Pacific Northwest trip help

[Doug Herta]

Hello Professional!

You have a set of folks here who live and photograph throughout the region you are coming to. If you are coming and going from Seattle you are welcome to meet up with me, borrow a tripod, get some pointers, etc. I can point you to some options to stay in Seattle - PM me for some options.

Seattle is close to the Cascades and Mt. Rainier. There are a few places I can direct you to that are day trips from Seattle. The Olympic mountains, and San Juan Islands could all be visited from Seattle, but it would be a lot of driving to make them day trips. You would be better served to station yourself near where you want to photograph.

The heart of the matter is this: there is SO MUCH to see, and if you try to see everything you are going to be spending a lot of time on the road. I know it is hard to do from half a world away, but read up some more about what you want to see and we can probably give some more concrete suggestions.

[Professional]

Hello Professional!

You have a set of folks here who live and photograph throughout the region you are coming to. If you are coming and going from Seattle you are welcome to meet up with me, borrow a tripod, get some pointers, etc. I can point you to some options to stay in Seattle - PM me for some options.

Seattle is close to the Cascades and Mt. Rainier. There are a few places I can direct you to that are day trips from Seattle. The Olympic mountains, and San Juan Islands could all be visited from Seattle, but it would be a lot of driving to make them day trips. You would be better served to station yourself near where you want to photograph.

The heart of the matter is this: there is SO MUCH to see, and if you try to see everything you are going to be spending a lot of time on the road. I know it is hard to do from half a world away, but read up some more about what you want to see and we can probably give some more concrete suggestions.

Hello Doug!

Than you very much for your reply.

I was thinking to divide my trip into 2 periods or say 2 stages or whatever its called, 12-14 days in Washington and another 12-14 days in Oregon, then i try to be back to Seattle last 1-3 days if left. The flight i will book go direct to Seattle as a destination, so it will be my start point, it is not my main place, but from Seattle i will try to go all around to NPs and landscapes i want if possible.

I was thinking about 3 main things to photograph as landscapes:

1. Waterscapes [beaches, lakes, rivers,...etc]
2. Mountains and surround of it
3. Desert or Open era and such

If i can do those 3 above or say the first two within 2 weeks then i can try to do something else as addition the remaining days, such as cityscape or night shots or portraits, i know i can't do or see everything even if i stay longer and trying harder, i have been to some beautiful places in Europe and New Zealand and still didn't see everything or many things yet, so i know i can't in PNW alone.

It will be great to meet you somewhere, i was thinking to stay first 2 nights in Seattle to manage/arrange my plan better then i get busy in move, i don't want to keep driving if i will drive and not shooting much enough, but i know i don't know anybody there and i never drove overseas before, so maybe the first few days will be hard for me trying to arrange a place and a car and whatever else, so that i asked about this trip on many sites in advanced to gather enough details and information before i fly, whatever i can get it will help, but i also don't hold a big hope i can do a lot there, if i can't find helpful people and no one care to help and guide there then i can't do much alone by myself, i will try to have my list ready before i travel about few locations i want to visit, but there are many things can play a rule, the weather itself is a big factor may change my plan time to time, and if i will be fit and in good health too and not getting flu or cold, so, i hope in those 18 days or up to 3 weeks i can have locations to visit and no need to visit all of them, i will be very happy if everyday i choose one place to visit and spend my time there, each day in each location.

Any recommendations/suggestions/opinions will help for sure.

[John Kasaian]

Perhaps drive down the coast starting with Olympic Peninsula down to the Columbia River (if you are head of schedule consider exploring the beaches in Oregon too) then East through The Dalles, then South through desert to Pendleton, then West to the mountains--Crater Lake, Bend,
The North again following the Cascades back to Seattle. Sort of a figure "8"
Just a thought. Rent a van and sleep in the (dry) back most nights to save some loot. Disguise your photo equipment well to thwart the bandits.
Have fun!

