mrtdm

Thanks for the info on down town hotels. We intend to start in Portland on 9-8 head East on I-84 to the Columbia river gorge area then south on Hwy 35 on in to Bend.
From Bend on over to Crater lake, Klamath Falls and into Ashland. From Ashland we plan on going thru Grants Pass down South to Eureka thru the Redwoods the back up to GoldBeach. From gold Beach we intend to head north on the Coast to Newport.
we have not made up oru minds after Newport, whether to go all the way to Tillamook then back to Portland or go up to Hwy 18 thru the wine country before heading back to portland. I am not sure,time wise, how that all will wok in the time frame we have planned.
Would love input from some of you folks that leave in those areas.
We are an older couple with no kids and no longer have climbing ability, sad to say.
Also would love to get fresh Salmon along the way as well.
Any advise would be helpful.

CarolJean

Going to Bend down 35 you come into 26 south of Mt. Hood, I suggest you turn north on 26 and check out Mt. Hood and Timberline lodge. Then you can continue south on 26 to Bend. It would be a shame to be so close to Mt. Hood and not check it out. Enjoy Oregon. CJ

mrtdm

Thanks Carol Jean.
We were gonna take our time down thru there stopping at some of the fruit places as well as Ft. Hood area.

Is it worthwhile to venture over to Sisters, Oreg?

Fodorite018

Yes, the Sisters area is quite beautiful. The town itself is small and sort of touristy, but we enjoy it.

sunbum1944

A fun thing to do in the Gold Beach area is take one of the Rogue River jet boat rides. I recommend the all day trip
I cant imagine anyone not enjoying it-
you will see some beautiful country and
even an occasional bear. Its one of my favorite things to do on the coast.

beachbum

Nice itinerary, mrtdm, but unless you have a reason to stop there, suggest skipping Klamath Falls. Ordinarily, I'd say you're covering a lot of ground in 10 days, but if you don't plan on much hiking/climbing, you should be fine. Something like:

Day 1: Portland out I-84 to hwy 35 and up to Timberline Lodge.
Day 2: Timberline Lodge to Bend, with a detour around/through Sisters.
Day 3: To Crater Lake.
Days 4 & 5: Ashland.
Day 6: Ashland to Eureka/Crescent City/Gold Beach.
Days 7 - 10: Up the coast.

Hwy 101 from Lincoln City to Tillamook is mostly inland, but Three Capes Scenic Loop would be one reason to go that extra piece. And if you have the time, I'm sure you'd enjoy Cannon Beach and Ecola State Park.

CarolJean

I agree that there is no reason to go to K Falls. While in Bend, I suggest a visit to the High Desert Museum just south of town. CJ

BarbAnn

Personally, I would skip the Klamath Falls area. I pass through Klamath Falls quite a bit as I live in CA and have a vacation home in Sunriver, OR (just south of Bend). A better drive is over to Crater Lake and then down Hwy 62 toward Medford. I know you will back track a bit, but this drive is so much more scenic than through Klamath Falls over to Ashland.

I also suggest visiting Sisters. Although a little touristy, it is a cute town with some neat shops. Many art gallery stores with beautiful art work in glass, metal, wood, watercolors and oils.

The High Desert Museum is very nice. I highly recommend a stop there.

A fun place to eat in Eureka is the Samoa Cookhouse. It is also part logging museum. Old town Arcata is very quaint and fun also.

Patrick's Point SP north of Trinidad is beautiful. There is a herd of elk that roams the beach. We ate a picnic lunch there once while watching the elk.

One of our favorite Oregon coastal towns is Bandon. I have walked the beach at high tide and low tide...very different. And even toured a cranberry bog.

Hope this helps. Have fun.

Barb

kimamom

While in Ashland, you may want to plan a meal there. The Peerless at the Peerless Hoel is amazing, open only for dinner. Chateaulin, a small French restaurant is also one of our favorites, they offer a nice Fixed Price menu that includes two glasses of wine. Warm, friendly service here also.

Are you staying in Ashland for the night? We like the Ashland Springs Hotel or the Ashland Plaza Inns & Suites, their Spa/King/Balcony rooms are nice with views of the creek. Enjoy your trip! ***kim***

mrtdm

Thanks for all that insite folks.Will take the time for Sisters and cut out Klamath Falls.
We will be spending the night in ashland and will look into those hotels suggested.
Now all thats left is up the coast for 3 days. Planned on a stop overnight at Gold beach do to the driving from Eureka plus wanting some time there.
Planned on staying in Newport somewhere and then not sure whethere to continue North or cut over to the Wine Country valley. What do u folks suggest.
You have been great help so far.
If you come to Florida maybe I can help some. We are from Tampa.

beachbum

I'm reminded of a couple I met at a roadside park on the southern Oregon coast a couple years ago. Can't remember how long they said they'd taken, driving the coastline from Astoria south, but I do remember them saying the furthest they'd gone in any one day was 75 miles. Maybe you'd better plan on heading inland at Newport(?) ;-)

Of the two Ashland hotels recommended by kimamom, I suspect you'd prefer Ashland Springs, an historic hotel refurbished not too long ago. And if you're not planning to fast while in Ashland - ;-) kimamom - Larks, the restaurant in the Ashland Springs Hotel, is also quite good.