The Pacific Northwest and the Last Frontier have a way of drawing you in with their misty coastlines, old-growth forests, and obsessive coffee culture. Pack your best rain jacket and an appetite for adventure, because this corner of the world rewards the curious traveler.

Shot on Target >> Vancouver, home to seven tournament matches during the FIFA World Cup 2026, is rolling out the red carpet for soccer fans with watch parties, scavenger hunts, and food festivals. If the action on the pitch starts to feel too hot, cool off on an open-air whale-watching adventure at sea.  

Chop Chop >> There’s adventure, and then there’s the “doors-off” option: exploring Alaska in a helicopter with Outbound Heli. You’ll soar over the Chugach Mountains, wind lashing across your face, and land amid the bright blue pools of Knik Glacier. Roller coasters wish they could be this thrilling.

Oregon Trail >> Portland gets all the attention in this state, but the buzz is real in Eugene. It probably has to do with the wine. Make your way through wine country and take Crater Lake’s eye-popping Rim Drive. At the end of your adventure, unwind in a Scandinavian-inspired cabin in Coos Bay.

Walk with Giants >> While we’re pointing the compass around this part of the world in search of interesting adventures, it’s worth roaming a bit east to Alberta, which claims one of the highest concentrations of dinosaur fossils in the world. There may be no better place to learn about these ancient giants than through the vivid, interactive exhibitions at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller. It makes for a nice detour on a trip to Calgary or on the way to Jasper National Park.

Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge, a romantic, tented wilderness camp on the edge of the Pacific, just reopened for the summer season with three exciting new guest experiences: nighttime bioluminescence kayaking, a private floating sauna, and a guided adventure across the pristine beaches and among the 1,000-year-old cedar and spruce trees of Flores Island. This is in addition to other nature-immersive activities, including horseback riding through old-growth forests, hiking up to mountaintop waterfalls, and locking eyes with bears in their natural habitat. Evenings are spent sleeping deeply in canvas tents furnished with antiques, old-world rugs, and china. Roughing it is always a matter of perspective.

Immerse yourself in the tastes, scents, and feels of the Pacific Northwest.