Pacific Region
Rock climbing, mountain biking, boating, scuba diving, surfing, backpacking, horseback riding, hiking, fishing, wildlife-watching - the Pacific Region beckons.
The vast Pacific Region begins in Alaska’s snowy north, leapfrogs over Canada, runs down the Pacific coast along Washington, Oregon and California, then sets sail for Hawaii. It also includes the remote islands of Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Marianas.
But within the great diversity is one constant: endless recreation. California blends frenetic cities with tranquil national parks. Oregon boasts photogenic coastlines and an interior where playing outside remains the single-minded focus. Washington charms with lush rain-fed forests to the west and valleys and vineyards to the east. Alaska features perpetually changing wilderness and astounding wildlife, while Hawaii hula dances into hearts with its volcanic topography highlighted by serene beaches.
There’s more to California, the most populous American state, than celebrities and sun. Wind-whipped surf, haunting deserts, cool mountains and a vibrant urban culture — it’s all right here.
Movie portrayals of the state’s epicenter, Los Angeles, range from fast-paced to far-out and they’re both accurate: this tantalizing city defies easy categorization. Visit any of L.A.’s major neighborhoods — Downtown, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills — and you’ll see the true variety.
Still, L.A.’s lifeblood is the movie industry. You’ll find plenty of evidence all over town: the star-studded Hollywood Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard; Downtown’s historic movie palaces; celebrities strolling the Sunset Strip on the way to hip clubs and restaurants. See it from the inside on a studio tour: NBC TV, Sony Pictures, Warner Brothers and Paramount Pictures all offer fascinating looks at their backlots. Universal Studios features a huge, crowd-pleasing theme park.
The city transcends its depiction on the silver screen in its fine architecture, museums and parks. See the happy wedding of art and architecture at the Richard Meierdesigned J. Paul Getty Museum in the Brentwood area. In Pasadena, lose yourself at the astounding 207-acre Hunting ton Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens.
L.A. is constantly reinventing itself, and for visitors that means a self-replenishing supply of new attractions. On the Westside, Noah’s Ark, a recently-opened wing at the Skirball Cultural Center, entertains and educates with life-sized animals crafted from recycled materials and everyday objects, puppets and a simulated flood. In the Pacific Palisades area, the former J. Paul Getty Museum — now the Getty Villa — houses Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities. Frank Lloyd Wright’s first Los Angeles residential project, Hollyhock/ Barnsdall House, underwent a $20 million restoration and is now open for tours. And Air Force One has landed at the Ronald Reagan Library in the San Fernando Valley. Step aboard this “Flying White House” that carried the famous Hollywood actor during his tenure as the 40th U.S. president.
Los Angeles wouldn’t be Los Angeles without the ocean. West of the city center, swim and surf thirty miles of some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and wander colorful seaside towns: fl amboyant Venice Beach, tony Marina del Rey and Santa Monica, where you can watch the sunset from atop the Ferris wheel on the famous wooden pier built in 1908.
Head south through Orange County toward San Diego. On the way, stop at Disneyland, a California original, and nearby Knott’s Berry Farm, a Wild Westthemed amusement park.
Listen to the waves on one of the secluded local beaches, then head back to the village of Laguna Beach. Once an artist enclave, the town is still home to some artists and many galleries. Centerpiece of the annual Festival of the Arts here is the eye-popping “Pageant of the Masters” during which tableaux vivants of classic paintings are created with actors, elaborately costumed — or alternatively, scantily clad — and detailed stage settings.
Roll on to San Diego, a harbor city that’s the last stop before the U.S.-Mexico border. Here, shop and dine amid the Victorian charm of the Gaslamp Quarter, then throw on your swimsuit and hit the beach.
Ease into desert life in the Palm Springs-area resort communities southeast of Los Angeles, and no, the emerald-green swathes of grass in the desert aren’t a mirage: the area has over one hundred well-watered golf courses.
The Pacific Coast Highway, connecting southern and northern California, is one of the world’s great drives, fully the equal of the Grande Corniche on the Côte d’Azur. Heading north from L.A., stop in Santa Barbara, an affluent city with a Mediterranean climate and lovely, Spanish-influenced architecture.
Between San Luis Obispo and Monterey, gaze out at the blue of the sea beyond and beneath the roadway’s legendary switchbacks, or hike down to a quiet driftwoodstrewn beach. Stop to browse in the charming coastal towns of Big Sur and Carmel.
