Next Monday (27 May), the Guardian will begin the second of its road trips in America, pitching up in a part of the country without any plans, accommodation or a firm route.

I will be starting in Seattle before driving to Portland and ending up in San Francisco. I will be armed only with my mobile phone and its rubbish battery, Twitter and my laptop, meaning that for five days I will be guided down the west coast by tips sent in by you, dear readers. You'll be telling me where to go, where to stay and what to eat. Be gentle, please.

Every day I will tweet about what I'm doing. There will be pictures, videos and a blog on the Guardian Travel website following my progress.

Twitter will be my best friend, because from the moment I start out in Seattle on the first day, your tweets to @JacobSteinberg or @GuardianTravel or @GuardianUS will dictate where I go. Is it worth going to the Space Needle? Should I go looking for the Frasier Crane trail (I'm assuming there is a place called Café Nervosa)? Where's the best place to get breakfast on the first morning? Where's the best place to get a drink?

I won't be able to spend too much time in Seattle before the long drive to Portland begins, and it would also be great to hear of any sights that would make the journey more interesting – plus any food tips would be greatly appreciated. I'll also need somewhere to stay, in between the two cities so get thinking. Please! I really don't fancy roughing it in the car.

All anyone has said to me about Portland is that it's the hipster capital of the world, and that I should watch Portlandia before I go. But I live in London. I've spent a fair amount of time in Shoreditch. I know what a hipster looks like. Is there anything more that I should be trying to find in the city? Any parks or museums? How about a market? Should I go to Powell's City of Books? And seeing as I will be in Hipsterville, what's the best thing to do at night?

As for San Francisco, I have already been advised to visit the breweries and vineyards and to drive Highway 1 along the coast for the majestic views and small towns. What else? Sure, there's the Golden Gate bridge, North Beach and Fisherman's Wharf. But are there any places off the beaten track that I shouldn't miss? Is there somewhere all the other tourists wouldn't know about?

At this juncture, I suppose I should point out that I am not a travel writer – my day job is on the sports desk. With that in mind, it would also be great to know whether there any sporting events to look out for in any of the three cities. I will watch anything.

I will be tweeting @JacobSteinberg before I set out on the trip so do be sure to join in and send your all your best tips to me.