Pacific Northwest, May
 

My husband has just announced that the only time he can have off this year is early May, for a maximum of three weeks.
He would like to visit Washington and Oregon, he usually leaves even the destination to me so he must really want to visit! We would fly into Seattle from Amsterdam and hire a car there.
I shall do further research in to what we want to see once I have an answer to my first question - is it a good time to visit? Or is there still too much snow/rain/whatever about?
Having been snowed on in Arizona last May I'm hoping to avoid the white stuff on my next holiday.
Thanks!

There will be no snow in Seattle in May but probably rain. The climate of the Pacific Northwest varies. East of the Cascade Mountains the climate is more extreme, although I wouldn't expect big snow storms east of the mountains by May. West of the Cascades (including Seattle, Portland, and the Pacific Coast) would be still rainy, perhaps, on average. The mountains themselves may still be full of snow from the winter. If the parks near, say, Mt. St. Helens are open by then, they may just have opened.

Our summer starts in July. In May the average high is 65 F. and the average rainfall is 2 inches.

The North Cascade Highway should be open, and most mountains passes should be free of snow.

Well, we live north of Seattle, about halfway to Vancouver, B.C., and had thought winter was gone. Buds on trees were starting to swell and I was actually thinking of working on the garden. Then Wednesday it started to snow. :-( It is still on the ground, but should be gone by tomorrow.

Actually, by May the weather should be fine. You will have missed our annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival http://www.tulipfestival.org/ as it only runs until the end of April. Knowing where you live, it probably is for the best -- you might just laugh.

Happy is probably right about the North Cascades Highway being open; depends on the snow pack. This year it six weeks work to get it open for May 1st.

There is some talk about canceling the Ferry between Anacortes and Victoria, B.C. this year for budgetary reasons, so if you plan to go to Victoria you should check alternatives in your planning.

When your plans develop more, please feel free to ask for information. Lots of Fodorites live in the area.

the further south you go, the drier and warmer it will be.

Our weather is a maritime climate, similar to yours, only we have brighter summer skies in general. We have year round snow (and glaciers) in the mountains and some of the higher elevations, like Mt. Rainier, will not be completely accessible, but there will be plenty of places to go and things to do.

Thankyou everyone. Sounds like I'd better get planning :)

We usually get some lovely weather in May (I think of June as the rainy month). Hopefully that will coincide with your visit.

The mountains east of Seattle will still be snowy, so I suggest you head west and north---to the Olympic Peninsula and the San Juan Islands. These are in the "rain shadow" and enjoy much better weather than Seattle itself.

I especially like the town of Port Townsend:

http://www.enjoypt.com/thingstodo.html

http://www.ptguide.com/recreation/index.html

Lots to see and do, including kayaking and boat tours for wildlife and whale watching.

Come and eat salmon! It is very different from Atlantic Salmon and far better, IMHO! I suggest you try to include Vancouver in your trip. It's an easy 3 hour drive across the border and worth the trip. SOme might also recommend Victoria which is also lovely but I prefer the big city of Vancouver. It's very "international" with some of the best East Indian (Vij's) and some of the best Chinese food(I like the dim sum at most of the Kirins) to be had. BTW~check out Chowhound.com and click on"boards" you will get lots of info on where to eat in the Pacifc NW.

here in Seattle we say
" If you cant see Mt. Rainier it is raining.
if you can see it, it is gonna rain."

You probably will see no snow in the cities. Our mountains stay snowcapped most of the year. You can choose to visit it or not.

This is a beautiful area. I recommend the San Juan Islands.
I like Orcas Island.
http://www.visitsanjuans.com/

Consider visiting wineries. There are 100's in the NW.
http://www.winesnw.com/

Northwest/KLM Airlines has nonstop AMS to SEA. I have taken the flight several times. Flight 33 or 34...
it is 9 hours and 45 minutes.

I hope you like coffee too... :)
Im a single tall vanilla. What are you?

jetsetj, I'm a short set espresso :)

We have ordered a couple of guide books, and are looking around the net at the moment. I don't mind rain, or looking at snow which has fallen, I just don't want to end up in a snowstorm again.
You are all so helpful thank you. I shall be back with more questions in the next week or so no doubt!

