some1nos

Will be flying into Eugene Oregon in early October for 7 days. Traveling with 3 people in the 65 year old club . Like to visit State/National Parks, love beautiful scenery and enjoy nature. Don't really hike and not into bar scene but do love good food, train rides, ocean and hot springs. We will be staying at one location and taking day trips in our rental car. Would you recommend staying in Eugene, Bend, or somewhere else to get the most out of our trip. Thank you for any input and advice.

MmePerdu

Since the trip is now apparently further along than hypothetical can you tell us what’s already on the agenda & why you chose to fly into Eugene? That may give us a better idea of what to add.

PrairieHikerI

Two hours west of Eugene is Cape Perpetua Scenic Area @ Yachats. This is the most popular tourist destination in Oregon. Towering 800 feet over the Pacific Ocean, the Cape Perpetua headland is the highest viewpoint accessible by car on the Oregon Coast. A great overlook with wonderful views of the Pacific. Over 2,700 acres of unique coastal habitat and 26 miles of trails through the lush temperate rainforest.

Crater Lake NP is a little over 2 hours from Eugene. The lake is in a sleeping, dorman volcano and is the deepest in America. The historic 33-mile Rim Drive circles Crater Lake with views from 30 overlooks. The Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad is three hours from Eugene. It goes along the very scenic coast and some trains have steam engines!

Gardyloo

I probably wouldn't pick Eugene as a hub for a "hub and spoke" visit, but so be it.

Early October can be terrific, or given that the portents for this year are for a summer that might well be a record-breaker on the forest- and wildfire front, you might discover that you arrive in time for a lot of smoky skies, even closed roads. No way to tell, just a suggestion that you have a number of plan Bs or Cs, if you get my drift.

If your choice of "hubs" was wide open, then I could offer some possible alternatives. Most are at least 2 hours' drive time from Eugene, so out of range for day trips. Combining the coast and mountain and inland areas is not especially convenient, but a couple of locations might suit for day trips.

McMinnville is in the heart of the Willamette Valley wine region, and October is harvest time, so you could enjoy the various vineyards and wineries in the area as well as visiting some of the pleasant small towns and covered bridges in that part of Oregon. It's also close enough to Portland to make a day trip or two - foodie heaven. You could also - a long day but doable - head out to the north coast around Cannon Beach and Ecola State Park for walks along the beach.

Hood River would probably be my first choice; it's around 3 hours from Eugene, but the sights and activities convenient to Hood River are remarkable. There are orchards and wineries along the Hood River "fruit loop;" the waterfalls and vista points along the Columbia Gorge walls; iconic Timberline Lodge on the slopes of Mount Hood; the eclectic and fascinating Maryhill Museum on the clifftops overlooking the great river; say hello to Herman the Sturgeon at the Bonneville Dam hatchery, on and on. Hood River is an hour from Portland and 45 minutes from Portland airport; the town is famous for its food and beer/wine scene, windsurfing on the Columbia, etc.

Ashland is around 2 1/2 hours south of Eugene and is the location of the annual Oregon Shakespeare Festival, with open-air and inside performances of many of the Bard's works as well as many modern plays. Ashland is picturesque, with a big food scene. Fire and smoke risk notwithstanding, it's also possible to do a day trip from there to Crater Lake.

Just some thoughts to mull over.

sunbum1944

I agree Eugene not a great choice for hub- I would choose Bend or Hood River. Close to Bend there is a resort called Sunriver. There are many walking/biking trails, restaurants and an assortment of lodging including VRBO. There are many interesting things to see and do in the area. There is a nice golf course at Sunriver and several others in the area.

If you choose the coast- Yachats is a cute little town, There are 3 waterfront motels connected by a walking path- the Adobe, the Fireside and the Overleaf. The Adobe has a restaurant. My favorite beach is at Devils Elbow State park. Its a small cove with a path up to the lighthouse keepers house and the lighthouse. The lighthouse keepers house is a B&B and a fun experience to stay at.

