I want to plan a vacation in the Pacific Northwest.....

[speed dawg]

I've never been there, so any input would be appreciated.

Some backstory:

- I have family in San Francisco, I figured we'd fly out there to start.
- I feel like I'd love Oregon and want to live there one day. I'd like to end up in Portland, possibly even Seattle.
- Likely looking at a Saturday - Saturday deal. So 7 full days.
- I figure we'll just spend a day in SF, roll up into Northern California, then Oregon, ie finding 7 interesting stops each day.
- Probably looking at summer time, mid-July.
- We are outdoorsy/semi-hippy types. Like to hike, see semi-wilderness...not deep woods living off the land. Like some city stuff too. Would like to visit University of Oregon in Eugene. Seeing the huge redwoods would be cool for us.

Feedback I need:

- Things to do/see in that area (outdoor/wine/etc.).
- Times when weather is best.
- Things to do in SF/Portland/Seattle.

Have no clue if we'll make it all the way up to Seattle. Would like to see Mt. St. Helens or Mt. Rainier. But at the end of the day, I have no clue. I really want to see if I'd like to live out there, because everything in my head says I would.

 

[Down Low]

San Fran. Best weather in coastal California is around Labor Day. It's cloudy in June and sometimes well into August.

What I tell everyone. Bring a peacoat or lined leather jacket, knit cap, and gloves, sweaters and heavy jeans, even if it's August. At SFO Airport info/baggage, get one-day transit passes (includes cable car fare). Go on a weekday to avoid long lines, ride BART / Muni to Powell Station, ride Hyde cable car to Fisherman's Wharf, eat crappy vendor frozen/canned fishy chowder outdoors, vomit intensely, ride 30 bus or Mason cable car a very short distance to Little Italy and Chinatown, walk the rest of the way to the Transamerica Pyramid / Financial District, drink hot chocolate in the Ferry Bldg., by then you're tired go home.

Second day rent a car. Carry fives and ones. Drive across Golden Gate Bridge, sneaky exit on right be prepared, park on far side and walk across and back. There's an interesting tunnel a mile or so further into the Marin County side. Then drive to the SF "Golden Gate Park" and see the bison and silly windmill, get sandblasted across the street at the beach, get back in your car. Drive south to Twin Peaks, then take Market, Van Ness, hard as hell to find a legal left you'll prolly have to right/right/right instead to Haight and drive around hippy town, the Fillmore, park and walk around the tiny mall in Japan Town. Then north to Lombard St., down and up to Coit Tower.

Depending when you go, there's baseball, horse races, outdoor concerts. Or maybe you prefer museums, expensive shopping, or bar hopping. Tons of guides online for whatever.

You'll drive across the Bay Bridge either when you leave, or b'cuz you're staying on the far side anyway. Maybe walk around the Berkeley campus but it's not impressive, then walk the couple of blocks of hippy town on Telegraph next to the campus. If you're desperate for Oakland scenery, drive through downtown and around Lake Merritt, and on to Jack London Park (sheer tourist trap).

Napa Valley winery tours can get expensive, and it's a long as hell drive -- unless you do it on the way out. Get a bed & breakfast near the wineries you want to see so you can enjoy drinking.

"Outlet centers" are not worth the drive. There are no deals.

Sacramento, like the rest of the Central Valley, has nothing to recommend.

 

[goundra]

what I always do is google for the IPSC and IDPA homepages, get in touch with whomever runs the combat style pistol matches in the propose vacation area, get emails, phone numbers, and chat them up about the real deal in that area. I've shot a lot of matches, met people got invited to stay with them, saved a ton of money not spent on motels.

 

[Machina29]

I've been to the northwest a few times, but have spent most of it backpacking in the Cascades an Olympics. The best time is July and August as there is little rain and a lot of sun.

If you make it to Portland, you could drive about an hour east to Mt. Hood and its national forest. There are lots of good hiking spots in this area, and you'll get to drive through the Columbia River Gorge to get there! There is a town that I loved called Hood River that is on the Columbia River and close to Mt Hood.

Mt St Helens is pretty close to Portland so you could also go there from Portland as well.

If you have time, I highly recommend visiting the Olympic Peninsula. The beaches are pretty amazing and the forests are even more amazing. There are numerous temperate rain forests that you can hike. My personal favorite is the Hoh Rain Forest. The Hoh River trail is a wonderful hike that leads to Mt Olympus if you do the entire 18 mile trail (non loop).

I have spent about a month of my life in the northwest over different vacations and have only spent about five hours in Portland and twelve hours in Seattle so I can't recommend things to do in the cities, but the surrounding areas are great if you like hiking and camping.

A tip: Don't try to drive from Portland to Seattle on Sundays. I5 is backed up pretty much the entire time from my experience.