I live in Vancouver, BC..you won't have to worry aboutt snow in May..trust me! Definitely spend a few days enjoying Seattle..some options from there are to drive up to Vancouver...or head down to the Oregon Coast...we especially love Cannon Beach.
enjoy your holidays,
CC

You might want to consider visiting both sides of the Cascade mountain range in May. While the side west of the Cascades- Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, Olympic Peninsula etc. - may be wet (similar weather to Holland at that time of year, truth be told,) conditions on the east side of the mountains will be warm, with rivers full of snow melt, apple orchards in bloom above red rock canyons and the Columbia Gorge... an impressive contrast to the greens of the west side. The Palouse region of SE Washington is gorgeous, Palouse Falls (http://tinyurl.com/atwmu7) is remote and impressive (as are all the waterfalls on both sides of the mountains in May.)

If the rain doesn't put you off, it's also an excellent time to visit the rain forest valleys of Olympic National Park, out on the Pacific coast. By May the Roosevelt Elk that browse the forest understory have headed back to the high country, leaving a remarkable landscape - moss and a low carpet, giant tree trunks rising into the mist with moss hanging from their branches, see for example http://tinyurl.com/chayz8.

My point being, the Pacific NW has such amazing diversity that three weeks will be easily filled, with much remaining unseen. However it will still be here for your next visit, which I predict will be in the planning phase before you get home.

A great place to stay on the Olympic Pennisula is the Resort At Port Ludlow. www.portludlowresort.com.
On the Puget Sound just over Hood Canal Bridge. Easy day trips to Port Townsend, Olympic NAtional Park.
A Nice itinerary might be:
1st Day Travel to Seattle p/u rental car, check into hotel (I prefer Inn at HArbor Steps a Four Sisters Inn www.foursisters.com)very close to Pike Place or if you want to do your cooking from purchases at the Pike MArket Residence Inn LAke Union)
2-3 days Seatle
Travel by Ferry to Bainbride Is
3-4 days Olympic Pennisula (Stay at Port Ludlow Resort)
Travel by car ferry to Victoria, VAncouver IS from Port Angeles
2 Days Victoria (we have stayed at Delta Hotels and loved it)
Travel by Ferry to VAncouver, Canada
2-3 DAys VAncouver
You can fly home from VAncouver or drive back to Seattle 4-5 hours depending on Border crossing. You will need your PAssport for travel to Canada which if coming from Ammsterdam sounds like you will have
Be sure to check by internet that all the ferrys are running and if possible make reservations in advance. Be sure too that the rental car can be taken into Canada..some can not.
You can of course extens teh trip another week easy by drieving another 5 hours to Portland Oregon and seeing Portland coast. (rec highly The Stephanie Inn in Cannon Bch: be sure to book an ocean front room.)

I love the suggestions for Cannon Beach and the Stephanie Inn, don't miss Ecola State Park, take the drive back to Indian Beach here. Even if you don't stay at the Stephanie Inn, try to have a meal there, it's amazing! ***kim*** ((#))

Thankyou for all the great suggestions.
We are now considering flying into Portland instead of Seattle - we found out KLM/NW have direct flight to PDX too, and hopefully immigration queues will be a bit shorter there. An open jaw for some reason will be a lot more expensive :(.

I now have to pin down my husband on exactly when we can travel so I can get booking.
I'll be back with more questions no doubt :)

You are so lucky! Three weeks is a good amt of time! I'd hit the Oregon Coast, down to Crater Lake and up to Bend, (first one wk) then on through the Columbia River Gorge up to Mt. Rainier, Seattle and Olympic Peninsula (second wk), Victoria, Vancouver and back down - maybe San Juan or Gulf Island en route (third wk).

Be sure to go to the coast, mountains and cities. This is a beautiful part of the world. You are making a great choice.

Oops, but May may be early for the higher elevations. We'll help you plan. Some of the roads will be closed in the national parks.

Good suggestions from Orcas. but in May, I would skip Crater Lake and Bend, and add time to the Oregon coast, the Olympic Peninsula, and the San Juans/Whidbey Island.

After visiting the Oregon coast and Portland, they could make a loop thru Washington/Vancouver, driving up I-5 (seeing Mt. St. Helens, Rainier, Seattle, then Whidbey & the San Juans, up to Vancouver and/or Victoria, and back to the Olympic Peninsula from Victoria on the Coho ferry. Spend time seeing the Olympic Peninsula, then drive down the Washington coast to return to Portland.

As far as roads in the Washington national parks---Johnston Ridge observatory at Mt. St. Helens is scheduled to open in mid_may, "depending on weather", but it most likely will be open. As for Mt. Rainier, the road up to Paradise is kept open all year, and the visitor center there is open on the weekends. In May, there will be a lot of snow at Paradise, but not in the parking lot. It's a beautiful sight on a nice day, but skippable if cloudy.

