Gee Cees is A LOT better for parking- much more room and you don't have to wait for someone to take your hood off! I avoid that truck stop if at all possible. The best thing for the Tacoma area and parking is DISTANCE. If you can park at the TA in North Bend, you're better off imo.

 

I'm sitting at the Pilot in Butte, Mt, supposed to get down to 12 degrees tonight. There was snow on Bozeman Pass but not on the road thankfully. I'll be coming in from the east on 90 so it looks like I'll be staying at the TA in North Bend since the consensus is to avoid the J. Thanks for the input guys.

 

It shouldn't be as pressing on the weekend, but normally I'd suggest getting there early if you want to find parking.

 

The motel is really not worth the money but if you rent a car for the weekend get a city pass and see the sites. There are also a lot of walking trails near the TA. If there is no parking I know that my husband took his truck down one, cold but not crowded. The museum of flight is excellent as is the science and technology. Space needle, and so much more. Have fun.

 

The only time I ever parked at the Tacoma Flying J was with a 35 foot trailer and a short wheelbase tractor.

It was still not fun. All I ever needed there was a place to park and a place to shower. Both were provided just fine.

If you are coming from the east, stay in North Bend.

If not, stay at exit 57 or exit 9x. West off I-5 at 93rd Ave. SW. Odd showers there. They give you a key to decommissioned hotel rooms and you use the bathroom in one of those. Again, I only ever needed a place to park and a place to shower. Worked just fine for me.

 

I stopped at that J once and it was a nightmare. I came in at a good time and was able to park but when it was time to leave I had a hell of a time getting out of my spot. When I did it still took awhile to get out of the truckstop because trucks were parked all over the place being that the lot was full so they just parked where they felt like it blocking trucks from getting out of there. I never stopped there again.

When I'm parking in a lot like that, once I'm parked with my trailer tandems against the curb I unlock them and slide them forward so the truck is even farther back in the spot to give it a better chance of not getting hit by trucks on either side of me. 8) 8)

 

I'm in Tacoma all the time, our main office and yard are there. There is a new Pilot at exit 99 on I-5.

 

Probably a bit late with this but, if you just want to see the sites in Seattle, from the TA you can call for a free shuttle ride down to North Bend proper, and from there get an express bus into downtown. Since it's already Sun morning.... you are probably gone already! :lol:

 

The last I heard the Flying J just off the Tacoma ship yard was closing up. This was a few months ago I heard this news. Really did need to be closed. Parking there was just an accident waiting to happen.

Soladad

 

i think they got all the trucks out of exit 111. maybe im wrong tho.
new pilot is open at exit 99 across from that sweet rest over thing.
almost got robbed by some big white men at tacoma j but im a lil street wise.
i fuel at exit 88 all the time. big holes in parking lot an chunks of metal in the mud popped two tires. always lots of interesting people coming and going there