Northwestward Ho! Outdoor Choices

When Rand McNally’s “Vacation Places Rated” named Seattle-Mt. Rainier-North Cascades as the No. 1 vacation destination in the United States in 1986, it startled some and confirmed what others had known for a long time: Nowhere else does outdoor recreation, magnificent scenery and big-city ambiance combine in such an attractive package as in the Pacific Northwest.

In addition, the area’s burgeoning wine industry, first-class resorts and media attention to Northwest cuisine have created a new awareness of the region. Visitors can look forward to discovering secluded getaways in the forest or beside the sea, where there are fewer crowds and lower prices.

Here, then, are recommendations for eight top Pacific Northwest destinations:

Rogue River Valley. The Shakespearean Festival, largest event of its kind in the West, draws most visitors to this long valley straddling Interstate 5 in southern Oregon.

From February through October, Shakespeare, classical and contemporary plays are performed on three stages in Ashland. Call toll-free (800) 547-8052 for information and reservations.

The Peter Britt Festival of music in nearby Jacksonville features classical, jazz and bluegrass performances throughout the summer. This year’s event is set for June 24-Aug. 29. For more information, write to the Peter Britt Festival, P.O. Box, 1124, Medford, Ore. 97501, or call (800) 88-BRITT. Jacksonville is a treasure of a gold rush town filled with Mother Lode-style buildings dating from the 1850s.

The Rogue River has been a favorite of anglers for its trout fishing. Running the Rogue’s white water in a raft provides plenty of thrills, too. To arrange river rafting, contact Oregon Torpedo Trips, P.O. Box 1111, Grants Pass, Ore. 97526, (503) 479-5061.

Recommended accommodations in the area include the Chanticleer in Ashland (rated the best B&B; in the state by Oregon magazine) and the historic Jacksonville Inn.

Chanticleer, 120 Gresham St., Ashland, Ore. 97520, (503) 482-1919. Rates: $90 to $130. Jacksonville Inn, 175 E. California St., Jacksonville, Ore. 97530, (503) 899-1900. Rates: $58-$66.

The Oregon Coast. With more than 400 miles of the loveliest coast this side of Maine, where you stop depends on your purpose.

The southern coast is quieter, with fewer towns and accommodations but with splendid seascapes. The central coast, especially around Newport and Lincoln City, offers many activities and facilities. The north coast--Tillamook, Garibaldi, Cannon Beach, Seaside, Astoria--has some fine beaches and historic sightseeing.

U.S. 101 clings to the shore most of the way north, with plenty of pullouts and overlooks where you can unlimber a camera. The highway tends to be crowded and slow in midsummer; if you’re including the coast in a longer trip through the Northwest, allow a minimum of two days.

For a change of pace, consider a salmon fishing charter. It sails from many ports along the coast and costs about $65 per person a day, including gear.

According to publishers of the Mobil Guides, Salishan Lodge in Gleneden Beach is rated the best resort on the Oregon Coast. It’s the only resort in the Northwest to earn the coveted Mobil five-star rating. Channel House (B&B;) at Depoe Bay sits right above the wave-washed entrance to the harbor. Hotel Newport (formerly the Agate Beach Hilton) is one of the few first-class hotels directly on the beach.

Salishan Lodge, P.O. Box 118, Gleneden Beach, Ore. 97388, (800) 452-2300. Rates: $115-$175.

Channel House, Box 56, Depoe Bay, Ore. 97341, (503) 765-2140. Rates: $40-$120.

The Hotel Newport, 3019 N. Coast Highway, Newport, Ore. 97365, (503) 265-9411. Rates: $56-$74.

Central Oregon. If you just let your wheels veer a bit to the right as you pass through Weed, you’ll end up in central Oregon. U.S. 97 cuts through dramatic volcanic landscapes to the Northwest’s premier ranch and desert vacation country around Bend.

Several major resorts, Sunriver Lodge, Black Butte Ranch, Inn of the 7th Mountain and Kah-Nee-Ta, offer golf, tennis, swimming, river rafting, fishing, caving (in lava tubes) and horseback riding.

Sunriver Lodge, P.O. Box 3609, Sunriver, Ore. 97707, (800) 547-3922. Rates: $87-$275.

Black Butte Ranch, P.O. Box 8000, Black Butte Ranch, Ore. 97759, (800) 452-7455. Rates: $45-$150.

Inn of the 7th Mountain, P.O. Box 1207, Bend, Ore. 97709, (800) 452-6810. Rates: $48-$215.

The Deschutes River has some of the best fly fishing in the Northwest; hire a guide and drift-fish from boat or raft. At Richardson’s Ranch northwest of Madras, visitors rockhound for thundereggs, agate and other gemstones. You pay by the pound for what you keep.

You might try one of the rustic lodges in lush, forested Metolius Meadows country west of Sisters. No crowds, and a river that is legend among fly fishermen.

Metolius River Lodges, P.O. Box 110, Camp Sherman, Ore. 97730, (503) 595-6290. Rates: $44-$73.

House on the Metolius, P.O. Box 601, Camp Sherman, Ore. 97730, (503) 595-6620. Rates: $70-$132.

Portland and the Columbia Gorge. Straddling the Willamette River with skyscraping views of Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens, Portland is ablaze with rhododendrons, azaleas and roses from May through the summer. Portland may have the best parks of any city on the West Coast, with miles of hiking trails, picnic sites, viewpoints and secluded glens in Washington and Forest parks. Riverfront dining and several music festivals are available in the summer.

