[p38arover]

I'm off to Seattle (Snohomish) in August. I'll spend a couple of weeks touring (by car) in WA before driving down to SFO where I will meet up with my wife for the last 9 days,

I'm looking for suggestions on things to see around Spokane, Yakima, etc - over to the east. Don't suggest wineries - seen one, seen 'em all.

I spent most of the time in the west last time (2009) and saw the Museum of Flight, although I'd like to do a Boeing factory tour.

In Spokane, I'd like to see the Spokane railway station but there must be more to see! (I want to see how much has been done on restoring the Seattle railway station, too.) It was coming along a treat when I was there last. To think that when they "modernised" it in the Sixties, they thought they were improving it where, in reality, they almost ruined it.

Should I visit Portland railway station, too, on my south to SFO?

I'm still undecided as to whether I spend a few days up in Vancouver (BC, not WA). I went there in 2009 for the All British Field Meet in Van Dusen Gardens (and got stopped by security from taking photos in the Vancouver railway station because the US Customs/Immigration at the station don't like it!)

 

[midlife_madness]

I'm sure others will chime in, but some initial suggestions in the Spokane area:

Drive to the top of Mount Spokane (all the way to the top) for a nice view of the area where you can see a number of lakes.

Drive to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho (30 minutes east) and then there are a couple of nice things:
1) Park downtown next to the Coeur d'Alene Hotel and walk a bit around Tubb's Hill (it's right next to the Hotel).
2) Take a nice walk on the east side of town right on the lake. It's built on what used to be part of I-90.
3) drive around the lake. Head east on I-90 to Harrison exit (Wolf Lodge Bay), then to St. Maries, then to 95 to Coeur d'Alene or wherever you're staying. It's more fun on a bike of course, but even in a car, it's beautiful scenery.

If you're in Portland and want to tour a cold war era diesel submarine, go visit OMSI.

Anyways, those are my thoughts. Enjoy your visit to our part of the world.

 

[p38arover]

Thanks Tom. I'll cut and paste that into my planning notes! I'll be travelling with a friend from Seattle.

We are both Admins on the RangeRovers.net forum - but this time we won't be using his RR but an original '84 Chrysler New Yorker with 30,000 miles on the clock.

The official Spokane website is quite poor at offering suggestions to tourists - unless one wants to go bicycling.

I was wondering about a guided ATV tour (quad bikes) as a way to see the countryside or, perhaps, an Evening of Flight at TrikeSchool in Cheney.

 

[CollingsBob]

There's usually some sort of motorcycle activity in Winthrop WA

 

[p38arover]

Thanks Bob. It looks like the Shafer Museum is worth a visit. I'll look around the area to see what else I might find.

I visited Winthrop last trip on a tour via Grand Coulee Dam but didn't see the museum. We did a loop via Skynomish, Leavenworth, Ephrata, Coulee City, Nespeter, Winthrop, Rockport, Sedrow Woolley, Bellingham and back south to Snohomish.

 

[p38arover]

Additions to my list:

Washington
Hoh Rain Forest
Cape Trail
Kalaloch Lodge
Hurricane Ridge
Maybe Mt St Helens (if open)
International Military Museum in Spokane
Mt Spokane
Boeing TourMuseum of Communications (I had 37 years in international telecoms)

Oregon
Astoria Bridge
Fort Stevens
Crown Point Vista
Multnomah Falls
Crater Lake

I'd like to see some older historical towns. I've been to Winthrop but we won't get back there this time.

Also, suggestions for Seattle itself.

And..... as we'll be driving down to SFO for 10 days, some suggestions for there would be appreciated, too.

 

[rconti]

Leavenworth, WA is an interesting bavarian-style town.

Lake Chelan is fun in the summer.

In OR, I love Crater Lake. And you have to hit Deschutes brewery

 

[p38arover]

Yep, went to Leavenworth last time and had lunch at a very nice restaurant,

Crikey! Lake Chelan is deep and now I have to look into this brewery....

Hmm, am I going through Bend? I think so. :mrgreen:

 

[mark444]

The Columbia River Gorge route is breath-taking if on the Wa side.......
Mt Rainier, for sure........and St.Helens.

 

[M60 Driver]

Since nobody has mentioned it, I would recommend Dry Falls, north of Ephrata, on the way to Grand Coulee Dam on Hwy 17. Rates #2 in my book for scenic wonders in the State, and then you can challenge yourself as to just how high a cliff you are willing to jump off of into the waters of the adjacent Sun Lakes. From Dry Falls you can then tour Coulee Dam and then make your way to Winthrop.

Due caution advised for all rivers as they are all running unseasonably high and fast.

 

[p38arover]

Thanks M60.

I went to Ephrata, Dry Falls, Grand Coulee and the dam last time. I loved the steel bridge. I had to walk over it taking pix.

Dry Falls was impressive.

 

[p38arover]

Well, it's nearly time to say goodbye to Washington. I'm heading down to SFO on Sunday (driving with a friend).

It's a been a good 3 weeks up here and I've seen a lot.

Would you believe that I was starting to feel closed in by all the forests and trees? Driving down winding roads from Port Angeles to Astoria and, for mile after mile,all you can see is a dark forest to the left, a dark forest to the right, forst ahead and forest behind and it becomes claustrophobic! Cloudy days with no sunlight makes it worse.

