Gen. impressions of Washington coast and Mt. Hood, OR?

[MrBent]

My wife and I are planning a tour for this summer, and we're thinking of starting in Vancouver, BC, heading down through Washington to Portland, OR, then heading out around Mt. Hood/Columbia River for a while.

For those who have ridden in these areas, what are your impressions of the ACA Washington route?  Traffic, etc?

For those familiar with Oregon, how is the road around Mt. Hood?  Shoulders, traffic, quality of the ride?  I know a bit more about the Columbia River route because of the detailed maps the Oregon department of transportation puts out.  The Oregon side seems excellent for touring.  What about the Washington side?

Any help/information greatly appreciated!

Cheers,

Scott

[johnsondasw]

Touring the Washington coast is great, if you hit the weather right.  One of the best tours I ever took was around the Olympic Peninsula, starting in Sequim and ending there 4 days later.  I particularly liked the part from Forks to Aberdeen, about 103 miles of beautiful coast, forests, etc.  Traffic was light and respectful and this was perfect weather in July, but NOT on a weekend.  The Washington side of the Columbia is better for biking than the Oregon side because it's a secondary type road rather than a freeway.  Be sure to be going upriver in summer because of fierce west winds. 

The ride you're planning will be gorgeous.  These are wonderful areas to tour in.  Traffic, however, could be a problem on weekends.  Have fun!

[Westinghouse]

I have cycled the PCBR from Ana Cortes to San Diego. Expect rain in Washington. It is a bit hilly. It is a very good ride. I am not sure about traffic density in summer. Washington and Oregon DOTs might be able to give you some explicit information on that.