Asteria has given an excellent practical solution to the question. I will just add a little bit from my own meandering experience as a traveler and aviation geek.

Peter Greenberg, NBC's travel guru, has filled entire chapters of books on this subject with very outdated and irrelevant information. As an impressionable teenage jetsetter, I bought and devoured all of them.

I can tell you that once upon a time upgrades were handed out much more freely than they are now. With the rise of airline "alliances," the freebies are usually gobbled up by elite-level flyers from the airline in question or one of their partners.

From Greenberg's books, and my own personal experience, I can tell you that there are four factors that can increase or decrease your chance of scoring a free first class upgrade.

1) Dress the part. People in tracksuits or Budweiser t-shirts don't get bumped up to first class. People who dress like professionals and look like they belong in the front of the airplane do. Wearing business casual or better clothing will increase your chances of getting an upgrade.

2) Early is on time and on time is late. Show up to the check-in counter and boarding gate as early as possible. If there is a free upgrade to be had, the early bird gets the worm. When you go up to the counter be Mr. or Ms. Congeniality. Ask the agent how their day is going, be friendly, and then casually drop the question. "Are there any upgrades available?"

3) Be flexible. Let it be known when you're talking to the agent that you are willing to volunteer to take a later flight if they are oversold. Also, if a flight attendant or gate agent makes an announcement asking if anyone is willing to move to a different seat for whatever reason, jump on it. I was once upgraded to First Class on a flight from Charlotte to Dallas because I was the only one on the entire 757 willing to move to let a family sit together.

4) Higher fares get priority. As you probably know, airline fares are byzantine, and there are often several different fares for the same coach ticket on the same flight. If you paid $99 to fly from Seattle to LAX and the guy next to you paid $400, then all things being equal, he's going to get the upgrade. If you're traveling on somebody else's dime, and money is no object, book a higher fare. You're more likely to get bumped up into First. So called "full fare coach" or Y-class tickets are often converted to First if there is room available, however those are pricey tickets and there is no guarantee that they'll have room for you up front.

Bottom line, the best way to get into First Class for free is to become an elite-level frequent flier or pay cold hard cash for the upgrade. Barring that, I hope these four tips are helpful. They've served me well over the years. May the road rise to meet you, and may you fly in VFR with tailwinds.

Silver Cloud Hotel on Broadway in Capitol Hill. It's close to the Pike/Pine corridor, where most everything happens on the Hill, about ten blocks from downtown, and a few more from Pioneer Square.

There are dozens of good places to eat and drink on Broadway, along with live music and clubs, all within walking distance. Silver Cloud is near a half-dozen bus stops, so ditch the car -- the parking, if you can find any, will kill your budget.  Buy an Orca card (looks like a credit card) to use on the buses; do this ahead of time online, unless you're going to be in the city and want to spend time at the Metro customer service counter.

Eat on the waterfront (avoid big touristy restaurants, although they're good for a view), at Pike Place Market, or in the International District. Silver Cloud is a few blocks from Capitol Hill's farmers market on Sundays, and it is adjacent to a big supermarket. Their rooms have microwaves/refrigerators for left-overs when your wallet needs a break from restaurant bills.

Check out the Stranger's Line Out blog for music and night life suggestions.

Capitol hill

My parents will be there in two weeks. If they survive, I'll get some info and let you know how it went.

I can only speak to my previous experience flying between Seattle and Anchorage on Continental. I buy a coach ("Economy") ticket directly through their site, and then as soon as the online check-in opens up (24 hours in advance) I check-in and buy a first-class upgrade if it's available.

It usually costs $89 each way to upgrade, but I think it's worth it because I always have two bags to check, and that alone is going to cost $60 each way in luggage fees. You get to check 2 bags free in First Class.

When you factor in the luggage fees, it only costs me $58 extra to upgrade round trip. Seattle to Anchorage Economy tickets are $545 right now, and First Class is $1243, so it's nowhere near the full price. Even though I'm just paying a relatively small fraction of the full fare I still get all the first class perks, which is more than just the nice seats - I get to go to the front of every line at the airport (including security).

The key is to get an economy ticket on a flight that's not going to be packed, and do the on-line check-in as soon as possible - the upgrades go very fast, usually not too long after the 24-hour window opens.

Even if there is an open seat in First Class after everyone has boarded, I'm sure the attendants wouldn't let anyone sit there unless they paid the upgrade fee. The flight attendants won't even let coach passengers use the bathroom in the first class section. I think it's still possible to pay the upgrade fee after boarding if there is an open first class seat - I remember someone doing that but it might have been a different airline. Also I have no idea what other airlines offer in the way of upgrades.

