Pacific Northwest, June 2022: introduction

by | Jun 25, 2022 | Travel, USA Travel

Oregon and Washington are amongst our most visited US states, and with good reason — they have an wide range of natural beauty, plus great food scenes including amazing wineries and breweries. Across all our visits we had visited the Pacific Northwest in summer, fall, and winter, but somehow we’d never been there in spring. In addition it had been five years (!) since we last visited Seattle, so in June 2022 we set out on a trip that would take us through the Willamette Valley in Oregon, up to Seattle, and back to Portland.

Altogether we spent 2 nights in Portland, 3 nights in the Willamette Valley, 2 nights in Seattle, and one night at a friend’s house in Yelm, Washington.

Where we stayed

Holiday Inn Express Portland Airport – We’ve stayed here before, and it’s a good option by the airport, especially with IHG points. One key bonus: so far they don’t charge for parking, unlike many other hotels in the vicinity. We basically got to the hotel and crashed just before 2am.

La Bastide Bed & Breakfast – This was at least our fourth time staying here, and each time is a treat. Comfortable beds, great location, and a memorable breakfast. On this visit we tried

  • Spanish migas with a fried egg and avocado toast
  • the regular artisanal sandwich and the chicken sausage
  • breakfast souffle with rhubarb jam

Unfortunately we never ate outside on this visit as it was either chilly or drizzling.

Aloft Seattle Redmond – A new to us place, and somewhat of a disappointment. Apparently, their staffing is almost non-existent on weekends, lacking front desk staff in the evening, no housekeeping, breakfast, or bar service over the weekend. Nobody even picked up the front desk phone on Sunday morning at 8:30a! Instead you are directed to their neighbor, the Elements hotel for help. And, of course, housekeeping knocked on our door at 9am on Monday, the day we were leaving…  and they charged for $12 per night for parking.

The physical parts of the hotel are nice enough – the gym had a good amount of equipment and space, and our room was comfortable – but the service turned us off to this hotel. I doubt we will return.

Homewood Suites by Hilton Portland Airport – Another new-to-us hotel, we were pleasantly surprised by how nice the staff were, especially the front desk. Our 1-bedroom suite was quite spacious, complete with a small kitchenette (including a refrigerator), a comfortable sitting area, and a large bedroom and bathroom.

The complementary breakfast was quite nice, with a few options including a waffle maker, yogurts, eggs, etc. The gym was quite spacious and functional too.  And last but not least, parking was free, a nice perk for the airport surroundings. All in all, we will return on a future trip.

Our Itinerary

2025 Trips

Buenos Aires, Argentina (Feb)
Bariloche, Argentina (Feb)
Iguazu Falls, Argentina (Feb)
Boston, MA (Apr)
Kathmandu, Nepal (May)
Bhutan (May)

2024 Trips

San Diego, CA (Jan)
Sarasota, FL (Feb)
Madrid, Spain (Mar)
Valencia, Spain (Mar+Apr)
Palma, Mallorca (Apr)
Croatia (May)
Long Island, NY (July)
Faroe Islands (Aug)
London, UK (Sept)
Puglia, Italy (Sept)
Matera, Italy (Oct)
Rome, Italy (Oct)
Mosel Valley, Germany (Oct)
Frankfurt, Germany (Oct)
London, UK (Dec)
Manchester, UK (Dec)

2022 Trips

Florida (Feb)
NC Mountains (Apr)
Washington DC (Apr)
Valencia, Spain (May)
Hilton Head, SC (May)
Pacific NW (Jun)
Long Island (Jul)
Florida (Sept)
Chicago (Sept)
Poland (Sept)
NC Mountains (Nov)
Euro Xmas Markets (Dec)