Author Topic: What logistics have been used to get to Anacordes?  (Read 13643 times)

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Offline twentling

What logistics have been used to get to Anacordes?
« on: March 19, 2012, 06:59:41 pm »
For those who have done the Northern Tier west to east, what airport did you fly into?  Did you take a taxi or rent a car?  Do you know if there is a bus from Bellingham to Anadordes?  Just curious as to what others have done.

Offline johnsondasw

Re: What logistics have been used to get to Anacordes?
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2012, 07:09:45 pm »
It's an easy and scenic bike ride south along the coast from B'ham too Highway 20 and then Anacortes is just a few miles west of there.
The coastal part is known as Chuckanut Drive.  Locals can direct you there easily.
May the wind be at your back!

Offline jrswenberger

Re: What logistics have been used to get to Anacordes?
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2012, 07:48:41 pm »
It's an easy and scenic bike ride south along the coast from B'ham too Highway 20 and then Anacortes is just a few miles west of there.
The coastal part is known as Chuckanut Drive.  Locals can direct you there easily.

Famous last words???

Seriously, this is a lovely and easy ride.

Jay
ACA Life Member 368

Offline Pat Lamb

Re: What logistics have been used to get to Anacordes?
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2012, 08:06:27 pm »
Coming from the east, we stayed the night in Anacortes.  There's a bike shop downtown that packed and shipped bikes for us (you could ship to them and have them assemble it, but make sure you arrange it well in advance!).  There's a shuttle service that goes through Mt. Vernon (change to a bus) and straight into Seatac.

Were I to do something like that from the west, I'd probably stay a couple nights in Mt. Vernon, and run out to Anacortes as a day trip before heading east.  Easier access, less expensive motels, and a couple bike shops to fine-tune anything that went wrong on the shake-down day.

Offline adventurepdx

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Re: What logistics have been used to get to Anacordes?
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2012, 08:19:02 pm »
Agreed that the ride from Bellingham is beautiful (Chuckanut Drive!) and would make a good addition to a NT Ride. You can do it in less than a day, and it's on ACA's Pacific Coast Route, Section 1: http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/pacificcoast.cfm
As well as Washington Parks Loop, Section 1: http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/washingtonparks.cfm

But if one wanted to take transit from Bellingham to Anacortes, it is possible.
The bike shop in Anacortes, Skagit Cycle, is a good one. http://skagitcyclecenter.com/ (There is also a Skagit Cycle in Burlington.)

indyfabz

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Re: What logistics have been used to get to Anacordes?
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2012, 09:51:48 am »
Both times I took the train into Seattle, stayed at the HI hostel in town, took the ferry the next morning and then rode to intersect the NT a little ways east of Anacortes. The first night I stayed in some state park (think it was called Kitsap). Second night at Fort Worden. Third night at Bayview State Park, which is on the route. between Anacortes and Sedro-Wooley. At the time, most of this in on AC's Pacific Coast Route and may still be. Not the most scenic of routes, but convenient. And I got to hang in Seattle.

Fying into Sea-Tac might be cheaper, and I think there is now a light rail line from the airport into the city.

Offline John Nelson

Re: What logistics have been used to get to Anacordes?
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2012, 10:13:39 am »
Flying into Sea-Tac might be cheaper.
I just checked Frontier, and flying into Bellingham is 25% cheaper for me than flying into Seattle, both non-stop (although flying into Seattle offers more choices of flight time).

indyfabz

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Re: What logistics have been used to get to Anacordes?
« Reply #7 on: March 21, 2012, 10:21:46 am »
Flying into Sea-Tac might be cheaper.
I just checked Frontier, and flying into Bellingham is 25% cheaper for me than flying into Seattle, both non-stop (although flying into Seattle offers more choices of flight time).

Good deal.  And Frontier doesn't charge anything extra for a bike. Just the usual checked bag fee.

Offline staehpj1

Re: What logistics have been used to get to Anacordes?
« Reply #8 on: March 21, 2012, 12:44:14 pm »
I just checked Frontier, and flying into Bellingham is 25% cheaper for me than flying into Seattle, both non-stop (although flying into Seattle offers more choices of flight time).

