Picture this - you're sipping a perfect cup of coffee as the sun rises over the Columbia River. Maybe later, you've immersed yourself in history, or you're taking a sunny stroll along the waterfront. By evening, you're ready to sit down for a delicious dinner and then stop by an award-winning craft brewery before calling it an early night, because tomorrow, you'll be heading out early to one of the Pacific Northwest's most beautiful sights.
Where is this Utopia, you ask?
Vancouver, Washington. The forgotten sister city of Portland, Oregon.
Today, we're going to explore why Vancouver is the perfect launch pad for your next Pacific Northwest vacation. Welcome to Pacific Northwest travel with Jaunty Everywhere. I'm your host, Sherry, and I'm here to help you plan your perfect Pacific Northwest vacation.
Each week we'll be highlighting a different destination in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, northern California, or British Columbia. To give you the inside scoop on the best places to go, things to see, and adventures to be had, join us as we set off on a journey through the best destinations in the Pacific Northwest.
But first, let's start the show with a hidden gem. In this Vancouver episode, I'll be focusing on attractions in the downtown area and day trips into the surrounding region. But there's one cool place in the suburbs of Vancouver that I want to share with you: the Washington State University Vancouver campus. Not to confuse you, because Washington State University's main campus is in eastern Washington in Pullman. But in addition to that main campus, Vancouver is home to a satellite campus.
And surrounding that satellite campus are 6 miles of beautiful nature trails and paths. The campus is a designated "tree campus" which means that it has a lot of trees and natural areas. It's also part of the Mill Creek Riparian Interpretive Trail. So, again, lots of green space.
The trails are color-coded loops ranging from 1.3 to 4.6 miles. The green loop is a 1.3 miles paved loop in the center of campus. The orange loop is also 1.3 miles, but it's a groomed trail of mostly cedar chips. The 2.5 miles blue loop is completely paved, but it has elevation gains. And the Red Loop, at 4.6 miles, is also a mixed surface trail, mostly cedar chips.
So whether you want to walk, jog, bike, or push a stroller, there's a path for you. It's definitely worth a stop, by the way. As always, you can find all the links and details to everything that I mentioned in this episode on our website at jauntyeverywhere.com/podcast
Vancouver's strategic location in the southwest corner of Washington State gives you easy access to a dozen showstopping day trips, which I will talk about in a minute. It's conveniently situated on Interstate Five, also known as I-5, and gives straightforward access to the I-5 corridor, which stretches all the way from Canada to San Diego. Portland is just across the Columbia River, a ten to fifteen-minute drive. So, you get two cities for the price of one.
And Vancouver itself is a destination worth at least a long weekend. We'll get into that too. Did I mention the Portland International Airport is just across the river? Again, ten minutes away. We would pick the Portland Airport over the Seattle Airport every day of our lives, once again making Vancouver the ideal Pacific Northwest hub.
Vancouver is rich in history. It has a bustling downtown area and a beautiful, newly refurbished waterfront. There are plenty of great restaurants, breweries, and coffee houses to keep you busy. The city is also rich in green spaces, like the Washington State University campus that I mentioned earlier, and it hosts many excellent festivals and events throughout the year.
Today I'm going to focus on the downtown area and four main attractions. Four turned out to be a theme in this podcast episode by accident. At the top of the list is Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. Fort Vancouver was a 19th-century fur trading post owned by the Hudson's Bay Company. The fort is a well-preserved archaeological site.
Let me back up just a little bit. There are really two parts to Fort Vancouver as far as visitors are concerned. Below, closest to the river is the historic walled fort. You can tour the inside of the fort and all of its buildings, and on special days there will be costumed interpreters. Some will be working in the blacksmith shop, some will be telling stories in the chief factor's house. The historic garden just outside the gate of the fort is fun to visit year-round, but especially in spring to summer when it's in full glory. Surrounding this is acres of grass and picnic areas.
Up the hill is what I consider the other part of the fort, which is the first U.S. Army post in the Pacific Northwest. The army used the post for different purposes until after World War II. You can start at one end at the National Park Visitor Center. The visitor center offers a short film, a bookstore, and that stamp. If you're a National Park passport person, then you can walk the tree-lined street of Officers Row and enjoy all the historic homes. Most of the buildings are now leased as residences or businesses, but the historical integrity is intact.
The one building that does offer tours is the McLaughlin House. It's open limited hours, and of course, I'll put a link to that in the show notes. The entire property is great for walking or strolling around on a bike. There are historic markers and interpretive signs all over explaining the who, what, and why of the grounds and buildings.
Right next door and second on the list is the Pearson Field and Aviation Museum. Pearson is one of the country's oldest airfields. Murals, exhibits, and five restored 20th-century airplanes tell the story of early aviation. Pearson is free to visit, so I definitely suggest you stop by and see what piques your interest. For aviation fans, it's highly recommended.
And third, we have the Waterfront Renaissance Trail. This is a five-mile-long path along the Columbia River that goes from Esther Short Park to Wintler Community Park. The trail will reward you with amazing views of the water, Portland, and on clear days, you'll see Mount Hood. It's perfect for fitness and relaxation.
There's public art and historic markers dotted all along the trail. The photography inspiration is endless, and you can take a picnic or stop in at one of the many dining options along the way. And fourth, on my downtown Vancouver list. As mentioned earlier, Esther Short Park is at one end of the Renaissance Trail.
On weekends, the streets surrounding the park are turned into a farmers market. Currently my favorite farmers market in Washington. It's just right. Big enough for variety, but small enough to be manageable. There's a nice mix of art stalls produce Pacific Northwest specialty items like wild mushrooms, flower shops, great coffee and prepared food stalls and food trucks.
