We're planning a trip for early September with two fixed points: Portland, where we have friends we want to visit, and Missoula, MT, where my husband has a brief business meeting. We could take up to two weeks, and we'll have our 8-year-old along with us. Places we think we'd like to see, in addition to Missoula and Portland, include Seattle and Vancouver.

We'd welcome any and all itinerary suggestions. Thanks!

How about Glacier NP?

Victoria.

Near Portland is Mount Hood, Mt St. Helens, Coast, Columbia River Gorge.

A bit farther is Crater Lake. Another good place is Silver Falls State Park. From Portland to Seattle is Mount Rainier or even Olympic

First of Sept would probably be awesome in Glacier.

This is going to sound odd/silly, but do some studying of an ancient lake called "Lake Missoula" (which NO LONGER EXISTS) and how giant ice melt from the last ice age created Lake Missoula, which later flooded westward with a force like you can't even fathom.

ANYWAY, upon getting to Missoula itself, you can look up on the hills surrounding town and SEE various horizontal lines in the soil which represented past water levels/shore lines of this vast, ice age lake which once covered the whole area.

(Look particularly near the big "M" on the hill near the local university)


In fact, since you're going on a path between Missoula and Portland you would do so well to understand the evolution which saw repeated massive floods that carried much of the lush topsoil in central Washington down to the Oregon border and carved the Columbia River Gorge along the way before dumping much of that topsoil in western Oregon.

It is quite fascinating the way that scientists figured out how all of this happened. (in central Washington, in certain areas, (not far from Moses Lake)... you drive along a highway in FLAT areas {with no hills nearby} and see giant boulders strewn everywhere. Those boulders had to come from somewhere and they were carried there by the massive flooding from Lake Missoula)

SO all I'm saying is: "plot your path between the two spots with some care, but perhaps:

Missoula
Northern Idaho (near Lake Pend Orielle)
Coulee Dam, WA
Moses Lake, WA
Kennewick, WA
Columbia Gorge (WA-OR border)

At any rate, google "Lake Missoula" to see if any of this interests either you or your son.

If you get really into it, you might even find yourselves in the middle of some barren valley northwest of Missoula, looking around at the ground formation to prove to yourself that the whole valley used to be a lake bed.

You'll even notice BIG ROCKS all along your path with no other excuse for being there, which were carried to their current resting places some 12000-15000 years ago.

(now I know this isn't a 'great restaurant' tip or anything, but it is a unique connection between the two cities on your path)

{your husband and/or son might evolve to hate me, but oh well}

Okay, BIG ROCKS can be cool. I do like that connection. And Glacier NP looks great.

Any ideas for the best overall route? Thoughts about BC, Seattle, anything up that way?

With two weeks I'd do the Portland area Mt. Hood, Columbia River Gorge, etc and then head for the coast at Astoria and take 101 north to Forks and the Olympic Nat. Park and thence around the peninsula to Bremerton and Seattle.
After Seattle, I'd take US 2 out of Everett though Leavenworth and Wenatchee into Spokane. From there stay on 2 through Sandpoint, Bonner's Ferry and into Montana to the Glacier Nat. Park area. If you go to Glacier be sure to do a day trip over Going To The Sun road.
From Glacier, it is an easy drive down 93 to Missoula. Your 8-year-old might enjoy a drive through the National Bison Range near Moiese, a short drive off 93.
Back to Portland from Missoula, consider US 12 across Lolo Pass and across Idaho though Lewiston on the Snake River and Walla Walla. The final leg you can follow I-84 along the Columbia River if in a hurry, or take the slower SR 14 on the Washington side of the river, This route is just 1 option of many possible choices. Have fun!

At any rate, be sure you have passports or enhanced driver's licenses in order to cross into and back from Canada, if your interest is BC.

Given you have to be so near to Glacier NP, you should probably visit there... and then if you want exceptional scenery in Canada, perhaps the Canadian Rockies would provide an ideal path, then west to Vancouver, through Seattle, and down to Portland...

I don't understand whether you are doing a round-trip between the two points, or not.

If so, you can have two considerably unique paths along the way.

You will be close, so a day trip to Mt. St. Helens Natl Monument is worth the time.

I like boom-boom's itinerary. You'd get a great overview of the geography of the region and some beautiful scenery.

Oh, and Harriet, the spying isn't nearly as good in the PNW as it is in New York. ;-)

I'm taking my notebook anyway, 321go.

These suggestions are all sounding great. Further ideas, or specific not-to-miss spots in Seattle, or Portland (besides Powell's)?

We're not fixed on making it a round trip; we're only fixed on making sure Missoula and Portland are included. And we are all set with passports, too.