Lonely Planet - Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest Travel Guide

You cant escape nature here. Even the big cities are punctuated by looming, snowy peaks: Seattles Mt Rainier, Portlands Mt Hood and Vancouvers North Shore Mountains. Not to mention the raging rivers, rolling deserts, dense old-growth forests and glorious public beaches that are never far from any urban landscape.

The region offers endless outdoor opportunities: camping, hiking, cycling, skiing and mountaineering. And all that rain translates into a perfect storm of water sports; raft white water, kayak lake and sea, and kiteboard through ripping winds.

Seattle, Portland and Vancouver are all rich in gourmet restaurants, as well as a wide range of ethnic foods. Seattle boasts a long-established history of Northwest cuisine, while Portlands affordability has made it a relatively recent magnet for hot chefs. Vancouver offers some of the best Chinese food outside, well, China.

Theres an abundance of locally grown food, from berries and hazelnuts to wild mushrooms, seafood, cheese and grass-fed beef. Locavores abound, getting their fix in the many specialty groceries, farmers markets and community gardens.

In these parts, beverages are big. The nations gourmet-coffee scene may have started in Seattle, but dozens of artisan microroasters across the Northwest now produce some of the best espresso in the world. In some coffee shops, pouring a latte is practically an art form.

Microbrewing also became famous here, within a stones throw of the nations highest concentration of hop farms. Today, craft brewers pump out fragrant India Pale Ales (IPAs) and more. Grapevines cover many hills, producing a harvest of intriguing reds and whites.