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Pacific Northwest
From Wikitravel
Contents
The Pacific Northwest of the United States is best known for its beautiful coastline, green interior, rainy weather, and spectacular mountains.
[edit] States
| Oregon |
| Washington |
Sometimes the neighboring areas of northern California, western Idaho, Southeastern Alaska, and British Columbia are also considered part of the Pacific Northwest.
[edit] Cities
There are hundreds of cities and towns in the Pacific Northwest; check the states above for more complete listings. Here are seven of them.
[edit] Other destinations
The Pacific Northwest is an outdoorsy place, and there are lots of places to camp and see in the Pacific Northwest. Here are some major ones you should check out.
- Mount St. Helens: Is alive again after a few years of quietness.
- Mount Rainier: Extremely photogenic mountain, rising from close to sea level to 14,410 feet (4392m). The tallest base to peak in the world.
- Olympic National Park: Contains a coastal temperate rain forest and several mid-sized mountains.
- Crater Lake National Park: The deepest lake in North America, known for its clear blue color.
- Mount Hood: Skiing year round and the largest night ski area in America.
- Mount Bachelor: Ski area near Bend, OR.
- Mount Baker: Ski the glacier in July.
- San Juan Islands: Famous for abundant eagles and orca whales, the islands are the sunniest and warmest location along this entire coast thanks to the "rain shadow".
- Opal Creek: Located in Central Oregon, this world renowned protected area hosts a rich history, incredible hiking and swimming, and unique lodging.
[edit] Understand
Most people associate the Pacific Northwest with a lush region that receives large amounts of rain during the winter months, with wonderful summer days. But the Northwest has a wide variety of climate regions, from the Pacific Coast to the valley and, once over the mountains, a desert region -- all within a few hours drive of each other. There is enough to keep the outdoor enthusiast busy. The Pacific Northwest is known for its airplane and computer product facilities. Some of the largest and most well known corporations call the Northwest home, these include: Costco, Eddie Bauer, Expedia, Amazon.com, Starbucks, Tully's Coffee, Lionsgate Studios, Boeing, Microsoft, Intel, and Nike just to name a few. There are many exciting areas to see.
[edit] Talk
[edit] Get in
The most convenient "gateways" to the Pacific Northwest are Seattle and Portland. Both of these cities are well-connected to the rest of the world by plane, car and train, and are good starting points for trips to other areas of the Pacific Northwest.
[edit] By air
The main airports in the Pacific Northwest are Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Portland International Airport. Both airports offer flights to most cities in the USA and some flights to Asia and Europe. Other smaller airports are sprinkled around the Northwest, but most have few commercial flights except to places in the Pacific Northwest.
[edit] By train
Amtrak offers three routes serving the Northwest.
- Amtrak Cascades: Runs from Eugene to Vancouver, BC with major stops in Seattle and Portland.
- The Coast Starlight: This scenic route connects Seattle and Portland to California: this route is often hours late, so for regional trips the Amtrak Cascades is more reliable.
- The Empire Builder: Starts in Chicago and goes west to Spokane, where it splits up into two branches: one goes to Portland and the other goes to Seattle.
[edit] By car
I-5 runs north-south from the Canadian border through Seattle and Portland to California. From the east, there are two main options: I90, from Seattle east to Chicago and Boston, and I84 which starts in Portland and goes southeast to Salt Lake City.
[edit] Get around
Outside the main cities of Portland and Seattle, public transportation is scarce and is not of much use for extensive sightseeing, so renting a car is a good idea. Although distances can be long, most roads are paved and well-maintained.
[edit][add listing] See
- Columbia Gorge Scenic drive and its waterfalls. Offer beautiful hikes and is just a short trip from Portland. edit
- Oregon Coast. A beautiful strech of coastline edit
[edit][add listing] Do
- River Drifters, 405 Deschutes Ave. PO Box 40, Maupin, OR. 97037, ☎ 800-972-0430 (info@riverdrifters.net, fax: efax: 240.414.0854), [1]. Oregon & Washington rafting trips on the Deschutes, Clackamas, Owyhee, Santiam, Sandy, White Salmon, Klickitat & Wind Rivers since 1979! edit
- Sea Quest Kayaks, ☎ 360-378-5767 or 888-589-4253 (whales@sea-quest-kayak.com), [2]. Including (1) Orca Whale Watching in the San Juan Islands Biologist guides lead tours to the prime orca whale watching waters. Abundant seals, eagles, and other marine wildlife. Tour lengths range from a half-day up to 2, 3 and 5 day camping trips to the smaller islands. (2) Birding and Bird-watching Tours in Washington Join a local biologist guide and see some of the 400+ species of birds in the area. Tour lengths from half-day to full day to multi-days. edit
[edit][add listing] Eat
[edit][add listing] Drink
[edit] Stay safe
- Bug repellent is a neccessity, especially for warding off insects carrying diseases.
- Sunblock!
- When hiking wear sturdy hiking boots with good ankle support.
- Carry or bring a lot of water everywhere you travel.
- If going on an excursion of any type (camping for a weekend or just an afternoon hike) bring a small first aide kit.
- If it is possible, bring a cell phone. Be advised, however, that cell phone coverage is spotty in rural areas away from interstate highways.
- Don't forget batteries- assuming that you are carrying something that uses batteries. A flashlight, maybe?
- Tap water in Western Washington and Oregon is some of the safest in the world!
- Be aware that the weather can change extremely quickly, so be prepared.
- Crime in most Northwest cities is pretty low. Perhaps the highest crime rate of any city in the Northwest is in Tacoma (mainly in East Tacoma, Hilltop and South Tacoma) while the most dangerous neighborhood in the Northwest is the Rainier Valley neighborhood in Seattle. Other areas visitors should use caution in include Northeast Portland (especially the King neighborhood), Seattle's Central District and Lake City neighborhoods, White Center, Parkland, Spanaway and Lakewood (especially the Tillicum neighborhood).
[edit] Get out
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