As for the weather here in May---my birthday is in mid-May and we always have sunshine on that day!

enzian, that is funny about your birthday. My daughter's birthday is Feb 10 and it is always sunny then, as well. We used to be able to have the kids go outdoors and play for her parties! I have observed the beginning of Feb is when the clouds begin to break up. I think of our seasons as: Nov thru Jan, the grey season. Feb thru mid Jul, days of intermittent showers and sunshine. Mid Jul to mid Oct, crytal clear. (with plenty of exceptions of course!)

You are so right! I think we always get a week or more of lovely "high pressure" weather, with blue skies, in February. My parents--native Californians---bought their retirement home in Port Townsend on just such a February day in 1978. It was 70 degrees, people were out riding bikes. . . how could they resist? The first winter here, they froze!!!

And then we get a similar lovely stretch of weather in May. By then the spring flowers are blooming, the =trees have leafed out, and it is so beautiful here. I hope that the visit by hetismij & her husband coincides with one of those stretches of wonderful weather.

And on the other hand, it always seems to rain on Memorial Day weekend and the folklife Festival. May 23 to 25 this year, so beware (or be elsewhere)!

With a three week window of time, you could consider flying into Seattle and flying out of California. You then could travel the Pacific Coast Highway and see the sights from Washington to California. There are trip reports detailing all there is to see.

We took that trip a few years ago in May and loved it! -Just a thought.

N77, that was my idea too, but my husband nixed it. He really wants to explore the Northwest. I realise it is early for crater lake, which is a shame - but hey, it gives us an excuse to go back again :)
I hope we get some good weather, but it isn't the end of the world if it rains. It's only water right? As long as we get a decent summer when we get home;)
Last year we had snow, rain, hail, winds and finally warmth during our trip through Arizona and New Mexico. Meanwhile Holland had a heat wave - and the rest of the summer was cold and wet and miserable.
My guide books arrived today so I have some bedtime reading now :) I'll be back with some questions in a day or two. You are all so helpful :)

Ok I'm back with some more questions, now grandson number 2 has safely arrived.
How long would you suggest we spend in Portland? Do we hire the car on arrival at PDX or leave it until we are ready to move on from Portland. How is public transport to the city from PDX?
Or maybe we should we leave the city for the end of the trip and use it as a bit of a chill out time before we leave?

We have 4 weeks now! My husband made a mistake in booking the flights, but he can manage 4 weeks away so that's what we've got, starting on April 27.
We may add the coastal redwoods in Ca to the trip since we can spend a bit longer exploring the Oregon coast.
Is there anything in Eastern Oregon worth seeing, or is it really just empty as it appears on my map? We love empty btw, deserts and badlands really appeal.

Oh and one other question. In Oregon all petrol stations are serviced right? Do we tip the pump person? If so, how much? Oops that was three questions!

I'll be back with Washington questions later :)

Portland itself is worthy of a couple days. The rose garden, Chinese garden,Japanese garden,zoo, Pittock Mansion, art museum, various districts to explore...you can do this leisurely with about 3 days.

Taking Max from the airport into town is easy. No need for a rental car for covering downtown. Get the rental car when you are done.

Eastern OR is empty, but worthy,IMO. The Wallowas are spectacular! Do a google search for the town of Joseph and see if that interests you. You can include Pendleton and John Day Fossil Beds in this trip. The scenery is dramatic.

Yes, all our gas stations here are serviced. It is illegal to pump your own gas, and no we do not tip:)

I'm stunned to find myself disagreeing with mms. If the gas station attendant washes my windshield, I always tip him/her a dollar! ;-)

Otherwise, I agree though; the Wallowas are definitely worthy; even the Steens. Either would be a long drive from Portland though. What is your itinerary? Maybe central Oregon would make more sense.

LOL beachbum--true...but I can't think of the last time they have washed my windshield. I do tip when they do that though.

I will disagree slightly on the timing question, which also impacts the car question.

I would save Portland to the end. Arrive in PDX (assuming you're riding the NW nonstop,) go through the formalities, and then pick up a car and drive all of 10 or 15 min. to McMenamin's Edgefield - http://www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=3. This is a unique property, comprising a combination of comfortable rooms, numerous bars and cafes, a movie theater, and lovely gardens and grounds. I can't think of a better place for weary travelers coming off a 10 1/2 hour flight, and with 9 hours of time change, to spend an afternoon and evening - much, much better than fussing with public transport or taxis into a big unfamiliar city, jet-lagged and exhausted after flying all day.