Are you registered with the airline programs? Unless you have some kind of elite status, I think your only hope is that the flight is overbooked. And even then its a long shot because they usually start bumping people based on their airline status (I think they also target solo passengers, speaking from experience).

I've also read that when asked, if you volunteer to get bumped off the flight, theres a small chance you'll get upgraded if you take them up on their offer.

Check out at discussions for the specific airline on Flyertalk.com for tips.

One information source to consider is to consult the current US Department of State travel warnings for the area. The most current warnings update was issued on February 8th and it outlines the recent history and current restrictions on travel by employees of the US Government.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5665.html

In perusing the text the recommendations indicate that overland travel between many cities are considered major points of danger. You obviously have experience in the country and some familiarity with it. If you are adept at being a good traveler, are culturally aware, perhaps fluent in the language, then your ability to blend in would be enhanced. It would, of course, be better to be disappointed in missing the trip than to have your friends and relatives wish you hadn't gone.

As mentioned by Tracy M, the Surfsand Resort in Cannon Beach is a great hotel. It's very pet-friendly and the staff is wonderful. We've been repeat visitors for 3 or 4 years during the month of February. All rooms have gas fireplaces. Some rooms have soaking tubs. Wherever you decide to stay, I'd recommend calling rather than booking on-line. We've been given outstanding deals that were not available on-line.

After returning from Cannon Beach a few weeks ago, I learned about two favorite Cannon Beach food destinations: Warren House Pub: Best burgers and ribs; and
Fultano's Pizza: Said to be the "best" pizza on the West Coast. (A very high recommendation from an East Coast native.) 'm sorry we didn't know about these recommendations but we'll definitely try out both during our next visit. Restaurants can be pricey. Ask the locals for their recommendations.

Have fun!

Grind then stow in empty vitamin caplets? Make medables? Maybe a tincture?

TSA allows people flying out of Washington to transport medical marijuana. Given that you're flying to California, another medical marijuana state, you should be fine... After all, you're only searched before boarding.

Since the TSA calls local cops for these infractions, you should be OK in Washington and Cali. Of course, marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, so you are kind of taking your chances that they won't call some kind of federal officer like a DEA officer. I'd call ahead and get the OK from the SeaTac TSA before you fly.

Here's a link to a recent story abnout this in the Seattle Weekly: http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2011/11/seatac_tsa_agents_you_are_free.php

You don't, unless you really want to get good and friendly with the TSA and local cops, especially since you just used your name to ask this question. I'm pretty sure you can get hooked up near where you'll be.

I did some couchsurfing when I was in France and Germany in 2011. I didn't bring gifts from the US, instead I would do something like take them out for a meal. I was backpacking, so I didn't have the space to bring things along!

For my host in Paris, after a long evening talking I found out that she was in the US for one year a few decades ago. I asked her if there was anything that she would eat in the US that she wasn't able to get in Paris and missed. She said cheesecake! So I made her a cheesecake the next day and she was elated when she came home to find it in her fridge.

I hope you have a good experience with couchsurfing! I've had a wonderful time hosting and while staying with other people. There is nothing as wonderful as having a local to show you around the city they live in.

Will you be able to view places before you move into one? There are some super steep areas around. The terrain is all part and parcel with the beautiful views. My friend and I pushed a shopping cart for 20 city blocks once when I was helping her move. We found that there were fewer wheelchair ramps than we realized. I think the city does okay with accessibility, but I don't think amenities are found equally across the city. My area barely has side walks.

When the roads are icy the buses will not stop in the middle of a hill, people are expected to walk to the bottom or the top of the hill if they live in the middle of one. You can sign up for email alerts for any of the bus routes you want.

This last time it snowed my residential road stayed slushy for a few days after the main artery, two blocks away, was nice and clear. I'm not even sure if even snowed in the 2009-2010 winter. (2010-2011 yes it snowed, and 2011-2012 yes it snowed).

BUT, by in large Seattle doesn't do well in the snow. It'd be good to have a winter cache of non-perishables and medicines you may need and just not leave the house for the 3-5 days it takes to melt.

Check out this vid from 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhZCyQ3emQg

We tend to only have about a week of snow/ice conditions per year, although Kip is right in saying that it does seem to be getting a little worse each year. Even when we get snow, it is usually just slushy rather than icy on the sidewalks. I do a fair amount of walking and I think that Seattle is pretty good as far as sidewalk cuts, wide enough walkways, level sidewalks, bus access, and building accommodations, but I'm sure I don't catch some accessibility failures since they tend not to directly affect me. Neighborhoods with good to excellent pedestrian areas-U district, Ravenna, Greenlake, and Capitol Hill (There are more, these are just neighborhoods I've spent a significant amount of time in). As you go further north in Seattle the pedestrian areas get a little less reliable (my current street, Greenwood north of 100th, only has a sidewalk on one side, many of the side streets don't have sidewalks at all).

