I decided driving would make the most sense for Portland to Seattle since I can make stops along the way and take my time. Its only about a 3 hour drive, and I love long drives like that. My goal was to leave in the am and reach Seattle before the car rental place closed so I didn't need to deal with parking. I'm so thankful I drove, I was able to see some really nice sites that I wouldn't have stopped at otherwise.
Highlights:
- Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge - Such a cool spot to stop and I'm really happy I came. You can hike and walk around here in the summer. During the winter you can take a car around the refuge and do tours. There are all these different birds and nature sounds. Lots of people with professional cameras were taking pictures. I was able to see some really different birds and deer roaming around. It was a really beautiful place to see and a recommended stop between Portland and Seattle. Pictures below.
- Mt. St Helen - While the visitors center was closed and there was a lot of snow driving up, I was able to get some amazing views from the volcano. I first made a stop at Silver Lake wetlands and walked the boardwalk. You can see all different plant life in the water. The wetlands were created by Mount St. Helens eruptions in 1980. After that I drove up toward the peak of the mountain. stopping at various viewpoints and the at the edge of the blast zone.
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| Silver Lake Boardwalk |
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Silver Lake views
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| The deer and the ducks just hanging out |
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| Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge |
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| Nature in Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge |
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| Driving through Mt Saint Helen |
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| The views driving through Mt Saint Helen |
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