driving to portland, then seattle then vancouver
 

hey all..taking a bit of a road trip this easter. heading down to portland, then up the coast to around forks washington and then to seattle then up to vancouver....ya i know a long route...but it will be scenic.....and fun. just wondering if anyone has and secret places to stay along the coast in washington....the nearer to the ocean the better....we like rustic..but modern is ok as well (either is better if is has a hot tub)....and they must allow dogs. we are looking at the kalaloch lodge...and getting one of the seaside log cabins. has anyone stayed there?? opinions?? any other places we should look at?

also any sites we "have" to see along the way...and no cabela's or bass pro are not a site we have to see hahaha...been there done that.

thanks all in advance

i went to highschool in Oregon. we use to do weekend trips to the coast and mountians. these are some of the things that i can remember.

if you like skiing, Mt. Hood is open all year, check out timberline for some sweet spring skiing.

for site seeing check out Malmouth Falls off of I-84. if you goto lincoln city OR there is a little resturant called MO's that right on the 101. has THE BEST seafood!

if you like fishing you can get a day license while in oregon and fish in willamette river down town portland! at mayfield lake, WA there are huge muskies (state record muskie 31lbs came from that lake). check out elliot bay and lake union on the north of seattle for smallmouth bass.

In seattle at pikes market you can easily spend a day and if you go up queen ann hill in seattle there are alot of little shops and ma/pa resturants. kind of trendy in there.

i know more of central oregon because i was living in central OR. you going with kids?

looked at the kalaloch lodge on the internet, looks like a pretty sweet place!

no kids, just a dog.....some good advice on there....we plan on eating a lot of sea food so thanks for the recommendation ..

Make sure you drive the gorge. Ive done 30,000 kms of road tripping in the US (thats rounding down if anything) and the columbia river gorge is still one of my favorite drives. When you first get into it its very arid and much like the canyon contry of the south western states, but with its own uniqe flavor. As you drive west it gets gradualy greener and runs through the Cascades and turns into some of the greenest country you will see on this continent. One almost gets the impression that the air is green. On of my profoud regrets is having sold my bike before I could make that trip on two wheels.

i agree with Cal, I-84 through the gorge is breath taking. you can tour the dams too.

well ok I-84 it is then....looks like you get on 84 right near boardman??..and then take that all the way into portland...

going to portland
 

which route are you taking to portland?

From Lethbridge,
take 3 west to 95 south
95 south to Coeur d'Alene
90 west to 395 south
395 south to 82 south... Read More
82 south to 84 west to Portland


then up the coast to forks washington....then around the sound to seattle...north to snohomish then on to vancouver then home. 10 days in total

portland
 

I used to haul produce out of wash & oregon that is the same way I took, for the most part. I used to stay on the wash side of the river going west instead of on the Intersate very scenic.

good to know, thanks