Continue north to picture-perfect San Fran cisco, where the city’s progressive values are reinforced by lasting landmarks: the Golden Gate Bridge; the Haight-Ashbury district where the Summer of Love was celebrated in 1967; and the prison on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. Once an infamous federal penitentiary, it’s now a museum accessible by ferry.
Relax with a fine cabernet sauvignon in the Napa Valley’s sun-kissed wine country before heading east to Sacramento, the state capital and heart of the Gold Country. Get in the Gold Rush-era mood in restored Old Sacramento, then explore a 350-mile stretch of mining sites, ghost towns and Wild West saloons.
You’ll find some of the nation’s best wilderness recreation in Northern California at Lake Tahoe, Mt. Shasta and Lassen Volcanic National Park.
To the north, the Golden State gives way to Oregon, where endless outdoor activity can be found amidst breathtaking natural backdrops.
Portland, the state’s biggest city, is a showcase of new urban chic. Pioneer Courthouse Square, in the southwest downtown core, is the city’s people-watching hub.
From here, walk to main attractions like the Portland Saturday Market or gigantic Powell’s City of Books before hopping a trolley north for shopping and dining in the seriously hip Pearl and Northwest districts. Funky neighborhoods grace the city’s east side, but you’ll find Portland’s heart is still outdoors: in Washington Park’s world-renowned Japanese Garden and International Rose Test Garden; on the seventy-four miles of trails in Forest Park; and everywhere in Mill Ends Park, a beloved local joke comprising 452 square inches and billed as the “World’s Smallest Park.”
From Portland, sip your way south through Oregon Wine Country in the verdant Willamette Valley. Along the way, you’ll pass through orchard-lined country roads and secluded historic towns with well-preserved Victorian architecture. View Howard Hughes’s enormous flying boat, the Spruce Goose, at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville. The valley ends in Eugene, a university town with plenty to see and do for arts-lovers.
Go west to what many consider the state’s top attraction: the Oregon Coast.
The coastline’s silken beaches, plunging cliffs and evergreen forests are punctuated by sea stack rocks, tiny islands and abundant wildlife. Along
its 400-mile length, you’ll find the Heceta Head Lighthouse; other-worldly Haystack Rock in artsy Cannon Beach; sea lions at play at the Sea Lion Caves; the world’s largest sea cave just outside of the town of Florence; and dune buggies flying over giant sand drifts in Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.
Head back inland for the Columbia Gorge and Mt. Hood. Stop at 620-foot Multnomah Falls or one of the other crystalline falls on the way. Watch salmon climb the fish ladder at the Bonneville Dam and cheer on windsurfers at Hood River, the country’s windsurfing capital. Turn south for 11,235-foot Mt. Hood, a ski resort in winter and paradise of wildflowers in summer.
Just over the Cascade Mountains, Central Oregon boasts blue skies three hundred days a year. Add a rugged volcanic landscape crisscrossed by rivers and mountains and you have a top outdoor destination. Explore the region from Bend, a lively resort city. Raft down the Deschutes River, golf Sunriver’s champion courses, hike the Three Sisters Wilderness backcountry and ponder traces of prehistoric insects at the John Day Fossil Beds. The nearby Cascade Lakes Highway treats you to towering views of snow-draped Mt. Bachelor, Oregon’s premier ski resort, and passes dozens of canoe-worthy lakes. For something different, visit Shaniko, a living ghost town at an abandoned crossroads of railroad travel.
South of Bend is an Oregon icon: stunning Crater Lake. Admire the 1,932-foot-deep sapphire waters and the ancient caldera’s pine-sprayed walls from the 39-mile Rim Drive. Or take one of the popular narrated boat trips on the lake.
Washington State lures travelers with dramatic landscapes that include enchanting islands, towering volcanoes, mystical rainforests and every type of running water imaginable, from backcountry streams to a deep, blue, glacially-carved inland sea.
Three national parks are four-season draws. Mount Rainier National Park features twenty-six glaciers and a peak nearly three miles high. Gear and guides are available if an ascent is on your agenda, but you don’t need to summit to appreciate all that surrounds what the locals affectionately call, “The Mountain.” The area is a haven for photographers and wildlife enthusiasts, with an abundance of alpine lakes, fiery wildflowers, waterfalls and watchable wildlife.