[Professional]

Perhaps drive down the coast starting with Olympic Peninsula down to the Columbia River (if you are head of schedule consider exploring the beaches in Oregon too) then East through The Dalles, then South through desert to Pendleton, then West to the mountains--Crater Lake, Bend,
The North again following the Cascades back to Seattle. Sort of a figure "8"
Just a thought. Rent a van and sleep in the (dry) back most nights to save some loot. Disguise your photo equipment well to thwart the bandits.
Have fun!

That will be a great idea, i will write down and consider it for sure, van may be a better idea than the small car, i can carry heavy load with me on move too, but it is all coming if i will drive or can drive overseas without fear.

Thanks again!

[tautatis]

I just came back from a trip in Canada. Rented a car in Calgary and drove all the way to Victoria and Vancouver (Western Canada) before boarding a bus to Seattle to visit family. As some have mentioned, renting a car is the best option - you can go anywhere you want at anytime. There are no buses nor trains to take to most if not all the National or State Parks. We have always camped during our road trips. Alternatively, if you had a photo guide who drives it could minimize the hassle or renting a car as foreigner with no US address etc. Renting a small car within a state for may cost you relatively little. compared to what you would pay to travel on train or bus from one town to another including hotel/motel. 2 years ago I did LA to Seattle and a year before Santa Fe to Seattle. 3 weeks is a lot of time to really enjoy the country and do great photography. You may consider staying in motels such as Super 8, Days Inn, Ramada and or camping if the weather is good. Northwest is great for photography. Enjoy your visit.

[Kuzano]

Look Professor, I'm just going to say this.

I live in Central Oregon and am also quite familiar with the coastlines of both Oregon (down to California) and Washington (up to Canada). I also have spent much time in the Central High Desert of Oregon and the farmlands/Coulee Grand Canyon areas of Eastern Washington. There is a lifetime of shooting without leaving the Pacific NorthWest, and you've received a great sampling in all your posts.

Now, what I have to say.... Pack and travel for survival. Forget any comments in these posts about wandering down lonely forest service roads unless you are with a guide.

Here's why. I am an inveterate follower of the Farmers Almanac, the most routinely accurate of weather patterns for months and years at a time.

The time you are choosing has some surprises very often, so here is a link on the Farmers Almanac for Sept/October 2013:

http://www.farmersalmanac.com/long-r.../northwest-us/

I would probably not venture into the mountains during this time. If I did, I would make sure I carried appropriate maps, all readily available at parks, ranger stations and Sporting Goods stores. Not a winter goes by in this part of the country without someone or family diverting from a known highway and thinking they know a shortcut to Granny's house. A sudden unexpected storm hits and they are often found on some lightly traveled forest road, snowed in and about two weeks too late. It happens.

Not trying to scare you into not coming. But be careful. Always have two to three days of food in your car, adequate layered clothing for such an event, water for a week. If you do bet bogged down, stuck or lost. STAY WITH YOUR CAR, and have a full charge on your cell phone. An extra charged battery would be a plus.

That's why I don't hit the mountains during or shortly before winter. Another consideration is that many such roads are closed (locked) to winter travel late in September and particularly October.

This will usually not happen on the West side of I5 running through Washington and Oregon. You will be in rain country for the most part, near the Coast or the Coastal mountain range.

As I recall we lost 3 if not 4 families in Oregon alone last winter when they took of on less traveled roads.

Now again, I am not purposely trying to deter you from having a good time. I am just suggesting you travel with caution and plan your trips safely. Also, if you go past park or ranger stations, it's a good idea to post an itinerary.

Again, I don't think I can add to the suggestions. One thing to remember if you follow a Coastal Route down through the two states, there are only about a dozen lighthouses still commissioned and in operation. Lighthouses are being decommissioned and often turned into tourist attractions at a growing rate. Lighthouse were often placed at very scenic Ocean overviews, many jutting out over the Ocean at large land heads. I have a plan in the next year or so, to travel that route and capture all the Lighthouses I can from the central Washington coast, down to Bandon near California.

