Jabado Salwa - Fodors Pacific Northwest

Portland. With its pedestrian-friendly downtown and super public transit, Portland is easy to explore. The city has become a magnet for fans of artisanal food, beer, wine, and spirits, and its leafy parks and miles of bike lanes make it a prime spot for outdoors enthusiasts.

The Oregon Coast. Oregons roughly 300 miles of rugged coast are every bit as scenic as the more crowded and famous California coast. Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, the Oregon Coast Aquarium, and the Columbia River Maritime Museum are key highlights.

The Willamette Valley and Wine Country. Just beyond the Portland city limits and extending south for 120 miles to Eugene, the Willamette Valley is synonymous with exceptional wine-making.

The Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood. Less than an hour east of Portland, the Columbia Gorge extends for about 160 miles along the Oregon-Washington border. Wind sports and white-water rafting abound. Just 35 miles south of Hood Rivera growing wine and culinary meccaiconic Mt. Hood is renowned for hiking and skiing.

Central Oregon. The semi-arid and generally sunny swatch of Oregon immediately east of the Cascade Range takes in a varied landscape, with the outdoorsy city of Bend as the regional hub. Make time for the funky mountain town of Sisters and the world-famous rock climbing of Smith Rock State Park near Redmond.

Crater Lake National Park. The 21-square-mile sapphire-blue expanse is the nations deepest lake and a scenic wonder. You can drive the loop road around the lake, hike, or take a guided boat tour.

Southern Oregon. The Klamath Falls region provides some of Oregons best, under-visited scenery, while artsy Ashland and Old Westlooking Jacksonville have sophisticated restaurants, shops, and wineries. Nearby, Oregon Caves National Monument is a fascinating natural attraction.

Seattle. This sprawling city is shaped by many beautiful bodies of water. On the west is Puget Sound; on the east is massive Lake Washington. The Emerald City sits in the middle, bisected by highway I5 and further divvied up by more lakes and canals.

Washington Cascade Mountains and Valleys. Right outside Seattle, you can tour the cities of Olympia and Tacoma, marvel at navy warships and vintage Boeing airplanes, or bike past tulip fields in the Skagit Valley. Olympia is also a good jumping off point for exploring the towns in the Cascade range and Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.

The San Juan Islands. You havent experienced a Washington summer if you havent made a trip to the islands; this is prime whale-watching territory.

Olympic National Park. Centered on Mt. Olympus and framed on three sides by water, this 922,651-acre park covers much of Washingtons forest-clad Olympic Peninsula.

Olympic Peninsula and Washington Coast. Wilderness envelops most of the Olympic Peninsula, with the Olympic Mountains at its core. Rugged terrain and few roads limit interior accessibility, but U.S. Highway 101 offers breathtaking forest, ocean, and mountain vistas.

North Cascades National Park. This 505,000-acre expanse of mountain wilderness is part of an area with more than half of the glaciers in America.

North Central Washington. Along the beautiful North Cascades Highway youll encounter spectacular scenery and logging towns such as Sedro Wooley and Marblemount, as well as Winthrop.

Mount Rainier National Park. The fifth-highest mountain in the Lower 48, Mt. Rainier is massive and unforgettable.

Washington Wine Country. This fertile valley east of the Cascades has long been known for apple and cherry orchards, and in recent years as a highly prized wine-making areaincluding the vineyards around Zillah, Prosser, and Benton City.

Spokane and Eastern Washington. Characterized by rolling, dry, treeless hills and anchored by the states second-largest city, Spokane, this area takes in the vast Columbia River valley and an eclectic mix of cities and towns, including wine-centric Walla Walla.

Vancouver and Victoria. Cosmopolitan Vancouver is a glorious city with tall fir trees, rock spires, the ocean at your doorstep, and a vibrant atmosphere. Victoria, with its stately Victorian structures, is a stunner.

Currency and Exchange. The units of currency in Canada are the Canadian dollar (C$) and the cent, in almost the same denominations as U.S. currency. A good way to be sure youre getting the best exchange rate is by using your credit card or ATM/debit card. The issuing bank will convert your bill at the current rate.

Packing. Its all about layers here. The weather can morph from cold and overcast to warm and sunny and back again in the course of a few hours, especially in spring and early fall.