Flying into Portland June 20th, picking up a motorhome and headed to??? for 7 days.....thinking we will head for the coast, any suggestions?
Flying into Portland June 20th, picking up a motorhome and headed to??? for 7 days.....thinking we will head for the coast, any suggestions?
Cannon Beach area is nice, albeit a bit touristy. If you know the Goonies movie, you'll recognize Cannon Beach.
Olympic Nation park was really neat but that's a state north.
Before you leave Portland you could meet up with some of the local GRM Dorks (Javelin, BGkast, Nashco, Ransom, etc.) and then you could take Highway 30 to Astoria (very nice town) and from there you can head North a little bit and hit Oysterville, Long Beach, etc. before heading South down 101.
I would skip Cannon Beach, unless you are a Goonies fan or like overpriced shopping to hit Seaside. A bit more down to earth and they hold a lot of Hot Rod shows there during the summer, so see if there are any scheduled for the time you're there.
If you continue much further South you can hit Newport where the Oregon Coast Aquarium is along with Roque Brewery (great beer and spirits). There used to be a air museum housed in one of the remaining Blimp hangers which is near Rockaway, but I don't know if it is still there. I think there is one in Tillamook as well.
In reply to turboswede:
The museum is gone I think, but the hanger is still pretty darn cool to look at.
In reply to bgkast: Yeah I thought I read that it was on its way out at one point, but hoped that perhaps someone stepped in and saved it. The building is awesome, especially when you realize that it is entirely made of wood and there's nothing but open space inside of it.
There's also Evergreen Air Space Museum in McMinnville, the Spruce Goose isn't as impressive to me as the some of the other airplanes there, but the space museum is worth the price of admission, IMO. Plus there is a water park there, which is nice for any kids (big or little) that need to blow off a little steam! :)
Make sure to brush up on drive by littering skills for when you encounter the ecoterrorists while out driving.
Do you like wilderness and great views?
We had 10 day trip after flying into Oregon. Here's our itinerary: Drove down to redwoods national park for a day, and hit crater lake the next day, on the way back to Portland.
Just outside Portland, the Columbia River Gorge has great scenery and beautiful roads, and some of the most spectacular waterfalls in the country, but the roads are a bit tight for a motor home perhaps.
A few hours north is mount rainier NP, which is beautiful. After hitting the trails, head to Seattle. And west of Seattle is Olympic NP, but it takes a couple days to see properly.
That was our favorite driving vacation. If I only had a week I would do the same but skip Olympic.
I give a big plus 1 to everything previously mentioned. If you want to head south, my wife and I honeymooned in Bandon, OR. Amazingly beautiful and relaxing and a half-day's drive from the Redwood Forest. We had a vacation rental on the cliffs above the beach -- this beach:
bastomatic wrote: Multnomah Falls
Wife and I were just there yesterday afternoon. Was our anniversary over the weekend and we took a bit of a road trip. There are hand full of GRMers in the NW. I am on the east side of the state.
Rouge River jet boat tours! I went thru Jerry's in Gold Beach in '98, loved it. As previously noted, Crater Lake, Redwoods, etc. Mt St Helens site was a good time too, probably grown up a good bit since I went.
Live here....
An RV isn't a sports car....
with that said their are TONS of RV vacation places out here... Crater Lake is tough to beat... one place off the beat and path is Detroit Lake... Also you could do the Portland to Bend run, enjoying Mt Hood and an indian casino or two if that gets you going...
If money was no problem and I could move anywhere in the lower 48, Bend, Oregon would be my home. The high desert there stole my heart.
As far as the coast, I'd hit up the air museum, the Tillamook Cheese Factory, and the Oregon Dunes if you were up to renting some paddle tired toys.
If you do decide to go to Redwood and Crater Lake National Parks, a great mid-point is Shady Cove, Oregon. It's by good driving roads and the Rogue River, which is a great rafting river. We staying at the Edgewater Inn there and found it good. Day 1 we left around 9am from Shady Cove and spent the day in Redwood, returning at night. Eat at the nearby Rogue River Lodge. Day 2 we checked out and drove up to Crater Lake, spending a few hours there. Plan to eat lunch at the Lodge overlooking the lake:
Afterwards, drive up the rim road and head North back towards Portland.
Oh yeah if you head east the painted hills are a must see. Even many Oregonians don't know about them. Just watch out for rattle snakes and scorpions.
Tentative Schedule Arrive Friday Lunch time pick up car and drive out to Columbia river Overnight Columbia River Sat Cruise/tour River (book boat trip) Overnight Columbia River (same place) Sunday drive up to Astoria then down coast to Tillamook Overnight Tillamook? Monday drive along coast to Brookings Overnight Brookings Tuesday Tour Redwood forest the drive up to Shady Cove Overnight Shady Cove Wed Tour Klamath Falls and Crater Lake Overnight Shady Cove (2 nights) Thursday back to Portland Friday Home
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