Enjoy your trip. Sorry if this darkens the mood... not trying to do that... trying to make your trip as exciting as it should be.

[Professional]

I just came back from a trip in Canada. Rented a car in Calgary and drove all the way to Victoria and Vancouver (Western Canada) before boarding a bus to Seattle to visit family. As some have mentioned, renting a car is the best option - you can go anywhere you want at anytime. There are no buses nor trains to take to most if not all the National or State Parks. We have always camped during our road trips. Alternatively, if you had a photo guide who drives it could minimize the hassle or renting a car as foreigner with no US address etc. Renting a small car within a state for may cost you relatively little. compared to what you would pay to travel on train or bus from one town to another including hotel/motel. 2 years ago I did LA to Seattle and a year before Santa Fe to Seattle. 3 weeks is a lot of time to really enjoy the country and do great photography. You may consider staying in motels such as Super 8, Days Inn, Ramada and or camping if the weather is good. Northwest is great for photography. Enjoy your visit.

Look Professor, I'm just going to say this.

I live in Central Oregon and am also quite familiar with the coastlines of both Oregon (down to California) and Washington (up to Canada). I also have spent much time in the Central High Desert of Oregon and the farmlands/Coulee Grand Canyon areas of Eastern Washington. There is a lifetime of shooting without leaving the Pacific NorthWest, and you've received a great sampling in all your posts.

Now, what I have to say.... Pack and travel for survival. Forget any comments in these posts about wandering down lonely forest service roads unless you are with a guide.

Here's why. I am an inveterate follower of the Farmers Almanac, the most routinely accurate of weather patterns for months and years at a time.

The time you are choosing has some surprises very often, so here is a link on the Farmers Almanac for Sept/October 2013:

http://www.farmersalmanac.com/long-r.../northwest-us/

I would probably not venture into the mountains during this time. If I did, I would make sure I carried appropriate maps, all readily available at parks, ranger stations and Sporting Goods stores. Not a winter goes by in this part of the country without someone or family diverting from a known highway and thinking they know a shortcut to Granny's house. A sudden unexpected storm hits and they are often found on some lightly traveled forest road, snowed in and about two weeks too late. It happens.

Not trying to scare you into not coming. But be careful. Always have two to three days of food in your car, adequate layered clothing for such an event, water for a week. If you do bet bogged down, stuck or lost. STAY WITH YOUR CAR, and have a full charge on your cell phone. An extra charged battery would be a plus.

That's why I don't hit the mountains during or shortly before winter. Another consideration is that many such roads are closed (locked) to winter travel late in September and particularly October.

This will usually not happen on the West side of I5 running through Washington and Oregon. You will be in rain country for the most part, near the Coast or the Coastal mountain range.

As I recall we lost 3 if not 4 families in Oregon alone last winter when they took of on less traveled roads.

Now again, I am not purposely trying to deter you from having a good time. I am just suggesting you travel with caution and plan your trips safely. Also, if you go past park or ranger stations, it's a good idea to post an itinerary.

Again, I don't think I can add to the suggestions. One thing to remember if you follow a Coastal Route down through the two states, there are only about a dozen lighthouses still commissioned and in operation. Lighthouses are being decommissioned and often turned into tourist attractions at a growing rate. Lighthouse were often placed at very scenic Ocean overviews, many jutting out over the Ocean at large land heads. I have a plan in the next year or so, to travel that route and capture all the Lighthouses I can from the central Washington coast, down to Bandon near California.

Enjoy your trip. Sorry if this darkens the mood... not trying to do that... trying to make your trip as exciting as it should be.

hmmmmmmm, i feel i may not able to do it properly then, i am not good in planning trips, and i don't have enough time to arrange/manage everything on time, i only have this week and i will get busy in this week a lot and i will find myself of next week that i have the tickets and have nothing planned yet.

