mkelvr

I have to go to seattle & portland for work so thought I would combine it with vacation time. Never been there before so some questions are:

1. Where to stay in Seattle- I have to visit locations in the Seattle suburbs - Tukwila, Bellevue etc before going on to Tacoma & the Portland area. Is Tukwila a good spot close to downtown Seattle attractions?

2. Would Mt. Rainier be a good stop going south to Portland?

3. Oregon coast. Any suggestions close to Portland area. Also, I am going as far south as Albany, so any scenic drive suggestions would be appreciated.

kimamom

Cannon Beach would a nice place to visit on the Oregon Coast. It's a gorgeous coastal town with nice shops and Ecola State Park offers some of the most breath-taking views on the entire coast, IMO. Have fun! ***kim***

beachbum

I'm from Portland, so will leave Seattle recs to those who know better, but if you're planning it as just a "stop", St. Helens would be a better choice than Rainier. You'd want to do more than just "stop" at Rainier.

How much time are you spending in Oregon? You could just take I-5 to Albany, do your business thing, then take a coastal route back to Portland. Take hwy 20 from Albany, which hits the coast at Newport, a favorite of many visitors. Depending on how much time you have, you could drive the whole northern coast, returning to Portland on hwy 30 from Astoria, or via several other routes inbetween. If you spend time in Portland, you'll want to drive out the Columbia River gorge, and possibly loop back to Portland over Mt. Hood.

Give us some more info (how many nights etc.) and you'll get better answers.

happytrailstoyou

Tukwila is physically pretty close to downtown Seattle, but spiritually it might as well be in North Dakota. I think you'll be happier if you shop for a good rate at a downtown hotel.

Mt. Rainier and Mount St. Helens are both fairly substantial side trips off of I-5 on your way to Portland. Of the two mountains, I suggest Mt. Rainier if the weather is fairly clear because it is a beautiful and spectacular sight up close.

If you have the time, after exploring Paradise, Sunrise, and the other attractions at Mt. Rainier, drive via Chinook Pass to spend the night in Yakima (stay at Oxford Suites and eat at Cafe Melange or at the brewery across the street).

The next day, drive to the Columbia River Gorge via Goldendale (with views of Mt. Adams) and toward Portland on Washington Route 14, which, on a clear day, affords fabulous views of the gorge and Mt. Hood.

Kim is on target with Cannon Beach--a beautiful place only about 75 miles from Portland.

Orcas

1. It depends on when you need to be in Tukwila and Bellevue. Tukwilla is near where I-405 meets I-5 and isn't far from Seattle or Bellevue, but traffic can be brutal, especially at rush hour. I'd say, if you have to be somewhere at 8 AM, locate close to where you need to be. On the other hand, if you have a whole day to sightsee in Seattle, you might want to stay in Seattle for that night.

2. Mt. Rainier would be a great stop. It would be a whole day's trip, if you need to do it in a day, but well worth it. If it's rainy, not so great. Mt. St. Helen's is another day trip possible on the drive down. It's interesting, but Rainier is more godlike. I'd chose Rainier first.
3. With Kimamom. Canon Beach. It would be great if you could take 101 on down the coast and connect with the road that goes to Albany. That would be another day trip. It would be a great place to add a day. It would be awesome. Prepare to fall in love with the PNW!
Lucky you!!!

suze

Tukwila is a shopping mall, warehouse stores, and industrial parks along side the freeway ~20 mins. south of Seattle. I don't think you'd want to stay there. Bellevue maybe if you don't want to stay downtown Seattle.

Fodorite018

I would not stay in Tukwila. Bellevue is nice, but I would prefer to be in downtown Seattle.

I think both Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens are amazing and worthy of stops. It just depends on what you would prefer. Myself, I would be torn and we love both.

I also agree about Cannon Beach. It is a beautful town.

Another option for driving would be to take Hwy 99W between Portland and Albany. It is not as fast as I-5, but much more scenic, and loaded with wineries along the way.

I usually agree with all the other locals here, but Yakima would not be my recommendation. I lived there for several years. I just think there are so many other great options that I would not recommend it, but that is just my opinion.

suze

Ditto for both Cannon Beach and the wineries of Willamette Valley (Hwy 99) suggestions. Also for giving Yakima a miss.

I'm not sure about how much time you will have total, but there's quite a bit of driving involved in each of these recommendations.

Gardyloo

Stay in Seattle and commute out to your meetings. Tukwila is a standard big-box suburb. Is your employer paying for the hotels? If so, there's no reason whatsoever to stay elsewhere.

