While I normally like to cover a lot of ground during one's first/survey type trip - you have outlined not only a big area, but also one that takes a link-up of over half a day.

What I mean is that if you do an Oregon Loop - or a Olympic NP loop - getting from one to the other will take the better part of a day.

While I love Washington - since you are based in Portland (be sure to see the Rose Garden, Japanese Tea Garden and the Portland Zoo in Washington Park http://www.washingtonparkpdx.org/ ) - it might be better to concentrate on Oregon this trip - and if toward the end - you still feel the unquenchable wanderlust to get to the Olympic Peninsula - you could do that the last few days if you had the energy, etc.

I would consider a loop - heading out the Gorge/I-84 along the mighty Columbia River and having coffee/a snack in the dining room at the Multnomah Falls resort - where you can look through the glass ceiling at the Falls. http://www.multnomahfallslodge.com/

From there - you could stay at a B & B in the Hood River area (if the wind is blowing - look for the wind surfers on the Columbia - at what some consider the wind surfing capital of the world), or turn inland/south and stay at a winery in the Hood River Valley - or continue on another hour or so from Hood River to the Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood - a classic favorite of ours. http://www.timberlinelodge.com/

After a day or two there - hiking/exploring/wine tasting/enjoying the incredible view down the cinder coned Cascade mountain range - you can decide to head back toward the Willamette Valley - (going the "back" way and down over toward I-5 is great - (south from Sandy) - and there are wineries as you make your way down toward Salem/Eugene) - or head down the middle of the state on 97 toward Bend and see some beautiful lakes around there - http://www.visitbend.com/Bend_Oregon_Activities_Recreation/Outdoor-Recreation/Summer-Fun/Sightseeing/ including one of the wonders of the world - Crater Lake. http://www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm

From the Eugene or Roseburg area - or even the cute college town of Ashland - http://www.osfashland.org/ where they have a wonderful Shakespeare festival at a fragrant outdoor theater - where there are also numerous wineries - http://oregonwine.org/Experience_Wine_Country/Tourism_Resources/Willamette_Valley/Southern_Willamette_Valley/ you can make your way over to the Coast and then decide where you want to stay/spend some more time, whatnot.

There are other discussions in here under Oregon about the Oregon Coast - and if you ask more specific questions - you will receive more information here.

Ok - that's a start. Also - if you want to see Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Ranier - you can do that loop from Portland in a day - but to get over/around to the beautiful Olympic Peninsula takes the better part of a day to get there and another to return. There are also some discussions on the Olympic Peninsula in here under Washington if you want to read more about that.

I like Tomsd's suggestions. Skip the Olympic Peninsula for this trip. Save it for another trip when you fly to Seattle.
After you see the waterfalls on the Oregon side of the Columbia, go over the bridge at Hood River and head west on WA 14 to the little town of Carson. Take the NF 23 road north which goes by the east side of Mt St. Helens. There is a spur road which goes out to Windy Ridge Viewpoint. The 23 road eventually comes out at Randle. Take US 12 east to Packwood. Packwood has several nice lodging places. The next day take US 12 and WA 123 into Mt Rainier NP. From Mt. Rainier head east into Yakima and then south on US 97 to Bend Oregon.
Complete the Oregon loop including Crater Lake.

In answering your question, it would help to know:

*How many nights will you be traveling?
*When does the first day begin and the last day end?
*Are any of the nights on days your husband is attending to business?

HTTY

Thanks so much for all your help so far.

Tomsd and tomfuller, it sounds like your itineraries are similar apart from the addition of Rainier in tomfuller's.

tomfuller, am I right that this is about what your trip might look like?
http://g.co/maps/cvene
If so, I think I might be missing the coastal stuff. Also, the drive from Yakima to Bend is really long - is there somewhere interesting we could stay overnight on the way?

And Tomsd, is this what yours would look like?
http://g.co/maps/nafyh
If so, do we still get the mountain scenery, or would we be missing out by losing Rainier / St Helens?

happytrailstoyou, in answer to the questions: We will be spending the first night (a Thursday) in Portland. Day 2 (Friday) is the first travelling day, and we'll be able to leave Portland at about noon. We will need to be at Portland airport by about 10.30am on the 12th day (a Monday). So that's 10 nights. And my husband doesn't need to do any work while we're out there.

