I like to stay at the Surf Motel- not one of the typical recommendations I know. Its clean, across the street from the seawall. You can sit in your bed drinking coffee in the AM and watch the ships come in. There is a walking path across the street that can take you for miles. We walked to the inner harbor with no problem. Its an old time motel- only 3 floors, free parking in the back. There is no restaurant but there is one about a block away on the pier. Each room does have a kitchen. Not elegant like the Empress but for 1 night, might work. Its where my family always stays

Hello, helpful travel insiders! I'm back with less than a week until my trip with my adult son, Ben. Very excited and finally have the itinerary down, booked and ready!!

EXCEPT..... no matter how much I read and research I remain confused about the routes around Hood River and all the falls. We will depart Portland and travel hwy 26 down around Mt. Hood and up hwy 35 to Hood River - where we will spend the night. If time allows, I'm hoping for a trip over to MaryHill Museum, but unclear of the route from Mt. Hood as it seems you can go on the Oregon side or the Washington side to MaryHill. Traffic/Roads? Best scenery? Bridge choice? THEN - when we leave Mt. Hood to see all the falls on our way back to Portland I'm totally confused between I-84, Columbia River hwy (I think, hwy 14?) and hwy 30. Does one need to go on both sides to see the most/best falls? If not, what route is best? It's very confusing to me and I find some maps calling these roads different names. Can anyone help with these two, final questions?

As ever, I certainly appreciate the assistance!
Linda

Your latest questions are entirely re Oregon and Washington - I'd maybe post a thread over on the US board tagged for OR and WA. Some Northwest experts don't always check in on the Canada Forum.

(I've only been to the Hood River area a couple of times and don't really know the answers to your questions)

From Hood River to Maryhill, using I-84 is fine, but use WA 14 westbound on the way back - much more scenic. Cross back to Oregon at White Salmon/Hood River.

The "Historic Columbia River Highway" (formerly US 30) takes you past all the waterfalls on the Oregon side. Don't miss the Portland Women's Forum viewpoint at the West end of the historic highway (near Troutdale) for the iconic view of the gorge, best in the afternoon so the sun's in the west.

Thank you, JanisJ. Really helpful as I'd forgotten the original heading! I appreciate the reply

Thanks for your help, Gardyloo. Much appreciated!

Hi Linda.
I'm so impressed with the quality advice you received here and as a vancouver Islander, I'm curious to hear how you got to/from, managed and enjoyed Victoria.

Captim, the advice and guidance I got from this group was amazing and so very much appreciated. I followed every bit of advice I received - that time and logistics allowed. We traveled from Seattle to Victoria via floatplane. Had almost two full days in Victoria where we explored on our own - by foot/taxi and then booked a pedicab (4 hr tour) that was fabulous. Saw much and learned so many interesting things about Victoria's past and present. Following advice from Fodors, we stayed at The Surf Motel - absolutely a gem of place with the most fantastic view from our windows/balcony. The beauty, the architecture, the people and the experience could not have been better. While I wished we had more time there, we made the most of what we had. We took another float plane from Victoria to Vancouver -- our last city in our 9 day trip. The float plane experience was a great first for us. While expensive, it saved us tons of travel time vs. ferry options and was a much loved part of our adventure. Hope this helps!

Nice to hear you stayed at the Surf Motel. Its my favorite place to stay. I used to visit Victoria frequently when family lived there. Glad you had a nice trip

Wow, that completely solves the conundrum of Victoria

saved time, aggravation, and the completely absurd combination of the two.

* the only problem being that you never got to (survive) what you (missed...[of all that hassle] )...

Thanks for the reply lindachambless, I'm happy it was a success.
The Surf is one of our lesser known spots, a hidden gem. Nice friendly staff as well.

Thank you! Yes, the Surf Motel was a fantastic experience! Loved it!

True!!! It was easy, effortless, beautiful and FAST! Well worth the $ to gain the extra time in Victoria! Thanks so much.