My trip to the Great Pacific Northwest! (with Pics and trip commentary)

My trip to the Great Pacific Northwest! We were slightly hampered due to a recent injury to one of the group so we didn't really hike as much as planned but we did what we could do....and that was a lot.

Flew to Portland, drove to Seattle where we spent 4 nights, drove to Oceanside, Or for 1 night and then back to Portland for 2 nights.

Day 1 - Flew to Portland and drove to Seattle. Spent the evening getting settled and visited a local market for supplies, coffee and some good deli food for the frig. Drove around the neighborhood for sunset getting a feel for Seattle. Note – Seattle is very dense/congested, navigation was complicated and driving was no joy for a stranger.

Day 2 and 3 - Had City Pass for Seattle so we did the tourist stuff (Space Needle, Chihuly Glass Museum, Harbor Cruise, Mopoc Museum and Seattle Aquarium) Of course we went to the Pike Place Market etc.. We stayed in in the basement of a fantastic home (Airbnb) on Portage Bay It was a very nice neighborhood, so we visited the UW, local coffee shops and stores and the PB Yacht Club.

Day 4 - Then drove and had a cool Ferry ride, to Port Gamble for lunch, on to Hurricane Ridge in ONP (basically smoked out due to fires..sad) and on to Port Townsend for dinner. Port Townsend was really great place and we wish we had spent a night there (as someone here had suggested…bangs head!) The Meal at Fountain Café was great, I had the Linguine Alfredo with Prosciutto and wild mushrooms. All the meals and apps were really good. Most Excellent.

Day 5 – Drove to Oceanside via Olympia and headed west and then down Washington coast to Astoria. Had good lunch at a local “healthy eatery” called the Blue Scorcher. Good food…a bit too organic and vegan for me. Visited a “Green Cross” dispensary just to check it out. Very Interesting. Drove to Ecola State Park and Cannon Beach, Beautiful. Really special place. Continued down to Tillamook and on to Oceanside which was basically fogged in when we got there. I went to the beach anyway including walking the tunnel to Tunnel beach. Cool.

Day 6 - A cool front came in overnight and the next day was simply gorgeous. Oceanside is really a cool laid-back town on the coast that has not been developed. It’s like it was in the 60’s. and the people were probably hippies or their kids. Visited the beach again and Cape Meares and then had a great lunch (Pacific Halibut!) at a local café called Roseanna. Probably the best time I had was in Oceanside. Drove to Portland and checked into downtown condo and went to Pioneer Square and had dinner at a Sushi Place. Not bad.

Day 7 – Drove to the Gorge and Multnomah Falls and then went all the way to The Dalles and had a great lunch there at Petite Provence. Went to a state park and watch wind surfers on the Columbia River and back to the town of Hood River which seems like a great town to visit for a day or two. Hit the Bridge of the Gods and then back to Portland. We were now very tired so we just took it kind of easy, walked to Powell’s City of Books which was really neat and had dinner at a local pizza joint with some of Portland’s weirdest. Let’s just say that Portland seems to be a mecca for the “non-conventional” types. The homeless and substance abuse problem is impossible to avoid downtown, I am sure it’s better in the neighborhoods and suburbs but God Bless them downtown.

Day 8 - Woke up next day and started to fly home but got stuck overnight in Dallas due to weather but it is what it is.

Overall ..a great trip and thanks to all here that gave me advice.

6am off to PDX


View from our patio on Portage Bay


SEATTLE










PORT TOWNSEND