Pacific Northwest Overview

The Pacific Northwest became the center of national attention when gold rushes and the Oregon Trail ushered hordes of settlers into the region. In the 1840s, Senator Stephen Douglas argued that the Cascade Range would make a good natural border between Oregon and Washington, but the Columbia River, perpendicular to the Cascades, became the border instead. Yet even today, the range and not the river is the region’s most important cultural divide: in the wet, lush land west of the Cascades lie the two microchip, mocha, and music meccas of Portland and Seattle; to the east sprawls farmland and an arid plateau.

Sip java while strolling through the offbeat neighborhoods, spectacular museums, and quirky cafes of Seattle .
Explore the remains of a volcano at Crater Lake National Park or the icy peaks of the dormant Mt. Rainier .
Meditate upon the mossy grandeur of Olympic National Park .
Skim through hundreds of dusty volumes at Powell’s City of Books .
Revel in the low prices and natural beauty of Vancouver, British Columbia .

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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.