best route for sightseeing from Oregon through Idaho to Utah
Jul 22nd, 2009, 09:14 AM
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best route for sightseeing from Oregon through Idaho to Utah
We are driving up to Corvallis August 1st, for a party, and afterwards, will spend about 3 days driving from there to the Salt Lake City airport to pick up friends enroute to Lake Powell. Any suggestions on which route to take?
I am debating between driving through the middle on Route 20, which is a smaller road, or up to Portland and across 84 along the Columbia river (which is the route the GPS is telling me to go). We'd like to know if there are any good sightseeing opportunities on either route, to break up the driving and also take some advantage of Oregon's beautiful countryside and/or wildlife sightings. We also will be going through a little bit of Idaho (84 takes us to Boise), so suggestions for that area would be great too.
Thanks for any advice you've got!
I am debating between driving through the middle on Route 20, which is a smaller road, or up to Portland and across 84 along the Columbia river (which is the route the GPS is telling me to go). We'd like to know if there are any good sightseeing opportunities on either route, to break up the driving and also take some advantage of Oregon's beautiful countryside and/or wildlife sightings. We also will be going through a little bit of Idaho (84 takes us to Boise), so suggestions for that area would be great too.
Thanks for any advice you've got!
Jul 22nd, 2009, 09:29 AM
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Both routes are great. I-84 is nice through the gorge and then around The Dalles it changes dramatically. Still nice, but in a totally different way. Taking hwy 20 is really pretty, and a stop in Sisters for lunch would be perfect. This route will get you into an area of OR that not many people see, but is very worthwhile, IMO. If this were my trip, I would take hwy 20, but it is pretty much a toss up.
Jul 22nd, 2009, 11:36 AM
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Sisters would be a good stop for lunch, and the Ski Inn is my favorite there. It is a total drive, but really good, lol! As you drive through town, it is on the left hand side, a red building, at the end of town, at an intersection. There are a few tables outside with some big trees, which is nice. Their milkshakes are really good. You might check out the John Day Fossil Beds. Unique and interesting. Also you might check out Baker City and that area. Eastern OR is so different from the western half, as you will see. Both routes I mentioned would be similar in that you can go for miles before coming upon another town, and many times you feel like you are in the land that time forgot. There are some real interesting areas though.
