Sep 12, 2010

Five Fun Places To Drive To From Portland, Oregon

Portland is the largest city in the state of Oregon and one of the main major cities of the Pacific Northwest. It is located on the southern shore of the Columbia River, just across the river from Vancouver, Washington. It is accessible by plane, car, and boat as ships can reach it by going up the mouth of the Columbia from the Pacific Ocean.

Portland is a fun city that offers great accommodations, wonderful restaurants, tons of entertainment, and much more. Another great part about Portland is that it is also located somewhat conveniently near a number of other worthwhile places to go. Here is a look at five fun places to drive to from Portland, Oregon.

Long Beach, Washington
Long Beach is an enormous peninsula in southwestern Washington that juts straight north and forms the barrier that separates Willapa Bay from the Pacific Ocean. This area is known for fishing, kite flying, and miles and miles of sand, some of which can be driven on by visitors in their own automobiles.

Multnomah Falls And The Columbia River Gorge
The Columbia River Gorge is directly east of Portland and is a beautiful area to drive through. Multnomah Falls is located on the western end of the gorge and features a towering waterfall with a number of places to view it from. There is even a gift shop and restaurant there too. The rest of the gorge features other great sights like high viewpoints, hydroelectric dams, hiking trails, windsurfing opportunities, preserved sections of original highway and tunnels, and even more waterfalls.

The Oregon Coast
Though not as famous as other stretches of coastline, the Oregon Coast is a fun place to travel to that offers many things to do. The beaches are long and sandy there and have a lot of character thanks to the occasional high cliff and the multitude of rock formations. Some of the popular destinations include Newport, Cannon Beach, Lincoln City, Seaside, and Rockaway.

Mount Rainier National Park
Located north from Portland is one of the most beautiful areas in the entire United States, Mount Rainier National Park. Visitors can enjoy the mountain and the surrounding park land in a number of ways, including going on hikes or scenic drives. There is even a very nice visitors center accessible from the south called Paradise, a very fitting name. On the way to and from Mount Rainier, travelers will be driving through one of the thickest forests in the region as well as through a number of interesting small towns that can also be fun to explore.

The Capital of Oregon
The city of Salem is located south from Portland on Interstate 5 and is the capital city of the state of Oregon. Salem is a fun city that most of the locals describe as just a really large town. One of the must see sights there is the Capitol Building where tours are available and a number of historic items pertaining to Oregon and the early days of the Pacific Northwest can be seen.

Scenes from Oregon Traffic Cams can be found at DOTwebcams. They are not only great to access for roadway information, but for other travel purposes too. Oregon webcams cover everything from scenic locations to traffic cameras and so much more.