One of the main reasons why I wanted to do Olympic NP was the orca whale-watching. I found a place that offers whale-watching in Depoe Bay, but sightings seem much rarer. Is there anything else we can do to avoid missing out on this aspect of the trip?

Last Friday I drove from Mt. Rainier over the White Pass got gas in Wapato and drove home-50 miles south of Bend.
I left Mt. Rainier at 2 PM and was in Bend at 7:30.
At 2PM there was a snow squall for a few miles at White Pass on US 12.
You can read my first trip report. The title is La Wis Wis Campground Packwood WA.

Thanks, tomfuller. The issue with the long drive is that I don't drive, and my husband doesn't like to be behind the wheel for more than 3 hours a day - fine in the UK but obviously more difficult in the US given the huge distances involved in any kind of US travel! I know that limits us, but it's worked out well for us in a variety of different places, so I really don't want to go much over that length of time.

LonA: You could go that way you had outlined on the page - but my idea was to travel from Mt. Hood down hiway 97 - almost due south from Mt. Hood to get to Bend, and then see Crater Lake and then over to the Coast.

As an alternative - you could come back from Mt. Hood via hiway 26 - toward Portland - and then turn southwest around Sandy - on 211 to Eagle Creek and on down to Estacada - and wander through some backcountry/wineries area - on the way toward Bend.

Zoom in on this map and play around. http://tinyurl.com/76zwxw7

And you could also do a day trip as TomF suggests - from Mt.Hood up by Mt. Adams over to Mt. Ranier and on toward/into Seattle and from there - try to make connections to wherever you think is the best way to see Orcas.

We were fortunate that on a car ferry back from Vancouver Island to the Pugent Sound/Seattle area - we went through the San Juans (Islands) - and a nice pod of Killer Whales/Orcas swam alongside the big car ferry for about 15 minutes - and then - poof - they were gone.

If you did that - you could still zip back from Seattle down I-5 to say Eugene (5 hours or so?) - and get over to the Oregon Coast - sampling some wineries in that area. Eugene is also a very cute University town if you want to stay there for a night. We like King Estate, Sweet Cheeks and Hinman among others. http://www.theeugeneguide.com/articledetail-95.php

It all comes down to how energetic you feel and how much you want to drive - see various beautiful places in the Northwest.

To clarify - I meant you take 26 south from Mt. Hood - and then hook up with 97 on down to Bend and on to the turnoff for Crater Lake. You can in on the map you provided to check that route.

From Crater Lake - you can also drive out/along the very scenic Umpqua river (look for fly fishermen trying to hookup with Steelhead - or their freshwater cousins - Rainbow Trout) - over to the Roseburg area (there are also wineries also around there and Southerlin) and then on over to the Oregon Coast and up the Coast toward Portland - from there.

Ah, I see what you mean - like this:
http://g.co/maps/e5ccx
(I added a night in the Willamette Valley before the airport)
Thank you - I hadn't realised I could go all the way down from Mt Hood to Sisters / Bend without going inland again. Very interesting.

It looks like the Oregon-only itinerary is the preference so far, but any feedback on itineraries which go north instead and fit in some of Washington would also be very welcome.

There is at least 1 possibly 2 motels in Biggs at the intersection of I-84 and US 97. From there you have the choice of going back to Portland or about 3 hours south to Redmond or Bend.
You can make it from Bend or Redmond to Crater Lake Lodge in 3 hours. I hope you can get a reservation there. Otherwise it will have to be at Diamond Lake Lodge off Rt. 138.

I've taken quite a few old pals (and, sadly, getting older ) from the UK around the Pacific Northwest, and while of course people are different, I'd recommend a route like this to touch places that were universally praised as the "highlights" for those who hadn't been here before.

With just ten days and your aversion to long days behind the wheel, here are some thoughts.

A lot of folks tend to pigeonhole the Pacific Northwest for mountains, forest and seacoast, and rightly so - we have all of the above in gorgeous abundance. However, many miss the fact that just east of those volcanoes and forests lies some spectacular "old west" country - red rocks, sagebrush - real "cowboy" country that is stunningly different from the bits west of the mountains (i.e. "the wet side.")