As an aside, even if you don't have MS, I imagine that the regional chapter of the MS Society might be able to connect you with more information about accessibility in Seattle and services that might be of you use to you. I have a friend who works there, and she's extraordinarily knowledgable about all kinds of disability issues and (she's been invaluable to me in dealing with chronic migraine and pancreatitis). They can be contacted at :
192 Nickerson Street, Suite 100
Seattle, WA 98109
Phone: 206-284-4254
Fax: 206-284-4972
Email: MSnorthwest@nmsswas.org

This is a moving target as the weather seems to be getting progressively worse each year. For the past 5 years or so we have gotten snow about twice a year. Normally it only lasts one or two days. Every several years we will get a heavy snow that lasts for about 5 days.

The handicap access here is good. The disabled community is well organized and works to insure access is available everywhere. If you are far from downtown there are large areas with no sidewalks but the city core is well adapted for access. We also have a transit system that provides point-to-point van service for those who need it.

I have had good luck with the campgrounds along Icicle Creek, near Leavenworth. Although my favorite, Rock Island, washed away a few years ago(!), I have stayed in one of the others and it was glorious, warm (in summer), and sounds of other campers were drowned out by the sound of the cascading water.

I second the Mountain Loop Highway campgrounds -- Gold Basin, etc. -- provided you're planning a summer trip. Other seasons can be cold and wet even by Seattle standards. I was up there over Memorial Day weekend in 2010 and it literally never stopped raining for three days. If you're looking for privacy, check out the group sites, where you can get a whole campground to yourself for $60 to $150 a night.

Another great nearby option is South Whidbey State Park. The group site here is amazing -- covered picnic shelter, view of the water, great tenting sites -- for a very reasonable $50 a night. The individual sites are lovely too, with lots of privacy provided by huge evergreens. Whidbey gets less rain than Seattle, so you're more likely to have good weather there.

Also on the water is Fort Townsend State Park, just outside of Port Townsend. This area gets even less rain than Whidbey, so chances of decent weather are pretty good. 

Happy camping!

Beach: Dash Point

It's a great blend in terms of distance between a city beach, and remote state park. It also has some nice camping and nature trails.

Camping: Beacon Rock

I've camped at a lot of state parks and unfortunately many of them are just really trailer hitch ups for motor homes. As a tent camper the best one so far for me has been Beacon Rock, however it's quite a ways away.

I'm sure if you went with the National Parks you'd find something more exotic, but for some reason it always seemed too complicated for me to deal with.

Cabin rentals at Ocean Spray in Grayland are great! It's a little south of Westport, on Rt. 105. One bedroom cabins around 70 bucks. Each cabin is different. It's a very cool place for a solo getaway. www.oceanspraymotel.com

If you go north on I-5 to Marysville and then east through Granite Falls on the Mountain Loop Highway, there are numerous campgrounds, hiking trails, most of which are pretty accessible by car. Other camping areas up that way are Camano Island and Cama Beach State Parks, and Kayak Point (they have yurts!). Check them out online.

The Hearthstone Inn allows pets. I've never stayed there, but I've lodged at the Cannon Beach Hotel, which is owned and managed by the same folks. A bit pricy, but really nice.

http://www.oceanviewresort.com/html/oregon-coast-pet-friendly.asp
Best Western Ocean View Resort, Seaside, OR
We've stayed here twice, I remember hearing dogs in the corridor, and there's a whirlpool spa. It is beach front.
I do NOT recommend booking through Expedia -- Expedia lost us our reservation because it didn't confirm in time. Book directly, and confirm directly.

About 13 years ago, I booked a weekend at the Hallmark Resort Inn in Cannon Beach. I booked, I believe, in March for a weekend in mid-to-late July.

They demanded a deposit (which was exorbitant) and when my friend and I arrived, we weren't even given a room in the compound, not only was it not an ocean view room, but it across the street, behind a restaurant in a two-story building in the middle of a parking lot. Might as well have been in Phoenix or Dallas.

I don't know why I didn't raise holy hell with them. Probably tired from the trip. Raising hell wouldn't have accomplished anything with these folks anyway. The place, they said, was booked solid. Cannon Beach was recommended by an acquaintance as a nice beach weekend getaway. When we got there and walked around, we saw smaller places that had vacancies that would have been maybe a lot more enjoyable. There was nothing to do at night, and we spent most of the weekend in our room watching HBO and Comedy Central.

