Make a list of things you expect from your trip. Do you plan to camp, stay in hotels, or other accommodations? What types of activities interest you? Do you insist on fine dining, or is a diner more your speed? Use your list to prioritize things you really want to do while on the road.
Log onto Washington state's official tourism site and order the latest Official Washington State Travel Planner. You can have the 152-page book sent to your house, or you can download it to your computer. Both options are free. The book is chock-full of information and divides the state into seven regions. Each contains a detailed information section on the flavor of the region, as well as a "Where to Stay" section with information on hotels, campgrounds, and more. You can use this information to find out which regions of the state might provide the services you are looking for on your road trip. For example, if your wish list contained a lot of cultural activities, like theatre or fine dining, you may find the Seattle section helpful; while if you listed wine tasting as a priority, you might want to check out the south central plains.
Start narrowing your trip down to a specific area, based on your interests and the number of days you have to travel. Map out a tentative route and use a "get directions" function on the search engine of your choice to determine how many miles you will be traveling. Determine the maximum number of miles you'd like to travel each day, and base your route and stops on that.
Book your accommodations online or by phone. It never hurts to check online prices for hotels before you call to get their desk rate. Often the rates are drastically different one way or the other. If you're camping, use the Washington State Parks website or a backpacking-specific site to check the availability of campsites. Some sites are first-come, first-serve, so make a back-up plan for these sites, in case they're full.