So not knowing what else you've experienced in North America, I'd suggest the following.

Head east from Portland through the Columbia Gorge (stopping at the various waterfalls and vista points along the "historic" Gorge Highway, and aim for the town of The Dalles. As you travel through the Gorge you'll note the pine and "wet" forest on the riverbanks starts thinning out, until it's basically gone and replaced with sagebrush and cottonwoods near the rivers, with the slopes of the hills now rocks instead of trees. Overnight in The Dalles, where there are affordable hotels, B&Bs, etc.

Before turning in, though, head just past The Dalles on the Washington side to the small community of Maryhill, with a decent winery or two and the remarkable Maryhill Museum - www.maryhillmuseum.org - on the cliff overlooking the river. Nearby is a "replica" of Stonehenge - or what the builder (a fascinating character) thought Stonehenge would have looked like a couple thousand years ago. The museum (with an eclectic collection including some amazing Rodin sculpture) is a fun stop.

The next morning, turn south on US 97 and proceed to the town of Bend (or nearby Sisters) for the next night. You will pass through a lot of this "old west" scenery as you do, with views of the "Three Sisters" mountains and a lot of big sky. The Dalles to Bend is also around three hours' drive.

From Bend, you'll head back across the Cascades to western Oregon, but do so via Crater Lake National Park. In August you'll experience the best weather at Crater Lake, and while it's not a glaciated mountain like Mount Hood or Mount Rainier, it's well worthy of its national park distinction; it's quite an experience. I would spend that night around Crater Lake (accommodation is not plentiful in the National Park, so you might need to look on the periphery.)

The next day, continue west to Grants Pass, then take US 199 southwest into California. Just before the junction with US 101, you'll start passing through some groves of coastal redwoods. After joining US 101, continue south into and through Redwood National Park and some of the California State Parks in the region.

In every case that I've taken visitors from the UK on our tours, the northern California redwoods have been - by acclimation - the most stunning experience of their visits. There's really nothing like them in the UK or Europe for that matter, and IMO any trip to the Pacific Northwest in which the redwoods are an option should include them.

Anyway, overnight somewhere around Crescent City (no beauty contest winner but functional) then the next day start back north along the Oregon coast. The southern coast is (in my view) the best part, say from the California line to Bandon, then again from Florence up to around Lincoln City (which itself is dire.) You could take two or three days to cover that distance, with plenty of time for beach walks, walks through the amazing sand dunes around Florence, whatever.

At Lincoln City head back inland to the Willamette Valley and the vineyards of Clackamas and other counties. http://www.oregonwines.com/

From there it's an easy drive back into Portland and off you go.

It's a doable but quite full ten days, but ought to give you a sense of the incredible diversity the region offers. Chances are you'll be planning your return trip a couple of days into this one.

I realize that I'm repeating a number of other posts' contents. More diversity, eh?

Gardyloo, that's about exactly the route we took last September (only in reverse). It is a wonderful route.

One of the highlights was a visit to the lava tube just south of Bend (Newberry). LondonAlicat - the hike would be about the length you are looking for, check it out. There is also the Obsidian Fields close by. All in all, Bend was quite a surprisingly fun stop. http://www.visitbend.com// We stayed at McMenamins Old St. Francis School, very different and also lots of fun. http://www.mcmenamins.com/421-old-st-francis-school-home

My other favorite was Redwood National Park and the adjoining Jedidiah Smith state park, as you suggested. And then of course the coast is splendiferous.

Your latest map looks great. If you wanted to minimize your daily "moving" - and were it moi - I would spend two nights at Timberline Lodge - see if you could get in the Crater Lake Lodge - or perhaps stay around one of the beautiful lakes (albeit - "rustic" accommodations - at Pauline east of Sun River/south of Bend - or Diamond Lake by Crater Lake http://www.diamondlake.net/ ) and then decide if you want to stay at some place on the Coast for a couple nights so you could make daily exploration trips.

Some people think the prettiest section of the Oregon Coast is from Lincoln for about 90 miles south. see: http://tinyurl.com/7t8nhe4 And don't forget to try the great Saltwater Taffy.

