Will be in the Portland area and am looking for suggestions to see and do. Will have a car. What are some good places to hike, funky shops, must see sights? Is May a good time to go? What about Wash state and Idaho? Thanks.

In Portland, we have enjoyed the rose test gardens on that mountain side west of downtown. Also the Japanese Gardens in the same park are quite nice. The rose gardens, however, are extraordinary.

We also have enjoyed the Oregon Coast.
The area between Yachats and Newport is interesting.

Crater Lake is also a beautiful place to visit. In Washington you can visit Mount Ranier and Mount St. Helens.
Both are worth the trip.

In central Oregon, the area around Sisters and Bend is pleasent to visit.
And a trip along the Columbia Gorge is worth the effort. The Oregon Trail Museum in Baker City, well to the east, is an interesting place to visit for perhaps 2 hours.

In Idaho, I haven't seen much except the flats. Craters of the Moon National Monument is interesting if you want to see recent volcanic activity. The northern panhandle has some interesting forests and lakes.

You want "Funky Shops"? You will be coming to the right place!
Once you are here, check out NW 23rd district for almost everything.

The sellwood area for antiques and collectables.
Also the Sat Market will amaze you if you are here on Sat or Sun. it is a MUST! bring your camera.

Hawthorn district for more Funky Shops.

All and ALL Portland has more fun shops and more wonderful eateries than you could get thur in 10 years....
You'll Love it.

I don't know if it's still there, but the Church of Elvis in Portland definitely qualifies as funky. I've heard the Advertising Museum is good too. My friend and I had an amazing time roadtripping from Seattle to San Fran and back a few years ago, in late July/early August. Anything off of 101 is pretty much guaranteed to have great scenery. We particularly liked hiking in the Cascades, east of Portland, except for the huge numbers of other people with the same idea. On top of Mt. Hood is the hotel used in the Shining, and I'll bet there's great hiking around there, maybe someone else knows more. If you're interested, they also have a year-round snowboarding camp. But the highlight for me was the Oregon Coast: the Sea Lion Caves near Florence, the Three Capes Loop, and especially the Oregon Dunes Nat'l Recreation Area - you can look around for 360 degrees (well, practically) and all you see is a lunar landscape of white sand dunes and a breathtaking sky, every color of blue and purple you can imagine. I wouldn't be surprised if they had shot some Star Wars scenes there. The beaches are endless and pretty empty, and there's a place (or there was) where you could rent ATVs or whatever those little dune buggies are called. There was one hike we took off the coastal highway and the scenery at the end reminded me of Capri,in Italy (gorgeous). I'll try to remember where exactly it was. And, since I'm already blabbing away, Ashland, near the CA border, has one of the best theater scenes in the country and several beautiful outdoor stages. I'm not sure of the dates, but the Shakespeare festival is worth the trip, and we got really cheap standing room tickets right before a show (don't know how easy or cheap sitting is). Sorry to go on and on, but this was one of my favorite vacations ever. Have a great time!

It's been years since I was out there but I remember the Dalles River valley as being remarkably beautiful. I can also recommend the coastal area near Newport and particularly the area further south on the coast known as the Oregon Dunes. It's an incredible natural phenomenon that conists of miles of sand surrounded by trees and the ocean - looks like a desert.

Agree with the last post...the Columbia River Gorge is impressive. It's a relatively quick drive (25-60 minutes depending how far you feel compelled to go...down I-84/Hwy 30). We thought it was the most beautiful part of NW Oregon. Had some really amazing salmon on the way back at the Skamania Lodge dining room(on the Washington side of the gorge)which looks out over the gorge.

Go to http://community.webtv.net/angry9/VacationTravelOregon
This will probably help you