Vancouver

Vancouver sits right on Interstate 5 at the Washington side of the Columbia River, so getting here is simple from almost any direction. From Seattle it is a straight run of about 160 miles south on I-5, roughly three hours without traffic. From Portland you are fifteen minutes away across the Interstate Bridge on I-5 or the Glenn Jackson Bridge on I-205, and Portland International Airport is the closest major airport at about fifteen minutes by car. Downtown and the waterfront district are on the west side of I-5; take the Mill Plain or City Center exits. The historic downtown around Esther Short Park has metered street parking and several garages, and the waterfront has paid lots and garages that fill on summer weekends, so arrive early if you are coming for a Saturday on the river. Once you are downtown, the waterfront, the park, and Fort Vancouver are all within about a mile of each other and easy to cover on foot or by bike.

The Vancouver Waterfront is where most visitors eat, and two spots anchor it. WildFin American Grill works the seafood and steak side with a big patio and unobstructed Columbia River views, open for lunch through dinner daily and until 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays. A few doors east at 801 Waterfront Way, Twigs Bistro and Martini Bar does Pacific Northwest plates and a long martini list, with a weekend brunch that starts at 10:30am. Between and around them the waterfront has a cluster of wine tasting rooms if you would rather graze than sit down to a full meal. Beyond the river, Vancouver has quietly built one of the denser craft beer scenes in the state, which we cover in our guide to the must visit breweries in Clark County. For the morning, our roundup of the coziest Vancouver coffee shops points you to the independent roasters downtown and in the Uptown Village neighborhood. The Vancouver Farmers Market rounds out the picture on weekends with more than 150 food, produce, and craft vendors around Esther Short Park.

Vancouver is a good base for a whole region. The Columbia River Gorge starts just east of town: follow State Route 14 along the Washington shore and you are inside the National Scenic Area within about twenty miles, with Beacon Rock, waterfalls, and river overlooks the whole way. Camas is ten minutes east, a former mill town with a walkable brick main street that we cover in spending a day in downtown Camas. A short drive north on Interstate 5, the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge has an auto tour route and boardwalks that fill with sandhill cranes and waterfowl through the cooler months. Mount St. Helens is about ninety minutes north, close enough for a day trip to the blast zone and the Johnston Ridge viewpoints in summer. And for a shorter woodland outing, Moulton Falls Regional Park northeast of the city has a stone arch bridge, swimming holes, and a waterfall on the East Fork Lewis River.

Summer is the obvious season: the waterfront, the festivals at Esther Short Park, and the Gorge day trips all peak from June through September, and the Columbia River weather here is milder and drier than the coast. A weekend is enough to cover the historic downtown, the waterfront, and Fort Vancouver at an easy pace, with a third day if you want to add the Gorge or Mount St. Helens. Spring and fall are quieter and still pleasant, with the farmers market running from late April into December. Winter is low season and rainy, though the downtown restaurants and tasting rooms stay busy year round. Because Portland is so close, many travelers base in one city and visit the other, and Vancouver tends to be the calmer, cheaper side of the river to sleep on.

Photos: Grant Street Pier and the Columbia River waterfront by Steve Morgan; Esther Short Park by Buhadram; Officers Row, Pearson Field, the Kiggins Theatre, and the Vancouver Land Bridge by Visitor7. Via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA. Fort Vancouver by the National Park Service, public domain.