Another option - if you are up for a "thrill" is to drive down to Gold beach (passing by the World Class links courses at Bandon (Bandon Dunes, http://www.bandondunesgolf.com/ ) and take a Jet Boat up the fabled Rogue River, made famous by Old West writer - Zane Gray. http://wildrogue.com/oregon-family-vacations.htm

Or if you are golf aficionados - stop at Bandon Dunes and chase the ball around the links.

And as for Redwoods - you can see beautiful,big Redwoods south of Crater Lake - along 97 - toward my hometown of Klamath Falls, Oregon - specificlly in and around the Chiloquin area. But the biggest Redwoods - the Giant Coastal Redwoods - are yes - over on the Coast - where they get more moisture from the Marine layer/fog.

There are actually some big Coastal Redwoods outside of Grants Pass - on the road southwest toward Crescent City - on the northern California Coast. If you want more info on that = let me/us know.

And yes, as Sludick notes, the mountain of obsidian/volcanic glass - toward Pauline Lake/Newberry Crater (east of Bend) is very interdsting. You can see why the Native Americans treasured these - as they made great arrowheads for hunting.

And Crater Lake is not just a National Park. It's rated in some classifications as one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World.

Wow - just logged in tonight and found all these really helpful responses - thanks so, so much.

Gardyloo, your post's really helped flesh out the bones of the trip. Only thing is, we visited California a couple of years ago, including Muir Woods, so I'm not sure if prioritising the redwoods is right for us, especially on such a short trip. What do you think?

Sludick, the lava tube sounds awesome - I'll definitely find the time for it.

And Tomsd, thanks for the continuing help. I'm very excited by the jetboating - we did that in New Zealand a few years ago and LOVED it! Some more info on the Grants Pass redwood would be great, especially if we don't push as far south as Gardyloo suggests.

Keep the comments coming - the more, the merrier!

You can see some fine groves of redwoods on US 199 just before the coast. If you don't want to go farther south, just turn north on US 101 and you'll be on the Southern Oregon coast in half an hour or less.

If Crater Lake was not a National Park, the Newberry Caldera certainly would be. http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Newberry/Locale/framework.html
The picture was taken from the top of Paulina Peak which is the highest point you can drive to in Oregon with a 2WD car.
The road is paved as far as East Lake.
When you get off US 97 to go into the Lava Lands Visitor Center, you can ask for a parking pass to go up to the rim of Lava Butte and the fire tower up there. Leaving the visitor center you drive past the entrance to the lava tube. You rejoin US 97 at the Cottonwood exit (151).

And just from a time perspective - we left Crater Lake in the morning (after breakfast, gift shopping, and a drive around the crater), stopped at Lava Lands, went to the Visitors Center and walked up to the fire tower, visited the Obsidian Fields, walked to the top of that glass mountain, drove around there a bit, etc., and were still in Bend by mid afternoon. It was not a long difficult driving day at all.

Since it was broken up, I am thinking the only longish drive was from Crater Lake to Lava Fields - maybe 2 hours. From there to Bend was maybe half hour.

We could have done the Lava Tube that day, but it was closed -so went the next day. Do check to find what days they are open, and plan accordingly.

To clarify the Grants Pass/coast/redwood thing, if you're coming from Crater Lake, US 199 between Grants Pass and Crescent City is really the only available route between Interstate 5 and the southern Oregon coast. There are a couple of unpaved roads that snake through the Coast Range, but US 199 is both interesting and direct. Note that partway between Grants Pass and Crescent City you'll pass the Oregon Caves. While not internationally renowned, the caves are still pretty cool. You hit the major redwoods, specifically the Jedidiah Smith State Park, around ten miles before the junction with US 101.

Since I grew up close to some of the most beauituful hardwood forests in the world - I am a bit blase about making a big effort to get down to Jedidiah Smith park, and since you have already seen some big trees, suggest you spend more time appreciating the Oregon Coast, Lakes and Crescent Peaks.

