joycegg

We are flying into Portland in May for 11 nights. Would like to do Portland, the Coast all the way to the being of Calif. (Been to Calif San Fran area several times. On the drive back to Portland would like to go in land and hit the wine country. Would anyone have suggestions about the best towns to stay in along the coast and also the amount of time we should spend in each. Just beginning to look into this trip so we are wide open for suggestions. Thank you.

PJK

There is a little town on the Oregon Coast called Yachats (pronounced Yah-hots) that is in a spectacular area. I don't recall that the town itself has much to speak of, but the coastline there is incredible. We stayed at Overleaf Lodge. Magnificent views. I have hiked the Cinque Terre in Italy and also traveled along the Amalfi Coast. The coastline of Oregon rates right up there.

I am not an expert in all things Oregon, but we have relatives in that general area, and I think that May will be iffy for good weather. Maybe some other folks who know the area better will chime in.

Fodorite018

Yes, the weather will be iffy. Could be nice, could be cold, most likely it will be wet for at least part of your trip. You don't mention exact dates, but if they are not set yet you might consider planning it around Memorial Day Weekend. This is a big weekend for the wineries and is your best chance of getting to taste from a lot of the smaller ones that are not always open.

Another good town to stay in along the coast is Cannon Beach. It is about 90 minutes west of Portland. Great beach, plenty of nice hotels, and lots of shops and such.

I hate to make other suggestions without knowing your interests and such. I am sure you will enjoy your trip here

justmy2cents

"You don't mention exact dates, but if they are not set yet you might consider planning it around Memorial Day Weekend."

Or if you're expecting good weather, between mid-July and mid-September. ;-) Memorial Day Weekend in wine country is kinda fun though. And being less than an hour from Portland, it's an easy day-trip.

A typical route with the time you've got would be Portland to Cannon Beach, south down the coast to Crescent City (to see some redwoods), then northeast on hwy 199 towards Portland, possibly routing via Crater Lake and/or central Oregon. You'd want to include the Columbia River Gorge either at the beginning or end.

As far as time on the coast, I've never known anyone who's said they spent too much; it's usually a regret that they didn't spend enough. But 2 nights in Cannon Beach, 2 in Yachats, and another in Gold Beach (if you're interested in a jetboat ride up the Rogue) would give you a good taste.

tomfuller

You don't need to stay in Newport, but be sure to stop at the Oregon Coast Aquarium just south of the bridge.
Brookings is often the warmest town in Oregon.
After seeing Redwood National Park, head over Rt. 199 to Grants Pass. You can decide at Grants Pass whether to go north on I-5 to the wine country or south on I-5 to Medford and head for the south entrance of Crater Lake NP. If you do go to Crater Lake you will see snow. On the east side of the Cascades we have a drier climate-high desert. You might enjoy the High Desert Museum about 7 miles south of Bend along US 97. In the Columbia Gorge, don't miss Multnomah Falls. The parking lot for the Multnomah Falls trail is in the median of I-84.

kimamom

We are in Seaside and love it here! There are many choices for lodging for all budgets, what is yours? Inn of the Four Winds, Rivertide Suites, Lanai @ the Cove are all very nice. We stayed at The Allison Inn & Spa this summer in Newberg, it is an awesome property with many nice amenities and beautiful rooms. Have fun! ***kim***

1JAR

Applogize those have seen my posts before but there is alot to do in the very pretty & diverse northwestern part of Oregon Coast.
The mouth of the Columbia river and the coast of both southern Washington state and Northwestern Oregon also just fanatastic.
Seriously suggest you stay at least one night in Astoria, take in the town (great seafood and pizza), the mouth of the Columbia river & the longest bridge, fabulous Coast Guard museum where you learn about salmon cannery, coast guard training and has some really great stuff in the museum bookstore.
http://www.hotelelliott.com/
For 2 nights go across the Astoria bridge to SW Washington and see the coastal parks,WWII embattlements, Long Beach where you can drive on the beach and see a real Oceanspray cranberry farm.
Washington State PArks links has great stuff on it.(Cape Disappointment and Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center)
http://www.parks.wa.gov/parks/region...n=pacificcoast
Oregon State PArks (Fort Stevens and don't foret teh lighthouses of teh Orregon coast.
http://www.oregonstateparks.org/searchpark.php
We stayed at Stephanie Inn Cannon Bch several times: 5***** Best price, view & customer service. BE sure to get a ocean view..you are right on the beach and the view of HAystack unbeatable. Shuttle to town and great little town to walk, eat, view art.Even if weather is bad sitting in front of fireplace watching the PAcific Oceam: drinking wine is worth it!
BTW, the wine region is accessible from Cannon Beach: get maps tho as the wineries are spread out & the coastal mountain roads can be confusing. I'd visit from CB vs driving inland on rtn..and I'd go early in the trip to get the wine to enjoy...
Tlillimock cheese and butter are in this are as well & give free ice cream tatses.

jfawp

We did a 2 week trip in Sept. (which I forgot to write a trip report about), but we traveled the entire coast of Oregon which was lovely. My favorite town that we visited was Astoria. The Coast Guard Museum is a must! Probably the single most beautiful sight I've ever seen was Crater Lake.

bbqboy

We've got lots of wine and shakespeare in Southern Oregon.
http://applegatewinetrail.com/
http://www.southernoregonwineblog.com/
http://www.osfashland.org/
And it's warm and dry here in May.

joycegg

Wow, alot of info to absorb. Thank you all. We are coming more towards the early part of May, the 12 to the 24th. Plane tickets are already purchased, flying into Portland. My husband and I are in our early 60, like to travel and see the sights all over. We have done Calif (Redwoods) and Washington State. So we want to focus on Oregon this trip. Been to the Amalfi Coast and if Oregon's coast is anything like that I am really excited to be coming. At first glance I was thinking of leaving Portland and going to Astoria and then down the coast to Gold Beach or just beyond. Heading back to Portand traveling inland (read that Crater Lake is closed from Nov-May) and staying over night in the wine country.

