US Northwest by Suggestion

We found ourselves adrift on the Pacific Northwest.

All of the spots listed below are suggestions from you; our readers, our friends, and our families.

We mapped out our road trip based on the places y’all told us about. The locations took us up the coast of Oregon past the most scenic, tree-lined beaches you could imagine and into the funky-foodtopia of Portland.

Our house on wheels drove us into the Southern Coast of Washington, up the Olympic Peninsula, toward the grunge-casual, metropolis of Seattle. Then up to the majestic, San Juan Islands and Friday Harbor.

Heading eastward through Washington’s wine country and Oregon’s wild “west” (actually eastern) cities, we landed in Southern Idaho. From Boise to the Craters of the Moon, the sizzling hot temps could only be chilled by beer.

Chart your own Northwest road trip using our recommendation list below. Gaze over our iPhone photos, then hit the road.

Oregon

Spot	Link	Tip
Rouge River	Jerry’s Rouge Jets	Lots of camping on the river
Pacific City	Oregon Coast	Off the beaten path
Tillamook Cheese Factory	The Town that Cheese Built	Bring digestive aid
Evergreen Aviation Museum	Aircraft & Exhibits	See the Spruce Goose
Multnomah Falls	Wiki the Falls	Worth a trip outta Portland
Astoria	OldOregon.com	Where the Goonies was filmed.
Portland	Travel Portland	Love this city. Great public transport and food cart mania. We didn’t dig the Perl district.
Campground on the River	Barton/Clackamas State Park	Just outside of Portland. Worth the commute.
Oregon Vortex	Our Experience	It’s real, man!
John Day Wilderness Area	Blue Mountains	This is on our bucket list
Beverly State Beach & Campground	Oregon State Parks	Oregon Coastal Camping at it’s finest.
Dayton	Visit a Vineyard	The Pinot Noir at Domaine Serene
Baker City	Oregon’s Wild West (East)	Feels like you’re in Northern Arizona

Washington

Spot	Link	Tip
Olympic Peninsula	Destination Guide	Scenic drive
San Juan Islands	Island Guide	Ferry boat ride to Friday Island. Rent a scooter to see the back roads.
Port Townsend	City Guide
Fremont Troll at the Aurora Bridge, Seattle		Roadside America at it’s finest
Microsoft Campus	Plan a Visit	It helps to know someone on the inside. The Museum is open to the public though. We’re Mac fans but this was cool!
Seattle Underground	Bill Speidel’s Tour	Yes, the town was built on the backs of women. Bring your allergy meds, the underground is musty, but still a must.
The Ballard Locks	Puget Sound Ship Canal	Cool technology and views of the Puget Sound.
Cherrywood B&B, Zillah	Sleep in a Teepee	What goes on in the teepee…
Rattlesnake Ridge Trail	Elevation gain: 1,175 feet	I almost died but the view at the top of the rock is amazing.

Idaho

Spot	Link	Tip
City of Rocks	NP Website
Craters of the Moon	NP Website	Yes. Do stay at the campground. And take a Hike!
Atomic City	Experimental Breeder Reactor	Population 24
Wallace Mining Town	The Center of the Universe
Hiawatha	Lookout Pass	Bike along a railroad
Sandpoint	Schweitzer Mountains	Scenic Drive
Knitting Factory	Live Music
Main Auction, Boise	Live Auction	Saturday 10am
Bittercreek Ale House, Boise	Beers On-Tap	‘Cause the Roaming Pint said so.
Campground Near Boise	Mountain View RV Park	Walking distance from the bus stop!
Basque Street Food, Boise		We loved paying with dirty sticks and tooth picks.
Basque Pub & Eatery	Bar Gernika	Cheese balls!
Indian Food	Madhuban	“All Happiness depends on a leisurely Food”
Capitol City Public Market	the Market	Saturday
Old Penitentiary	Historical Society	Self tour it.
Indy Theater	The Flicks	Hot day hangout

Photo Journey of the Northwest

We’d LOVE to hear from YOU

Oregon, Washington, and Idaho are among our favorite U.S. States. Their cities, coasts, lava flows and locals are amazing. There is NO doubt we will be back gathering and reporting on more travel recommendations from this region.

So, leave your Northwest suggestion below in the comment section, we thank you for sharing.