Once you decide on a spot I may be able to provide more info- I live in Eugene

janisj

Ditto Gardyloo and sunbum. Eugene really doesn't work as a hub for the things you list. Is there a reason you are flying into Eugene?

some1nos

Flying into Eugene because that is where Southwest Airlines flies in to. Have nothing else planned yet other than our flight. We have never been to Oregon so it was on our bucket list. Open to anything within reason.

tomfuller

Southwest also flies to Portland which is a somewhat larger airport. There are 2 Cascades trains and the Coast Starlight that go south from Portland to Eugene every day. Expect a better selection of rental cars at PDX as well.

suze

I like Eugene. I use that airport often but because I have family in the area. Going out to the coast (Yachats, Cannon Beach, etc.) would make more sense from there than going to Bend. The entire Willamette Valley is quite beautiful. Would you be interested in things like wineries? Farmer's Markets?

sunbum1944

Susie- nice to hear you like Eugene and the Eugene airport. I agree its a very nice and easy airport to navigate. My SIL is the Assistant Director of the airport and appreciates good reviews so I will share your good repot with him.

With only 7 days its a hard call between the coast and Bend area. I love central Oregon in the fall- lots of beautiful fall colors and so much to do. On the other have- the coast is spectacular too. My favorite part of the coast is between Florence and Lincoln City but that is what I am most familiar with since they are day trips from Eugene.

some1nos- maybe you could fly in and out of Portland- spend 3 days at the coast and a couple in Bend area. Or into Eugene, and out of Portland. As plans are now, would you spend the first night in Eugene?

PrairieHikerI

Also, Crater Lake NP is fairly accessible from Eugene.

sunbum1944

But then if you go to Crater Lake, Hwy 138 between Crater Lake and Roseburg has many beautiful waterfalls to stop at. Some of them are more like hikes than walks, but there are several that are easy to get to and beautiful.

So many choices.

janisj

Re Crater Lake -- early Oct. should be OK but the if there are early storms there could be a serious snow.

AustinTraveler

Yup, it snowed on us in late September at Crater Lake. Came back a few days later and it was sunny and in the 70's. You just never know that time of year.

some1nos

We want a one place base due to my husband having Alzheimer's and routine and familiarity is very important. That is why we are trying to find the best area to make our home base.

sunbum1944

Recommending only one place is tough- guess it would have to be Bend area. The coast is beautiful of course but weather more unpredictable- even in summer months it can be cold and windy.

I once took some guests to the coast in the summer. It was so cold and so foggy you could not see the ocean. Then we drove inland to Eugene and it was 105 ( which is also unusual.)

If you choose Bend area, the Sunriver Resort is a great place and a short drive to Bend. If you would rather be in the city of Bend, the Old Mill district has many restaurants, hotels, and walking path along the river. Its a busy area.

janisj

Oregon really doesn't work very well with one base and doing 'spoke and wheel' day trips. The mountain ranges make traveling east/west time consuming while north south travel is pretty slow unless just traveling I-5.. Much of the coast is a looooong way from inland towns. I agree with sunbum1944 if you want to stay in one place, the Bend area is probably the best for things to see and do within reasonable drives.

suze

I think Eugene works OK. It is interesting in a small city on its own. The airport is a peach. Eugene to Florence (most direct town on the coast) is just over a 1-hour drive. Eugene and Corvallis have fun Farmer's Markets, crafts fairs, local breweries, regional wineries, arts & crafts, beautiful state and local parks, etc.

My family is in Corvallis and I continue to be surprised by the excellent restaurants there. They give my Seattle neighborhood stiff competition -haha.

I don't know a thing about Bend, but I do know I have LOVED seeing the Oregon Coast and Willamette Valley.

BarbAnn

Should you choose the Bend/Sunriver area for your stay, I can provide info on day trips. I have a vacation home in the Sunriver and have taken visitors on many different day trips. Only problem with the Bend area is that it is not near the ocean and Newberry National Volcanic Monument is closed for the season.

some1nos

BarbAnn, could you list a few good day trips from Bend for me. Do you rent your vacation home out? We are looking for a 2 bedroom, 2 bath place to stay for the week, if you know anyone who has a place that meets this description. Also, we like to gamble a little. Are there any casinos close to Bend that you know of?