First Time to Seattle-Portland-Willamette Valley
Aug 16th, 2017, 06:58 AM
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First Time to Seattle-Portland-Willamette Valley
Hello,
My husband & I (60yr old) are spending 8 nights in this area in Sept., for the first time.
Interested in hitting typical tourist must-sees, scenery, light walking, nice restaurants, wineries.
I would welcome & appreciate feedback on this general plan:
-arrive 9pm Sat. Seattle airport
-(I am thinking) 2 full days, Sun-Mon, in Seattle.
While there: Chihuly, Pike Pl Mkt, Space Needle, possibly ferry to Bainbridge Island, Chittenden Locks...???
-Tues Amtrak to Portland
-2 full days, Wed-Thurs, in Portland. While there: Columba River Gorge, Pacific coast...???
-Fri morning travel to Willamette V, for Fri-Sat
-Sun. 3pm flt from Portland
A few more questions:
-Car needed in Seattle or Portland? Central location/area to stay in? Lodging rec? (3-4 stars out of 4, for price & quality purposes.)
-Current opinion on Seattle-Portland Amtrak trip? Also, is there a better place to sit for views?
-I assume (?) we need a car to get from Portland to Willamette area, and then to use while there....true? How long a drive is it?
-Central location to stay in Willamette Valley, & lodging suggestions. (3-4 stars out of 4, for price & quality purposes.)
Thank you in advance for any input. Fodors people always amaze me.
-MJ
-
My husband & I (60yr old) are spending 8 nights in this area in Sept., for the first time.
Interested in hitting typical tourist must-sees, scenery, light walking, nice restaurants, wineries.
I would welcome & appreciate feedback on this general plan:
-arrive 9pm Sat. Seattle airport
-(I am thinking) 2 full days, Sun-Mon, in Seattle.
While there: Chihuly, Pike Pl Mkt, Space Needle, possibly ferry to Bainbridge Island, Chittenden Locks...???
-Tues Amtrak to Portland
-2 full days, Wed-Thurs, in Portland. While there: Columba River Gorge, Pacific coast...???
-Fri morning travel to Willamette V, for Fri-Sat
-Sun. 3pm flt from Portland
A few more questions:
-Car needed in Seattle or Portland? Central location/area to stay in? Lodging rec? (3-4 stars out of 4, for price & quality purposes.)
-Current opinion on Seattle-Portland Amtrak trip? Also, is there a better place to sit for views?
-I assume (?) we need a car to get from Portland to Willamette area, and then to use while there....true? How long a drive is it?
-Central location to stay in Willamette Valley, & lodging suggestions. (3-4 stars out of 4, for price & quality purposes.)
Thank you in advance for any input. Fodors people always amaze me.
-MJ
-
Aug 16th, 2017, 08:20 AM
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No need for a car in Seattle, given what you want to do/see. I'd definitely visit the Locks (and the fish ladder there), if you have time, ride the ferry to/from Bainbridge. You'll want to stay in the downtown area or on Lower Queen Anne. Be prepared - Seattle hotel prices are very high!
The Seattle-Portland Amtrak trip is fine, but do ride the Amtrak Cascades train, not the huge, old train. If you want to see glimpses of the water, you'll want to be on the rights side (when facing the front of the train) if you want to see things like Mt. St. Helens, sit on the left.
The Seattle-Portland Amtrak trip is fine, but do ride the Amtrak Cascades train, not the huge, old train. If you want to see glimpses of the water, you'll want to be on the rights side (when facing the front of the train) if you want to see things like Mt. St. Helens, sit on the left.
Aug 17th, 2017, 05:27 AM
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I agree, no car is needed for Seattle, and Amtrak Cascades is a great way to travel between the two cities. When they hand out seat assignments, you need to ask about sitting on the right side.
Your Saturday will be full, but you have good ideas and yes, the Ballard Locks are a great place to visit.
As for where to stay in Portland, pretty much anywhere in downtown or the NW area (21st/23rd area). Take a look at the Monaco, Benson, Heathman, etc.
Definitely get a car in Portland so you can do the day trips. To avoid hotel parking charges, you can wait until the next morning and get the rental right downtown before you head out for the day. Yes the gorge and the coast are both great day trips. If you can, do the gorge on Wednesday as there is a bit fewer people typically than on Thursdays.
The Willamette Valley wineries start about 45 minutes away from downtown Portland. When you head down, do NOT take the exit for 99/Newberg/Tigard. That will put you in stop light h*ll and it will take forever. Instead, continue to either exit 183 or 186 (both are for Wilsonville) and cut over to 99 from there. Exit 183 will take you through Sherwood and 186 will take you into the middle of Newberg. 183 would be my preference as it takes you to the start of it all without needing to backtrack. As for places to stay here, Chehalem Ridge B&B sits up on Chehalem Mtn and has stunning views from their balcony. Inn at Red Hills is in downtown Dundee and sits right on 99, but is very nice and we have stayed there for special events when we didn't want to drive to our home after drinking. Two other places that people love are Youngberg Hill B&B and Black Walnut Inn. A really fun place is The Vintages, which is kind of hard to explain but basically renovated air streams, and walking distance to downtown Dayton which has some good restaurants and a great winery.
