Pacific nw in 12 days
 

I'm planning a 12 day trip to Wasington and Oregon with my wife and 12 year old son in mid August.
We'd like to see Olympic Nat'l Park. With a short stay in Seattle. Mt Ranier, Columbia Gorge,Portland, Northern Oregon Coast and Bend. . We'd like to see it all but not spend the whole trip on the road.Seems too ambitious. I'd really like to get to Hoh and Ruby Beach as well as N. Oregon coast Portland and Bend are a must for my wife. What do we need to forego?

Well... Assuming you fly in/out Seatac...


Say you head straight to the ONP
3 nights there
3 nights coast
Head east to bend- 2 nights
Drive north, stay 1 night in gorge
1 night rainier (if you get lodging)
2 nights in Seattle
Fly home


That's 12 nights and skips Portland. Which might be hot and although I love it, some tourists find it uninteresting. Depends on your interests, I guess. What does your wife want to do in bend and Portland? What do you all want to do in the gorge and Seattle?

Timing is perfect for ONP. Go to www.kaleberg.com and/or www.visitonp.com for details. Allow a minimum of three days, exclusive of travel time, to ONP. Having said that, you don't have time to do everything on your list. Bend is too far from anything else on your list. Do some pruning.

Marvelous mouse has a good itinerary. We live in both the Portland and Seattle areas, and personally, I don't think you are missing anything if you skip Portland. So much more to do and see in Seattle.

Many places on the northern OR coast have 2-3 night minimum stays in the summer, so once you decide your itinerary, book asap. A few places in Cannon Beach that we like are Schooner's Cove, Blue Gull Inn (old motel that has been redone and is nice), and then our longtime favorite the Surfsand Resort. If you can swing that one, go for it.

The ONP does not have a ton of lodging, so I would also get that booked asap. That is one place that you will want to stay at several locations, not just one. ONP is just too big to be able to base out of one location. I would suggest one night somewhere around Port Angeles, then around Kalaloch, and then at Quinault. In PA we like the Olympic Lodge, then at Kalaloch the cabins are great, and then Lake Quinault Lodge is another of our favorite places to stay.

Hotels in Seattle are very expensive in the summer (cruise season), so book early and don't be surprised that most will run at least $300/nt.

marvelousmouse has laid out a totally doable/slightly rushed itinerary. Me personally I'd cut both Portland and Bend -- but those are the two places on your wife's wish list.

What particularly attracts her to those two? I think you need to cut one or both.

If you are flying into and out of Seattle, a good routing would be: Seattle, ONP (including the Hoh Rain Forest, Ruby Beach, and Lake Quinault), the Oregon Coast (from Astoria to Florence), Bend, Hood River, the Columbia River Gorge, Portland, Mt. Rainier, Seattle.

If you are flying into and out of Portland start with Mt. Rainier, Seattle, ONP...

If you are flying into Seattle and out of Portland, visit Mt. Rainier as a day trip from Seattle.

The Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, the Lion Caves near Florence, and the Lava Lands Visitor Center in Bend interest some 12-year-old boys.

HTtY