Hi all,

I'm going to be over in Canada and the US for three weeks next month and I'm hoping some local Mudcatters can provide me with some information for my trip. My husband and I are coming over from the UK to go to the Northwest Folklife festival in Seattle and spending the rest of the time driving round in a camper van doing some sightseeing, and I'd like to find out about music/dance things going on and where would be good places to go sightseeing.

The plan so far looks like this: arrive in Vancouver 21 May, pick up camper van in Victoria 24 May, 25th drive to Seattle and go to Folklife until 29/30 May. After that we need to be back on Vancouver Island by 7 June, and we'd like to fit in a trip to Portland OR before we head back up.

Can anyone tell me if there are any good jam sessions or contra dances (or any other type of music event) we can stop off at anywhere in these areas? We're both musicians and play for contra dancing in the UK so we're keen to do a bit of tune-swapping if we can. Also, does anyone have any suggestions for sightseeing places to visit?

If anyone has any tips on camping over there, they would also be gratefully received :-). Are there any kinds of 'rest areas' where you can park overnight for free?

Oh, and if anyone knows where I could borrow a guitar from, that would be great too :-).

Thanks, Charley