Lonely Planet Pacific Northwest: Oregon & Washington

Full of ideas and covers all the good stuff. This is not a city resturant guide, however. Someone else gave this book 3 stars because it only told them about the highlights of what makes the Pacific Northwest special, and didn't name the 5-star resturants. I am a 4th-generation Seattle-ite and fancy resturants are not my scene. Go anywhere, eat wild salmon and a latte, then go do some more walks or boat trips or something like that!

I literally just got back from my trip which spanned from Berekely, CA- Vancouver, BC and we used this book throughout the whole trip. The hotel and restaurant recommendations are excellent and for every price range. We did a lot of last minute changes of plans and the book was able to help us with those hotel reservations. It also contains great maps and excellent background history of the area. If you are traveling through the Pacific Northwest I highly recommend this book.

This is a really good book for exploring the Pacific Northwest and we had a fantastic trip using it. The only place it left out that we think it should include is the heavenly ZEN GARDEN Bed and Breakfast on the Oregon coast in Manzanita.The rooms are beautiful, it is almost on the quiet, dreamy, seven mile beach, nearly in the forest of the Nehalem Bay State Park, and the breakfast is Huge and DELICIOUS.

We used several guides in planning a recent trip to south and central Oregon, with a stop at Mt. St. Helens on the way home, and this one was by far the most informative! Before we went to a particular destination, I would tell my family, "First you have to listen to this!" Then I would read Lonely Planet's description and historical/geological background of the site we were about to visit. I think we all enjoyed our trip much more because of this "anticipatory set."Highly recommended, not only for first-time visitors to a region, but for natives to learn more about the beauty and history right in their own backyard.

For the visitor, there are a lot of possibilities in the Pacific Northwest. LPs coverage is the best I've encountered in a single book. The historical background, accommodation, prices, maps, and general logistics listed, are a great foundation for someone visiting this awe-inspiring part of North America. The breakdown and explanation of the cities of Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland were excellent and accurate. As for the scenic and rustic areas, LPs description of the coast, National and State parks, & eastern WA and OR give the traveler plenty to play with. The Native American background was good, as with most LP works where there was such an indigenous population. Pack your LP on this trip.