Oregon Coast road trip

Old May 15th, 2017, 08:07 PM
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Oregon Coast road trip

Hubby and I are planning a road trip from Vancouver, Canada to the Oregon coast in September. I have done a little research on places but am having difficulty figuring out how long we need. I was thinking of staying at 2 or 3 different towns on the coast for a couple of nights each and then a couple of nights in Portland before heading home, We could do 3 nights if 2 is not enough, don't want to feel rushed. We enjoy scenery, nature and wildlife. I love taking photographs. We also enjoy wandering in little towns, art galleries, antique stores, having a coffee, a beer or a relaxed lunch or dinner. Any suggestions or information would be greatly appreciated.
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Old May 16th, 2017, 05:29 AM
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Looks like your first post on Fodor's; welcome!

The Oregon coast is pretty wonderful top to bottom, but I'd strongly recommend you actually include small pieces of Washington and California while you're at it.

Here's a rough map I'd suggest: https://goo.gl/maps/XBy51MZhkfo . It starts at Cape Disappointment at the (awesome) mouth of the Columbia River, then continues all the way down the coast to the redwoods just over the California line, then heads inland to the Rogue River valley and north through the Willamette Valley to Portland, then back to Vancouver.

People have different views on the best places to stay on the coast. My own favorites are either Ilwaco (WA) or Astoria (OR) on the north coast, Yachats ("ya-hots") on the central coast and Bandon farther south. There are a variety of scenic and/or historic sights and locations close to all three.

Is Vancouver your home? I ask because if wildlife is a priority, and if you're flexible on how long you can be on the road, adding Olympic National Park to the trip could yield wonderful dividends. You could visit Hurricane Ridge for marvelous alpine scenery, and the Hoh and Quinault Valley rain forests (where you'd likely encounter Roosevelt elk looming like dinosaurs in the eerie gloom) and of course the incomparable beaches on the national park's Pacific coastal strip. But if Vancouver is your home, then you could visit ONP at other times of the year too.

Regardless, I'd also spend a day or two in the Columbia Gorge just east of Portland on your way back. The waterfalls and vista points are wonderful, but in September the Hood River Valley will also be spectacular with fruit harvests in full swing, grape harvests at the many wineries, with Mount Hood hovering above. It's a marvelous side trip from Portland.
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Old May 16th, 2017, 07:04 AM
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Good answer Gardyloo. If Vancouver is your home and you are driving your own car, Gardyloo's plan is good.
If you are flying in from somewhere else, fly to Seattle or Portland and rent a car from there.
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Old May 16th, 2017, 08:31 AM
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I've no argument with Gardyloo's recommendations, but would add that if you're looking for a beach town experience on the north coast, Cannon Beach or Manzanita would fit the bill nicely. Both Ilwaco and Astoria are on the Columbia River (albeit Ilwaco is at the mouth of it). I absolutely agree with Yachats and Bandon.

One other comment.... If you're interested in wine, the Willamette Valley is where world class pinot noirs are produced. Gardyloo is correct that there are also wineries in the Hood River area, but they generally produce warmer weather varietals that are not near the class of those produced in eastern Washington.
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Old May 17th, 2017, 07:01 PM
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Thank you all for your suggestions, really appreciate it. Yes, Vancouver is home so a different trip another time wouldn't be out of the question. I was definitely thinking of spending a couple nights in Portland on the way home to visit the Columbia Gorge.
2 nights should be enough at each of our chosen stops along the coast shouldn't it? From my little bit of research I had thought possibly Astoria and Yachats, so you have confirmed those thoughts. Will have a look at the other suggestions.
Really excited about this trip, thanks again. Any other thoughts gratefully received!
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Old May 23rd, 2017, 03:42 PM
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Two nights may not be enough. I live in Portland and we did a coastal trip for a week and we started the coast from Tillamook to Redwood national forest in CA. I would add another day and highly recommend Redwood. Our goal was to visit all the light houses of Oregon. It was fun.
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Old May 25th, 2017, 08:23 AM
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Thank you for all your replies. Given me lots to think about......now to start planning!
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Old May 25th, 2017, 10:26 AM
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We are also doing an Oregon coast road trip in September

We are doing a loop from San Jose, CA up to Portland via I-5, then making our way slowly back down the coast. For the Oregon coast portion of the trip, we have chosen:

1 night in Astoria
2 nights in Pacific City
2 at Beverly Beach state park (near Newport)
2 at Bullards Beach state park (near Bandon)
1 final night TBD - probably Gold Beach or Brookings

We chose these stops for a combination of factors - breweries, yurts, beaches. I think it will work out pretty well. This will be our 1st trip to Oregon, so we are trying to take it slowly as well - not rush, time to hang out and see things.
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Old Jun 7th, 2017, 10:02 AM
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Yeah 2 nights won't be enough to see the Oregon Coast. If you like taking photos make sure to check out Cape Lookout and take the 2.1 mile hike down to the beach It's worth the effort. A couple other amazing places are Neahkahnie Mountain, Cannon Beach, Oswald West State Park, Cascade Head, and Samuel Boardman State Park (Natural Bridges to name a few. The Oregon Coast is breath taking and worth seeing the entire 363 miles. One more amazing place is Heceta Head Light House. There are also lots of coffee shops and great places to eat up and down the coast. A couple of my favs are Kyllos restaurant in Lincoln City and if you make it down south The barnacle in Gold beach has amazing fish tacos! Check out Travel Oregon's & Oregon Coast explored for more info and tips.
http://traveloregon.com/cities-regions/oregon-coast/
http://oregoncoastexplored.com/
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Old Jun 20th, 2017, 05:16 AM
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Face-in-Crowd, any specific winery suggestions?
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