While I love Muir Woods, in my opinion it just doesn't hold a candle to Jedediah Smith or Redwoods Natl Park. With Muir being so close to SF, it gets a lot of traffic, with dust, ground impaction, noise, etc. Just an hour's stopover at Jedediah to look at the cool ferny forest floor and enjoy the quiet splendor will be well worthwhile.

http://www.google.com/search?q=jedediah+smith+redwoods+state+park&hl=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=E0qsT-WTBIne9AS4p-WrBA&sqi=2&ved=0CIABELAE&biw=1600&bih=635

And the Maryhill Museum is interesting (first saw it in the early 50's while on a family trip to visit an Uncle up in Yakima http://www.maryhillmuseum.org/About_Us/history.html )

IMO - The Dalles isn't any great shakes and would return to Timberline Lodge at Mt. Hood to spend the evening.

Since I grew up close to some of the most beauituful hardwood forests in the world - I am a bit blase about making a big effort to get down to Jedidiah Smith park, and since you have already seen some big trees, suggest you spend more time appreciating the Oregon Coast, Lakes and Crescent Peaks.

See? Diversity of opinion.

By contrast, my view is that there are a lot of gorgeous, rocky coastlines in the world, with the UK having way more than its fair share (South Devon, Cornwall, North Wales, the Western Highlands, et al.) Or the Aussies would say the Great Ocean Road is equally spectacular, and they'd be right. (Or the Californians would point to Big Sur and not be far off.)

The coastal redwood forests, however, really don't have a European peer. The OP was originally talking about Olympic National Park, where the likes of the Hoh or Quinault Valley rainforests are pretty doggone amazing, but if there's no time for ONP (and there isn't) then I'd say a few groves of the big trees plus the southern Oregon coast, is a fair exchange.

And yes, there are differences of opinion about how to enjoy driving around/visiting Oregon - with so many beautiful places to visit. Here some pics of beautiful forests in Central (Bend) and Southern Oregon:

http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/centraloregon/about-forest

http://www.fs.usda.gov/centraloregon

http://tinyurl.com/79sg73w

Near my hometown of Klamath Falls -- by beaucolic Spring Creek: Collier Park. http://www.collierloggingmuseum.org/ http://www.collierloggingmuseum.org/springcreek.html

And the Fremont-Winema Forest: http://www.fs.usda.gov/fremont-winema

You could also stay at a beautiful resort - a former "Dude" ranch (it really was a big cattle ranch once) - the Running Y Resort - where the first 9 of the Arnold Palmer designed golf course plays along 30 mile long Klamath Lake and the back nine goes through the trees. http://www.runningy.com/

Or you could go to the quiet little Lake of the Woods, where they also have some great fishing. http://www.lakeofthewoodsresort.com/

So many choices - so little time.

BTW - we are not talking about great distances from say Crater Lake to Klamath Falls (an hour), to Ashland or Grants Pass (couple hours max?) - from Grants Pass to Jedediah State Park (hour plus?) - and from there to where you hit the 101 - to head back up to Gold Beach - an hour plus?

It's been so long since I was on the Grants Pass to Crescent City route I forget the particulars - but again, it's not that far - just a slower going type of driving through lovely country.

Grants Pass to Crescent City is around two hours; say 90 min. to the Smith River and redwood groves. Crescent City to Brookings is around half an hour; another half hour to Gold Beach.

Do you need to go all the way into Crescent City - or is there a cutoff to head north on the 101?

If after seeing beautiful forests in Oregon - you still think you need a Coastal Redwoof "fix" - here is the area around Crescent City if you get that far. Just move the map/cursor around/in and out. http://tinyurl.com/6rn4ayv

Thanks for your reply. With your comments in mind:

*I would spend one day in the Columbia River Gorge during which I would visit the waterfalls along the Historic Columbia River Gorge Highway and drive, on the Washington Highway 14, from Bingen (or Maryhill) to Washougal.
*I would visit the Willamette Valley on my way to the Oregon coast.
*I would explore the Oregon coast from Cape Perpetua (just south of Yachats) to Cannon Beach.
*From Cannon Beach I would drive to Quinault Lake Lodge in the Olympic National Park.

I don't know where on the Olympic Peninsula you would see orcas. I would book a whale watching tour that departs from Seattle: http://www.clippervacations.com/whalewatching/

I would visit Mt. Rainier on the return trip to Portland.

Suggested routing: Columbia River Gorge (1), Willamette Valley (1), Oregon Coast (2-3), Olympic Peninsula (2), Seattle for whale watching (2-3), Mt. Rainier and flight home (1),

Do you need to go all the way into Crescent City - or is there a cutoff to head north on the 101?

