My wife and I are going to be doing a road trip this June along the west coast for about 14 days. We’re currently living in Victoria so that will be our starting point. Both of us are really interested in checking Washington, Oregon and Northern California coast. We’re planning on camping the entire trip since we will have our dog and will be cheaper hopefully. I’m just reaching out to see if anyone has any cool spots they recommend. (Campgrounds, local restaurants, routes, etc) thanks in advance!

Seen many posts like this but was wondering what you all felt about my situation.

I'm 22 and currently live in LA for work but was born and raised in Michigan. I want to move to either OR or WA mostly because I'm a huge fan of hiking/nature/evergreens and having all 4 seasons. I'm used to the bitter cold and gloomy weather as a Michigander, but have been warned multiple times about the consistent rainfall in each state, alas it sounds pretty close to MI so I'm not bothered by it.

I'm more of an introvert looking to be closer to nature while retaining a small-town vibe. I'm okay with a bustling atmosphere - but I do not want to live in a huge city (Seattle or Portland). As someone who is mixed it'd be great to be near a diverse area.

I was wondering if anyone knew of a great suburban place near those big metro areas with a good mix of mountains and forestry. I was also wondering if Portland has a "small city" vibe, which I'm interested in. I heard that after the BLM protests Portland has been a sort of ghost town/unsafe - was wondering if that was true.

I have folks that live in Vancouver, but that seems "retirement-home-esque" for me. I definitely want to be more elevated surrounded by young people.

Seattle at 4:22pm

Hello everyone! I'm planning a road trip in July (PNW + Alaska). I've already sorted out part of the Alaska itinerary, but I need advice for the PNW.
I'm flying into Seattle Airport (and flying out from there as well).

Day 0:

• Evening arrival, car rental, overnight near Eatonville.

Day 1:

• Mt. Rainier NP (Paradise and probably Sunrise).
• Overnight in Kelso, WA.

Day 2:

• Mt. St. Helens (2.5-3 hours).
• Columbia Gorge (Latourell Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, Multnomah Falls, Horsetail Falls).
• Overnight in Cascade Locks.

Day 3:

• Mount Hood (Timberline Lodge, possibly a trail. Any recommendations?).
• McKenzie Pass Loop (Proxy Falls, Sahalie and Koosah Falls, Clear Lake).
• Overnight in Bend.

Day 4:

• Lava Butte (just an hour).
• Crater Lake.
• Overnight in Grants Pass.

Day 5:

• Oregon Coast (Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor, Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint).
• Overnight at Cape Perpetua.

Day 6:

• Cape Perpetua Scenic Area, Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, Cannon Beach.
• Overnight in Seattle.

Day 7:

• Full day in Seattle.

Day 8:

• Morning flight to Alaska.

Questions:

1. I'm confident about the first four days of the route, but I'm not sure if it's worth spending two full days on the Oregon Coast. From what I'm skipping but would like to see are Painted Hills, Smith Rock State Park, and Newberry Volcanic. Should I reduce time on the coast to fit these spots in? If so, which coastal points should I keep?
2. I'm not very interested in cities, more in nature and wildlife. Should I skip Seattle and replace it with something nearby, like Olympic National Park? If I skip a day in Seattle, what’s achievable in Olympic National Park with such a limited time?
3. Painted Hills vs. Smith Rock – Is it worth visiting both, or should I pick one? If so, which one is better?
4. Oregon Coast – If I only have one day, which key points should I prioritize?
5. Wildlife – Are there any spots along the route where I’m likely to see wildlife?
6. Best trails around Mount Hood – Which hikes are a must if I only have a few hours
7. Any other advice on the route?

I know the itinerary is quite packed and active, but I'm used to traveling like this! :)

Coming from downtown Vancouver. Which mountain am I looking at??

Colville, WA - Onion Creek (48.7605870, -117.8026444)

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Do you have any recommendations? My mom wants to learn about the mushrooms in the area and I have no idea where to start looking cuz I’m not living in the area any more

I know I'm definitely trying to find a needle in the haystack, but I've really fallen in love with the PNW and don't want to leave.

Is there a place in the PNW that is sunny, green, and doesn't have too much smoke?

I just don't want to be in the eastern part of the state, in the desert - without trees and more arid. Also, don't want to be in a place that's gloomy or rainy, because I want some sunshine. Trying to also avoid as much of the smoke as I can.

Can't think of a place like that, especially one that's not more than 3.5 hours away from a trauma I hospital. That's why I'm asking the community. Guessing there isn't a place like that, but who knows - maybe I can have my cake and eat it too.

Closest thing I can think of is the Olympic rain-shadow, but they can get fairly gloomy too. And, Bend and Hood River, OR can have pretty bad wildfire seasons.

If you can't think of a place like that either, that's totally cool. Just not trying to get a bunch of messages that say go to another part of the country, not what I'm looking for