Mt St Helens is easier to get to from I-5; the Johnston Ridge visitors' center just re-opened (after a prolonged period of mountain burps that had them a little skittish) and offers views that are amazing. Mt. Rainier is gorgeous but not as inherently interesting as MSH. If you have extra time in Portland (and frankly you should make it) Mt. Hood can stand in for Rainier, and is easily combined in a day trip with the core scenic area of the Columbia River Gorge, which is also a don't-miss if you're in the region.

I am not as knocked out by Cannon Beach as many on this board; too many galleries selling driftwood seagulls for my taste, but YMMV. If you're going to Albany, my suggestion would be to cut over to the coast on US 20 to Newport, and spend your time in the Newport-Yachats area rather than farther north. A little less crowded, more scenic (IMO) and still plenty of ocean to gaze upon.

You can come back up the valley from Albany via the Yamhill Co. vinyards, lovely this time of year. Also in that part of the valley there are a number of lovely covered bridges, which are worth seeking out.

Orcas

Lots of great ideas. We've got the PNW covered! Just my thoughts on Hood versus Rainier: Hood is beautiful; Rainier is awesome. Not in the same class.
You really can't go wrong, though.

happytrailstoyou

Yakima is the perfect place to spend the night between the two days of the great sightseeing I outlined.

All rooms at Oxford Suites face the Yakima River and hills beyond, they serve a big breakfast, and Cafe Melange is a delightful little restaurant. They also have an Olive Garden and an Outback Steak House.

I like small towns. Maybe because I lived in Manhattan for so many years.

mkelvr

Wow, lots of suggestions! I'll try to answer them in order.

1. Don't have to stay in Tukwila, as my employer will pay for a reasonable priced hotel. I was just trying to stay close to business locations because Seattle traffic is supposed to be a nightmare. Is the area around Space needle too touristy?

2. By a stop at Mt. Rainier, I meant a day. Is that too short?

3. The suggestions on Cannon beach/Mt. Hood etc sound good. I will be in Portland a couple of days and Albany a day. Have to figure out a good loop.

happytrailstoyou

More and more people are living downtown these days and, as a result, the area around the Space Needle is not too touristy. It's just fine.

Olympia is a "stop" on the way to Portland, but Mt. Rainier is not. Seattle-Portland is a 173-mile drive that takes about 3 1/2 hours. The drive to Paradise at Mt. Rainier is about 105 miles and, with the two lane roads, takes about 2 3/4 hours. There is a lot to do within the park and then the drive to Portland is about 155 miles and takes about 3 3/4 hours.

suze

1. Space Needle surrounds are just fine. Nothing touristy really except what's at the Seattle Center itself. It's residential and commercial mostly. It's a bit far north for convenient walking like to Pike Place Market or Pioneer Square, but you can hop a bus or the monorail.

2. I think one day is fine for seeing Mt. Rainier. It is approx. 2 hours drive from Seattle.

beachbum

With three days in Oregon, use Portland as your base and take day trips: one out the Columbia River gorge and back around Mt. Hood, one to Cannon Beach, and the required one to Albany. Albany's only about 75 minutes down I-5, so you might incorporate a few winery stops into that day. Willamette Valley Vineyards is one possibility, right off I-5, just south of Salem.

mkelvr

Dont know much about Olympia vs. Rainier. Also, what would be a good location to stay in Seattle with walkable attractions?

More info - Will be travelling with a 13 year old and a 1 year old. Would the hiking trails at any of the suggested locations be too hard?

Winery suggestions sound great.

suze

Don't know what price range hotel you want, but most of the main downtown ones are "walkable" for Pike Place Market, Seattle Art Museum, Pioneer Square plus you are in the ride free zone for the Metro bus system.

Sheraton, Westin, Warwick for regular large hotels. Mayflower Park, Roosevelt, Vance for older Seattle hotels. Hotel Andra, Inn at the Market, Harbor Steps for boutique. Sorrento or Fairmont Olympic for high end.

suze

Other hotel options include staying at Lake Union, on lower Capitol Hill, or lower Queen Anne (near the Seattle Center), but these would require car or public transpo to get downtown.

Orcas

By Olympia, happytrailstoyou, meant it was a "stop" along the road. It's the State capitol and I-5 goes right through it.

Your 1 year old will obviously need to be in a backpack for trails. There are plenty of easy hikes that a 13 yr old can do.

johnthedorf

mkelvr,
You got the info on Tukwila so I don't need to recommend Bellevue since that's the other location you have to be. Great town with lots to do. Between Rainier and Hood, Choose Rainier. Hood is beautiful from Portland and not as interesting up close unless you plan on sking. Cannon beach is also nice and a good stopover on the way down to Portland. By the way...Albany is very nice and near OSU.