No, the US 199/US 101 junction is a few miles north of Crescent City, so there's no need to go into town.

If the OP wants some bona fide American culture, cringe-provoking variety, they can do a drive-by of the Pelican Bay prison complex, not far from the junction. Pelican Bay is by all accounts the most maximum-security slammer in the US; it specializes in the kind of inmates that people make movies about.

LOL: Pelican Bay is the baddest? Maybe they can get taken hostage for a real adenture, eh?

Wow, this thread really kicked off some debate! Thanks again, everyone. I think I've come down to two itineraries.

The first is all Oregon, but I'm not going to take it as far south as Crescent City bit, as I just can't work out a way to include the redwoods bit without making too many long driving days. This would be something like:

Fri – pick up car, drive to Timberline Lodge via Hood River (2hrs10)
Sat – drive to Sunriver (2hrs50), night Diamond Stone cabin
Sun – day around Bend incl. lava tube and obsidian mountain, night Diamond Stone
Mon – drive to Crater Lake, night TBC (Crater Lake Resort full - any suggestions welcome!)
Tue – Crater Lake drive, night TBC
Wed – drive to Winchester Bay (3hrs20 - a bit long - any suggestions for how to resolve this?), night Salmon Harbour Landing Motel
Thu – day exploring coast, night Salmon Harbour Landing Motel
Fri – drive to Yachats (1hr30), night Ocean Cove Inn
Sat – drive to Newburg (2hrs50), night Deer Haven Farm
Sun – Willamette Valley wineries, night Deer Haven Farm
Mon – drive to airport, flight home

The second includes Washington, and is based on happytrailstoyou's suggestions but fitting in the northern part of Olympic NP, too, and whale-watching from Port Townsend:

Fri – pick up car, drive to Newberg via Columbia River Highway (2hrs50), night Deer Haven Farm
Sat – drive to Manzanita via more wineries (2hrs), night Eagle’s Nest vacation rental
Sun – exploring coast, night Eagle’s Nest
Mon – drive to Lake Quinault (3hrs10), night Lake Quinault Lodge
Tue – drive to Forks via Hoh Rainforest (2hrs45), night Huckleberry Lodge
Wed – drive to Port Townsend via Hurricaine Ridge
(3hrs), night Morgan Hill View Loft
Thu – whale-watching, night Morgan Hill View Loft
Fri – drive to Ashford (3hrs), night Stormking Resort
Sat – Mt Rainier, night Stormking Resort
Sun – drive to Castle Rock via Mt St Helens (3hrs20)
Mon - To airport (1hr)

I’m so grateful for all your help so far. We're planning to book this weekend, so any other thoughts on these two plans would be gratefully received. Any Washington specialists have any thoughts?

You've really done your homework!

Of course these two itineraries are really apples and oranges. By not crossing the Cascades in the second itinerary, you won't get the "cowboy country" experience; on the other hand, the IMO Olympic National Park coastal strip is fully the equal of the best bits of the Oregon coast, only much more remote and wild feeling. You'll also get lots of exposure to the Puget Sound country in the second itinerary. So for what it's worth, my vote is for option no. 2.

Replacing the redwoods with the Quinault and Hoh rainforests is, in my mind, a fair exchange. One thing to note is that you're likely to encounter some Roosevelt elk in the Hoh Valley; in your OP you mentioned a desire to see wildlife, and here's your chance (along with some Orcas around the San Juans/Port Townsend.)

I'm not sure that I'd spend the time required to go into Mt. St. Helens given the rest of your itinerary (lots of mountain time including Mts. Hood and Rainier, plus Hurricane Ridge.) Instead, I'd probably just shoot for Portland on leaving Ashford, and maybe spend a relaxing afternoon and evening somewhere along the Columbia Gorge - maybe try the products from the winery, brewery, and distillery at McMenamin's Edgefield at Troutdale near the Portland airport. Walk through their gardens, hit some of the many pubs on the grounds, take in a (free) movie in the evening. It's a very relaxing place, full of funky art. Beats the bejeezus out of some schlunky motel in Castle Rock. http://www.mcmenamins.com/54-edgefield-home

Next day, the airport is a few minutes away, or if you've time, you could hit the Gorge Highway or even the above-mentioned Maryhill museum before taking wings.