Historic districts along the river contain the best collection of cast-iron buildings anywhere, as well as the American Advertising Museum, the only one of its kind. On Saturday and Sunday from April through Christmas the open-air Saturday market features food vendors, artists, crafts people, jugglers, musicians, street actors, dancers and other performing artists.

For a day trip, drive southwest to the nearby Tualatin Valley and tour Oregon wineries, or drive up the Columbia Gorge for lunch at Hood River and views of the waterfalls that plunge into the gorge. Exploration Cruise Lines operates 90-passenger vessels on seven-day cruises that take you up the Columbia and Snake rivers, including a jetboat ride into Hell’s Canyon.

Best hotels in town: The new RiverPlace Alexis on the Willamette resembles the Hotel Del Coronado, and the Heathman is an elegant, historic hotel in the European tradition.

RiverPlace Alexis, 1510 S.W. Harbor Way, Portland, Ore. 97201, (800) 227-1333. Rates: $115-$500.

Heathman Hotel, S.W. Broadway at Salmon, Portland, Ore. 97205, (800) 551-0011. Rates: $100-$245.

Long Beach Peninsula. Just north of the Columbia River in Washington, 28 miles of hard-packed sand stretch uninterrupted west to the mouth of Willapa Bay. No fancy resorts, just small, comfortable motels and lodges on the beach. Pace is slow, ambiance low-key.

Walk on the beach, fly a kite, watch freighters maneuver across the treacherous bar at the mouth of the Columbia.

Seafood is outstanding. Two restaurants--the Ark, in Nahcotta, and the Shoalwater, in Seaview--are nationally known for their gourmet meals. Recommended inn: the Shelburne in Seaview.

Seattle. This city is a walker’s delight, with most major attractions available on foot.

Begin your morning at Pike Place, one of the last authentic farmer’s markets. Stroll along the waterfront and return on one of the vintage trolleys. Board the Monorail and ride to the Seattle Center, with its 605-foot Space Needle and revolving restaurant.

Newest attraction is the Museum of Flight, with 27 vintage aircraft suspended from a glass ceiling.

To sightsee, take a commuter ferry to Bremerton, or to Winslow on Bainbridge Island. Boats leave from Piers 54-57, and several marinas will rent you anything from a canoe to a yacht.

Gourmets have focused on Seattle’s Northwest cuisine, with dozens of new restaurants featuring upscale menus. Try Cutter’s Bay House, Cafe Sport, Fuller’s, Place Pigalle or Le Gourmand. The Northwest is the leader of the growing micro-brewery industry; several pubs (McRory’s or Murphy’s) specialize in regional brews.

The Inn at the Market, a small European-style hotel adjacent to Pike Place, is recommended for in-city accommodations. Salish Lodge, a cozy hostelry at the top of 268-foot Snoqualmie Falls about 40 miles east of Seattle, will open June 1.

Inn at the Market, 86 Pine St., Seattle, Wash. 98101, (800) 446-4484. Rates: $75-$175.

The Salish Lodge, P.O. Box 1109, Snoqualmie, Wash. 98065, (800) 826-6124. Rates: $150-$235.

San Juan Islands. A favorite Northwest getaway is the San Juan Islands, a 172-island (more at low tide) archipelago between Washington and British Columbia. Automobile ferries from Anacortes serve four of the islands--Lopez, Shaw, Orcas and San Juan--and continue to Sidney or Vancouver Island. The ferryboat ride is a great mini-cruise, even if you don’t get off to visit any of the islands.

One of the best bargains for foot passengers is the ride from Anacortes, 90 miles north of Seattle, through the San Juan Islands to Friday Harbor. The scenic two-hour ride (each way) costs $4.65 round trip.

The San Juans are mostly rural, with fringes of trees growing to water’s edge. Rustic resorts and small hotels dot the islands and quiet country roads lead to secluded beaches and coves. A favorite method of touring is by bicycle.

Several pods of killer whales (orcas) inhabit these waters; whale-watching boats depart from Friday Harbor. Another sightseeing cruise through the islands leaves from Semiahmoo, a new resort on the mainland near Blaine.

Lake Chelan. Slicing 55 miles into the eastern slopes of the Cascades, this is a favorite sun country destination for Washingtonians.

Sandy beaches and modest resort motels flank the lower end of the lake around the town of Chelan (SH-lan). A daily excursion boat, Lady of the Lake, makes a four-hour trip to Stehekin, an isolated community at the upper end of the lake and gateway to North Cascades National Park.

In its upper reaches the lake narrows to a fiord-like slot between rugged mountains that tower several thousand feet on either side. It’s an eight-hour excursion round trip ($18), with stops along the way.

When the boat sails down the lake, Stehekin reverts to a quiet lakeside retreat in the heart of the mountains. Few places in the nation can match the beauty and solitude. There’s only one place to stay overnight in Stehekin, the North Cascades Lodge. You can return by floatplane.

North Cascades Lodge, P.O. Box W, Chelan, Wash. 98816, (509) 682-4711. Rates: $46-$68.

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For more information:

Greater Portland Convention and Visitors Assn., 26 S.W. Salmon, Portland, Ore. 97204, call (503) 222-2223.

Seattle-King County Convention and Visitors Bureau, 7th and Stewart streets, Seattle 98101, call (206) 447-4241.

Tourism Division, Oregon Department of Economic Development, 595 Cottage St. N.E., Salem, Ore. 97208, call (800) 547-7842.

Travel Development Division, Department of Trade and Economic Development, General Administration Building, Olympia, Wash. 98504, call (206) 586-2088 or 586-2102.