Your Saturday will be full, but you have good ideas and yes, the Ballard Locks are a great place to visit.
As for where to stay in Portland, pretty much anywhere in downtown or the NW area (21st/23rd area). Take a look at the Monaco, Benson, Heathman, etc.
Definitely get a car in Portland so you can do the day trips. To avoid hotel parking charges, you can wait until the next morning and get the rental right downtown before you head out for the day. Yes the gorge and the coast are both great day trips. If you can, do the gorge on Wednesday as there is a bit fewer people typically than on Thursdays.
The Willamette Valley wineries start about 45 minutes away from downtown Portland. When you head down, do NOT take the exit for 99/Newberg/Tigard. That will put you in stop light h*ll and it will take forever. Instead, continue to either exit 183 or 186 (both are for Wilsonville) and cut over to 99 from there. Exit 183 will take you through Sherwood and 186 will take you into the middle of Newberg. 183 would be my preference as it takes you to the start of it all without needing to backtrack. As for places to stay here, Chehalem Ridge B&B sits up on Chehalem Mtn and has stunning views from their balcony. Inn at Red Hills is in downtown Dundee and sits right on 99, but is very nice and we have stayed there for special events when we didn't want to drive to our home after drinking. Two other places that people love are Youngberg Hill B&B and Black Walnut Inn. A really fun place is The Vintages, which is kind of hard to explain but basically renovated air streams, and walking distance to downtown Dayton which has some good restaurants and a great winery.
Aug 18th, 2017, 05:50 AM
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MMS...Yes, please!
What town would you suggest we stay in for central location?
Lodging (open to any type, but prefer something more upscale), winery, guided tours, cute shops, & restaurant suggestions would be terrific.
We will arrive Fri morning, & depart Sun in time for 3pm Portland plane.
We'll have the rental car from Portland to drive to & use in WV.
Thank you!
What town would you suggest we stay in for central location?
Lodging (open to any type, but prefer something more upscale), winery, guided tours, cute shops, & restaurant suggestions would be terrific.
We will arrive Fri morning, & depart Sun in time for 3pm Portland plane.
We'll have the rental car from Portland to drive to & use in WV.
Thank you!
Aug 18th, 2017, 07:08 AM
#8
>
I don't think you have enough time to do all 3 things - seeing a bit of the city of Portland itself + Columbia River gorge is 1-1/2 hrs east + Pacific Coast say Cannon Beach is 1-1/2 hrs west.
You don't need a car for Seattle, arrive SeaTac, use LightRail into the city, depart from Amtrak train station downtown.
suze, in Seattle
I don't think you have enough time to do all 3 things - seeing a bit of the city of Portland itself + Columbia River gorge is 1-1/2 hrs east + Pacific Coast say Cannon Beach is 1-1/2 hrs west.
You don't need a car for Seattle, arrive SeaTac, use LightRail into the city, depart from Amtrak train station downtown.
suze, in Seattle
Aug 18th, 2017, 09:13 AM
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That is good to know, Suze...thank you!
Maybe we will keep it to city on Tues nite (we arrive on Amtrak at 6pm) & Thurs, & hit Col. River Gorge on Wed (as someone else suggested Wed is better there than Thurs.)
This kind of info is why Fodors people are so great!
Maybe we will keep it to city on Tues nite (we arrive on Amtrak at 6pm) & Thurs, & hit Col. River Gorge on Wed (as someone else suggested Wed is better there than Thurs.)
This kind of info is why Fodors people are so great!
Aug 18th, 2017, 04:54 PM
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MJ--I will give you some suggestions tomorrow. We just got back from a hike and I'm beat. The gorge is only 30 minutes from Portland so very easy to do that in less than a day including all the must stops.
Aug 19th, 2017, 06:43 AM
#13
The closest part of the Gorge is around 30 minutes east of Portland, but the gorge extends quite far to the east; in fact it goes all the way into the sagebrush country of eastern Oregon and Washington. In addition, a terrific "spur" from the gorge consists of the beautiful Hood River Valley (orchards and vineyards, which in September are likely to be in harvest mode.) And at the top of the Hood River Valley is Mount Hood, with iconic Timberline Lodge.
