Trip: Northwest Excursion

Plans have changed and instead of the "beach bummin" trip, I'm going to take some personal time to explore the Pacific Northwest. My plan is to fly into Portland visit some friends, check out the Oregon beaches (could use some recommendations here, though I'm leaning towards Cannon Beach). From there the details are still foggy. There are two travel routes I am considering. The first would be to cut up through Seattle, Vancouver, and whistler. The other would take me into Seattle, then over to Port Townsend, Angeles, and in Victoria. I would love any feedback people have about one of those two routes, specifically focused on what each has to offer, as well as the ease of public transportation and finding affordable accommodations. Oh and if anyone lives in any of these areas and would permit me a night on the couch, I'll buy you a beer!

Please follow my trip at http://shanimal44.livejournal.com/.