Drive safely, as I know the route you are taking and it can be spectacular!
If you get a chance to visit Sequim on the other side of the Sound, you could possibly experience the weather I enjoy in California. It’s in the rain shadow of Mount Olympus.
Hugs and smiles from a California girl
@Northern Star Girl
@JessicaDear Jess: I definitely agree with what you stated., I was in the Sequim and Port Angeles area last year to attend a wedding.... very lovely area, small towns, mountains, water, and as you stated Sequim has a dryer and sunnier climate that is similar to Northern California...... and, however, not as many earthquakes....

*I do have a very important specific stop to make in that area so I will be there for sure.
As you and others may know from my description of the route that my ToothFairy and I will be driving, we will be on
Interstate-90 all the way from Billings, MT to Seattle, WA. We will be going over many mountain passes on the way back and may be experiencing so difficult winter driving in the snow and cold. We have a properly equipped vehicle and we are both Alaska Girls so we have a handle on how to drive in that kind of weather.
There are several mountain passes on the way back but the most significant ones are:
***
HomeStake Pass right before Butte, MT... it goes over the Continental Divide in the Rockies at 6923 feet elevation at the summit.
***
Lookout Pass between Montana and Idaho, at an elevation at the summit of 4710 feet.
***
Snoqualmie Pass at the end of the drive through Eastern Washington, drops into Seattle. Elevation at the summit is 2726 feet. It is quite a bit lower in elevation than the other passes but the Pacific Northwest part of Washington State is very rainy and that means lots of snow and ice in the winter.
All three of the passes can bring on difficult travel in the winter time... travel delays especially on
Snoqualmie Pass are common, I am told because it is so busy being close to the major city of Seattle and the route is the major east/west road from Seattle to the east.
HUGS,
Danielle