We are planning a trip to Seattle this summer and would like some suggestions on how to include Portland -best driving route and musts to see. We've been to Vancouver area so need help on Seattle/Portland. Thanks for your suggestions-

well it depends how much time you have--the olympic peninsula is pretty adn varied--there is a rain forest and some volcanos--as you know portland is in the northwest part of oregon so going from the coast to portland wouldn't be too hard i woud think.

I would probably just take I-5 south to Portland and accept that the scenery isn't so hot. An alternative to consider is dumping your rental car in Seattle and taking Amtrak. It's a much prettier ride especially along the Puget Sound, which you don't get with a drive. You could drive highway 101 but unless you are going to spend time on the Olympic Penninsula, may not be worth it - WAY out of your way. The OP has some cool stuff, however.

If you do take I-5, you can detour out to Mt. St. Helens - well worth the extra drive. Once you get to Portland, a drive out the Columbia River Gorge is almost mandatory - gorgeous scenery. The 75 minute drive from Portland to Canon Beach/Seaside is worth it also. If you have extra time, drive out Highway 99W/18 through McMinnville and stop in the wineries. This is a more scenic drive than Highway 26 out to Seaside/Canon Beach. If you can, drive 101 south from Lincoln City to Newport - some great Oregon Coast scnery out there. It's 2.5 hours drive or less from Portland to Newport one-way.

Andrew

Yes it does depend on how much time you want to give to it. The I-5 corridor is boring but fast.

If time is not a big issue, and if you haven't been around the region very much, then I'd look at one of two roundabout routes. The Olympic Peninsula has been mentioned; unfortunately to go around the top of the Peninsula, then down the coast and back "up" the river to Portland really needs an overnight, maybe more. There are too many splendid things to see on the peninsula to make a high speed loop very worthwhile. If you can take the time, though, try to visit the coastal strip, the rain forest valleys, rocky coast (comparable, some think better in places to the northern Oregon coast) or wonderful Willapa Bay and the Long Beach Peninsula. If you left at oh-dark-thirty from Seattle you could get to, say, Quinault in 3 hours (using the southern portion of the US 101 loop, see the Quinault Lake area and valley, maybe the Hoh valley, see some magical coast in passing, then head south and arrive in Portland before dark (fortunately long days in summer.) Or, any overnight on the Peninsula cuts the driving per day in half.

My other alternate to the freeway is pretty much the opposite of the coast. Head over the Cascades, then south through Indian country along the east flank of the mountains to the Columbia River, then approach Portland from the east through the Columbia Gorge. This is a fantastic drive, which can easily in summer be combined with a visit to Mt. Rainier NP as you go over the mountains. Again, there's a lot to see en route, so an overnight is a real plus.

Both of these routes help complete the picture of what the northwest is all about. Not just big cities, but big trees, big ocean, big mountains, big sky, big rivers, big history.

Lake Quinault area is absolutely beautiful ! Something else to consider - driving out Hwy 2 east to the Cascades. It is absolutely gorgeous and so many nice places to stay, eat and play ! We did the "Cascade Loop" and enjoyed every second of it ! Along the way there will be farmers selling their cherries, apples, etc on the side of the road. Beautiful area. There is a ski area - Stevens Pass that you will pass and many nice towns - Cashmere, one whose name escapes me but is like a Bavarian village with flowers blooming everywhere and there is also opportunities for hiking (beautiful waterfalls) or rafting. Look at the web for info on the Cascade Loop and see what you think - I don't think you would be disappointed. Ahh... the town is Leavenworth ! Enjoy !