I am going to be travelling between Portland

[skipos]

and Seattle, and I have a few days to make the most of it. Never been out there. Don't know when I will be back. I was wondering if DUers could recommend cool places to go, cool things to see, things that aren't necessarily listed in travel books. Or if there are places I should avoid, that would be helpful too.

[sandnsea]

1. More info might be helpful

Like are you flying out to one or the other, is it a business trip, and what do you mean by few days. Are you looking for city stuff, or outdoor stuff. Where are you traveling from. It's hard to even know where to begin with Portland, Seattle, the northwest, the Pacific, and a few days.

[skipos]

2. I need

to be in Portland for 4-5 days, and Seattle for 4-5 days. That is the extent of my commitment, and I have tons of time to kill. I live in Michigan so I will probably fly into one city, either rent a car or take a train to get to the other, and then fly back. I like city stuff and outdoor stuff.

[sandnsea]

3. Here

Here's a thread on traveling to Oregon from a while back. Hopefully some Portland people will chime in with more city specific stuff.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=174x1494

[0rganism]

4. "cool" is a key word here

given the temperatures we've had in the past week (unseasonably warm), you may want to try activities that beat the heat. Go to Lincoln City and fly a kite over the ocean. Check out Crown Point, at the west end of the gorge. If you windsurf, don't miss Hood River and "the hatchery". If you don't, maybe take a day or two to give it a try. For some nice hikes in the Portland metro area, check out Forest Park.

Portland can be a pretty fun place to visit, if you're in the right mood. Maybe start a thread when you get here, and ask for ideas on a day-to-day basis.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

5. If you are here in Portland on June 3rd, a fun thing to do would be

attending our June DU MeetUp :)

We have a great transit system here, even when I had a car I never drove downtown.

If you do rent a car, then a trip to the coast or up the Gorge should be on your list.

[Quantess]

6. Lucky you!

It's very lovely between Portland and Seattle, and I'm not just saying that. Just the drive up I-5 is enjoyable and scenic. (I drive it periodically, mostly up to Tacoma and back.)
Right now it's raining heavy in the Ptld area. Yes, it was recently hot & sunny, but you can never count on sunshine here.

What are your leisure interests?

[Buck Rabbit]

7. See a Volcano.

As far as the Volcanoes you can do that from Seattle (Mt Ranier, Crystal Mountain), between (Mt St Helens) or from Portland (Mt Hood, Timberline lodge). If you save the Mountain part for Oregon, a loop through the Columbia River Gorge, Multnomah Falls, to Hood River, down to Mt Hood and Timberline is gorgeous.

Save the coast for the Oregon part of your trip. I love the loop from Astoria down the coast and back through Tillamook for some good sight seeing. Others prefer further south like a trip to Newport.

Both of the above loops can be done in a full but long day.

If you like to hike, go to the top of Multnomah Falls (if you are in shape).

[pdxmom]

8. If you're in Portland on a weekend, you have to go to Saturday Market

It's in the travel books, but the books don't do it justice. I have the best time down there every time I go and every visitor I've had come out here have enjoyed that enormously.

And yes, see a volcano. Now that the weather is trying to clear, I plan on heading up to see what the new dome is doing up on Mount St. Helens. I've been there too many times to count, but Mother Nature in all her glory is working hard up there and I want to see what she's been up to.

[HornBuckler]

9. Well I live in Portland

And would be more than happy to get you shit faced drunk -

If that's not yer deal - cool. But the offer stands!

:)


and yeah - you can totally crash at my place - just don't plug the crapper!