There's plenty more in Vancouver and the surrounding communities, but let's switch gears and talk about day trips. Sticking with our number four, I selected four key destinations that make a good day trip from Vancouver. Of course, Portland, just 15 minutes away. Portland has a lot to offer. I will be doing many episodes on Portland in the future.
For now, I'll suggest, of course, four ways to spend a day. First, you can go downtown and visit the famous Powell's Books, walk up to Alder Street and have lunch at what must be, although I haven't confirmed this, the biggest food cart pod in America. Then hop on the Portland Trolley and ride the full loop around Portland, getting on and off as you please. One stop on the trolley ride is the Portland Art Museum. So if you're up for that in the afternoon, I highly recommend it.
Another idea for a day in Portland is to head to Mississippi Avenue for a very unique shopping experience. You'll find one-of-a-kind boutiques, bookstores, kitchen, chocolate shops, and more, plus some of the best food carts in the city. By the way, if you go to Portland, you definitely need to try a food cart. It's a major part of the Portland culture.
Third, you could visit the Portland Zoo. This is an all-day venture for most people. The Portland Zoo is amazing and highly recommended.
And fourth, you can try the 4T Trail. See, I told you there were a lot of fours in this episode.
I'll be doing a full episode on the 4T Trail soon, but the Four T's stand for trail, tram, trolley, and train. If you want something active to do, that will give you a full taste of Portland, this is it. The tour is designed to send you on a hike in the West Hills of Portland you'll be rewarded with amazing views. A ride down the hill in the Oregon Health Sciences Gondola which is called the Tram to the Trolley which will take you all around downtown Portland. And finally, on the lightrail back to the parking lot where you started.
Next up is Mount St. Helens, famous for its 1980 volcanic explosion. It's about 2 hours from Vancouver to the Johnston Ridge Observatory. Be aware that there are different entrances and none of them connect, so be sure your GPS has you on the right route. If this is your first visit to Mount St. Helens, Johnston Ridge is the way to go.
A large visitor center will give you the full scoop and several hiking trails start from this area. There's a half-mile trail that offers all the important views into the volcano. At the time of this recording, which is June of 2023, Johnston Ridge is closed due to a big landslide. I assume this is temporary in the schema vacation planning, but it's been closed for a month at this point, so be sure to check the website before you plan your trip around Mount St. Helens.
Next up is the Columbia River Gorge and I just recently did an episode all about the breweries in the Hood River and Columbia Gorge area, so you might want to check that out. If you're into that, I suggest that you drive to the gorge on the Oregon side on Interstate 84 and come back on the Washington side on Highway 14. Traveling east into the gorge, you will have to make some choices. Do you want to stop at one of the many waterfalls like the famous Multnomah Falls? And you may need a reservation for this stop depending on the time of year.
Or do you want to head for one of the many epic hikes along the way? Many people make a beeline for the town of Hood River to eat, shop and play in the water. If you plan to come back on the Washington side, take note which bridge you're going to cross and then enjoy the scenic drive home, maybe stopping for dinner along the way. As a reminder for full show notes and all the links and Vancouver-related blog posts, visit jauntyeverywhere.com/podcast.
Now that we went east, let's turn the opposite direction and head 2 hours west to the north Oregon coast. Most people take Highway 26, which leads you straight to Cannon Beach, Oregon. And you can't go wrong with a day in Cannon Beach. Miles of walkable beach and Haystack Rock with its tide pools, the cute coastal village, and plenty of great restaurants, make this a very popular place in Oregon.
You can easily spend a long day in Cannon Beach alone, rent beach bikes, fly a kite, visit the tide pools, or build sandcastles on the beach for indoor pursuits. The shops, art galleries, candy stores, and eateries will keep you busy. We have a blog post on the website with a detailed description of the ten best beaches on the north coast, so if you want more options, you can check that out.
There are many more options for day trips from the Vancouver area, which I'll be saving for another day. The Willamette Valley, Mount Rainier, the South Puget Sound, Mount Hood, just to name a few. But now it's time for our Travel tip of the week. And if you're loving our Pacific Northwest travels and the tips and they're coming in, Andy, why not take a moment to leave us a review? Your feedback helps us make this journey even better, and it might help another explorer find our show, share your thoughts, and help us build this travel-loving community together. Thanks in advance, and here's to many more adventures.
Ready for your travel tip of the week?
Grab your cute eco-friendly reusable shopping bag because we're heading to one of my favorite places. As I hinted before, the farmers market. Wandering a town's market will immerse you in the local culture like nothing else. First, there's the food - you can shop for fresh bread, local cheese, in-season produce, picnic fixings, and taste your way through a wide variety of ready-to-eat food stalls. How can you go wrong with grocery shopping and a delicious lunch?
But it's not just about the food. These markets are also brimming with entertainment. Most of the larger ones have a main stage where you'll find local talent putting on a show. And let's not forget about the buskers. They're at every market I've ever been to, transforming ordinary street corners into impromptu stages. I'll never forget this one young man at the Vancouver Farmers Market. All he needed was a pair of drumsticks and a few five-gallon buckets, and he put on a drumming hack that would blow you away.
Farmers' markets are a feast for all your senses. In the Pacific Northwest, farmers' markets are well-loved and abundant. Even the smallest towns usually have some type of weekly street market during the summer months. If you're plotting your next Pacific Northwest adventure, make sure a local farmers market makes it onto your must-visit list.
Are you ready to unleash your inner Indiana Jones? Next week we're going to Pinnacles National Park in California. This often overlooked national treasure is sure to impress with its caves and jaw-dropping rock formations.
Talk to you next week. Bye.
