'd love to get to Portland some time soon... My understanding is you can get off the plane there and get around easily without getting in a car the whole time; Also, that it's a beautiful city.

I lived there for a year. Great. I just couldn't get excited about sailing on the Columbia, but in many other respects I liked it better than Seattle. Yes, for one, while Seattle remains mired in mass transit controversely, Portland plows ahead and the MAX now goes to the airport.

Lane will probably have many better ideas, but if I did have a car and a whole day for a road trip, I'd make sure to go to the coast.