Great Things To Do In The Pacific Northwest – Travel Like A Local

As a travel agent in the Portland and Vancouver Metropolitan areas, I spend a lot of my time helping people go on vacations FROM this area.  When you already live in an area that has a great year-round temperature range and climate, it’s hard to imaging leaving from here.  But many of us love to travel.

So instead of talking about other places to go, I thought I would write a “quick” article about the top things I enjoy doing here in the great Pacific Northwest.  I have many friends that live elsewhere that are always asking me what there is to do “out there”, so this article will address that question.

I have lived here since 1991 and I have experienced much of what the entire west coast has to offer.  However, I will concentrate on about a 2-3 hour radius around the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area. (if one were to fly into PDX – what is there to do)?  Lets start with the low-hanging fruit.

Foodies (& Beverage)

For about 4 months out of the year, this area gets a lot of rain (Nov-Feb).  That is what keeps it so green here.  What do Portlanders do during that time?  They eat and drink at the plethora of outstanding gastronomic establishments in the area.  There are many breweries, wineries and an amazing assortment and variety or restaurants.  Many of which are in the Portland area or within short drives. There are too many to single out any.  A quick internet search will provide you much reading material of the current listings.  Suffice it to say that you will not be disappointed.  They come in all pricing levels as well.  There are many in the downtown Portland area. However, sadly, since 2020, there have been political events that have decimated the downtown Portland area.  I steer clear of that area whenever possible.  Instead, personally, I prefer the waterfront area in Vancouver, WA (just across the river from Portland).  There are many hotels and restaurants, and it is a much improved experience over the Portland downtown area.  It is much smaller and quaint, but with good food, service and ambience.  Here are a couple of links for you to consider:

• Portland Area Breweries
• Top Portland Oregon Restaurants
• Vancouver Washington Waterfront (Just across the river from Portland)
• Wineries near Portland, OR

If you want to visit wineries, there are many to choose from just south of Portland.  An area I high recommend is the Newberg/Dundee, OR area.  Many vintners are represented in that area.

Entertainment, Shopping and Education

• Oregon Zoo:  One of the top attractions in Portland is the Oregon Zoo.  Year-round it is a great zoo.  Of special interest is it’s Summer Concert Series and in fall/winter, you should not miss Zoo Lights.  The zoo is located in the Washington Park area, which has it’s own attractions and charms as well.  In summertime, it is spectacular, offering elevated views of downtown Portland.  Don’t miss the Japanese Garden and the Rose Garden.  Lots of hiking and picnicking.  Spring and fall can be pretty spectacular as well.
• Golfing:  The Portland area offers a great selection of public and private courses.  Men’s and Women’s PGA tournament are commonly held in Portland.  For more information:  Golfing in Portland.  If you are in the Hillsboro, OR area, I can highly recommend Top Golf.
• Soccer:  Portland is the home of the Portland Timbers.  Get more information here:  Portland Timbers.
• Basketball, Concerts and more.  Portland is the home of the Portland Trailblazers.  Their games and much more can be enjoyed at the Rose Garden/Moda Center.  Get more information here:  Moda Center.
• Portland International Raceway:  Are you into racing?  Check out all the events here:  Portland International Raceway
• Shopping:  There are malls all over the Portland area.  One world-class mall I recommend if you are in the Portland area is Washington Square.  A little farther to the south you can find Tanasbourne Village with great open-air shops and restaurants.  If you are willing to drive still farther south to Woodburn, OR, there is a great outlet mall at Woodburn Premium Outlet Mall.  Lots of shops and restaurants around each of these offerings.  A word of caution.  There used to be great shopping opportunities in downtown Portland.  I advise against them due to the political outbursts that began in 2020.
• Casinos:  Just north of Portland you will find the Ilani Resort and Casino.  You can enjoy adult entertainment and luxury resort-style accommodations.  Lots of food choices as well as events and concert venues.  For casinos a little farther away, view this list.
• Water Cruises:  If you are in the Portland area, I recommend taking a dinner or scenic cruise on the Portland Spirit.  For more information, go here:  Portland Spirit.
• Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI):  I also recommend OMSI.  Their exhibits change regularly.  Need to get a little education on your trip?  Check OMSI out.  Also impressive is their “Empirical Theater”.
• Museums and other Fun:
  • When in the Vancouver, WA area, one of my favorite quick tours is to drive through Fort Vancouver.  Don’t miss Officer’s Row when you drive through there.   Very close to that is Pearson Air Museum.  If you are interested in other museums, here is a quick link:  Vancouver WA Museums.
  • In Portland, be sure to check out the Portland Art Museum and other art galleries and museums.

