I’m going to be going on a whirlwind tour of the west coast very soon. I’m wondering if anyone has some last minute suggestions for places to visit along the way. This will not be a paddling trip but I’ll be returning before too long for some of that.
My itinerary takes me through or near the following cities:
Mission, BC
Kamloops, BC
Golden, BC
Bellingham, WA
Portland, OR
Medford, OR
Eureka, CA
Things that aren’t too far from the beaten path but often overlooked would be great. I’m not a fan of really touristy or urban stuff.
I recommend Deception Pass, which is south of Bellingham, a detour loop from the direct north-south route. The bridge there is truly impressive and you can walk out on it to watch the fearless ones kayaking the currents below.
Assuming you’re heading south, you could continue onto Whidbey Island and either take the ferry back to the mainland at Mukilteo for I-5, or take the other ferry to Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula, a great town. This would allow you to head to Portland along the Hood Canal to Olympia and continue on I-5 from there. A bonus is avoiding the Seattle-Tacoma corridor on I-5, since you’re not looking for city sights and it is pretty crowded. Taking route 101 down the Pacific coast is fantastic, but it doesn’t sound like you have the time.
Taking route 101 down the Pacific coast is fantastic, but it doesn’t sound like you have the time.
Thanks! Totally the sort of thing I’m looking for. I have about a week in the US, down and back from BC. The route isn’t set in stone so I’ll see about making this detour happen.
If this is not too far off track for you, consider hiking at Newberry Volcanic National Monument south of Bend. The sheer glassy hillocks of obsidian set amidst forest glades and intensely blue lakes make for an eerie sight.
@pikabike said:
If this is not too far off track for you, consider hiking at Newberry Volcanic National Monument south of Bend. The sheer glassy hillocks of obsidian set amidst forest glades and intensely blue lakes make for an eerie sight.
Also looks cool. Google almost spoils it, given how much imagery is available nowadays. But I also know that it isn’t the same as seeing the scale of things in person.
If you do make it to Port Townsend, @Sparky961, you should visit the Northwest Maritime Center. Those are the folks who put on the Race to Alaska - the race that offers a first prize of $10K nailed to a tree and a set of steak knives for second place. They have a zany sense of humor - like you.
Mt Hood, is a halfday side trip to drive to the ski resort near the top, good restaurant there, hiking to the top would take more time and challenging. Columbia River Gorge drive is nice with viewpoints along the way. Powell’s book store in Portland is someplace where we always spend a couple of hours. There is a lot of live music in Portland if you are there at night depending on your tastes.
I had some great hikes in the North Cascades National Park in Washington some years back. One trail went up to the most beautiful mountain lake. More like a big pond. Another trail had two bird species show up that I’d never seen before… I think it was called Stetattle Creek. Check it out.
@Rookie said:
If you do make it to Port Townsend, @Sparky961, you should visit the Northwest Maritime Center. Those are the folks who put on the Race to Alaska - the race that offers a first prize of $10K nailed to a tree and a set of steak knives for second place. They have a zany sense of humor - like you.
Zany: amusingly unconventional and idiosyncratic
I think that’s the first time I have (or at least my sense of humour has) been so referred. Seems appropriate.
I’ll tack that one on my list too. Do I get some steak knives just for visiting? Oh, wait… I’m a vegetarian.
@SeaDart said:
Mt Hood, is a halfday side trip to drive to the ski resort near the top, good restaurant there, hiking to the top would take more time and challenging. Columbia River Gorge drive is nice with viewpoints along the way. Powell’s book store in Portland is someplace where we always spend a couple of hours. There is a lot of live music in Portland if you are there at night depending on your tastes.
My father (with whom I’m taking the trip) is very interested in some of the food in/around Portland. Apparently this is a well-known culinary hub? Any specific recommendations that aren’t limited to the rich and famous?
@Rex said:
I had some great hikes in the North Cascades National Park in Washington some years back. One trail went up to the most beautiful mountain lake. More like a big pond. Another trail had two bird species show up that I’d never seen before… I think it was called Stetattle Creek. Check it out.
@Rookie said:
If you do make it to Port Townsend, @Sparky961, you should visit the Northwest Maritime Center. Those are the folks who put on the Race to Alaska - the race that offers a first prize of $10K nailed to a tree and a set of steak knives for second place. They have a zany sense of humor - like you.