Ancient trees wearing beards of green moss, sky-jabbing mountain peaks and beaches where forest meets surf are just three reasons Olympic National Park is a World Heritage Site and a Biosphere Reserve. Paths into the Hoh, Bogachiel and Quinault rain forests and along the coast are generally fl at and accessible; routes to more than fifty mountain peaks range from moderate to demanding. If you like to fish, there’s a decent chance you’ll find a prized steelhead or salmon at the end of your line.
Remote, yet accessible, North Cascades National Park offers opportunities to really get away from it all. Even a drive through the park — along the dazzling North Cascades Highway — gives you a glimpse of what’s beyond the pavement.
When Mount St. Helens erupted twenty-eight years ago, 1,377 feet of mountain collapsed and billions of pounds of ash enveloped the earth. The destruction was in great contrast to the rejuvenation witnessed now. There are several ways to experience Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument today: by helicopter, by foot — a permit is needed, but guides and gear are not — or by driving to any of four attractive visitor centers.
Nature’s creations will keep your camera busy around Washington, but man has created some fine handiwork, too. The state’s big cities offer you some of the finest art, theater, music, museums, dining and eclectic urban attractions anywhere.
Seattle does have a coffee shop on almost every corner, but there’s much more than caffeine to keep you going in this shimmering waterfront city. Seattle Center hosts the city’s major music festivals and offers a permanent home to the sleek 607-foot-tall Space Needle, the Experience Music Project, the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, the Pacific Science Center and venues for dance, ballet, theater, concerts, hockey and basketball.
The Pike Place Market is a favorite for locals and travelers. The sprawling bazaar features fresh fish and produce, seasonal flowers, local crafts and a stunning view of the Puget Sound.
Tacoma has experienced a downtown renaissance with world-class art, glass and history museums leading the way. The City of Destiny also features restored theaters, a waterfront promenade and a new championship Scottish links-style golf course.
Vancouver was Washington’s first city and is presently the state’s fourth largest. Many of the city’s top attractions are showcased at the Vancouver National Historic Reserve, including Officers Row and Fort Vancouver. If you follow the Columbia River from Vancouver east, you’ll enter the spectacular Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area in less than an hour. Head ninety minutes west and you’ll reach the Pacific Ocean at Long Beach, home of the annual Washington State International Kite Festival.
There’s a good chance you’ll arrive in Washington on an airplane assembled in Everett, home of the world’s largest building — the Boeing Assembly Plant. The Future of Flight Aviation Center, just thirty minutes north of Seattle, allows visitors to design airplanes and take North America’s only jet assembly plant tour.
Skagit County extends from the Sound to the mountains, but it’s the fertile farmland in between that puts it on the map. Every April, thousands of acres between Mount Vernon and La Conner explode in color as tulip fields come alive. The backdrop for many photos is majestic Mount Baker, year-round playground for hikers, bikers, climbers, campers, boaters and paddlers.
Historic waterfront Anacortes is a jumping-off point as well as a destination. Here, you can board a Washington State Ferry to the San Juan Islands where the pace slows, but the activity options don’t. Spying on resident Orcas from a kayak or whale-watching charter is a quintessential Washington experience.
The Deception Pass Bridge to Whidbey Island carries you twenty stories above racing currents. Many artists find refuge on Whidbey and Camano Islands, and there is no shortage of galleries, museums, secluded beaches and charming towns to visit. You might even take another ferry to Port Townsend on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, where nineteenth-century architecture and colorful festivals are year-round draws.
The Cascade Mountains divide Washington into west and east, wet and dry. Most places in Eastern Washington receive 300 days of sunshine a year, and the blue skies and warmer weather draw golfers, fishermen and other outdoor enthusiasts.
Washington’s Bavarian village of Leavenworth beckons with natural beauty, colorful celebrations and old-world hospitality. Surrounded by pine-forested mountains, this community finds good reasons to throw a party practically every weekend. Leavenworth is part of the Cascade Loop, a 441-mile collection of six different highways connecting both sides of the Cascades. Along the Loop you’ll also fi nd Lake Chelan, a 55-mile-long sapphire with Washington’s deepest and bluest waters, the Apple Capital community of Wenatchee and the frontier town of Winthrop. Beyond its wooden sidewalks and Old West feel, Winthrop and surrounding Okanogan County might tempt you with its boundless recreation options or annual Balloon or Rhythm and Blues festivals.
