Pacific Coastal Northwest

Oregon | United States | Washington

Pacific Coastal Northwest

Welcome to the beautiful Pacific Northwest! On this trip you will visit the two capitals of the American Northwest, Seattle and Portland, travel along part of the Oregon Coast to the Olympic Peninsula and to the beautiful San Juan Islands. The tour takes 9 days and requires a rental car. Fly into Portland and out of Seattle to save driving and time.

Length: 12 days (suggested ways to make it shorter below)

Transportation: car

Guide Book: Fodors Pacific Northwest, A Falcon Guide: Walking Portland, Oregon

Day 1 – Portland

Day 2 – Portland

Day 3 – Willamette Valley or Columbia River Gorge

Day 4 – Forks

Day 5 – Hoh Valley and Port Townsend

Day 6 – Mount Storm King and Port Townsend

Day 7 – Whidbey Island

Day 8 – Orcas Island

Day 9 – Orcas Island

Day 10 – Seattle

Day 11 – Seattle

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 – Portland

Grab a flight to Portland. It depends what time you arrive to determine what you have time for the first day.

This trip requires a car and you should pick one up at the airport. Remember when making your reservation to arrange for a drop in Seattle. You could fly in and out of Portland if you prefer as the drive from Seattle to Portland is only 2h43 along easy highway but you can also pick up at PDX and drop at SEA and save the last bit of driving.

If you arrive late, consider adding a day in Portland to your trip. Portland is a pleasant city with a walkable downtown, nice neighborhoods, and a relaxed atmosphere.  

To start your day in Portland enjoy a Portland walking tour. With additional time head to Powell’s City of Books. If you don’t have time, you can leave this for the next day. Powell’s City of Books is the largest independent bookstore in the world. We found it easy to spend a couple of hours here. Look for the little recommendation cards as a suggestion to where to even begin. It’s so big you can grab a map when you walk in. Stop for a coffee at the cafe after if you need a pick-me-up or place to read.

In any case regardless of when you arrive you will need to eat and we suggest an introduction to Northwest wine and food at the Oui! wine bar and restaurant. It is not right downtown but the food was really great and it’s in a nice nearby neighborhood.

After dinner grab ice cream at Portland’s legendary ice cream shop Salt and Straw.

For a hotel that’s downtown with some charm, consider the Ace Hotel or The Society Hotel. These boutique hotels are very enjoyable. You can also consider the Hyatt House Portland / Downtown which is far less interesting but on a convenient streetcar line to downtown and and on a nice park along the river. If you have points you need to burn this may be a good option. Alternatively you stay across the river at a B&B. Our favorite one shut down but the The Lion and the Rose is housed in a pretty Victorian. Lodging is quainter and more residential across the river from downtown and there are good bars and restaurants, however you will have to commute into town for any activity which can be a downside.

Day 2 – Portland

Begin at Voodoo Donuts if you want to try this Portland staple. It always has a long line and unless you really enjoy unusual donuts it may not be worth it, but we have to throw it in here. Either skip it or from there, walk 9 minutes to Powell’s books if you didn’t see it the day before (opens at 9) and grab a coffee in their cafe. From here head toward the water and check out the charming little Lan Su Chinese Gardens then continue down to the river where on both Saturday and Sunday the Saturday Market has a large craft and food market. From here head back up to Dechutes Brewery and Public House for lunch and to sample some of the craft beer that Portland is so famous for. Then head out to the Japanese Gardens and the International Rose Gardens for some gorgeous parkland and flowers very near downtown Portland. You can do all these things by walking or by public transit (Portland has the Max lightrail and buses), or drive if you’re so inclined.

For dinner there are many options – consider Ned Ludd, Willow, Kachka, or you don’t mind waiting you could consider Pok Pok . After dinner consider drinks at Drinks: Hopworks Urban Brewery or Multnomah Whiskey Library

If you are in town on Saturday Portland State University hosts a large Farmers Market with over 100 vendors.

Stay in the same lodging as the night before (night 2/2).

Day 3 – Willamette Valley or Columbia River Gorge

Today you have two options. You can either head out to the gorgeous Willamette Valley for wine tasting (option 1) or you head to the Columbia River Gorge to enjoy hiking and waterfalls (option 2). If you want to do both, consider an extra day. Of note, the Columbia River Gorge is slightly the wrong direction and will add about 30 minutes onto your drive for the day compared to the Willamette Valley.

