Did I mention that Vancouver, BC and Portland, Oregon are two of the loveliest cities in the world? A fun itenerary would be to drive from Seattle up to Vancouver, then back down to SR 20, the North Cascades Highway, which has stunning views through very jagged, Alaska-style mountains. This will bring you down on the "dry side" and you can then follow the Columbia River to Portland, Oregon, seeing lots of beautiful and interesting things along the way, including the world's deepest freshwater lake (Chelan), a way-cool petrified forest, the dams, the dry falls, apple country, wine country, and the wind-surfing stuff along the Columbia between Wa and Or.

You'll want also to take the short side-trip to Multnomah Falls, where the Columbia cuts through the Cascade Mountains (breathtaking!) on its way to the sea (the mountains are younger than the river, so as they pushed up, it just kept cutting its way through. It's called the COlumbia River Gorge in Portland, and it's the coolest thing!). The mouth of the Columbia at Astoria, OR is also well worth seeing. Then you can either come up the coast and see the world's longest white-sand beach (Long Beach, WA), and then cut across at Olympia, and take in the state capitol and such, or come straight up I-5 and take the side trip to Mt. St. Helens.

I'm rhapsodizing again, aren't I? I'll shut up now.

Alex