If that wasn’t enough for you, lets start expanding a little beyond Portland and Vancouver.  There is a tremendous amount of hiking and sightseeing opportunities in this area.  I will focus on a 2-3 hour radius around Portland.  First lets start with:

• Hiking and Sightseeing:  No matter which direction you head from Portland, there are outstanding hiking and sightseeing opportunities.  There are mountains like Mt Hood, Mt Jefferson, Mt Adams, Mt Ranier, Mt Bachelor, the 3 Sisters and who can forget Mt St Helens?  Each presents their own hiking, climbing an sightseeing opportunities.  Washington and Oregon are in the Cascade Mountain range.  When you are in the mountains, it is pretty spectacular and beautiful.  A short drive to the east of Portland, along I-84 is the Columbia Gorge, and is a great drive on a good weather day, especially in spring and fall, however, traffic cam be busy.
  • Want to see information on the top area hikes:  Check out this article.
  • One of my favorite places:  Crater Lake.   Be sure to check before you go though.  It is only open seasonally.  They don’t plow the roads during the winter.
• Skiing:  There are so many places to ski.  Here are a few:
  • Oregon:  Mt Hood Meadows, Timberline Lodge, Hoodoo, Mt Bachelor and Ski Bowl.
  • Washington:  Mt Baker, 49 Degrees North Mountain Resort, Crystal Mountain, Stevens Pass, Wenachee Mission Ridge and Mt Spokane.
• Beaches:  Hands down, in my opinion Oregon has far better beaches than Washington.  The state parks in Oregon are better as well in my opinion.  Dotted all up and down the Oregon coast, they are remarkable , many with spectacular views.  Great places to picnic.  I have been to beaches in California, Oregon, Washington, all the way to Texas.  Oregon is the best so far!  Here are a few of my favorite beaches and beach towns:
  • Oregon:
    • Starting north, Astoria is a great little town with good restaurants and minutes away from great beaches.  Be sure to go to the Astoria Column on a clear day.  It’s a great panoramic view of areas where Lewis and Clark traveled.  View the spectacular bridge between Oregon and Washington.  In downtown, at the waterfront, there is a great waterfront walkway that goes past restaurants and businesses.
    • Canon Beach:  A great city right on the beach with tons of restaurants, gift shops and rentals.  Be advised, during the summer months, especially on weekends and holidays, this town books up and fills up fast.  It’s worth the trip, especially off season, late season or early season.  During the summer months, it is so crowded that it is hard to enjoy it.  The beach is typically pristine and highly enjoyable.
    • Newport:  Newport is a quaint fishing town/port.  Lots of shops, restaurants, accommodations and the tidepools.  The Yaquina Head lighthouse is there.  If you love lighthouses, the Oregon Coast is loaded with them.  Great place for a weekend getaway.
    •   Farther to the south is Florence and Dunes City.   Because they are so far south, they are way less congested than the beaches that are closer to Portland and Salem (State Capital).  This area (as the name implies) is where the dunes are located.  All honesty:  one of my favorite times in my life was when we went there with family and had quads on the dunes on a gorgeous day at twilight.  One of the most memorable times of my life.  If you have never experienced dunes before (and you love sand), this should be on your bucket list of things to do.
  • Washington:
    • Starting South:  As for actual “beaches”, I do like Long Beach, Ocean Park and Ocean Shores.  To me, the attraction is they are smaller, somewhat less visited beaches that are somewhat remote. There are restaurants and accommodations, but are somewhat limited.
    • When you get farther north, toward Seattle, the traffic and congestion is a real turn off for me.
    • The real draw, for me, is the Puget Sound area. (Probably just barely in the 2-3 hour radius-depending on traffic)
      • Bremerton:  We love to catch a ferry and ride it on a good weather day to Seattle.
      • Anacortes:   One of our favorite trips we took was on a ferry from Anacortes to Friday Harbor. a great little vacation town.  For information on the ferry, check out WSDOT.
      • Bellingham:  I wouldn’t necessarily consider Bellingham a “beach” town, it is on the water.  Close to the Canadian border, this is outside of our 2-3 hour range, but we had a great vacation there.  Great waterfront area to take long strolls.  Good restaurants and accommodations in town with all the amenities.

