Seattle WA and Portland OR Vacation?

Well it looks like you've gotten some answers from Seattle, here is some Portland info.

The Alberta Arts district is home to unique coffee shops, locally owned restaurants, music shops etc. and is a very eclectic area in general. Its one of Portland's biggest hot spots currently. NE Alberta between 10th and 33rd is where the scene really is - if you happen to be there on the last Thursday of the month you are in for a real experience, complete with street vendors, performers and great people watching.

Portland has great restaurants, breweries and wineries that are worth checking out. Getting out to wine country is an easy hour drive where you can tour dozens of local wineries and taste some of the best wines in the country. The coast is also just about an hour away if you want to see more than just the city of Portland. The weather can be cool and damp but again, lots of great shops worth checking out.

NE Burnside in the city is also a big hub for music and all things Portland. The Doug Fir Lounge is a very popular music venue, and they have great food and drinks as well.

The west side of the city (downtown and the pearl district in NW are less gritty and are home to great restaurants, high end shopping and some great art galleries.

I've included some links to local resources to help you plan your trip in more detail, enjoy your vacations!

Powells Books, pure and simple. That place will change the way you think about books. It's 100% amazing. The Beaverton Powells at Cedar Hills is decent too, although the main location on Burnside cannot be beat. Walk around the Pearl District, as well as downtown by Pioneer Square. There are so many interesting things to see. Take a ride around the Tri-Met lightrail system- it will give you a great view of what Portland has to offer. Check the Portland Center for Performing Arts' website to see if anything extraordinary is going on. Drive the Columbia Gorge. That has to be one of the most beautiful areas in the Northwest. Don't miss Multnomah Falls! If you are animal people, explore the Oregon Zoo. The habitats are well-done and it has a lot to offer.

Not too sure about Portland, but here's a top 10 list for Seattle...

1. Pike Place Market

2. Space Needle

3. Woodland Park Zoo

4. Chittenden Locks & Carl English Botanical Gardens

5. Seattle Asian Art Museum

6. Mount Rainier National Park

7. Seattle Aquarium

8. Museum of Glass

9. Seattle Art Museum Downtown

10. Northwest Trek Wildlife Park

Also check out Bellevue, WA

Seattle and Bellevue both have a lot to offer...Bars, Restaurants, and you can also go on a Cruise from one of the Piers. Lots of Fun!!!

The first ever Starbucks is there too. Lol

PS...MapQuest used to have me lost.

try http://maps.yahoo.com/

or http://maps.google.com/ way better!

what thereale did not tell you is that if you want to visit Mt. Rainier . the glass museum (in Tacoma) and Northwest trek is that you will need to rent a car. Have fun in Seattle and take a bus to the "U" district and to Capitol Hill and just hang out and have some coffee. If you rent a car go to Alki beach its in west Seattle.

okay so seattle has alot to offer, but i love portland...portland is def easy to walk around...check out voodoo doughnuts..go online for the address it's right off 3rd close to chinatown in portland...they have really off the wall desserts..see if the portland saturday market is still going on...visit the portland travel website they have a lot fo really neat ideas...check and see if there is anything going on at the pioneer square courthouse in portland...use the maxrail system in portland to get around downtown...check out the pearl district...they have lots of shopping and cute little cafes...

in seattle check out the underground tour...it's a walking tour of the seattle underground...check out argosy cruises...look into going to the san juans or on a ferry ride to bremerton or bainbridge...also check out redhook columbia and chateau st michelle

In Seattle:

Make sure you visit the Pike Place Market

(go figure, its on Pike Street)

Other than that just wander around the city. There are plenty of bars and more Starbucks locations than you can imagine. (One time I counted 7 Starbucks locations on a 2 mile bus ride through downtown)