Portland OR and Olympic National Park? Need itinerary for 8-20 to 8-28
Jun 24th, 2011, 04:23 PM
#1
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Portland OR and Olympic National Park? Need itinerary for 8-20 to 8-28
Can anybody suggest an itinerary for DH and I?
Award tickets have us Flying into Portland OR 8/20 arriving at 11:30 PM
I think we should stay in Portland or slightly outside airport and then head north to Olympic National Park.
Depart 8-28 6:30am from Portland OR.
Not ideal times but got a BOGO deal. We could not book tickets to Seattle.
I would love to also see Columbia River Gorge and Cannon beach.
Award tickets have us Flying into Portland OR 8/20 arriving at 11:30 PM
I think we should stay in Portland or slightly outside airport and then head north to Olympic National Park.
Depart 8-28 6:30am from Portland OR.
Not ideal times but got a BOGO deal. We could not book tickets to Seattle.
I would love to also see Columbia River Gorge and Cannon beach.
Jun 25th, 2011, 06:42 AM
#3
It is a lot to cover in the time, but doable provided you don't mind spending a fair percentage of your days behind the wheel.
One possible route (of many):
8/21 (Sunday) - Portland to the coast. I'd actually head out to Cannon Beach, but I'd recommend staying the night on the Washington side of the river, in the town of Ilwaco. It's much less touristy and cheaper than Cannon Beach, but close to some great sunset scenery - lighthouses, rocks on the beach, etc. And it will allow for more time in Olympic NP over the next couple of days.
8/22 - Head up the coast to Lake Quinault. Maybe have lunch at the old lodge, explore the Quinault valley (biggest cedar tree in the country/world nearby) and just get into the pace. Continue north to the coast and on to Kalaloch for the night. NOTE: Accommodations along the coastal stretch of Olympic National Park are very few and tend to be booked up solid in peak season, which this is. Make some reservations ASAP or face the need to do a lot of modifying of your itinerary on the fly.
8/23 - Continue exploring the coast and rain forest valleys - Kalaloch, the Hoh River valley (a don't-miss) and some of the beaches near La Push - Ruby Beach, Rialto Beach, Third Beach, Shi Shi Beach... Plan on getting to Lake Crescent (Lake Crescent Lodge if available) or Port Angeles that night.
8/24 - Explore the area around Port Angeles - Hurricane Ridge, maybe a day trip to Port Townsend. NOTE: You could extend the previous day, or this one, for an additional night if you can find lodgings. Or, if you fancy, you could take a day trip on the Coho ferry from PA to Victoria BC - leave the car in PA.
8/25 or 8/26 - Port Angeles to Seattle via the Bainbridge Island ferry.
8/26 or 8/27 - Seattle to Portland via Mount St. Helens.
8/27 or 8/28 (depending on when your flight leaves - most east coast departures are in the early morning.) Spend the day exploring the Columbia River Gorge and the Hood River Valley, up to Timberline Lodge, then back to Portland pre-flight.
It's a very full and rather extensive behind-the-wheel itinerary, but doable. I'd emphasize again the importance of finding accommodations on the Olympic NP coastal strip, or else resign yourselves to motel mediocrity in Ocean Shores or Forks.
One possible route (of many):
8/21 (Sunday) - Portland to the coast. I'd actually head out to Cannon Beach, but I'd recommend staying the night on the Washington side of the river, in the town of Ilwaco. It's much less touristy and cheaper than Cannon Beach, but close to some great sunset scenery - lighthouses, rocks on the beach, etc. And it will allow for more time in Olympic NP over the next couple of days.
8/22 - Head up the coast to Lake Quinault. Maybe have lunch at the old lodge, explore the Quinault valley (biggest cedar tree in the country/world nearby) and just get into the pace. Continue north to the coast and on to Kalaloch for the night. NOTE: Accommodations along the coastal stretch of Olympic National Park are very few and tend to be booked up solid in peak season, which this is. Make some reservations ASAP or face the need to do a lot of modifying of your itinerary on the fly.
8/23 - Continue exploring the coast and rain forest valleys - Kalaloch, the Hoh River valley (a don't-miss) and some of the beaches near La Push - Ruby Beach, Rialto Beach, Third Beach, Shi Shi Beach... Plan on getting to Lake Crescent (Lake Crescent Lodge if available) or Port Angeles that night.
8/24 - Explore the area around Port Angeles - Hurricane Ridge, maybe a day trip to Port Townsend. NOTE: You could extend the previous day, or this one, for an additional night if you can find lodgings. Or, if you fancy, you could take a day trip on the Coho ferry from PA to Victoria BC - leave the car in PA.
8/25 or 8/26 - Port Angeles to Seattle via the Bainbridge Island ferry.
8/26 or 8/27 - Seattle to Portland via Mount St. Helens.
8/27 or 8/28 (depending on when your flight leaves - most east coast departures are in the early morning.) Spend the day exploring the Columbia River Gorge and the Hood River Valley, up to Timberline Lodge, then back to Portland pre-flight.
It's a very full and rather extensive behind-the-wheel itinerary, but doable. I'd emphasize again the importance of finding accommodations on the Olympic NP coastal strip, or else resign yourselves to motel mediocrity in Ocean Shores or Forks.
Jun 28th, 2011, 01:10 PM
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My interests are photographic. Thank you for the great suggestions. After reading your replies, I think we will focus more on Portland - the city, Cannon Beach, Columbia Gorge areas.
Jun 28th, 2011, 02:58 PM
#5
Fair enough, but if possible I'd take a day to run up the coast from Cannon Beach to Lake Quinault just for a drive up into the rainforest. It's probably ca. 2 1/2 hours each way, so a fairly long day, but doable if you have a base in the Cannon Beach area. The Olympic NP rainforest is like nothing else, and for a photographer, dynamite.
