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Day trips from Portland Or.

We will be in Portland for 10 days in May. We have been in the city a dozen times and have seen it and all the sights.We have travelled the shore and Lake Crater and the Columbia Gorge . Please suggest any other day trips we might make and if you could suggest any special places we might have missed in the beautiful city . Thank You , Manny

Willamette Valley covered bridges tour. Yamhill Co. wineries. Mt. St. Helens. Ilwaco, Willapa Bay, Long Beach (WA) - meal at the Ark. Fruit tree blossom hunting in Hood River and White Salmon valleys. Maryhill Museum in Goldendale (WA). Shopping at the Pendleton Woolen Mills mill shop in Pendleton; bonus: nearby Indian casino (your other post). Go antiqueing in Portland - better than most towns. I'll think of more.

Definitely Mt. St. Helens - it was a powerful sight even after all these years. The visitor centers were well done - not the usual touristy stuff with no depth.

If you're looking for antique shopping, the Sellwood area in Portland is a good one to try. Memorial Day and Thanksgiving Weekends are the two big weekends for the Oregon wineries. So if you're going to be in town for Memorial Day, I'd suggest a drive out to the wine country. You might also consider a drive down to Cottage Grove. The town has a number of covered bridges and is within a few hours of Portland. Check to see if there's a concert at the zoo the weekend you're in town. The concerts are included in the zoo admission price. You can bring in your own picnic (I'd recommend Elephant's Deli or Zupan's for picnic food), or you can buy food and drinks there at the concert.

I'm with Gail on Mt. St. Helens. It's a full day trip and is outstanding. It's a one hour drive up I-5 to the first National Park Service visitors center off the Cougar exit. Plan on being there for 1/2 hour to 1 hour for the exhibits and videos on the actual explosion. Continue on this road on the west side of the mountain to each of the National Park Service visitor centers (You'll pick up a guide at the first visitors center that will tell you what is coming up). There's another one on the regrowth of the forest. There's a nice little hike there on a paved path. You can have a lunch at the picnic facilities at the new lake (created by the eruption) just beyond and below that visitor's center. (Bring your lunch in with you.) It should be full of lovely flowers in May and there is a wonderful hike that goes partially around this lake. The final visitor center focuses on the geology of the explosion and its impact, and is at Johnston Ridge, named after a geologist who was observing the mountain from the ridge five miles away when the mountain erupted. His last words, "Vancouver, Vancouver, this is it!" bring chills to my skin when I think of them. There is an excellent film on the explosion at the visitors center. Plus there is a great walk. This is in the blast zone and is the most desolate part of the area. If you have a lot of time, you can walk the ridge to the Windy Ridge observatory, which is accessible by another road which enters the National Monument from the north. But, it is a whole day without that long walk. That is really for another day. Try to go on a clear day, as the views of the crater are incredible from Johnston Ridge, but can be obscured by clouds on a misty day. Another day trip, while I'm at is, is the Mt. Hood loop, which takes you through the Gorge and around the backside of Mt. Hood. You can go up to Timberline Lodge for a cozy lunch, which has films and displays on its construction by the CCC, I believe, during the depression. Lots of the wood carvings throughout were done by unemployed artisans, as was the ironwork, tapestries, etc. The views are great from there, and there are nice hikes. You can pick up the Mt. Hood Railroad, in Hood River, and take a nice day trip on the railroad. They have a web site. It takes you to the back of Mt. Hood, through the pear and apple groves and forests. Mt. Adams, in Washington, is a longer trip, even though it looks close by (the roads aren't as good), but is also lovely, with incredible hikes. Have fun. Weather has been pretty good this year, with lots of sun mixed with the rain, so you should have good days in May.

Thank you all for the help we appreciate your efforts . Manny

I recommend visiting the Mount St. Helens Visitors Centers including the Forest Center. My husband and I visited the Pacific Northwest last June and though we hadn't planned to visit Mt St. Helens we were so glad we added it to our itinerary.

Have you experienced the Oregon coast. We love Cannon Beach. Or try Lincoln City if you want to visit a gaming casino. For a short scenic drive try the Clackamas River highway past Estacada. We have not been to the new Oregon Garden, outside of Silverton, but we have heard it is worth the trip. May could really be nice here. Have a great time. We should know. We live here and love this city.

If you have been to Portland a dozen times you have no doubt seen all that is worth seeing. Not knowing what you have or have not seen I will suggest some sights that may have fallen through the cracks. Bonneville Dam...bored sturgeon but power in the turbines. Hood River..small town artsy shops and eateries and rail trip to Parkdale. Beacon Rock...Lewis & Clark noted it in their journey...how could they miss it? Amity..unassuming berg in the heart of the Willamette Valley where you can enjoy a meditative cup of java and know you are not in Manhattan. St. Paul Rodeo..favorite of orthopedic surgeons. Jantzen Beach...vantage point for perhaps finest view of the Interstate Bridge one of the worlds most fascinating engineering marvels. Hope this is some kind of help. Have fun in Portland.