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 Cascade Bicycle Club is northward bound! Cascade Bicycle Club’s annual Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party (RSVP) is this weekend, Aug. 12-14. At 175+ miles, the iconic two-day route features some of the Northwest’s most scenic backroads and ends with a well-earned celebration in Vancouver, BC.
Cascade has been organizing RSVP for 35 years. The event started as an “alternative” to the organization’s Seattle to Portland (STP) ride. When the eruption of Mount St. Helens canceled STP, Cascade created a ride to Vancouver, B.C. — later renamed from STV to Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party (RSVP).
RSVP riders choose one of two start dates. RSVP 1 starts in Seattle on Friday, Aug. 12, with riders arriving in Canada to party on Saturday. RSVP 2 starts Saturday, Aug. 13, with riders crossing the border to celebrate on Sunday. Both RSVP 1 and 2 have approximately 1,300 riders each.
The route begins at the University of Washington E-1 parking lot and passes through western Washington’s picturesque towns and cities like Machias, Arlington, Mount Vernon and Bellingham. Riders cross the border during their second day of riding, where a finish line festival in downtown Vancouver’s Coast Plaza Hotel & Suites will include food and beverage, hot showers and lively entertainment.
RSVP route highlights include:
- Views of the Cascade mountain range, Salish Sea and beautiful Skagit Valley Farmland
- An international border crossing in a dedicated lane
- A unique ride through British Columbia connecting its many greenways, bike lanes and award winning bike infrastructure into downtown Vancouver
Full route and additional information available at cascade.org/RSVP-route.
Cascade Executive Director Elizabeth Kiker said, “this ride is steeped in so much great history, from the route traveled to our long-standing community partners and faithful riders–and even the mid-point massage therapy team that has been working on tired muscles for 20 years! We’re so grateful for all of them. We definitely couldn’t do this without the community’s support.”
RSVP is a fundraiser for Cascade Bicycle Club. In addition to supporting Cascade’s programs, rider registration fees help give back to all of the partnering communities that help make the ride possible.
Registration fees from RSVP also help support:
- School-based education programs for more than 28,000 students
- Grassroots leadership training for community advocates
- Statewide policy work to make Washington roads safer for all users
- More than 2,000 Free Group Rides annually for people of all ages and abilities
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