Winter term can prove challenging for many University of Oregon students. With gloomy weather and nonstop downpour, it can be difficult to boost your mood. Escaping Eugene and venturing to a new city will help cure your winter blues, and lucky for you, Seattle is a pleasant drive away.

Just five hours north of Eugene is Seattle, Washington. Home to the Space Needle, Pike Place and the new Glossier store, the Emerald City has no shortage of sightseeing and shopping. Take your friends, your partner, or your parents for a weekend getaway. Airbnb has hundreds of rentals where you can enjoy all Seattle has to offer, or opt for a more classic hotel stay. 

Your drive to Seattle can be even sweeter with a pit stop in Portland. With hundreds of restaurants to choose from, it can be hard to pick just one. Sweedeedee is a breakfast and lunch cafe that will keep you fueled for the remainder of your road trip. With a changing menu consisting of french toast or penne pasta, Sweedeedee has something for everyone. 

Upon arriving in the Emerald City, it’s good to know that Capitol Hill and Pioneer Square are just two locations in the downtown area where you can enjoy shopping and the best Seattle restaurants, and are a short walk to the famous Pike Place market. Pike Place market is the perfect activity to do any time of day. Packed with breweries, local markets, the famous fish tossing and the first ever Starbucks, you are able to sightsee and shop the whole day. 

Just a short walk from Pike Place market is Macrina bakery. Initially drawn by their storefront and unique logo design, Macrina offers breads, pastries, breakfast items and a lunch menu with multiple locations. With lots of unique menu combinations like the chicken pot pie and the banh mi sandwich, Macrina will leave you pleasantly surprised. 

Seattle is also home to the Tacoma Dome and the Seattle Seahawks. Being able to drive to Seattle for a concert—like Justin Bieber, Celine Dion, or Dierks Bentley who are all performing this winter—or to attend a Seahawks game can even add more adventure into an already eventful weekend.

Spend your winter term seeing what the surrounding areas have to offer. In the dark, colder days of this term, it can be nice to expand your horizons and escape. Getting out of Eugene for a weekend will make your year that much more eventful and help broaden your adventure-based horizons!