Then do your touring, noting that the Edgefield's location is ideal for day trips to visit the Columbia Gorge, Mt. Hood, or even Mt. St. Helens, if you want to take it easy and not "break camp" for a couple more days.

Then return at the end to Portland, where it will be a month later, meaning probably less rain, more warmth, and at the peak of the flower season in the "Rose City." Then drop the car if you want, and use public transport around the city.

Eastern Oregon is beautiful. We drove through the Painted Hills some years ago and I've always wanted to return to explore:

http://www.nps.gov/joda/planyourvisi...hills_unit.htm

And Gardyloo has a great suggestion about McMenamin's Edgefield. We spent a long weekend there last May for my son's birthday, and I loved the place. Very relaxing, but lots on offer if you want (even golf!) And it is only 15 minutes from the airport by an easy drive.

I would go out for a run about the golf course early each morning, and had lots of close encounters with bunnies, a fox or two, and hummingbirds.

Sorry I never came back to this topic I started. Things got so hectic I had to more or less give up any planning for our trip.
We got back on Saturday after 4 wonderful weeks, with only one day on which it rained non stop :).
We had just the best time, saw plenty, missed even more (Seattle for instance!) and weren't too hindered by the weather, though we'll have to believe you all about Crater Lake - all we saw was snow and cloud lol.

We loved the whole area. My husband says it is the one part of the US he would consider living, which says a lot! When I have time I'll write up a quick trip report, and post a link to some photos.

Thanks again for all your helpful suggestions.

More, more!

Sorry that our wet spring made things difficult for you. We didn't much like it either. It is raining right now, BTW, but the weather for the Seattle Folklife Festival this weekend was glorious.

:-)

<i>...but the weather for the Seattle Folklife Festival this weekend was glorious.</i>

Indeed.

Folklife is such a hoot...
http://gardyloo.us/folklife2009%20038asm.JPG
http://gardyloo.us/folklife2009%20037asm.JPG
http://gardyloo.us/folklife2009%20029asm.JPG
http://gardyloo.us/folklife2009%20030asm.JPG
http://gardyloo.us/folklife2009%20046asm.JPG
http://gardyloo.us/folklife2009%20059asm.JPG
http://gardyloo.us/folklife2009%20045asm.JPG

You missed Seattle altogether?

Yep, never went near Seattle - it was a choice between chilling out with the orcas or going to Seattle. The orcas, and islands, won :).

Folklife certainly looks fun! Morris dancing in Seattle - who'd a thought it!

Gardyloo,

You must have been seated next to us on the wall surrounding the fountain, because I have some pictures that look much like yours. Those kids (and grownups, too) were having such a WONDERFUL time playing in the water! A delight!

One really needs to see the enormous number and variety of folk bands, and dance troupes, that perform at the festival to realize the ethnic diversity of the region. The true enjoyment I get out of the festival, however, is the spontaneous jam sessions that happen. One guy will sit on a wall and start strumming a banjo. A guy with a fiddle will sit down beside him and start following. Here comes a flute, a couple of guitars, a mandolin, and even a gut-bucket -- and awaaaay they go for some wonderful improvised musical afternoon delight ---

:-)

<i>Morris dancing in Seattle - who'd a thought it!</i>

You have no idea... The Seattle International Film Festival is also going on at the moment, and we attended a screening of a British film, "Morris - A Life with Bells On" - sort of a "mocumentary" of the culture of Morris Dancing - at the SIFF theater on the Seattle Center grounds, i.e. adjacent to Folklife.

The theater was completely filled with Morris groups from Oregon, Washington, BC, some I think from California, Alberta... and when there was a funny part in the film (and there were many - highly recommended) the whole theater jingled.

There were Morris dancers performing quite a lot of the time at Folklife, at least when they weren't on scrumpy breaks.

<b>Nukesafe,</b> it really is a diverse (some would say whacked out) scene. It's getting a bit like Bumbershoot in terms of people ad libbing - hula hoop competitions, etc.

Will you be at the Fremont Summer Solstice Fair? Talk about your whacked out scenes! My Son-in-Law was one of the hundreds of body-painted nude bicyclists last year. Hope he doesn't repeat!

:-)

I have seen the cyclist !!
What a sight to be hold.