lisa

Once every year or so I take a solo trip for 7-14 days someplace in the U.S. Last year it was Sonoma Valley & Mendocino. Two years before that it was Rocky Mtn. National Park, Zion, Bryce, & Yosemite. One year it was Grand Canyon. Another year Key West. You get the idea.

Since I've never been to Washington State or Oregon, that's where I'd like to go this year. It would be for around 10 days or so in late August-early September. I can fly into Seattle & out of Portland if necessary, or vice versa. I plan on renting a car.

I enjoy hiking, photography, wine, museums, great natural surroundings, good food, cultural festivals, visiting local galleries, hearing local music, etc.

Can anyone suggest a really great itinerary? I don't mind moving every couple of nights. Ideally I would like to include a night or two each in Seattle and Portland, maybe a night at Crater Lake, a night or two somewhere in wine country, maybe a beach somewhere on the Oregon Coast, possibly a night or two in Olympic National Park, and I'm not sure what else. I realize this is probably way too much for a 10-day trip, so obviously could use some help prioritizing!

By the way, I am no stranger to driving long distances, so that doesn't bother me -- I actually enjoy it. I once drove from El Paso Texas to North Carolina with only one overnight stop in between. But I have also spent a week in one place on occasion. I am open to suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

sgorces

Wow, that sounds absolutely great. You can certainly fill 10 days out here very easily. It will be important to prioritize. Obviously Seattle and Portland are musts. It would be a shame to miss Vancouver, Canada, but you'll probably have to choose between that and Crater Lake. Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens can't be missed. Olympic National Park has many great attributes, but my favorite area is the Pacific Coastal area. If you are going to include the Oregon Coast I would, albeit hesistantly, suggest you skip Olympic NP. After Mt. St. Helens, I really must insist you include the Columbia Gorge. There are many waterfall hikes short and long. Maryhill Museum at the Eastern edge of the Gorge is a curious wonder (why is it here? The question is answered at the Museum). You could then continue south into Oregon on US 97. Near Bend, don't miss the many volcanic sites and the High Desert Museum. Continue down the back side of the Cascades until you reach Crater Lake. Make time for hikes and stay on site if you like. I remember cabins close to the rim, but it has been a while. After Crater Lake, choose one of the coastal routes that get you over the Pacific beaches. I don't know if dune buggies are your thing, but I wouldn't miss a chance to drive on the Oregon Dunes. Oregon Caves and the California redwood A list, Downtown Portland, the Rose Garden and Japanese Garden, nice little restaurants in the Pearl District, book browsing at Powells. A few other random thoughts: August is SeaFair in Seattle, dozens of local feastivals all over the region. I you decide to go with Vancouver, I think you'd have to cut off Crater Lake but you should pick up San Juan Islands. I have lots of other local specifics if you can pin down a general route. This trip misses the heart of Washington's wine country, although there are many wineries in Eastern Oregon too. The Portland area is Pinot territory. However, Washington wines shouldn't really be missed, particularly the reds from the Red Mountain AVA near Richland. Tell me if any of this interests you and I and others will refine the recommendations. Have a great trip. Makes me want to strike out on my own.

justme22

went solo to washington state a few years ago, i combined very northern ca with oregon a few years before that.
crater lake is great but the road was still closed all the way around when i was there and so was bumppass hell in lassen volcano national park but both are great places.

in washington if you like to hike i suggest going to mt. rainier (great place i wish i had given myself more time there)

more good hiking in north cascades national park. especially recommend cascade pass hike, really different. a jillion switchbacks but it makes it a fairly moderate hike.

i also reccomend lassen peak hike.

you should think about staying in townsend or maybe sequim (pronounced skwim) in washington state, go to hurricane ridge of olympic. to be honest the rainforest portion of olympic didn't thrill me.

never been to mt. st. helens but my friends thought it was great.

at the end of the penninsula there is the trail at Alava/Sand Pt this is a trail of boardwalks thru the forest to the beach, it is in and out unless you make a backpack loop, perhaps you could do the loop in a day but it was neat.
'
the boardwalks are very slippery but you get to the beach and it is just a great spot. search that trail on the internet with google.

justme22

opps i forgot to say at the end of the olympic penninsula, on your way to forks, there is a great hike.... also i highly recommend the dungeness bay motel folks were nice rooms big and the hype on the web page is true.

christy1

Defitiely go to Rainier, St. Helens too if you are interested in volcanoes. If you go to the Oregon Coast, I would skip the Olympic Peninsula. The wilderness (hiker access only) beaches are gorgeous but you will already have been to lots of pretty beaches, and Rainier is way more spectacular than the Olympics. I would also consider going to the San Juan Islands (whale watching, gorgeous scenery) and the North Cascades (great hiking without the usual National Park crowds, amazing drive over the North Cascades Highway). In my opinion, Rainier, North Cascades and the San Juans are the most beautiful places in the PNW. A great hiking book is 100 Classic Hikes in Washington-it also has great color photos that might help you choose places you'd like to see.