Questions I have from your posts are: Would you stay in both Astoria and Cannon Beach. If so, 2 nights in each or less. Next Yachats or Coos Bay for 2 nights? Should we stay at Gold Beach also? How many days do you think in Portland. We really like the smaller towns, I think better than the big cities. Do want to get a taste of what Portland is like. Regarding places to stay, we are wide open with cost. If a location is special we have no problem paying the price. It really all depends on what the going rate for the area is. If we can save month on accomodations we are for that also, as long as it doesn't take away from the trip memories.

bbqboy

Crater Lake is open all year. The full rim road is closed til the snow melts. that can vary from May til late June or so.
It is stunning.

joycegg

Will definitely plan on going there. Should we stay in that area over night?

bbqboy

Spend the night in Ashland as you come from the coast, then next morning head up to CL, then on to Bend, then up 97 to the gorge. A proven crowd pleaser.

justmy2cents

Astoria and Cannon Beach are only 25 miles apart, so it doesn't make a lot of sense to stay in both. I'd choose Cannon Beach, if for no other reason but that it's on the ocean; Astoria is on the Columbia River. Plus, Cannon Beach might be the most charming little beach town you'll ever see. Stephanie Inn sets the bar there in terms of luxury accommodations, but it's not everyone's cup of tea. You might be just as happy in Ocean Lodge next door, or at one of several places closer to the small downtown.

Yachats is an easy choice over Coos Bay (which also is inland 6-8 miles). And the already mentioned Overleaf Lodge has one of the best settings on the Oregon coast.

The best reasons to stay in Gold Beach IMO are for the jetboat ride, and the pleasure of staying at Tu Tu'Tun: http://www.tututun.com/. Besides those, the south coast is arguably the most scenic. If those aren't reason enough for you, consider extending your stay in Yachats to 3 nights; much to see and do on the central coast.

You can see the highlights of Portland in one day. But if you're planning day trips from the city to the Columbia River Gorge and wine country, you'd want at least 3 nights there.

tomfuller

The southern entrance to Crater Lake is open all year long. The Park Service uses a big rotary plow to keep it open up to the lodge parking lot. On some weekends they have Ranger led snowshoe hikes. The northern entrance off highway 138 may not be open until about July 4.

sunbum1944

I love the Yachats area and there is much to do- I think the coast from Lincoln City to Florence is one of the prettiest.
If you like hikes there are several scenic hikes in the area.

Something to consider is staying at Heceta Head B&B - which is an old lighthouse keepers home. I stayed here with a group and we loved it - I had the room that is pictured in this link and we could hear the waves crashing all night.

They serve an amazing breakfast in the am - and there is a great hiking trail right behind the lighthouse.
we had flashlight and walked the trail up to the lighthouse at night which was pretty cool.

Down below is my favorite beach -
I stayed here with a group, we bought crab in town and had a big crabfest ( there is a kitchen you can use) games to play, no TV's - I loved it! Its also a short drive into Florence where there are several decent restaurants.

Word of caution - 2 highschool students from Eugene were swept into the ocean by a sneaker wave last weekend and drowned- be very cautious! They were in an area close to Yachats- never turn your back on the ocean and dont take any risks!

sunbum1944

oops - meant to post a link to the B&B

http://hecetalighthouse.com/

joycegg

Thank you for all the help you have given me in planning this trip so far. This is the itinerary that I've come up with please let me know what you think. I have not narrowed down the day trips or accommodations yet will work on that soon. Love the thoughts of the Lighthouse B & B, it seems their website, showing the rooms is not working so I will just call for the information. Okay here goes:

Arrive in Portland from East Coast approx 8pm Fri 5/13.
Stay in Portland, Fri,Sat,Sun.

Stay in Bed & Breakfast in Wine Country. Mon.

Tues - Drive to Cannon Beach, stay Tues, Wed

Thurs - DRive to Yachats, stay Thurs, Fri.

Sat - Drive to Gold Beach, stay one night

Sun - Drive to Crater Lake stay at Lodge

Mon - Drive back to Portland for last night.

Tues am - depart to the east coast.

Please let me know your thoughts and ideas for this trip. The total mileage is quite doable, 880 miles, I just don't know whether I have broken the time down in the best manner. Thanks in advance.

justmy2cents

Besides suggesting you make reservations at Crater Lake ASAP, my only comment is that you'll have limited choices for your day in wine country. There will be enough open to fill your day, but most wineries aren't open early in the week, so if you've got specific ones in mind, best check.

tomfuller

Which route are you planning when leaving Crater Lake? If you go east on 62, over to the Klamath basin to US 97 and then north, You can make a stop at the High Desert Museum.
If you head west back to I-5, you will be going back through the wine country that you saw earlier.
You could put the wine country at the end of your trip and make it to the airport from there early Tuesday morning.
The Tillamook cheese factory is worth an hour or 2 stop.