Seattle and Portland vs Colorado Rockies

Two of the Pacific Northwest's most likable cities sit just three hours apart, framed by volcanoes, evergreen forests and waterfalls, which makes Seattle and Portland a natural pairing. Start in Seattle at Pike Place Market, where fishmongers toss salmon, flower stalls spill onto the cobblestones and the waterfront opens onto Elliott Bay. Ride the 1962 monorail to the Space Needle for views of Puget Sound and, on clear days, the snowy cone of Mount Rainier. Then go see that mountain up close on a day trip to Paradise, where summer wildflower meadows and glaciers line the trails. Board the Amtrak Cascades train or drive about three hours down I-5 to Portland, a city of bridges, bikes and coffee. Lose an hour or three in Powell's City of Books, hike the ferny Wildwood Trail in Forest Park and graze your way through the city's famous food cart pods. Finish in the Columbia River Gorge at Multnomah Falls, which needs a timed permit in summer. Longer trips can add Portland's gardens, the Oregon Coast, Mount Hood and Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Come July to September for the driest weather, and pack a rain jacket the rest of the year.

The Colorado Rockies pack big mountain scenery within easy reach of a lively city, which makes them perfect for a long weekend. Start in Denver, the Mile High City, where food halls, breweries and green-chile-smothered everything have turned neighborhoods like RiNo, LoHi and Union Station into a serious food scene. Just 30 minutes west, Red Rocks Amphitheatre sits between towering sandstone slabs and is one of the world's most famous places to see a concert, or simply to climb the stairs at sunrise. From there the mountains take over: Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park climbs past 12,000 feet above treeline, and the old mining towns of Idaho Springs and Georgetown, plus the gateway town of Estes Park, make charming bases. With more time, head to Breckenridge, Vail, Glenwood Springs' hot springs pools, Aspen's Maroon Bells and the red rocks of Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs. Plan ahead: Rocky Mountain National Park requires timed-entry permits in summer and early fall, the Maroon Bells need a shuttle or parking reservation, and the altitude is real, so drink plenty of water and take the first day easy.