Option 1:

The Willamette Valley has is a cooler environment than Napa in California and the emphasis tends to be Pinot Noir and whites rather then Cabernets and Zinfandels of California. Our absolute favorite combination is visiting Bells Up Winery followed by Vidon. Both are small winemakers, off the beaten path, and very good. At Bells Up you’ll get a personally curated appointment with the winemaker himself. At Vidon you’ll get sweeping views. If you’re still ambitious, consider adding on Utopia Vineyard, Adelsheim, Trisaetum, Alloro, or Penner-Ash. The cute little town of McMinnville is nearby and has some good dining options – look at Ruddick/Wood and Storrs Smokehouse – if you wish (it’s also a nice area for picnicking). Then head over to Cannon Beach on the Oregon Coast (1h30 drive).

View from Penner Ash winery over the Willamette Valley

Option 2:

Not into wine tasting? The beautiful Columbia River Gorge has great scenery and lovely waterfalls east of Portland. If you opt for this be sure and stop at the many stops and viewpoints clearly marked on the Columbia River Parkway – especially Multnomah Falls – and grab lunch at Multnomah Falls Lodge. Here is nicely laid out the stops along the way. Our general recommendation is to start by getting out of the car at Crown Point Vista House Lookout and proceeding, getting out at various waterfalls, until you reach the Multnomah Falls where you can turn around and head to Cannon Beach (2h drive).

Once you reach Cannon Beach you are in for some beautiful coastal scenery. The Pacific coast is often foggy so have warm clothing available, but the fog also often burns off by afternoon. We suggest a visit to Ecola State Park where you can do a short hike. Don’t miss a stop at the beach at Cannon Beach (park at lot at South Hawthorne and East Gower and walk along East Gower to beach access). Cannon Beach is huge, beautiful, and offers enormous sea stack.

Ecola State Park

For a unique dining experience eat at Cannon beach hardware and public house which offers excellent food and drink at a hardware store (yes, you read that right). Or for a pub-like experience, head to Pelican Brewing next door.

Cannon Beach

Stay at Arch Cape Inn and Retreat, a castle-like hotel along beautiful Cannon Beach and about 5 miles south of town. If you can’t stay here, try and stay in Cannon Beach; we though Hallmark Inn looked particularly nice and is right on the water. The town of Seaside is close but not nearly as nice. If you must stay there, the Ashore Hotel was nice.

Day 4 – Astoria, Forks, and Ruby Beach

Get coffee/breakfast at Sleepy Monks Coffee Roasters on your way out of town.

Today you head north along Highway 101 towards Forks, Washington (we promise no vampires…bad Twilight joke?)

About a half hour north stop by Fort Clatsop National historic park in Astoria. This is where Lewis and Clark spent a rainy winter after trekking across the western US and gives you a nice overview of their adventures.

Then head to Astoria, a very charming town filled with cute Victorian houses (and also the setting of the Goonies film). If you’re on a Saturday, enjoy their farmer’s market. Otherwise, enjoy poking through the shops. Grab lunch at Astoria Coffee House and Bistro, Bowpicker Fish & Chips, Fort George Brewery, Astoria Brewing Company. Grab an ice cream at Frite and Scoop. There is a good maritime museum in town if you’re so inclined.

Continue north on 101 – you will pass lovely Quinault Lake with dense rainforest. There is an old resort which is cute, a scenic loop drive around the lake to some falls on the Quinalt river and a short walk in the rain forest (not very interesting but fine if you want to stretch your legs).

Next stop at Ruby Beach. The beach was named for red crystals that wash up on the sand – you may not see many of those but the beach is really spectacular.

Ruby Beach

You’ve got some options for lodging. We actually recommend you stay near Ruby beach at Kalaloch Lodge for a few reasons: 1) you can enjoy the sunset from Ruby beach, 2) it offers the best dining in the area, 3) it’s already a fairly long day of driving and this shortens it. However, you do have some other options including Misty Valley Inn B&B or Miller Tree Inn B&B in Forks itself, Hoh Valley Cabins, or Sul Duc Cabins depending on how far you feel like driving today versus tomorrow. They each have pros and cons.

If you’re staying at Kalaloch (or it’s near dinnertime) eat at Creekside Restaurant. If you’re staying in cabins, you can cook. There is a Safeway in Seaside (near Cannon Beach) you can stop at early in the day. If you’re staying in Forks, there aren’t a lot of great options, but Pacific Pizza was ok.

Day 5 – Hoh Valley and Port Townsend

We recommend a hike today in one of of the Olympic Penninsula and Park’s rainforests. Depending on where you decide to stay, your driving time will be different. You have two options that we recommend: the Hoh Valley Hike (up to 10 miles round trip, can turn around when you wish – it’s virtually flat) or the Deer Lake Trail (about 6 miles total in an out, more strenuous). You’ll be able to enjoy the lush temperate rainforest in either overrunning with and green with ferns and moss.

