Hi Guys, I'm headed for Portland OR and Seattle next week via big aluminum tube.. Gonna pick up number one son in Portland and then drive to Seattle for a couple of days. Are there any must see's along the way anyone can recommend? Is the Boeing Aircraft Tour worth the time? Of course Kenmore Air in on the list..Son wants to see the Space needle too. We were thinking of spending a night on one of the San Juan Islands. Anything else?
Pete

Lots of aircraft museums in the SEA area, some large & some small:
Museum of Flight at KBFI.
MoF restoration shop, Historic Flight Foundation, & Flying Heritage Collection at KPAE.
Heritage Flight Museum at KBVS.
Port Townsend Aero Museum at 0S9.
North Cascades Vintage Museum at 3W5.
Olympia Flight Museum at KOLM.

If you're going to the San Juans for an overnighter, call Kenmore & see if there's any special deals on a floatplane trip / B&B or hotel. Maybe Rosario?
Gray whales are around Puget Sound and the Salish Sea now, on their annual migration from Mexico to Alaska, and orcas are around all year long. There's an pilot-owned whale-watching outfit in Port Townsend & Edmonds ( http://www.pugetsoundexpress.com/ ) and several in Friday Harbor.

It looks like the weather will be pretty good here next week. I am in Bellingham which is 50 miles north of Seattle. Since the weather will be good and you are interested in Kenmore Air and the San Juan Islands I recommend catching a Kenmore Air seaplane flight from their base on North End of Lake Washington and fly up to Friday Harbor on one of their scheduled flights. The San Juan's are stunning to fly over. With the good weather you will get a overall view of this scenic area on your way to the islands with all the mountains, water, etc. At Friday Harbor you can walk to town for food or whatever and catch a later flight back to Seattle. Or you could spend the night at Friday Harbor as well.

There is not much to see on the drive from Portland to Seattle. Pretty boring with lots of traffic depending on when you drive. The Space Needle is okay, but if you are going to do a Kenmore Air flight just skip the space needle. In Seattle a favorite spot for outsiders to visit is the Pike Place Market. It's Seattle's original farmers market that is still a working farmers market. Pretty touristy, but even I still like to visit it now and then. Starbucks very first coffee shop is located there.

As far as museums, I would recommend the Boeing Flight Museum down at Boeing field in Seattle. It gets better every year. The Boeing factory tour is pretty cool too, but I wouldn't miss the San Juan's for that, especially if the weather is nice.

Enjoy your visit. This is a great area.

Friday harbor and orcas island,cool little towns lots to see you won't be disappointed,cool museum at Friday harbor too..........

Hop a kenmore Beaver from downtown to Friday Harbor. I had good luck with the Earthbox Motel in Friday harbor. Walking distance to everything.


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The Spruce Goose is in the Evergreen Air Museum in McMinnville, Oregon. About a 40 min drive from PDX. Really good museum, you won't be disappointed.
http://www.evergreenmuseum.org/

The Johnson ridge visitor center at Mt St Helens is another cool spot. Looks right into the crater. Might be closed so check.
http://www.gonorthwest.com/Washington/c ... nridge.htm

Cheers...Rob

Take a drive up to Mt. Hood east of Portland and visit Timberline lodge, then circle around to Hood River to visit the Western Antique Aeroepland and Automobile Museum (WAAM):

http://www.waaamuseum.org/

Also - taking the Amtrak train from Portland up to Seattle is a lot more fun and relaxing. Once in Seattle you can Uber it everywhere within the city and can probably fanagle float plane rides from Kenmore or Seattle Seaplanes.

in Seattle, i'd check out pike place market and EMP if you are a music fan.

soyAnarchisto wrote:.....visit the Western Antique Aeroepland and Automobile Museum (WAAM):
http://www.waaamuseum.org/

Huge, and awesome.

soyAnarchisto wrote:Take a drive up to Mt. Hood east of Portland and visit Timberline lodge, then circle around to Hood River to visit the Western Antique Aeroepland and Automobile Museum (WAAM):

http://www.waaamuseum.org/

Just remember, when you can see Mt. Hood from Portland that means it's going to rain. If you can't see it, it's already raining....

Mister701 wrote:

soyAnarchisto wrote:Take a drive up to Mt. Hood east of Portland and visit Timberline lodge, then circle around to Hood River to visit the Western Antique Aeroepland and Automobile Museum (WAAM):

http://www.waaamuseum.org/

Just remember, when you can see Mt. Hood from Portland that means it's going to rain. If you can't see it, it's already raining....

hahaha, thats why we are so green.