Travel Journal

The Pacific Northwest is a favourite spot for Kiwi travellers right now. On a previous trip, I enjoyed Vancouver, the Canadian Rockies, Alaska’s inside passage, and the Californian coast. Since many of our clients are keen to self-drive this region, my partner and I decided to return to explore Portland, the Oregon Coast, and the road north to Seattle.

By chance, we ended up in Portland during a Solar Eclipse and watched the sky darken from the rooftop of Portland’s airport. The ‘zone of totality’ was a hundred miles south, with eclipse chasers flocking there to witness nature’s spectacle as it crossed the Oregon Coast and the state.

Portland is known for its liberal and progressive vibe, highlighted in the TV show ‘Portlandia,’ which pokes fun at its bohemian, ‘hipster’ culture. It’s more of a cultural experience than a place for ticking off tourist sights. Live music is a big draw, and we enjoyed the famous Crystal Ballroom. While Portland doesn’t have many iconic buildings and isn’t as photogenic as Seattle or Vancouver, it embraces its quirky reputation with a sign that says, “Keep Portland Weird.” Home to big corporations like Nike and Intel, Portland is also a hub for craft brewing and has more microbreweries than any other city in the world. The nearby Willamette Valley is famed for its Pinot Noir and other wines. The city also boasts hundreds of food carts offering diverse cuisines.

We booked a ‘bike and beer’ tour, which was a fun, if slightly wobbly, way to explore the city’s North West quarter, home to many original craft breweries. Biking around the flat, cyclist-friendly city was a great experience. The next day, we toured the picturesque Willamette Valley, visiting three wineries and enjoying lots of Pinot Noir.

Popular side trips from Portland include Mt Hood and Crater Lake, but with limited time and busy tourist spots due to the eclipse, we instead hired a car and drove to the Oregon Coast, starting at the village of Florence and the nearby Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.

The Oregon Coast is a hidden gem, less touristy than California’s Big Sur. The coast is dotted with state parks, fishing villages, lighthouses, and historic bridges. It reminded me of New Zealand’s wild West Coast with its dramatic headlands and long sandy beaches. We enjoyed sunny days, craft beer in beachfront brewpubs, and delicious seafood like clam chowder, oysters, crab cakes, and tuna.

Highlights of the Central Coast included hiking trails at Cape Perpetua, grey whales at Depoe Bay, and the world-class aquarium in Newport. We stayed at a lovely B&B in Depoe Bay with whale-watching right from our room.

In the North Coast, we loved Cannon Beach with its shingled restaurants, art galleries, and the towering Haystack Rock. The Three Capes Scenic Loop near Tillamook offered stunning coastal views, and the historic town of Astoria, the oldest town west of the Rockies, was worth a visit for its preserved homes and B&Bs.

Crossing the Columbia River on Astoria’s historic bridge was thrilling. We continued north on Highway 101 towards Seattle, where we dropped off our rental car. With limited time before a soccer match at CenturyLink Stadium, we managed to visit Pike Place Market with its funky shops and flying fish.

Seattle, unlike gritty Portland, is glitzier with its glass and chrome towers. It’s home to Amazon and Boeing, with interesting tours available at the Boeing Factory and the Museum of Flight. Starbucks is everywhere, though I still prefer our Kiwi flat whites and lattes. The soccer game between Seattle and Portland was a fun end to our road trip, fittingly finishing in a 1-1 tie.