Anyway, Hallmark was a complete rip-off and Cannon Beach was a huge bore - a bunch of family-oriented, tight-assed Oregonians as far as I could tell. As I understand it, a lot of Cannon Beach is booked as much as a year in advance. It was an expensive lesson. I understand there's more happening in Seaside. We didn't check it out. We just wanted to go home (Seattle).

Oh...and the restaurant. Seafood was OK. We arrived and had a couple of rounds of margaritas before mid-afternoon lunch. We got yelled at when we tried to order a third. Waitress gave us the Riot Act about how we have to order food if we want any more liquor.

Many will disagree...but I would have just as soon stayed at home. Hope your trip is better.

My family rents out a beach house. Don't know if you are looking for an entire house or not. We welcome pets and the house has a beautiful view of the ocean. The house is in Gearhart which is about 2 minutes from Seaside. Even if you don't stay there, you might want to check out the Pacific Way Cafe in downtown (all two blocks of it) Gearhart. They have delicious food, but it is expensive. Lunch is cheaper than dinner. Plus their bakery has stuff in the morning and everything is AMAZING!

If you are interested in the beach house, here is the link to the website:

http://schlesserfamily.com

In Cannon Beach, go to lunch at Pizza A'Fetta. Please. It is so choice.

Plan a beach day if the weather is nice. The dogs will love it! Go to the grocery store and get picnic munchies (bottled juices, nice cheese, whatever). Maybe get an inexpensive kite from one of the local shops (my favorite is Once Upon A Breeze). A delta kite is a easy single-line kite (spring for a nylon one and not a crappy plastic one) that will fly beautifully in damn near any wind. If you want to try a very easy, well-made, and forgiving kite, ask for a Beetle. Enjoy the view of Haystack Rock and don't hang out there when the tide comes in.

Seaside has a neat arcade and a gorgeous old-fashioned carousel. There's also a long promenade (a mile and a half long) that's a fun and pretty walk, and dog-friendly too.

I also enjoy a brief trip down south to the Tillamook cheese factory, so I can eat ice cream while I watch them pack cheese, and stock up on cheese curds. But that's just me.

I am miserably sorry to say I've never actually stayed in Cannon Beach or Seaside, so I can't advise you on lodging. I will, however, be very interested in any other answers people suggest.

Have a great trip!

Also check out the archives, I know we all threw down suggestions from someone else from Texas a few months ago. Dig through those responses then get back to us with the list offered ( especially car or mass transit as there are very different city experiences, we got alot of water here breaking up the city so if you can't go off the transit grid sometimes it's easier to get to different neighborhoods even if on the map they look right next to each other).

Do you know where you're staying? That can help us greatly

Also there's abig difference between not wanting to spend alot of extras and showing up with 50 bucks to feed, entertain, get around town. Maybe a better approach is to say I wanna spend under ten bucks a meal (and if you've got any dietary preferences/restrictions, this is a city full of them so the more we know the more tailored to your experiences we can get)

Unless you're dying to feel broke you probably wanna skip most of the space needle/emp type stuff, if you really want to get to know Seattle from the air get to the top of one of the hills, you'll get the same view without the 20 bucks

If youre intrest is music tell us what type or a few bands you like, that way the clubs thrown out make more sense

If your intrest is art and let us know what week you're going to be around someone can send you to the appropriate neighborhoods artwalk for that week. I think SAM is still pay what you can (Aka suggested donation when I was in school I'd give th a quarter an only get the stink eye half the time) for non block buster show
areas, but theyre not the greatest
collection in town. If you have a student Id you can get into the Henry for free, which is better than SAM most of the time. There is alot of art in this city in weird/out of the wayplaces so this is where knowing your neighborhood and transit is super helpful, also like the music if ya know what type of art you're willing to hunt for it helps qlanders not send you on a wild goose chase to the super rad video installation if you're looking for abstract painting. Check the strangers arts listing as well because even though it's only a page or two it's really the only thing in town ( the weekly never writes about art anymore and forget to put gallery listings in half the time, I don't even know if the daily paper even writes about anything that's real art since that entertainment heading is what pays the bills) there is city arts magazine ( free and online) which will give you some ideas as well but I go back and forth on them for people outside the city, lately it seems to be very much about cool people doing things than really what cool things are up right now, so it makes sense for people here who want to know about something someone is doing in 4 months, but doesn't help someone who wants to know what's up now

The weather is just starting to have some nice days so if you want to just walk around that's cheap and gorgeous if it's nice and it might make more sense to splurge on a ferry or rent a car for the day and head to the mountains ( especially if you wanna see some of the snow kicking around up there, being from Texas that was a big deal to me when I came up as a kid, we always had to hike somewhere we could throw some snowballs)

What are you into?
Art? Music? Scenery? Will you have a car?
Are you over 21?
More info!