mike_pakowski

Hi all,
Will be traveling to Oregon in late-September/early-October. Will be starting/based in Portland for most of the trip. I am looking into planning some day trips and wanted some advice. I am traveling solo and will have a rental car. If I got up early in the morning for the drive, can I see enough of Astoria and Cannon Beach in a day? I was planning to drive back to Portland in the evening. Any other cities/towns/spots to include?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

coral22

You will have a great trip!
I notice you have another inquiry about Bend, how long is your trip all together?
We did this trip in May and stayed 3 nights in Portland and thought that was plenty. One day, we went east to Multnohmah Falls, then headed down to Mt. Hood and then headed up to Hood River. On our way back, we stopped Vista House, a stunning spot with unbelievable vistas. It was a great day!

We also liked McMinnville and the Willamette valley.
We stayed 2 nights in Cannon Beach, I think, it would be a shame to cut Cannon Beach short, it is a gorgeous beach and the sunsets are fantastic. I would try to spend a night there. We also went to Astoria and highly recommend it. Enjoy!

Christina

Sure, cannon beach is only about 1.5 hrs drive from Portland, nothing really to do there but look at it and that rock. In Astoria, loved the maritime museum and you can visit Lewis and Clark historic site at Fort Clatsop.

coral22

Very true, it is easily doable. We just enjoyed the beauty and serenity at the beach after a busy visit in Portland.

tomfuller

I agree wholeheartedly! If you don't want to spend a night in a coastal town, try for something in or near McMinnville. While in McMinnville, see the Evergreen Air and Space Museum. Their big air building was built around the "Spruce Goose" Use US 26 to get to the coast (Cannon Beach, Seaside and Astoria). I consider US 30 west of Portland to be unsafe with too many trucks, hills and blind curves.
Also try to spend a night or two in Hood River. See the wind surfers on the Columbia River, the waterfalls along the old US 30 and maybe the Hood River Railroad tourist train

Gardyloo

It's certainly doable in a day, but of course a lot depends on what you plan to do when you get out to the coast.

I confess I'm not much of a fan of Cannon Beach - a little too "twee" (as the Brits would say) - but Ecola State Park, just to the north, is certainly worth some time. I'm very much a fan of Cape Disappointment State Park, across the (awesome) mouth of the Columbia River on the Washington side, and if you leave early and don't mind a very full day, you can do a terrific loop that includes travel via the north shore of the Columbia in one direction or the other. You might - again, time and inclination willing, spend a little time wandering along the boardwalk at the Willapa Bay National Wildlife Refuge, not far from Cape Disappointment and its neighboring fishing village of Ilwaco (often overlooked by visitors hell bent on Cannon Beach.)

Cape Disappointment has terrific waves-on-rocks scenery, hiking trails, lighthouses, a fine Lewis and Clark interpretive center, and even Waikiki Beach (the other one.)






(Ilwaco)

Here's a map: I'd probably use WA 4, which is quite scenic in parts and quite historic, on the westbound leg, as the sun will be behind you, then the more direct (and trafficky) US 26 on the way back later in the day. https://goo.gl/maps/NuMFeaFL1ndWwiUt9

coral22

Wow, Gardyloo!!! Absolutely gorgeous pictures

Gardyloo

Thanks, but they're not mine.

PrairieHikerI

Astoria has many colorful houses and older longtime residents speak with a Finnish accent. as mentioned there are the Lewis and Clark National Historic Park with the recreated Fort Clatsop and Columbia River Maritime Museum. Stroll on the Astoria Riverwalk. Ride the electric vintage Astoria Riverfront Trolley. The Cathedral Tree Trail takes you to a Sitka spruce which you can walk into. Be sure to eat seafood.

AustinTraveler

Be sure and eat at Cannon Beach Hardware and Public House. The food is great and it's an actual hardware store. I had a fried halibut sandwich and onion rings and it was great. We sat next to a display of plungers. Great ambiance...LOL!

mike_pakowski

Thanks for the advice coral22 ! Yes, I was also looking for advice on Bend as well. Total overall days is 12, but only 10 full days. I plan on starting off in Portland and wrapping my trip up in Portland, and am trying to figure out where to go in between.

maitaitom

In Astoria we liked the Flavel House Museum tour plus a short drive up to Coxcomb Hill (Astoria’s highest hill) to check out the Astoria Column (and cool views). We then drove to Lewis & Clark National and State Historical Park to take a look at Fort Clatsop, the encampment of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in the Oregon Country during the winter of 1805-1806. We had started the day in Cannon Beach, where we were staying. Head down to Cannon Beach for a walk on the beach and a look at the famed Haystack Rock. First link below is our morning in Astoria and Fort Clatsop, while the second link is our day going to Multnomah Falls over to Cannon Beach and our walk out to see Haystack Rock. Hopefully you'll be able to see those elusive puffins. Both links have plenty of photos we took, too.

https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/cha...storical-park/
https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/cha...each-the-rock/

thefrenchtart

I would say doing both towns in just one day is too much. I'd either choose one or the other. I'd probably suggest Astoria as it's the least touristed of the two. CB is wonderful but very developed. Astoria has developed more the last 5-10 years but still much less than CB. Astoria is more of an artist colony.

coral22

In Portland, we stayed at The Nines, because we had it for free with miles. The parking was $60 a night, so we parked down the street for less than half. We enjoyed Kingsland Kitchen for breakfast, Gumba for dinner and dinner at Departure in the hotel. Departure has a beautiful rooftop view, at least worth a drink!

If McMinnville strikes your fancy, we second the advice to go to the Evergreen Aeronautical and Space museum, home of the Blue Spruce. I notice that they are hosting an airshow, including the Blue Angels, on October 1.

It is not my favorite way to end a trip, but we left from Cannon Beach right for the airport. We had an afternoon flight and gave ourselves plenty of time, and it was fine. That saved us a night of not having to change hotels again and be in Portland. Enjoy!

coral22

It is the Spruce Goose, of course!!!