USA and Canada: Rocky road trip in the Pacific Northwest

Next stop: the USA! You grab your bags, hop on the plane and several hours later, you're bang in the middle of an adventure. Welcome to Seattle! From the airport, you either take public transport to where you're staying or head there in a taxi (optional, payable on site). Either way, you can hardly wait to start exploring!  As you walk through The Emerald City, the contrasts jump out at you like the lyrics from famous musicians. This is where the coffee-addicted software geeks of huge multinationals meet the alt scene of eclectic music and liberal banners calling for freedom – to take drugs or just play fresh beats! Sound wild? Sounds like Seattle! And what better way to immerse yourself in the city's vibe than with a drink at The Crocodile, the bar where Nirvana used to play? 

Is it the birds or the sounds of Jimi Hendrix's guitar waking you up this morning? No matter what it is, you can clearly hear the call of the Seattle Center. And to get to the centre from downtown, the historic monorail is an absolute must – a monorail that's been whizzing back and forth in the shadow of the city's unique landmark since 1962. Which landmark? The Space Needle, of course! A golden outdoor lift takes you 520 feet up to the retro spaceship (optional, payable on site). With its gigantic glass walls, it looks spectacularly futuristic. Step onto the world's first rotating glass floor and don't miss a second of the view: the branching bay of the Puget Sound, the downtown skyline, the Olympic Mountains and in the far distance, the ice-covered Mount Rainier, a 14,410-foot-high high volcano that makes Seattle look tiny in comparison. Wow!

The moment has arrived: your road trip starts now! You grab the keys, get behind the wheel and feel your grin grow bigger with every mile. You've dreamed about it for so long, and now it's really happening! But where to first? Straight to Oregon, or do you take a detour to Mount Rainier National Park, where vast meadows of wildflowers and epic views await? You step on the accelerator one last time, and before long, your first big destination appears:  Cannon Beach! Welcome to the roughest, wildest stretch of Oregon's coast – and where you are now is the most beautiful spot of all. As soon as you park your hire car, you can already feel the sand under your feet. And there it is towering into the air: Haystack Rock, 236 feet of pure Insta perfection. But the real pros know that the best spot for an epic pic is from above. So off you go to Ecola State Park. Here, you not only get the best view of Cannon Beach but also of the mystical Indian Beach. Sounds familiar somehow? Well, if you're a Twilight fan, no wonder – it's the setting for a few scenes from the film! 

You pay Haystack Rock one last visit and snap one final pic before your road trip continues. With your sunglasses on and champing at the bit for more adventure, you're ready to go! Shortly after Portland, you reach Multnomah Falls, one of the most visited waterfalls in the country, and you're left gobsmacked. The huge, two-tiered cascades are impressive on their own, but the magical bridge that leads over the falls transforms the whole scene into one of the most beautiful sights you've ever seen. Your photo album now brimming with perfect shots, today's road trip enters the home straight.  Welcome to Richland! This vibrant city in southeastern Washington at the confluence of the Columbia and Yakima rivers offers a wealth of outdoor activities, a thriving scene of arts and culture and loads of unique attractions. You stretch your legs and mingle with the locals on a walk through Sacajawea State Park then head back to your accommodation, where you fall into bed exhausted but happy.