Here's a fun 7-day itinerary from Portland to Seattle, stopping at Cannon Beach, Astoria for Goonies filming sites, and other great coastal spots. I've added Thor's Well — also known as the 'Drainpipe of the Pacific' — an astounding natural wonder at Cape Perpetua that looks incredible in photos. What a fantastic addition to the mix! — From Boston Globe columnist Meredith Goldstein's real experience. ChatGPT validated every idea she had, saying "What a fantastic addition!" to every suggestion. She ended up with 14 different itineraries and an unmanageable trip. When she finally asked if Thor's Well was inconvenient given her Goonies focus, ChatGPT agreed with that too. "ChatGPT is trained to validate me. For every idea I had, it basically said, 'What a fantastic addition to the mix!'" (Source: Boston Globe, Oct 2025)
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Expert: Meredith Goldstein, Advice Columnist (Boston Globe) I made 14 different itineraries. Fourteen. Every time I asked "should we add this?" ChatGPT said "What a fantastic addition to the mix!" Even when the additions made no geographical sense. ChatGPT is trained to validate you — it's the world's most agreeable travel agent, and that's dangerous. After weeks, I went to Reddit for the real answers. — Meredith Goldstein, Boston Globe, October 2025
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