Anybody from Lake Oswego/Portland area heading up to Seattle for the STP in a couple weekends?

What is the most feasible way to get up there before the start of the event? I see you can take a bus for $45. I am rolling with two other gents, so we are trying to enlist a friend to drive up with us and drive the car back. Anybody have experience with the bus or driving themselves? I really don't want to drive back up there for to get the car, that would just be asinine.

Have you considered that?

One year I took AmTrac from Portland to Seattle and just rode back. Pretty easy way to get around. Once at the train station in Seattle you just have to call a cab company that has a van for the bikes.

Ride your bike up. Have you considered that?

The thought crossed my mind, but only briefly. I'm still pretty new to cycling and this will be my first STP.

The train is a good idea. How much would that cost me?

The thought crossed my mind, but only briefly. I'm still pretty new to cycling and this will be my first STP.

The train is a good idea. How much would that cost me?
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/HomePage

This would be my choice
http://www.cascade.org/EandR/stp/STP_transportation.cfm

Read the fine print with Amtrak. You may need to box your bike. Anyway, several good options.

We recommend that you check your bags at least 30 minutes prior to departure, and allow one hour for bicycles to be boxed and checked. Bicycle boxes, shipping boxes and ski bags are available for purchase at the station.

Not sure how much this will cost, but the starlight train ride runs about $25 and leaves at 4:00 on Friday. I think that would work out pretty good. I have never ridden a train, sounds kinda fun now.

Thanks to all for the thoughts.

This would be my choice
http://www.cascade.org/EandR/stp/STP_transportation.cfm

Read the fine print with Amtrak. You may need to box your bike. Anyway, several good options.

The train to Seattle has a limited number or bike hangers in the baggage car. Book early to be sure to reserve one. That is how we did it and it was very easy. No boxing of the bikes and they arrived in perfect shape.

The Cascade Bicycle Club website has a discussion with a guy who is riding the train up and staying in a hotel in the U-District, near the start. This includes a map along with a discussion on the best route for the guy to take on his bike. I'm not sure where you would stay the night prior to the start or how you and your buddy and the driver have coordinated it, but here are some ideas:
http://www.cascade.org/Community/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=6&threadid=2633

Additionally, if you wanted to take a bus (they all have bike racks) from the Amtrak station in Pioneer Square, try the Metro Trip Planner on the King County website:
http://tripplanner.metrokc.gov/cgi-bin/itin_page.pl?resptype=U

Have fun!

The year i did it, we had a friend drive us up the day before. I stayed at some dorm room on the U of W campus. I believe the room was something like $60. A lot of people do that so rooms might be limited. Some of my other riding buddies that year got one of their spouses to drive them up at 3am!! True love baby! If this is your first year riding STP, watch out for those dangerous 30 man pacelines. Have fun!

Anybody from Lake Oswego/Portland area heading up to Seattle for the STP in a couple weekends?

What is the most feasible way to get up there before the start of the event? I see you can take a bus for $45. I am rolling with two other gents, so we are trying to enlist a friend to drive up with us and drive the car back. Anybody have experience with the bus or driving themselves? I really don't want to drive back up there for to get the car, that would just be asinine.
The Cascade Bike Club, the organizer of the STP, offers a bus service for the Portland folks and their bikes. I've used the Cascade bus to get back to Seattle after the STP and they took good care of me and my bike.
http://www.cascade.org/EandR/stp/STP_transportation.cfm

Well, I got my train tickets. Leaving Portland at 6:15 and getting to Seattle at 10:30.

Now I just need to figure out where to sleep. One of our posse members suggested camping somewhere near the start in a field by UW. Anybody know if this would fly? Good Lord, I'm really starting to feel like a vagabond.