TravelOCT 20, 2022

Top 10 Unique Things To See While Visiting The Upper West Coast (30 Pics)

I just returned from an 8-day adventure from the upper West Coast and want to share a few places you have not thought of or even heard about visiting. But you should definitely add these places to your must-see list for travel. My husband and I traveled from Washington State to Whistler Canada and back down to Oregon on our coastal adventure with the most incredible, breathtaking vistas I have ever seen which is saying a lot, as I have certainly traveled to many beautiful places in my life. The views were so beautiful many felt as if I were standing inside a painting.

1. The Peter Iredale shipwreck of 1906 in Oregon

Located inside Fort Stevens State Park, the remains of this 116-year-old ship stands tall above the ocean waters. The vibrant colors of the rusting metal were ablaze in the sunlight. You would think the metal would be rough, but to my surprise, it was actually very smooth. I found myself wanting to study the metal up close to see all the different layers where it was broken. You can count the bolts, still holding the ship together, or pop your head out of window frames for a goofy photo. I would have loved to be here at either sunrise or sunset for some really cool photos, but our schedule landed us here mid-day, it was still gorgeous and not overly crowded. It was a short walk from the upper-level parking lot. You can also view it from a distance from the lot if you are not able to walk down the slight decline in the sand to the water and wreck.

Inside the 116 year old shipwreck

The rusted metal was actually very beautiful to me, vivid colors and textures

The shipwreck is a unique sight you don't usually see on a beach

From the shipwreck you can see the upper parking lot

An easy walk from the parking lot down to the ruins on the beach.

2. Brandywine Falls in British Colombia

A gorgeous 229-foot waterfall in British Columbia that is tucked away down an easy wooded walking path through Provincial Park. Park your car in the lot, and it's a short walk down a well-maintained path to the falls. You can view the falls from several angles along the path, but the first stop gives you the best view of the entire falls. British Columbia, Canada, located adjacent to BC Highway 99 between Garibaldi and Whistler, British Columbia. It is managed by Sea to Sky Parks for BC Parks. Free of charge.

Additional hiking paths at Brandywine Falls

3. Multnomah Falls, Columbia River Gorge

This one you have most likely seen or at least heard of, but it is so amazing I could not leave it off this list. And it was the easiest of all to see. You can literally drive down the highway and see it. Now, of course, you should definitely park and walk over to really take in the full beauty of nature’s masterpiece. There is a visitor center with a restroom and dining. Take a short walk up to the viewing platform to see the entire waterfall and epic viewing bridge. This is the shot you usually see online and in photos. But if you can, I encourage you to take a small walk up the hill to see the waterfall from the viewing bridge. It is a paved path, some areas need a little love from wear, but we saw many elderly people with canes coming up the path. Once you cross the bridge, there are additional viewing areas as well that are close enough that you can feel the mist from the waterfall. Free of charge.

Multnomah Falls, tip- visit when they first open to avoid crowds

Grab the Black ball Ferry in Port Angeles for some amazing views of the coast

4. Ferry Rides

On the Ferry with the beautiful mountain backdrop behind my husband and I.

Who would think a simple ferry ride could hold so many beautiful sights? It was truly magnificent. We took two ferries during our adventures. The first from Port Angeles to Victoria, Canada, on the Black Ball Ferry. Leaving the coast and getting to see the west coast in all its glory truly is something everyone should see. While on board, a film crew was there working on a documentary. As a film person myself, I was curious about what they were filming, so I went to investigate. Turned out it was a documentary featuring a judge from The Great British Bake off show her son, and I won’t tell the topic of the documentary as that would spoil the fun. The second ride was from Swartz Bay terminal to Tsawwassen, Canada, this one was mind-blowing and beautiful as we squeezed through the islands, and if the mountain views weren’t enough, we saw a pod of whales swimming near our boat.

Bring a jacket and stay on the upper decks at the back of the ships for the best views.