It's very easy to make a full day out of traveling the Gorge, Hood River Valley and Mount Hood; in fact in my view it's worthy of two days, when you take into account the various waterfalls and vista points, a side trip out to the fascinating Maryhill Museum and nearby Stonehenge replica, winery visits in Maryhill and Hood River, etc. Frankly if it was me I'd reduce the Willamette Valley nights by one and reallocate it to the Gorge.
It's very easy to make a full day out of traveling the Gorge, Hood River Valley and Mount Hood; in fact in my view it's worthy of two days, when you take into account the various waterfalls and vista points, a side trip out to the fascinating Maryhill Museum and nearby Stonehenge replica, winery visits in Maryhill and Hood River, etc. Frankly if it was me I'd reduce the Willamette Valley nights by one and reallocate it to the Gorge.
Aug 20th, 2017, 08:35 AM
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MJ--There is so much to do/see in the WV, I would not give up a day there at all, JMO. As for where to stay, the most central area is around McMinnville but anywhere up to Newberg is fine too. McMinnville has the best downtown area of all the towns around there. Lots of great shops/restaurants/tasting rooms. So for specific places to stay I would suggest The Allison in Newberg. Beautiful hotel, with a fantastic spa and restaurant. It is near the Ribbon Ridge AVA for wineries, so just a few minutes from some great ones, including Arbor Brook, Brick House and Tristaeum which are some of my personal favorites. Another place to stay that is not as high end, but has ab sourly stunning views is Chehelam Ridge B&B. It sits up on Chehalem Mountain and their deck is to die for and has sweeping views of the valley. Also take a look at Youngberg Hill B&B and Black Walnut Inn for high end experiences. There are also some flats right in downtown McMinnville that you might like, such as La Rambla Loft or 3rd Street Flats. Both of those would put you smack in the heart of downtown. I know I am repeating myself from earlier, but with a bit more detail so hopefully some of this helps. Other wineries that we love are Hawks View in Sherwood, Stoller and Seufert in Dayton, Grochau in Amity, Four Graces in Newberg, Zerba in downtown Dundee for some big reds if you need a break from pinots lol, and Argyle for bubbly. There are many more of course, but this is a good start. If you can, I highly recommend a tour. A Nose For Wine is run by Fred and his wife Marie and they are fantastic! I ran into him years ago while he had a group and we were all at the same winery. His clients raved about him. Then a few years later a group of friends and I went and used them and I could see why he has such loyal clients. That is a great way to go so you don't have to drive. The police do have a very heavy presence in this area, for speeding as well as DUI. There are also red light cameras in Newberg and Sherwood, so you have to be very careful, even with right turns on red. Tickets are $260 and they do go to your insurance. So best to be very careful
Another really fun thing to do in the area is the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville. Oh and for restaurants, Joy at The Allison, The Painted Lady and Recipe in Newberg, Tina's Dundee Bistro, Red Hills Provincial Dining and Red Hills Market all in Dundee. Red Hills Market is my favorite and our go to. They do woodfired sandwiches and pizzas, with lots of local wines and beer, and have a lot of items you can take with you for in an apt or a day of tasting. In McMinnville, Bistro Maison, Nicks, Wildwood Cafe(breakfast), Gem, and The Barberry are all really good. You might also head to Carlton for wineries. The downtown is about 2 blocks long, but nice. There are also some flats there that you might look into. Anyway, Seven of Hearts is a good winery and the winemakers wife runs the chocolate shop in the back, Honest Chocolates, and they are really good! Scott Paul is just around the corner and very good for wines as well. The Horseradish is a fun place for lunch and again to stock up on items, or believe it or not, the gas station on the corner has great burgers, best in the valley according to some. This should get you started, but if you need more, just ask
Another really fun thing to do in the area is the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville. Oh and for restaurants, Joy at The Allison, The Painted Lady and Recipe in Newberg, Tina's Dundee Bistro, Red Hills Provincial Dining and Red Hills Market all in Dundee. Red Hills Market is my favorite and our go to. They do woodfired sandwiches and pizzas, with lots of local wines and beer, and have a lot of items you can take with you for in an apt or a day of tasting. In McMinnville, Bistro Maison, Nicks, Wildwood Cafe(breakfast), Gem, and The Barberry are all really good. You might also head to Carlton for wineries. The downtown is about 2 blocks long, but nice. There are also some flats there that you might look into. Anyway, Seven of Hearts is a good winery and the winemakers wife runs the chocolate shop in the back, Honest Chocolates, and they are really good! Scott Paul is just around the corner and very good for wines as well. The Horseradish is a fun place for lunch and again to stock up on items, or believe it or not, the gas station on the corner has great burgers, best in the valley according to some. This should get you started, but if you need more, just ask
Aug 20th, 2017, 12:12 PM
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<Oh and for restaurants, Joy at The Allison, The Painted Lady and Recipe in Newberg>
We just got back from the WV (and a few days on Portland) yesterday, and I will post a report soon, but wanted to quickly say that it's the Jory at The Alison (I know you know that, mms, you know everything about the Valley and are such a great resource here! It's a typo.); and that Recipe is still closed and website says reopening in the fall--so keep an eye on that, but go to Recipe Part Deux in the meantime, or as well. It's great, and was opened after the original Recipe burned down to give staff employment while they rebuild.
