Pacific North West: Coffee, beer and the great outdoors.

[Guest]

Well I have some updates.

After much umming and ahhhing and it being all left to me, I've picked a hotel to stay in Vancouver for the first part of our trip. It's The Sunset Inn and Suites and seems to be fairly centrally located with pretty good reviews on a Trip Advisor. It isn't extortionate, but it can be cancelled anytime if I find an alternative on Airbnb, but I wanted to have a good fallback if I fail at that
We'll be staying 4 nights and it includes breakfast, but has a kitchen so we can always budget with a takeaway if we're feeling slobby one night or with bits bought from a market.goo.gl/images/mPfZ46

I have also booked the next 2 nights in Seattle in The Ace Hotel.goo.gl/images/doBlsH You get good coffee for breakfast and it's right in the centre of things since we only have 2 nights to enjoy the city. This is us trying to be in the In Crowd .

Then we head off into the North Cascades with a car ( still to sort, hubbys job). The cabins I fancied were fully booked and we really wanted to be outdoors for a while so we really are.
I've booked 2 nights at Newhalem Campground and reserved a recommended pitch overlooking the river for just $32 for both nights 😊. goo.gl/images/NeQv8D
I have a super lightweight backpacking tent and sleeping bags etc as I had been planning a throughwalk which hasn't yet happened, so we will stick those in our suitcases and get out into the Fresh air. Each pitch comes with a picnic table and a fire pit so we plan on some outdoor eating after a day of long hiking trails.

Tomorrow I plan to book the next place on the holiday, fingers crossed it'll still be available.

Then I have 2 days further to decide upon possibly around Mount Rainier or Hood River before we head to Portland where I've splashed out on 2 nights at Mcmenamins Kennedy School. goo.gl/images/RXqzwV
I really like the look of this with its cool public spaces to hang out and I've booked one of the king rooms with the old blackboards etc still in them.

Our Final 2 nights are a little undecided. We want to see the Oregon coast a little and I really wanted to stay at The Cannery Pier in Astoria so I booked a night ages ago goo.gl/images/IDWkvENow I'm not so sure, whether to do a night somewhere before first or do 2 nights in an Airbnb cottage and cancel the Cannery Pier.

We would have to be up super early on the Saturday for the 3.5 hour+ drive to the airport on Saturday though, so still trying to work that one out.

ps. I am not sure how to get the images up instead of just links using an iPad ?

[sweetemotion]

Your trip sounds amazing. I've just booked a short stay in Vancouver for 3 days in two weeks time. I booked an air bnb based on the fact it had free parking. I would agree Vancouver is expensive! I've been to Van a handful of times but never really done the touristy things. I'm planning on the Capilano suspension bridge park and a horse drawn car ride through Stanley park. Totem poles are a must! Also it looks like you'll be there in the summer, the theatre under the stars opens up in July. I'm hoping I might be able to catch a showing of Mary Poppins before moving to Disney!

[Guest]

Originally Posted by sweetemotion

Your trip sounds amazing. I've just booked a short stay in Vancouver for 3 days in two weeks time. I booked an air bnb based on the fact it had free parking. I would agree Vancouver is expensive! I've been to Van a handful of times but never really done the touristy things. I'm planning on the Capilano suspension bridge park and a horse drawn car ride through Stanley park. Totem poles are a must! Also it looks like you'll be there in the summer, the theatre under the stars opens up in July. I'm hoping I might be able to catch a showing of Mary Poppins before moving to Disney!

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What did you think of Vancouver?


My trip is morphing the more I read about the area. There are just too many places I want to see

I'll be updating here later this week as I firm out and book a few activities that will determine a more definite plan on the days between Seattle and Portland. Plus my goodness so many amazing places to eat I'm going to put on pounds 😬

[Guest]

Very late update.

Well everything seems more or less in place.

The other hotels are booked, namely, 2 nights in Winthrop in the Rio Vista. It looks like all the rooms have wee balconys overlooking the river and it's very Central for heading out for drinks and food in the evening.

Then on to Hood River to the Hampton Inn And Suites. We've booked a King with river views and the hotel has a pool and breakfast included.

Here we plan on doing a White water raft trip on the Salmon River and driving up to Timberline Lodge and doing some walks around Mount Hood.

On our way into Portland we'll drive and explore the Columbia River Gorge.

In Portland we have no definite plans apart from enjoying the hotel soaking pool. Possibly visiting the Japanese Gardens and just enjoying the city.

On to the Oregon coast and drive to Astoria ( via Cannon Beach ) where we've stuck with our original booking at the Cannery Pier Hotel.

Final night is in Centralia, halfway to the airport for a single night in another McMenamins hotel. On the way we'll visit a state park on the coast for walks.

I can't believe we're now only 7 days away

I'm busy reading up on restaurants and bars to try now all the main things are sorted.

I'll start a trip report and try and do it live as we go as I know I won't get round to doing it once we're home. It'll all be about planning the next trip 😊. ( although I think I'll be without any Wifi or signal for a couple of nights when we're hiking in the North Cascades.

[WileyCoyote]

Not long to go now ! It sounds such an interesting trip, can't wait to read along. Safe travels and happy hols

[anji]

Really looking forward to reading your report and reliving someofthe good times we had last year, especially the Columbia River and Potland! Check out my trippie if you've not already done so https://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/sho...d.php?t=966569

Have a fabulous time!