Zany: amusingly unconventional and idiosyncratic
I think that’s the first time I have (or at least my sense of humour has) been so referred. Seems appropriate.
I’ll tack that one on my list too. Do I get some steak knives just for visiting? Oh, wait… I’m a vegetarian.
RE: The ferry between Coupeville and Port Townsend is a short hop, but check for unusual conditions before going. Strong wind and/or very low low tides often cause some scheduled sailings to be cancelled. Can’t predict the strong winds. You CAN avoid the tidal thing by looking up tide charts for new moon and full moon periods, especially around solstices.
@SeaDart said:
Mt Hood, is a halfday side trip to drive to the ski resort near the top, good restaurant there, hiking to the top would take more time and challenging. Columbia River Gorge drive is nice with viewpoints along the way. Powell’s book store in Portland is someplace where we always spend a couple of hours. There is a lot of live music in Portland if you are there at night depending on your tastes.
My father (with whom I’m taking the trip) is very interested in some of the food in/around Portland. Apparently this is a well-known culinary hub? Any specific recommendations that aren’t limited to the rich and famous?
You almost can’t go wrong with a google of what you’re in the mood for.
Portland is a weird place, but you can find untold numbers of brewpubs with good beer and often good food.
One of the few things worth going to Portland for is to hit some food carts then brew pubs.
You can also go to Scappoose and hit Next adventure to rent a kayak and hit the Multnomah channel or the Columbia, or you could hit Alder Creek on Hayden Island and rent a kayak on the Columbia right at the state line. A few miles and you could be seeing the city waterfront from the side of the shore that doesn’t smell like a homeless urinal.
Not many suggestions so far for the BC portion – British Columbia is absolutely one of my favorite places in the world but I’m afraid I am not as familiar with the portion you will be passing through (I’ve visited the Vancouver area and the Canadian Rockies corridor to the east multiple times.)
I have long had the drive from Calgary to Vancouver through the mountains on Highway 1 on my bucket list. There are some beautiful looking trail hiking and mountain biking areas west of Golden around the Kicking Horse ski resort. There is also a grizzly bear refuge there which might be a cool place to visit. Overall I have found that Canadian recreational offerings are better maintained, less commercialized and less crowded than those south of the border. And the landscapes are jaw-dropping all through Southwestern Canada. Enjoy the trip!:
@willowleaf said:
Not many suggestions so far for the BC portion – British Columbia is absolutely one of my favorite places in the world but I’m afraid I am not as familiar with the portion you will be passing through (I’ve visited the Vancouver area and the Canadian Rockies corridor to the east multiple times.)
Anything’s fair game here. If I can’t get there this time there’s always the next time. Although I try to stay away from metropolitan areas, I may have the chance to spend a few days in the areas surrounding Vancouver. My brother is out that way, so he should know the area fairly well too.
The last time I was in Vancouver I was on my own but wanted to kayak. I drove out to Deep Cove, only about 30 minutes northeast of downtown, and signed up for a group day paddle with Deep Cove Outfitters. They have quality sea kayaks and well-trained guides with small groups. The cove (very pretty itself with some charming cafes for lunch) leads up into Indian Arm, a steep sided fjord with a campsite up at the end – they do overnight trips up to there. We only paddled about halfway up, but got to see jellyfish, seals and petroglyphs along the way. It was one of the high points of that trip. Bow shot below before the morning mist dispersed.
My youngest son lives in Portland and most of the food I like is low key local neighborhood favorites. He lived for a while in Hipster Hell on Mississippi Street,;there were some good food cart trucks there but a lot the hyped places are not so great (ice cream store there and the mexican place nearby are fantastic) Some nice food carts in his new neighborhood. I think there is a webpage for Portland Food Carts and you can get ideas and reviews for the areas you’ll be staying in and visiting. Laughing Planet is a an inexpensive chain that has good vegetarian food, I’m a carnivore but I like their food. I also like Grand Central Bakery, it’s a chain but good for breakfast or lunch. Lots of neighborhoods have really good coffee shops, not really worth making a special trip, but check out your surroundings where you will be staying.
