The Pacific Northwest is home to endless beauty and possibility. With soaring mountains, wild old-growth forests, and vibrant towns, there is no shortage of amazing ways to explore this part of the country.
But as with any place popular with tourists, the PNW has its spots that are coasting on their reputation or set up to lure in travelers with less-than-stellar offerings.
These spots include restaurants, donut shops, and other attractions that are just not worth your time.
Here are eight overrated tourist spots around the Pacific Northwest that you should skip on your next visit.
Voodoo Doughnuts
There is perhaps no company in the world that better capitalized on a city’s motto than Voodoo Doughnuts with “Keep Portland Weird.” Pumping out a crazy assortment of donuts packaged in their ubiquitous pink boxes, this company was everywhere and embodied everything silly and fun about Portland in the 2000s.
Today, they are still producing massive amounts of the same silly donuts, although their space has been transformed from a slightly grungy hole-in-the-wall to a far nicer getup. With lines around the block, this attraction is still plenty popular, but, in our opinion, it can be skipped.
Mo’s Seafood and Chowder
The Oregon Coast and clam chowder go together like, well, the Oregon Coast and clam chowder. There is just no better match than the cool, foggy, usually rainy weather of the coast and a nice warm bowl of steaming chowder made with clams harvested right on these same beaches.
If you drive along the northern Oregon Coast, you are likely to pass by Mo’s Seafood and Chowder (heck, they even have a branch at the Portland airport!).
With many locations situated in stunning waterfront properties, the chain certainly seems to be doing well. However, judging by the quality of the chowder, it feels like more effort is going into rent payments on the buildings than producing a quality meal.
Portland Saturday Market
The Portland Saturday Market is one of the country’s oldest, continuously running markets and is a popular destination for tourists visiting the city. With its location right along the waterfront, you can see why it has survived all these years.
But after a visit, you may not find yourself eager to return, as sometimes it feels more like you’re at a carnival than a craft market, with overpriced, mass-produced goods and very underwhelming food options.
Tillamook Cheese Factory
Tillamook Cheese is Oregon’s pride and joy when it comes to local foods. Their cheese and ice cream are everywhere, and most locals will defend them to the death. This certainly isn’t a critique of their food, as it is delicious, but the hype of the Tillamook Cheese Factory just astounds me.
If you pass by the factory on almost any day during the summer, its massive parking lots will be filled to the brim with eager cheese eaters.
While the building and operation are impressive, all you’re really doing is watching workers package cheese and then standing in a huge line to eat glorified cafeteria food and ice cream.
Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market is one of Seattle’s crown jewel attractions. The tossing of the fish, the gum wall, and the city’s history are all encompassed within this thriving marketplace.
But that popularity comes at a cost, as the crowds here can be overwhelming, and the tossing of the fish can only carry so much weight.
The marketplace offers an amazing assortment of fresh produce and seafood, but fighting the crowds and finding parking doesn’t necessarily make that juice worth the squeeze.
The Space Needle
The Space Needle is perhaps the most recognizable building on the entire West Coast. Seeing the skyline with the Space Needle standing tall and Mt. Rainier in the background is a must-do activity in Seattle, and there are plenty of free places to do so.
What isn’t necessarily a must-do activity is paying $30 – $50 to ride the elevator to the top of the Space Needle to take in views that can be found for free from other spots around town.
The Original Starbucks
Starbucks ushered in the coffee and cafe culture that became synonymous with the Pacific Northwest. Fans of the coffee giant flock to Pike Place Market to wait in line to grab a cup of coffee from the chain’s original location.
But at the end of the day, you’re waiting in line to grab a cup of coffee from a chain that has turned into a glorified drive-through pushing sugar-filled concoctions. While nostalgia certainly is a powerful force, there are far better coffee shops around the area that embody the cafe culture that Starbucks once dominated.
Multnomah Falls
Multnomah Falls is the most popular natural landmark in Oregon, and millions of visitors visit it annually. This is no surprise, as this gorgeous waterfall is located right off the highway, making it easily accessible for everyone.
This accessibility brought overwhelming crowds to the area, though, which, for years, led to large backups from folks waiting for parking spots. Today, there is a permit system in place to help better manage the crowds, but, in our opinion, plenty of other waterfalls nearby offer more solitude and just as much beauty.