We also loved, loved Thistle in MacMinnville. And the Red Hills Market is great. And...more later!
We just got back from the WV (and a few days on Portland) yesterday, and I will post a report soon, but wanted to quickly say that it's the Jory at The Alison (I know you know that, mms, you know everything about the Valley and are such a great resource here! It's a typo.); and that Recipe is still closed and website says reopening in the fall--so keep an eye on that, but go to Recipe Part Deux in the meantime, or as well. It's great, and was opened after the original Recipe burned down to give staff employment while they rebuild.
We also loved, loved Thistle in MacMinnville. And the Red Hills Market is great. And...more later!
Aug 20th, 2017, 12:14 PM
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<Ah it's nothing. I just checked using Google maps >
THIS is the problem. People without first hand knowledge google stuff, for reasons I do not understand, and the information is not always useful or correct.
THIS is the problem. People without first hand knowledge google stuff, for reasons I do not understand, and the information is not always useful or correct.
Aug 20th, 2017, 02:03 PM
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WOW,
MMS,
what fabulous, detailed info...in whatever format!
Thank you!
Thanks for taking the time to share it.
I cannot wait to get to WV!
NewbE...I will keep a look out for your report, and I thank you for the clarification & input!
We will toast you both in WV!
MMS,
what fabulous, detailed info...in whatever format!
Thank you!
Thanks for taking the time to share it.
I cannot wait to get to WV!
NewbE...I will keep a look out for your report, and I thank you for the clarification & input!
We will toast you both in WV!
Aug 20th, 2017, 02:30 PM
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I went to Vancouver, Seattle and Portland last September. It was one of my favorite trips ever.
I look the train from Vancouver to Seattle and Seattle to Portland. The Seattle-Portland leg is about 4 1/2 hours. I took the Coast Starlight, which goes all the way to Los Angeles, and there's an observation car with big windows and Parks Service employees explaining what you're seeing. Definitely worthwhile. But I guess the Amtrak Cascades would be ok, too.
I took the ferry to Bainbridge Island for a day and loved walking around the small downtown area. Nice shops, restaurants, ice cream parlors, cafes. Spectacular view of Mount Rainier on the way back.
I also took a 2 1/2 hour trolley tour of Seattle that went through several neighborhoods and out to the Ballard Locks. That was a nice way to cover a lot of ground.
The Chihuly Museum is excellent. I also enjoyed the Museum of History and Industry, which gives a fascinating look at how Seattle grew.
I stayed at the Hyatt in Seattle and really liked it. Great location downtown. Near Pike Place (although a steep walk down and back). Across from the monorail.
I look the train from Vancouver to Seattle and Seattle to Portland. The Seattle-Portland leg is about 4 1/2 hours. I took the Coast Starlight, which goes all the way to Los Angeles, and there's an observation car with big windows and Parks Service employees explaining what you're seeing. Definitely worthwhile. But I guess the Amtrak Cascades would be ok, too.
I took the ferry to Bainbridge Island for a day and loved walking around the small downtown area. Nice shops, restaurants, ice cream parlors, cafes. Spectacular view of Mount Rainier on the way back.
I also took a 2 1/2 hour trolley tour of Seattle that went through several neighborhoods and out to the Ballard Locks. That was a nice way to cover a lot of ground.
The Chihuly Museum is excellent. I also enjoyed the Museum of History and Industry, which gives a fascinating look at how Seattle grew.
I stayed at the Hyatt in Seattle and really liked it. Great location downtown. Near Pike Place (although a steep walk down and back). Across from the monorail.
Aug 21st, 2017, 06:51 AM
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NewbE--Yes, typos, lol! Missed the r in Jory and then Recipe Deux for now
MJ--Glad to help Glad you aren't uptight about the format. I was in a hurry but wanted to get the info to you so figured if you wanted it, you would take it, lol! BTW, September in the valley is gorgeous. Plus with the summer we have had being so warm, you might be there at the start of crush, which is always exciting. Seeing it all happen up close always amazes me. Have a great trip and I hope you let us know how it goes.
MJ--Glad to help
Glad you aren't uptight about the format. I was in a hurry but wanted to get the info to you so figured if you wanted it, you would take it, lol! BTW, September in the valley is gorgeous. Plus with the summer we have had being so warm, you might be there at the start of crush, which is always exciting. Seeing it all happen up close always amazes me. Have a great trip and I hope you let us know how it goes.