Washington is now the country’s number two wine-producing state. It now boasts more than 400 wineries, many offering tours and tasting rooms for visitors.
The area straddles the Columbia River at the same latitude as the famed Burgundy and Bordeaux regions of France. The entire area, which stretches from Yakima to Walla Walla, is said to provide the “perfect earth” for fine wines.
The pulse of Eastern Washington is felt in Spokane, which also serves as a gateway to two Canadian provinces, three states and the Rocky Mountains. Riverfront Park features a skyride over dramatic Spokane Falls, an ice skating rink and an IMAX Theatre. The city is filled with art, museums and beautiful gardens while rivers, mountains and thirty-three golf courses are within an hour’s drive.
From Bellingham, in the northwest corner of Washington, the “Alaska Marine Highway” offers a unique way to reach the nation’s largest state. You may board a ferryboat on foot or with your car. The trip north will take two to seven days, depending on your destination. In Alaska, life is defined by wilderness. Lots of it. The state contains fifty-four million acres of national parks filled with flower-dotted tundra, mountain ranges, forests, glaciers and innumerable opportunities for up-close wildlife experiences.
Glide past porpoises and bald eagles in the rainforest green inlets of the Inside Passage on your way to — or through — charming towns with rough-and-tumble histories like Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau, Haines and Skagway.
Anchorage, once a railroad construction camp, is south-central Alaska’s hub. Here, in the state’s largest city, you’ll find a unique mix of American modern,
historic charm and the great outdoors — watch out for moose wandering the streets. From here, you’re within reach of the region’s most spectacular sites: ice fields and calving glaciers in Kenai Fjords, brown bears on Kodiak Island and sea kayaking around wildlife-rich Prince William Sound.
Head north to the pristine gem in the state’s interior, Denali National Park. Experience “flightseeing” — sightseeing from a small plane — around Mt. McKinley, the tallest peak in the U.S.
Take the Alaska Railroad to Fairbanks, a Gold Rushera town. In central Pioneer Park, enjoy summer’s midnight sun and winter’s mystical Northern Lights. The city’s history is exhibited here year-round: log cabins, an old sternwheeler and President Warren Harding’s private railcar.
From Fairbanks, drive the largely unpaved and rather wild 415-mile-long Dalton Highway through the bush to the Arctic Ocean. Or, fly to funky Nome and other remote outposts populated by more caribou and musk ox than humans.
Situated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii’s surf-smoothed beaches and easy-going vibe are its primary attractions. Most visitors are drawn to the state’s six main islands: Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Hawaii (the Big Island), Lanai and Molokai. The region’s violent volcanic past created the rough mountains, moon-like craters, fertile ranchlands and lush rainforests that make Hawaii the wonderland it is.
Starting on the Big Island at the archipelago’s western end, go from sandy beach to snow-capped mountain on your way to the main attraction, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Hike amongst steam vents and watch lava flow into the ocean from Kilauea, the world’s most active volcano.
Hop a shuttle flight to Maui, where you may sunbathe or surf on many of Hawaii’s most famous beaches, or take part in just about any vacation activity imaginable. Arrange to ride a bicycle down a 10,000-foot volcano or watch the waves from “Jaws,” the big-wave spot known as Peahi by the locals, where daring surfers and windsurfers ride forty-foot breakers. Attend a luau, experience the 620 curves and fifty-nine bridges on the breathtaking Road to Hana and then hike to the Seven Sacred Pools in Haleakala National Park.
Take a vertiginous mule ride down the world’s highest sea cliffs on the island of Molokai. Or retreat to uncrowded Lanai for total relaxation: this island has just two resorts, one town and mostly unpaved roads.
Kauai is the wettest, lushest island. Navigate the eleven-mile Kalalau Trail along the spectacularly green Na Pali cliffs. Or, enter the depths of the Grand Canyon of the Pacific — Mark Twain’s apt description of Kauai’s remarkable Waimea Canyon.
Oahu is the state’s most developed island. Enjoy the non-stop activity in Waikiki, with the iconic Diamond Head crater as a backdrop. Hawaiians invented surfing and Oahu’s North Shore has some of the best anywhere. Watch the pros ride three-story-high waves at legendary Waimea Bay Beach Park, Banzai Pipeline and Sunset Beach Park.
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