After our magnificent experience in Yellowstone National Park we got back on the road and headed towards the west coast of USA for Washington State. The Cascade range in this State was particularly beautiful. Seattle was the next major city on the journey. Located right up the top left hand side of mainland US, extremely close to the border of Canada and Vancouver. We only spent a day here but we got a feel for most of the city from the Space needle which gave us a great view of the city. We highly recommend a visit to this 184 metre high tower that has become the symbol of Seattle.

Space Needle is a By The Shaw recommendation.

Great view of the city from the Space Needle.

From Seattle we made our way south to Portland, Oregon. This is a beautiful city aesthetically as well as offering plenty to do. We walked through the whole city. The best coffee we found so far in the US was here at a cafe called the Flying Elephant. Another great place we’d recommend  for enjoying a drink and nice nibbles is on the water watching the dragon boats racing. There are some beautiful, extremely old bridges in Portland that really add to its glamour. The only downside we noticed was there seemed to be more homeless people here than any other city we had visited. (NB: when viewing gallery photos: We were there the a couple of days before Memorial Day at which time they were preparing a ten day carnival).

Dragon Boat Race and Training on the river.

This great marina and Boathouse is worth a visit.

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