Since you indicated you like festivals and music, you might think about going to Bumbershoot in Seattle over Labor Day weekend. It's a huge, crowded crazy festival but packed with local and nationally known musical acts, film, dance, art, etc. Also, then you will be IN town for the 3 day weekend and not jockeying about on freeways and hiking trails with all the other 3 day weekend warriors.

You mentioned wine-you could go to the Walla Walla area. It's turning into quite a food and wine mecca. There was a good article in Sunset Magazine earlier this year (maybe 4 months ago?) with a good itinerary for the area.

JBC411

I think Christy1 has given you excellent advice. I agree with her that the San Juans, North Cascades and Mt. Rainier are the most not to be missed areas of the NW. I have not seen anything else quite like the San Juans, including the very picturesque dwellings on small islands, and I think the ferry ride to and among the San Juans from Anacortes is one of the best travel bargains anywhere. Some ferry travel is a must while in Washington State. The North Cascades were incredibly, amazingly spectacular and uncrowded, perhaps the greatest mountainscapes I've seen in the U.S. are easily viewable from the highway through them. I would add the Columbia Gorge to this group, heartbreakingly beautiful. To me, Crater Lake was an interesting curiosity, worth seeing not not in the same class of beauty, or worth quite as much time.

The NW beaches and wine country are beautiful, but I think you will find them a little anticlmactic after Sonoma and Mendocino last year. I'd concentrate on the sights above, which have no direct counterpart in Northern California.

Your self description makes me think you might enjoy an event or exhibition at Reed College while you are in Portland. It's a beautiful little campus (a national magazine recently named it one of the half dozen most beautiful in the country) with a very talented , creative student body and quite distinctive atmosphere.

lisa

Wow, thanks for the great suggestions! I guess it's time to start perusing some maps and narrowing down my stops. I need to stop at a bookstore and check out some guidebooks as well.

Sgorces -- I actually did Vancouver on another trip prior to a trip to Alaska. Great city! But I don't feel the need to see it again on this trip, so that's something I can leave out -- which is good, because my list of "must-sees" is getting longer! Mt. Ranier, Mt. St. Helens, Columbia Gorge, the San Juan Islands, the Cascades...oh boy. And I think I even saved an article on Walla Walla wine country from a while back so I'll see if I can find that.

Thanks all & keep the ideas coming!

bbqboy

well, I seem to be the Southern Oregon Advocate on here currently, so here goes:
Ashland is the home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and 100 restaurants.
http://www.atasteofashland.com
Tons of hiking, river rafting,
http://www.echotrips.com/rogue/wine.html
Mt. Biking, and wine in a charming Mountain town. Here's the usual route we have friends take when they come west to visit-
fly into Portland, spend a day or two, head west to Astoria, take in the coast to Florence, (we stay in Yachats, our favorite town) east to Eugene, south to the Rogue Valley and Ashland,
(we're the area nearest Crater Lake), See Crater Lake,(rim Drive will be Open, it's a driving Park), then on over to Bend. From Bend head north to Hood River and on up into Washington, angling over to Mt. Rainier, and on to Seattle and the San Juans. You could depart from there, or head back to Portland for a final day. a perfect 10 day trip. This would show you Oregon's charming towns and and fertile bounty...and Washington's too.
http://www.traveloregon.com/index.cfm

beachbum

How about something like the following:

Seattle - Rainier - St.Helens - Oregon coast - Crater Lake - Portland.

St. Helens would be a stop on the drive from Rainier to Astoria, at the mouth of the Columbia. Drive down the coast - maybe all the way into N. California so you see some redwoods - before heading inland to Crater Lake, and back to Portland. Give yourself at least 2 nights in Portland to allow trips out the gorge, and to wine country. Both are an easy drive from the city.

I agree that Crater Lake, much like St. Helens, is definitely worth a stop, but not necessarily a lot of time. When you flesh out this itinerary, you'll find 10 days isn't nearly enough time.

Happy planning.