Seattle Area:

Seattle is about 2-3 hours north of Portland on I-5, depending on traffic).  There is certainly much to do in Seattle.  World class airports (a big regional hub), restaurants, accommodations, sports, shopping and much more.  This link will provide you with a full look at the possibilities.  For me, I don’t discourage people from traveling to either Portland or Seattle.  But I do not recommend people spending time in the inner-city areas.  Stay in the outlying areas and travel to the fun inner-city areas.  Portland and Seattle are very similar in the politics and they way they choose to handle many issues.  Both are beautiful areas with a lot to do and see.  Both also have major traffic issues during rush hours, and those times continually expand.  However, neither have done a good job of managing their law enforcement and other political and budgetary issues.  With that said, here are just a few things that you may want to do and see.

• Waterfront area:  This, in my opinion is the height of fun in Seattle.  Lots of restaurants, shops, attractions and water excursions depart from here.  While fun, be aware of your surroundings.  Parking and security are lacking in this area in my opinion.  You can go there and have a great time.  Just be aware of your surroundings and watch out for yourself.  We have enjoyed several bay cruises, and they are generally fun and affordable.  This port area is where the ferries land as well (like from Bremerton).
• Museum of Flight:  Boeing has certainly taken it’s share of heat recently with airplane problems.  Nevertheless, one of my favorite things to do in the Seattle area is to go to the Museum of Flight, highlighting Boeing aircraft.
• Sports:  The Mariners and Seahawks professional teams live in Seattle.
• 1962 World Fair:  Seattle was the home of the 1962 World Fair.  The Space needle is also on that same site.  While the site is not in it’s glory days, it’s still fun to go there and walk around.  There is still a lot to do and see.
• Lake Washington:  Lake Washington is beautiful with many parks and walkways.  While I would not say traffic around those areas is beautiful, it is surprisingly peaceful and enjoyable at some of the parks.  Many offer swimming, kayaking and other water activities.  Lake Washington is also the home of the floating bridge, which is an engineering marvel, and definitely fun to drive across barely above water level.

Portland and East, Attractions

Moving back down south, the areas east of Portland have much to do as well.  As highlighted earlier, there is a lot of skiing.  Up Highway 26, east of Portland is where you will find Timberline Lodge and Ski area, Ski Bowl, and further to Mt Hood Meadows.  They are about 1 hour + outside of Portland.

About 30 minutes east of Portland on I-84 you will run into Multnomah Falls, one of the most visited spots in Oregon.  Please note, however, it is now required to have a reservation (and buy a parking pass) in advance to visit this attraction.  Visit here to get your reservation and pass:  Multnomah Falls Reservations.

Another great thing to do is to visit Hood River, OR.  Among other things, Hood River is know for it’s breweries, world-class wind surfing, farmer’s markets, wineries, shopping and restaurants.

One other special note, farther to the east is Maryhill Winery.  This is an outstanding wine tasting room.  During the summer months it offers a live music series.  Put all this together with the outstanding views and it produces a magical experience.  It’s worth the drive.

Central Oregon High Desert

In rounding out my list of fun things to do, I certainly cannot ignore the Central Oregon High Desert area.  In this area, you will find Mt Bachelor Ski Area and Hoodoo Ski Area, which I already mentioned.  But there are a couple of other gems that are really worth your time to visit.

• Bend, OR.  This is a great little town with lots to do including summer activities on the Deschutes River.  world class breweries and so much more.  This is an outdoors paradise.  Great hiking, biking and more.  Great restaurants abound.  Secret:  the best area to stay in Bend is near the Old Mill District.
• Sunriver, OR.  This is a world-class resort.  Outstanding walking and biking trails cross throughout the community.  Wonderful accommodations and restaurants.  Be sure to visit Sunriver Resort Lodge.  World class golfing there too.  This area is what I consider to be the gateway to Mt Bachelor skiing.
• Sisters, OR:  While Bend and Sunriver get all the attention, I have a secret (or two) for you.  Sisters is not far from Bend.  But Sisters does not have all the crowds and congestion that Bend has. If you want to stay somewhere more quaint, small and more peaceful, check out Sisters.  It’s a short drive to Bend if you want those activities.  It has it’s own shopping, restaurants and accommodations.  It a short drive to Hoodoo Ski area and a great little community called Black Butte Ranch.

OK.  That’s it for today.  Don’t even get me started about Idaho.

I hope this list help you with considerations for your Portland/Vancouver and beyond entertainment options.  Now you can see why everyone loves living here.

If you want help traveling to this area, I would love to help you with your arrangements. I can help you with flights, accommodations, transfers, car rentals, event and concert tickets and more.  Click here.  For concert and event tickets, click here.

Allen Beck

AKOR Services  – Travel

4233 SE 182nd Ave., #213

Gresham, OR 97030

(503) 427-8553

Allen@akorservices.com