Trips to the beach were gloomy things - grey sand, grey water, and grey skies all met with no real transition.

However, when the sun came out and sunlight reached into the forest, or lit up the waves, it changed remarkably.

Fortunately, this week in Seattle has seen brilliant weather - almost hot at times.

Travelling south along the coast from Port Angeles, Forks, Lake Quinault, Moclips, Ocean Shores, Aberdeen, Astoria, and Kelso was depressing in a different way. So many communities obviously struggling. Run down businesses, vacant buildings, houses in disrepair. I hope that the economy turns around for you blokes here. Such wonderful places struggling to survive hits home.

Seattle I've enjoyed. It has a multitude of beautiful old (and new) buildings. The people have been very friendly - even when they find out I'm Australian and not a New Zealander! :yikes:

'Tis amazing what you learn, too. I was in a maritime souvenir shop near Pioneer Square and saw a model of a USN frigate, FF-1074. What struck me was the name of the ship. Harold E. Holt - the Australian Prime Minister who drowned in 1967. I never knew that the USN had named a ship after one of our politicians.

 

[rconti]

Would you believe that I was starting to feel closed in by all the forests and trees? Driving down winding roads from Port Angeles to Astoria and, for mile after mile,all you can see is a dark forest to the left, a dark forest to the right, forst ahead and forest behind and it becomes claustrophobic! Cloudy days with no sunlight makes it worse.

But of course! I had to move from the Northwest to California for that very reason. I couldn't take the gloominess anymore. I'll pay my high(er) taxes, can't put a price on happiness. It was a huge improvement in quality of life for me. :thumbup: Not everyone is affected the same way though.

Travelling south along the coast from Port Angeles, Forks, Lake Quinault, Moclips, Ocean Shores, Aberdeen, Astoria, and Kelso was depressing in a different way. So many communities obviously struggling. Run down businesses, vacant buildings, houses in disrepair. I hope that the economy turns around for you blokes here. Such wonderful places struggling to survive hits home.

I don't know the area that well, but some of the areas you've passed thru must have been Native American reservations, which tend to be.. not in particularly great repair. In general, those towns are not particularly thriving areas, and it's not exactly a recent thing. Small town America, I guess. Someone who knows more about the specific towns can chime in (I've been to most of them but just don't know much about them).

 

[cbrxxcess]

But of course! I had to move from the Northwest to California for that very reason. I couldn't take the gloominess anymore. I'll pay my high(er) taxes, can't put a price on happiness. It was a huge improvement in quality of life for me. :thumbup: Not everyone is affected the same way though.

Wow......went from being closed in by trees to being closed in by people. You can have it I don't want any.....no thanks.

 

[rconti]

Wow......went from being closed in by trees to being closed in by people. You can have it I don't want any.....no thanks.

I'm sorry that you do not understand geography. You MUST be trolling, because you clearly know that where you live you are NOT surrounded by trees OR people OR grey skies.

Given that knowledge, you also must know that CA != Los Angeles.

10 minutes from where I live, plenty of solitude and open roads and trails.

And yes, you can live in BFE on a farm here too if you want that kind of thing.

You *must* know this, but instead you choose to troll. Okay, whatever.

 

[p38arover]

I understood what Jim was saying and had a laugh.

Sorry.

I must admit to being surprised by the lack of traffic in Seattle itself - pretty much empty streets. Sydney (Australia) is far, far worse.

 

[cbrxxcess]

Solitude 10 minutes away. That is what I left Spokane for. I now live with solitude. The closest neighbor is a 1/4 mile away and even that can be too close. I walk out in the back yard and shoot my firearms. You are right there are beautiful places in California but to live there the cost is outta sight. Here where I am I have four seasons and it is sunny more often then not.

P38arover.....You gotta see Crater Lake it is spectacular. I would also drive through the Bend area. Seattle may have bigger peaks but the amount of them around Bend are truly spectacular.

 

[rconti]

P38arover.....You gotta see Crater Lake it is spectacular. I would also drive through the Bend area. Seattle may have bigger peaks but the amount of them around Bend are truly spectacular.

I highly recommend it as well. I drove past it (relatively speaking) on I-5 countless times over the years, always telling myself I'd stop next time.

Well, I finally stopped last year. Loved it so much, I had to stop by again my next time thru, last month.

 

[p38arover]

In OR, I love Crater Lake. And you have to hit Deschutes brewery

WE have both on the agenda. Heading south tomorrow and dinner will be at the Deschutes.

Train Mountain is also on the list as we will be in the area.

 

[p38arover]

Over the Bridge of the Gods today and along the road past various water falls (climbing up the tracks to the viewing bridges), up to the great views from Crown Point Vista. Wow! to them all.

Our car (1984 Chrysler New Yorker Turbo) decided it was going to fail to proceed just as we were leaving Madras. It was like it was out of fuel.

We played around for quite a while until I suggested letting it cool for while. After about an our we tried again and off it went. We went back Madras and filled up. No further problems and we are now ensconced in our motel room in Bend, OR.

Tomorrow we may drop into friends at PDX Rovers in Bend and get them to check the fuel pressure. The chap I am travelling with and I are both Admins from the RangeRovers.net forum (I still reckon we should be travelling in the other bloke's Rangie).

On a Strom note, I saw a yellow Strom in the highway and a black one parked in a shopping centre car park - both in Redmond