For the Oregon experience - don't worry if you don't see the flat sagebrush country of Eastern Oregon. You can "cowboy" up another time

As for your first night around Crater Lake - nearby Diamond Lake is fine (easiest place from which to head toward the Coast the next day)- or you could drive to the cute college town of Ashland (Shakespeare festival/good restaurants)- whatever - which is about an hour and a half - maybe a bit more.

After seeing Crater Lake during the day - the 2nd night - I would suggest you head over toward the Oregon Coast to get part of that driving done - driving along the uber scenic North Fork of the Umpqua River (along 138 - scroll down here for the topo map http://www.ormtb.com/North_Umpqua/N_Umpqua_Trails/N_Umpqua.htm ) -

and you could stay the night around Roseburg or Southerlin (maybe two hours from Crater Lake) - and also take in a winery around there - http://www.umpquavalleywineries.org/

or press on over to the Coast (another hour or so - maybe a bit more) and find a place there for the night.

We went by the Strobe winery - and there are others.

Fiddely Foo: Thought I had posted the Diamond Lake Lodge page: http://www.diamondlake.net/

And yes, my vote is for Oregon - but I would add - there is no guarantee you will spot whales when you go out of Port Townsend.

BTW - if you want a 100% guarantee of seeing Orcas/Killer Whales - come to Sea World here in San Diego and they will even do tricks for you!! The 90% or so chance you will see one out of Port Townsend sounds good - but you also never know how long you will see the resident pod, whatever.

We were lucky - as they followed along the Car Ferry for about 15-20 minutes when we came through the San Juans - and on the other side - lined up in a row - were dozens of private whale watching boats, who couldn't folow them.

They are magnificent beings.

<this thread really kicked off some debate!>

All friendly discussion, of course! Obvously we are enthusiasts of the area you will be visiting. Tomsd, Gardyloo, and happytrailstoyou, and tomfuller have given me SO much advice on my assorted ventures; it is thanks to their expertise and experience that I can even debate the topic - thanks, all.

You will have such a fantastic trip whichever itinerary you choose. And, I am confident that you will leave already plotting your next excursion to the area. So go knowing that you cannot do it all, and enjoy what you are able to do.

The suggestion of staying at McMenamins Edgefield is one I'd give serious consideration. We got the same recommendation but stayed at some Portland airport place that ended up being a little disappointing. The distance to the airport is really not far, and you can end on a fun note this way. Go for it!

I like the Oregon itinerary better. The Olympic Peninsula includes the rainiest area in the lower 48.
There is also a McMenamins hotel in downtown Bend.
The Diamond Lake Resort is closer to Reedsport/Winchester Bay.
It is not as nice as Crater Lake Lodge but choices are limited.
Make a short stop at the Dean Creek Elk viewing area(s) about 5 miles before you get to Reedsport.
Use Rt. 138 from Sutherlin to Elkton if you had a different route in mind.
Don't miss Multnomah Falls on your way to Timberline Lodge.
The parking area is in the median of I-84 (left exit).

BTW - I love the UK - but as far as dramatic scenery - regarding the mountains anyway - I took the train by the tallest mountain (Scotland's - Ben Nevis right? ) - and pardon my Northwest pride - it looked like a hill to moi.

Ergo - the difference in exploring the Oregon Coast v. along the scenic shoreline in the UK is that in Oregon - from the Coast - in about an hour - you can head inland and be within visual range of a magnificent 10,000 foot high snow capped cinder coned peak - in the Cascade range. http://tinyurl.com/7s5qknp

You can also do that from the Olympic Peninsula - but it's a little longer and you have to work a bit harder.

I guess the trade-off is that you can also head inland in the UK and be within fairly easy reach of a right proper beautiful castle - yes?

And hardly anyone outside of Oregon (and even some in Oregon don't know it) has heard of Mt. Jefferson - of which you get a splendid view when driving south from Mt. Hood to Bend - via hiway 97 - and it's about half way in between. http://tinyurl.com/6mfmg8d

And just to make you feel at home along the Oregon Coast - he are the fabled Bandon Dunes - link - golf courses. St. Andrews West - Righto?

http://www.bandondunesgolf.com/