bit on the opposite direction, now that Emirates is flying direct out of Seattle to the UAE this March, I decided it would be fun to take a weekend and go visit Dubai and booked a trip last night. 5:10pm Friday flight out of Sea-Tac, 15-hours of flying, 7pm Saturday arrival. Sat evening and all day Sunday to go visit the sights (ski-dubai, scuba dive in their aquarium, see the top of the world's tallest building) 9am Monday departure, another 15 hours of flying, 1:50pm Monday Arrival back home. Back at my desk at 2:30pm. Only 4 hours of PTO taken to visit the otherside of the planet? Awesomeness.

That sounds optimistic. Bet you say f'it and just go home.

StoneColdAtheist: Sure, you can do it in one day if ya bust yer balls, but my point was that you can't do it in 12 hours. According to google maps it's 808 miles and takes 13 hours 43 minutes at the posted speed limit with no stops. Heck, I'll bet your typical tourist driving from SF to Seattle takes 3 days to do it driving up the coast on 101.

What were we talking about? ;)

Back in college, one or twice a year we'd have someone in our house yell "Roadtrip!" on a Friday night. We'd leave Ellensburg at 8pm, and arrive at the Ihop at Fisherman's Wharf at 8am. It's a 750 mile trip, and with 2-pee breaks and driving 5-10 mph over the limit, it's pretty easy to do in 12 hours flat - especially at night. We'd have breakfast, rock the trinket shops, then start the drive back by 11am. Depending on how much cash we'd have on hand, we'd stop at the discount stores in Woodburn, Oregon and buy some stuff tax free. We'd usually be home by 11-12pm Saturday night.

1,500 miles - 30mpg car / 3 guys = ~$40 for gas, per person. (2001 fuel prices)

For kicks, we'd also fly to Las Vegas when Southwest would have their crazy cheap airfares, rent a convertible, drive to the border and get farked up in Tijuana - then drive back to Vegas by sunrise. There's nothing quite like losing a friend down a dark alleyway along Avenida Revolución in TJ, after sunset, then finding him a couple hours later passed out over a toilet in one of the bars.

one of Ripley's Bad Guys: That sounds optimistic. Bet you say f'it and just go home

My office is 5 minutes from Sea-Tac. I figure I have plenty of time to sleep on the flight back home. I shouldn't be too jet-lagged with that quick of a trip.

MrSteve007: StoneColdAtheist: Sure, you can do it in one day if ya bust yer balls, but my point was that you can't do it in 12 hours. According to google maps it's 808 miles and takes 13 hours 43 minutes at the posted speed limit with no stops. Heck, I'll bet your typical tourist driving from SF to Seattle takes 3 days to do it driving up the coast on 101.

What were we talking about? ;)

Back in college, one or twice a year we'd have someone in our house yell "Roadtrip!" on a Friday night. We'd leave Ellensburg at 8pm, and arrive at the Ihop at Fisherman's Wharf at 8am. It's a 750 mile trip, and with 2-pee breaks and driving 5-10 mph over the limit, it's pretty easy to do in 12 hours flat - especially at night. We'd have breakfast, rock the trinket shops, then start the drive back by 11am. Depending on how much cash we'd have on hand, we'd stop at the discount stores in Woodburn, Oregon and buy some stuff tax free. We'd usually be home by 11-12pm Saturday night.

1,500 miles - 30mpg car / 3 guys = ~$40 for gas, per person. (2001 fuel prices)

For kicks, we'd also fly to Las Vegas when Southwest would have their crazy cheap airfares, rent a convertible, drive to the border and get farked up in Tijuana - then drive back to Vegas by sunrise. There's nothing quite like losing a friend down a dark alleyway along Avenida Revolución in TJ, after sunset, then finding him a couple hours later passed out over a toilet in one of the bars.

Question: Ellensburg = Ellensburg, WA? Because Ellensburg is about 2 hours from Seattle the last time I drove it over Snoqualmie, and it makes no sense to go via Oregon. Did I-90 not exist yet?