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Hoh rain forest

Once you’ve stretched your legs, you can take an optional soak in the Sol Duc hot springs right outside of the Deer Lake Hike (but can do with either). Then get back in the car, driving until you get to the turn off for Hurricane Ridge (1h33 drive from Sol Duc). You will wind up to a beautiful alpine meadow with amazing views of snow-capped mount Olympus (and end up in Olympic National Park proper). There are some short, well-marked hikes in from up here. From here continue on to charming victorian Port Townsend (1h35 drive from Hurricane Ridge).

Port Townsend is full of hotels from the late 1800s, many festivals, and great restaurants. It’s one of the prettiest towns in Washington. For Dinner consider Alchemy Bistro and wine bar or Silverwater Cafe. Stay at the lovely Old Consulate Inn, a Victorian Mansion on beautiful property with views of Puget Sound (night 1/2).

Hurricane Ridge Olympic NP

Day 6 – Mount Storm King and Port Townsend

You can skip this day if you’re short on time and go directly to day number 7. However, if you have the time we thought this was a lovely additional day to spend along the Olympic Peninsula.

Start today by grabbing coffee and a pastry at Seal Dog Coffee Bar, an extremely friendly joint with fantastic morning beverage options. If something catches your eye for lunch, grab it here to bring on your hike. If not, try and hit a grocery store along the way for picnic supplies.

Now it’s time to get back in the car and backtrack about 1.5 hours to Mount Storm King. Yes, you could re-work this to stay in Port Angeles or at a cabin near Mount Storm King, but we loved Port Townsend and, while we don’t like backtracking generally, liked the way we did this.

Mount Storm King Hike is in Olympic National Park and one of our favorites in the state of Washington. While it is pretty relentlessly uphill via switchbacks, at the end you’ll be rewarded with incredible views of Crescent Lake,the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Canada in the distance. Allow about 1/2 a day for this hike and enjoy lunch at the very top. Make sure you bring water. We were fine doing this hike in just tennis shoes but if you have hiking boots, today is the day to pull them out.

Once you finish, head back to Port Townsend. Spend the afternoon visiting the town’s shops, art galleries, and enjoy wandering along the Victorian houses. In the summer there are often lots of festivals that come through. Grab an ice cream at Elevated Ice Cream.

Pick the restaurant you didn’t try the previous night fo dinner, either Alchemy Bistro or Silverwater Cafe. Lodging is the same as last night.

Day 7 – Whidbey Island

Today includes a leisurely drive and a couple of ferry rides as you make your way from Port Townsend up to Orcas Island. The Washington State marine highway system makes travel around Puget Sound and across all those waterways easy, but the ferries can get busy and you MUST have reservations in advance if you don’t want to wait around all day to get on a boat.

A quick note on how the reservations work. There’s no fee to make a reservation, but there’s a $10 no-show fee if you don’t make your reserved sailing. A reservation is also not a ticket. If you have not checked in (being in line to check is not enough) at the ferry terminal 30 minutes before the scheduled sailing time, they will give away your reservation, and you’ll have to join the standby line. If there isn’t room on the boat, you won’t get on. So be sure to leave enough time to get through the check-in process. We found the terminal at Port Townsend to be pretty quiet, but the Anacortes terminal was crowded, and we almost missed our boat.

Drive up to the booth at the ferry terminal and give them your name if you already have a reservation. We recommend taking a morning ferry to get to Coupeville before lunch.

Port Townsend WA

The first ferry leaves from Port Townsend and arrives at Whidbey Island (about 30 minutes). Unload at Whidbey Island and from there it’s a short drive to Coupeville (about 15 minutes). Coupeville is a cute town on the water and a great stop for lunch, we recommend The Oystercatcher or Current’s Bistro. If you have time, you might also consider a glass of wine or a flight at Vail Wine Shop and Tasting Room or local ice cream at Kapaws Iskreme.

Drive north, stopping at the iron bridge across Deception Pass in Deception Pass State Park. Watch where water rushes through the narrow gap between Whidbey and the mainland – sort of like rapids. There are often a bunch of boats and people fishing just beyond the gap, waiting for the salmon swimming through. There are also trails in the Deception Pass State Park and some nice beaches if you want to stretch your legs. From here drive north to Anacortes and get on your second ferry to Orcas Island.

Once you arrive in Orcas we recommend staying either in Westsound at Cabins on the Point or Eastsound at Salish Seaside Escapes (night 1/3).  Eastsound is full of great restaurants, or there are a few supermarkets in downtown Eastsound (a full grocery store and co-op) where you can pick up food to cook at your lodging. If you’re eating out you can’t miss Hogstone (and it’s truly gourmet farm-to-table pizzas) at least one night of the trip. Other great options include Aelder, Doe Bay Cafe, Kingfish, Island Skillet, and Buck Bay Shellfish. Consider making a reservation as they typically fill up quickly in the summer.

