Page 27 - AAA Magazine – AAA Ohio Auto Club – May 2019

Photo: iStock/ aiisha5 Photo: iStock/ NatChittamai
Cape Arago Lighthouse, Oregon Mount Rainer, Washington
one last dip in the Pacific Ocean (or your first, if you
haven’t already). On the way to Portland, since you had California cheese, it’s time for Oregon cheese, and Tillamook, Oregon, is where you need to stop. You can see how it is made while tasting some incredible cheddar as well as its newest product, ice cream. Next stop is Portland, where you can park the car for a while since it is rated as one of the top walkable cities. It is a great city for foodies, as there are plenty of artisanal bakers, microbrewers, coffeemakers and cooks throughout the city.
You have a full day to spend some time exploring Portland, or you can recover from your food coma.
If you have seen everything in town, you could head east and check out the Columbia River Gorge, first explored by Lewis and Clark on their expedition, and Multnomah Falls, which, at 620 feet, is the tallest waterfall in Oregon.
The final leg of the journey takes you past Mount
St. Helens and Mount Rainer, part of the Pacific Ring
of Fire – volcanoes ringing the Pacific Ocean. Mount
St. Helens famously last erupted in 1980 and stands at 8,364 feet, while Mount Rainer is larger at 14,411 feet and has not erupted since 1894.
Speaking of heights, since your next two evenings will be spent in Seattle, you might want
to score reservations for dining at the
restaurant at the top of the 520-foot
experience, I have some final thoughts for you. Besides batteries and extra memory for your camera, car chargers for your phone and plenty of snacks for the trip, I would suggest an awesome playlist for your drive. Because between San Francisco and Seattle, there is a broad spectrum of artists from which to choose.
Museum of Pop Culture, Seattle, Washington
Photo: iStock/Joecho-16
Space Needle, or at least on the waterfront of Puget Sound.
Your final full day in Seattle can
be spent exploring the landmarks mentioned above or the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, showcasing the work of glass artist Dale Chihuly.
But my pick would be the Museum of Pop Culture, founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen with a building designed by award-winning architect Frank O. Gehry.
Once you decide to call your AAA Ohio travel expert and book this
Photo: iStock/ dibrova
Seattle, Washington
MAY 2019 | 25
John T. Garcia is managing editor of AAA Magazine and a former college disc jockey.