5. The Olympic Rings structure at Whistler Olympic Plaza

The ride to see the Olympic Rings was the most majestic view in my life. If your partner drives like mine, hold onto your camera as you serpentine back and forth up the mountains, and each turn gives you yet another view to gasp and say: 'Oh my gosh!' Which I did over and over again all the way to the top. We did stop off halfway for lunch at a quaint little town Brandwine Falls, mentioned, early was also on the way here and worth the stop. The Olympic Village is like walking through a movie set. It was so quaint and relaxing and surrounded by gorgeous mountains, adorable shops, and the friendliest of people. My husband timed this adventure perfectly, too, so as we left, it was close to sunset, and we were able to see the sun setting through the mountains as we worked our way back down the mountain. There were plenty of places, as well, on the way down to pull off and enjoy the view even more.

Just one of many amazing views along the route to Whistler

The sun was setting and we headed back down from the Olympic Village and gave us some really incredible sunset views

I seriously took at least 100 images coming down the mountain as the sun was setting in the hills.

6. Goonies filming location and lighthouse, Cannon Beach Oregon

If you are a movie person like me, I got a kick out of visiting the spot where Goonies from 1985 from filmed.

I’m a big film nerd, so nothing better than finding a location where they filmed Goonies back in 1985. This place had so much to offer, easy parking, and walk out to take in just incredible views of the coast and lighthouse. They did have restrooms located there as well, which is helpful. The lighthouse is in the distance, so bring a pair of binoculars if you want a closer look. The path is paved mostly but has a somewhat of a little hill to go down and back up on return. Free of charge.

You can also see the lighthouse in the distance.

7. Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock

Walking Trail to Cannon Beach and Haystack rock, you can see in the distance.

Now, this what one of those things when you see it, it will take your breath, especially if driving by it for the first time and you see it pop out behind a house. That rock is massive! Parking here is a total bear and hard to find not going to lie, but it's totally worth it. There is a resort right at Cannon Beach and Haystack rock, and they offer to park to their guest. I would definitely try to book a room there in advance, we tried, but they were sold out. We were there at high tide, so we could only go out so far as the water was also ice cold. I would look up low tide and see if you can get an even closer look at this mammoth rock.

Haystack Rock

I stood here on the point and just watched and listened to the sounds of the water and breeze

Plenty of places here for photos and even picnics

8. Fishermans Wharf Park, Victoria BC

This was a fun little gem. We picked up a local Airbnb on Dallas Road and walked down to the wharf for dinner. It was an easy walk of about a mile, and there were several places to pick up dinner on the floating docks and houseboats. There is a mix of businesses and residential houseboats. They were also filming there so of course by now you know I’m in the world of film so, I was smiling ear to ear and had to get the scoop on what was being shot. The hallmark channel was filming a new piece for the holiday season. Again, I’m not a spoiler kind of girl. Check out Hallmark and look for the Christmas carousel in the background. We grabbed dinner at Barbs and watch the flurry of cast and crew come and go from the set. After a full belly of fish and chips, we waddled our way back down Dallas Road along the waterline to watch the sunset. There were chairs to kick back in, picnic tables, and even a lower seating section right along the water with stairs that lead directly down to access the water if you wanted. The perfect spot for watching the sunset or catching one of the many horse and buggy rides along the waterline.

Dallas Road down from Fishermans Wharf

9. Westport Winery Gardens, Aberdeen WA

We heard about this little gem from Johnny at Opals Glass which is coming up next. He said they had gardens that featured their glass, a mermaid museum, and wine. I mean, really, what more does a girl need? I was sold, and off we went to explore. Now Aberdeen is not a posh area, so I was shocked to hear that it had this type of place, but sure enough, it was as good as he described. My husband and I grabbed a quick lunch there at the Sea Glass grill and then headed into the gardens. The gardens seemed to go on and on, with many art features, from Opal’s glass pieces, metal statues, funky crayons, glass flowers, water features, mermaids, and even a giant boat. The garden was no charge and a real treat for me. They also had a mermaid museum that was a $3 charge. I think they should have charged to see the gardens and museum together. The garden, to me, was just incredible, and with the amount of work they put into it, they certainly should charge for that. The mermaid museum, however, should have been free as it was just mannequins painted and in tail costumes with nautical items they had collected and people had donated. They could have charged to enter the gardens and museum, and I would have happily paid double that for just the gardens. The mermaid museum did however, give us a chuckle. They tried, they really did.