In all cases, i want to travel because i didn't do since last time back in 2009, so at least i want to refresh my mind, i am not sure i can do everything alone, and renting a car for me need a lot of cautions, it is not my country and i may take long time to read maps and directions and i may waste money here and there trying to find the right ways to anywhere, so i will choose at least 4 main locations i want to visit and focus to visit them, maybe after those 4 places i may feel more relaxed and comfortable and then i can add more 2-3 locations when i have enough time and budget to go for it.

Kuzano, there are no those kind of photography groups or meetups who like to go around for photograph over there so i can join them? All what i need is to get to those locations taking some shots and go away back to motels or whatever accommodations, can't i get to those places without i drive by myself? Aren't there buses stopping on main roads very near to NPs then i can rent the car for few hours until i am done and then i return the car if they are still open and going by bus back to my hotel/motel? I am this kind of guy who can't do many things as planned, all what i got from all the posts are the name of places and name of roads and some restaurants and motel names, i can get those by search if i did that from google, but sounds like the only thing i can do is trying to get out of Seattle and Portland and trying to be near mountains and the coats to find most of what i look for.

I will search any workshops available that time i arrive there for those areas and see if one of them can satisfy me, or i hope to find a nice person who wouldn't mind me joining him to go around and i will pay him fuel and not asking him food for myself.

Thanks for all answers.

[John Kasaian]

What is your time frame for this trip? I agree that Winter in the mountains can be very treacherous (weather in the mountains is as unpredictable as a baby's bottom) While winter weather along the Pacific Coast is often quite nice (at least in California---Washingtonians and Oregonians would know what's the norm farther North)

[Professional]

What is your time frame for this trip? I agree that Winter in the mountains can be very treacherous (weather in the mountains is as unpredictable as a baby's bottom) While winter weather along the Pacific Coast is often quite nice (at least in California---Washingtonians and Oregonians would know what's the norm farther North)

Mid September to first week of October.

[Kuzano]

Kuzano, there are no those kind of photography groups or meetups who like to go around for photograph over there so i can join them? All what i need is to get to those locations taking some shots and go away back to motels or whatever accommodations, can't i get to those places without i drive by myself? Aren't there buses stopping on main roads very near to NPs then i can rent the car for few hours until i am done and then i return the car if they are still open and going by bus back to my hotel/motel? I am this kind of guy who can't do many things as planned, all what i got from all the posts are the name of places and name of roads and some restaurants and motel names, i can get those by search if i did that from google, but sounds like the only thing i can do is trying to get out of Seattle and Portland and trying to be near mountains and the coats to find most of what i look for.

I will search any workshops available that time i arrive there for those areas and see if one of them can satisfy me, or i hope to find a nice person who wouldn't mind me joining him to go around and i will pay him fuel and not asking him food for myself.

Thanks for all answers.

Not likely to be able to use public transportation outside major metropolitan areas, ie Portland and Seattle. That kind of transportation is generally inner city and outlying to the city limits and satellite towns. Other bus type transportation would be city to city, and if passing National Parks may stop for you to let you off the the problem would be the schedule back. If it's a non scheduled stop to drop you off, there would be no stop coming back. Furthermore, none of those locations would have car rental agencies. I don't think I've ever noticed car rentals at state park, but more often at nearby town.

Your best bet on transportation- would be to get the best rate at a car rental agency to pick up and keep a car for the three weeks, and drop off at the same company in another town if need be. That would be the most expedient use of your time, otherwise you would spend your vacation on buses or waiting for them. The schedules of such transportation is in no way conducive to your needs.

You might get on the internet and search for Camera Clubs in Portland or Seattle and communicate there. Here are a quick few:

http://www.seattlephotographyclub.com/

http://www.seattlephotographic.com/

http://www.meetup.com/Seattle-Photography-Club/

http://www.sunnywalter.com/Photo-Clubs-Regional.htm

That last link is a list of links of camera clubs through out Washington... very large list.

What would be perfect would be if you could just hire some photographer familiar with the areas you want to photogaph, who has a car and would be your guide for a couple of weeks for expenses and some per diem. Might be a bit expensive, but hey... solve all your problems. Ask for character references please.