Day 8 – Orcas Island

Enjoy a full day exploring Orcas Island. Orcas is a gorgeous island in the San Juan Island group. There’s a lot of activities – whale watching (with guaranteed sightings), sea kayaking, and hiking are among the most popular. A whole section of the Island is given over to Moran State Park – which has several nice lakes, miles of hikes, and a nice drive to Constitution Mountain with great views around the region. We’ll give you time to do all, however you can cut out one of the days to shorten your trip.

Start your day at Brown Bear Baking. We love bakeries and this is in the top 2 that we have ever visited.

Next head to whale watching at Deer Harbor. This company takes small groups out with guaranteed sitings (if you don’t see it today, you can come back tomorrow for free). They are environmentally friendly and ecosystem conscious which is an extra bonus. Learn a lot about the orcas for which the island is named while seeing the beautiful creatures in the sea. Take a morning tour to have the afternoon free.

In the afternoon, rent a kayak (you can do this from Deer Harbor) or if you’re staying at Cabins at the Point kayaks are included. You can paddle around the bay or island. Deer Harbor also offers guided tours if you prefer.

Before dinner get drinks at Barnacles. These drinks are superb and inventive (and if you like G&Ts, it’s the best we’ve ever had). They also have food, so if you want to do dinner here it’s a great option. If not head to one of the restaurants you haven’t yet tried.

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The night sky over the Cabins on the Point

Day 9 – Orcas Island

You can skip this day if you’re short on time.

We can’t help it, we love Brown Bear Baking, but you could also try Roses Bakery Cafe for breakfast.

Next head to Moran State Park. Drive up Constitution Mountain for a fantastic view of the surrounding islands. We enjoyed the twin lakes trail, however there are many options. Grab a parking ticket from any of the electronic machines (at Constitution Mountain parking too). If you’re in the mood to swim and picnic, stop at Mountain Lake.

After your hike head to Orcas Island Pottery to view an incredibly (and very very large) collection of stunning pottery made right on the island.

For pre-dinner drinks, Island Hoppin’ Brewing is fun and you can try local brews and wine. If you hate beer, Orcas Island Winery is in a stunning location.

For dinner, cook at your lodgings or try one of the restaurants from the night before.

Day 10 – Seattle

Get up and head over to the ferry and catch a ride to Anacortes(get reservations ahead of time). Aim for a morning ferry to get to Seattle midday. The ferry is about an hour and a half and it’s about another hour and a half drive to Seattle from the Anacortes ferry terminal.

Arrive at your hotel and walk over to Pike Market and Pioneer square. Grab lunch along the way – recommendations include Country Dough or the deli at DeLaurenti Food & Wine, or for seafood head to Market Grill in the Main Arcade where you can try the region’s clam chowder or blackened salmon sandwich.

It’s Seattle, so you must drink coffee. The original Starbucks is located on Pike Place, and while it’s the oldest Starbucks in the world and has some old-school decor, it’s still at Starbucks. Instead, go to Storyville Coffee in the Corner Market Building or Ghost Alley Espresso with its disgustingly famous Gum Wall.

At Pioneer square consider the quirky Underground Seattle tour where you can learn about how the city was once lower and a new city sprung up on top of it. It’s entertaining and historical.

Live it up tonight and have dinner at the remarkable Art of the Table. We suggest adding the wine pairing because it was so good (best take an Uber or cab as it’s 7 courses and 7 flights of wine).

For lodging, it’s a good idea to stay downtown which gives you more access to restaurants, bars, and the downtown Seattle city vibe. Consider Hotel Andra, Inn at the Market, or Arctic Club which all are considered boutique hotels but in a great location. A more hum drum option is the Hyatt Regency Seattle which is also in a great locale (night 1/1).

Day 11 – Seattle

Today we recommend visiting the fantastic Chihuly Museum and Gardens. The museum is not large but the art is stunning and the gardens are beautiful. Chihuly is a Washington-born artist famous for his glass works. The museum offers a series of movies showing how the massive glass creations are made. Depending when you’re there, you can also see a demonstration of glass blowing.

Chihuly museum

From here consider heading over to the Ballard Locks and fish ladder. It’s interesting to watch the boats traversing the elevation change from the ocean to Union lake some 15 feet higher. Then wander over to the fish ladder – set up with glass so you can see the salmon making their way upstream to spawn.

By now it’s likely lunch time and Ballard is a cute neighborhood of Seattle with quite a few places to eat, we recommend Ballard Annex Oyster house. If you’re there on Sunday, visit the farmer’s market downtown.

If you have additional time or aren’t interested in Salmon migration, other diversions include nearby Discovery park, the largest park in Seattle that offers great views, the lovely Lake Washington Arboretum, the iconic Space Needle, and/ or the REI flagship store – one of the best places anywhere to stock up on your outdoor gear for your next adventure.

Unfortunately all good things must come to an end – head to the airport, drop your rental car, and fly home.

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