Seattle athletes—How long (time/distance) a drive is it from the Seattle/Tacoma Airport to Penticton and what is the best route? I am debating between flying to Seattle or Vancouver and there is a substantial cost difference. The degree of difficulty of the drive may be the determining factor. Thanks for your insights
Depending on the traffic and the wait at the border crossing 2 to 3 hours (although on a Friday or long weekend the wait can be upwards of an hour - regular is 5 to 15 mins) to Vancouver then another 4 to Penticton
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I would not take the Vancouver route. Instead, take either I-90 east from Seattle to route 97 north (about 5 hours) or the far more scenic route - the North Cascades Highway, I-5 north to Highway 20 to 97 (about 5 1/2 hours. The border crossing at Osyoos has very little traffic. The longest wait for me in 8 trips has been about 15 minutes. Penticton is about an hour north from the border.
I will admit that I am partial to the North Cascades route as it passes through my new training mecca/home - Winthrop, WA.
See you at the start line - IMC 2005.
Disclaimer - I tend to drive fast and although I can/have made it to Penticton in the above times, others may take longer.
Four hours from Vancouver to Penticton? Dude! You must take a lot of greenies. Hope I’m not on the same road at the same time as you.
I drove this last year - got in on Thursday to Seattle around noon and headed up - traffic was tough in the Seattle area but after that it was a breese - can’t remember the route - but I would have just done a search on mapquest - boarder crossing was about 15 minutes. took me about 6 1/2 hours -
coming home Monday was tougher - left penticton around 10 a.m. and was hurtin - had to stop a bunch of time to stretch - that drive took more like 7 1/2 hours
Kagemusha,
Look into flight costs as well as the Vancouver flight might be more expensive as it is “international” (although you then get free bike transport). The I-90 route is the easiest but the North Cascade drive is sweet (actually the driving itself is terrible - curvy road behind RVs but the scenery…). We will be hosting a Merlin owner’s ride there next year 
I would do the I-90 there and the North Cascade on the way back.
and, on the I-90 try to avoid the Sunday afternoon-evening gotta-git-home crowd (bunch of hungover, sunburned, short tempered, tired (you fill in the blank). If you can try either the North Cascades or the I-90 route on a non-holiday Monday.
Jay