Good deal.  And Frontier doesn't charge anything extra for a bike. Just the usual checked bag fee.
[/quote]
Last time I checked that was not true for their cheapest "Economy" fare.  They were still reasonable but not free.  On Southwest the regular bags are free and the bike is $50 (and counts as one of your two bags), also a good deal.

Offline John Nelson

Re: What logistics have been used to get to Anacordes?
« Reply #9 on: March 21, 2012, 02:15:57 pm »
A bit off subject (but not completely since Frontier is one of the main airlines serving Bellingham, and the only one that can provide a non-stop flight for me).

I checked Frontier's bicycle policy today. Bicycles incur no special fees, but they do count as an item of baggage, which may or may not cost you depending on your ticket class (at worst $20 unless you have two other pieces of luggage). Great news is that oversize fees do not apply to bicycles, so as long as your L+H+W is less than 110 inches, it's just an ordinary piece of luggage. If it's above 50 pounds, there's a $75 excess weight fee, so don't pack a lot of extra stuff in with the bike.

Bottom line is that if you pack your bike in a box, and all your gear in a disposable duffel, and keep each one under 50 pounds, you'll pay only $20+$20 for luggage if you have an economy ticket, and nothing if you have a higher-class ticket.

Offline staehpj1

Re: What logistics have been used to get to Anacordes?
« Reply #10 on: March 21, 2012, 02:36:26 pm »
If it's above 50 pounds, there's a $75 excess weight fee, so don't pack a lot of extra stuff in with the bike.
Not bad since some airlines will not take it as baggage at any price if over 50 pounds.

Offline adventurepdx

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Re: What logistics have been used to get to Anacordes?
« Reply #11 on: March 21, 2012, 06:06:35 pm »
Both times I took the train into Seattle, stayed at the HI hostel in town, took the ferry the next morning and then rode to intersect the NT a little ways east of Anacortes. The first night I stayed in some state park (think it was called Kitsap). Second night at Fort Worden. Third night at Bayview State Park, which is on the route. between Anacortes and Sedro-Wooley. At the time, most of this in on AC's Pacific Coast Route and may still be. Not the most scenic of routes, but convenient. And I got to hang in Seattle.

On that tip, for those wanting to ride from Seattle to Anacortes, this is what we did last year: We headed north through Seattle neighborhoods and then caught the Interurban Trail North on the north side of the Ship Canal. This trail mostly follows an old rail line and winds its way through the suburbs to the north. It's pretty well signed though meandering at points. We got off the trail outside of Everett and rode to the Mukilteo Ferry Terminal, and caught it over to Whidbey Island. Whidbey Island is pretty with lots of hills.  We mostly used SR 525 north towards Coupeville, then used the ACA Pacific Coast Route, Section 1 to get to Anacortes. (SR 20 is less hilly, but the ACA route avoids a particularly unfun section through Oak Harbor.) Camping can be found at South Whidbey Island State Park and Deception Pass S.P. Or, if you are on warmshowers, you can stay at the "Bike Shack" on the south part of Whidbey.

Offline raybo

Re: What logistics have been used to get to Anacordes?
« Reply #12 on: March 24, 2012, 11:55:27 am »
I rode from Bellingham to the turn off Highway 20 that goes to Whidby Island (the Pacific Coast Trail).  You can read about it here and see lots of picture of Chuckanut Drive.  I rode it in the rain.  I would very pretty then.  In the sun, it would stunning.

It was an easy enough ride (a fair about of up and down on Chuckanut Drive) though the shoulders varied a lot and riding on Highway 20 wasn't much fun.
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Offline John Nelson

Re: What logistics have been used to get to Anacordes?
« Reply #13 on: March 24, 2012, 10:53:35 pm »
Thanks Raybo for the link. Very interesting.

Offline PeteJack

Re: What logistics have been used to get to Anacordes?
« Reply #14 on: April 04, 2012, 12:42:04 am »
Quote
I think there is now a light rail line from the airport into the city.
There is. Get off at Chinatown for King St station (Amtrak) it's a very short walk.