CHOKEPOINTS

Sully’s guide to Memorial Day 2019 travel around Washington

May 21, 2019, 6:26 AM | Updated: May 27, 2019, 8:50 am

pay per mile, road usage charge, seattle traffic, memorial day 2019, Labor Day...

(AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

(AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

I always joke with people that they should leave a day early when it comes to holiday weekends like Memorial Day, but there is some truth to my attempt at humor.

Leave early or leave late is really the best mantra to have.

Should you thank a veteran on Memorial Day?

If you can head out Thursday night or early Friday morning, you will have the best chance at avoiding the rush.

If you can head home on Sunday or early Monday morning, you will thank me as well. As you would imagine, the heaviest travel times are from mid-morning through about 6 p.m. on both Friday and the comeback day of Monday.

I’ll be driving to the state baseball finals on Friday, which means I’ll be heading into one of the worst drives — the I-90 corridor from North Bend to Cle Elum. You can expect about 500 more cars an hour heading eastbound than on a typical Friday, but it’s the Monday westbound drive that is just brutal. That number jumps to about 1,500 more cars an hour than a typical Monday.

Be prepared to wait in line for a ferry between 1-2 hours, especially on Monday.

Just plan ahead, pack extra snacks and water. Don’t forget about supplies for your pets. Your attitude is your best friend on holiday weekends like this one. Expect delays, plug in some

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Sully’s guide to Memorial Day 2019 travel around Washington