It's me against the family!
 

I am a nature nut! Am taking the family to Oregon for the first time in late July. We have two kids ages 8&9. We are from Alabama. We fly into Portland where I want to spend some time around the Hood River valley and Mt Hood and then wind our way down the coast over the next several days until we finally end up at Yosemite for 3 nights. This will be about a 10 day trip. We then fly out of Sacramento the next day. Seeking advice on not too pricey places to stay and eat as we want to "wing it" while we are there.

Any "must sees" at whatever price would be helpful however. For example, should we stay at the Timberland lodge one night. Thanks

If you are a nature nut, then you'll want to look at the camping and lodging options at the state and national park sites. They're easy enough to find on the web.

Don't underestimate the distances, especially with 8 and 9 y.o.s in the car.

I would probably look to stay in Hood River some place rather than Timberline Lodge. Spend two days exploring the Columbia Gorge and the Mt Hood region, then head out to the coast and plan on at least 3 overnight stops between Portland and SF before the sprint to Yosemite. I presume you've already booked a place in Yosemite for the 3 nights there? If not, you got trouble, 'Bama.

Big river, big mountains, big ocean, big rocks, big trees, big bridges, big crowds (Yosemite). Have fun.

Not sure what you expect to see "around the Hood River valley". As a first time Oregon visitor, I'd think you'd want to spend time in the Columbia River gorge, on Mt. Hood (visit Timberline Lodge but no need to stay there), maybe a day in Portland, then head to the coast.

On the coast, the kids will love flying kites on just about any beach, a dune buggy ride (south of Florence), and a jet-boat trip up the Rogue River (from Gold Beach).

Lots of ground to cover in a week. I like your idea of winging it; shouldn't be a problem outside of the more touristy coastal towns. If you do decide on a place like Timberline Lodge, make a reservation.

These sound like great suggestions! We do have reservations at Yosemite-as far back as a year ago. I like the nature stuff-my family...well they are "coming around". What is 'Yachnats" (is that right?) like?
Thanks again.

Yachats is a small town between Florence and Newport. Nice enough as a town goes, but really noted for some of the scenery nearby, also the Sea Lion Caves, a longstanding destination for tourists eager to part with some dollars, but fun for kids. If you want a picturesque harbor, try Depoe Bay, north of Newport.

I would second the recommendation of doing the "mail boats" trip up the Rogue River from Gold Beach.

We belong to AAA just for the ability to get their hotel guides for various states when traveling. It's nice to be able to know how many motels there are in that next town on the map.

Some places I would consider for your trip:

Mt St Helens - a fair bit of driving, but an awsome sight.
Astoria - pretty town at the mouth of the Columbia; there are lots of other somewhat similar towns down the coast, though.
Old Town Sacrament - interesting gold rush days section of the city, great railroad museum nearby.
If you cut inland farther north, Crater Lake is spectacular.

A fun place to stay along the Gorge is the Edgefield in Troutdale. Here's their website and phone number:
http://www.mcmenamins.com/Edge
(800) 669-8610
I think your kids would enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and the casual pub dining. There's also a movie theater onsite for evening entertainment.

Another vote for a jet boat ride up thr Rogue River; has the elements you're looking for - beautiful scenery and wildlife combined with thrills for the kids. The boats often allow a stop for an informal meal at a riverside lodge. The outfit we went with gave us a choice of places to stop {don't recall the name,but do remember a very curious skunk as our dining companion!}, then picked up passangers from their choices for the return {faster} trip.

Ok, the boat ride sounds like a must. Should I try to make a reservation now or will we be able to get on without one? Once when we were in Alaska I had to have a reservation.

Another vote for Crater Lake Nat'l Park. Its breathtaking!

We made jetboat reservations before leaving on our vacation - just seemed easier, but heard others making on-the spot reservations when we got there. Perhaps someone knows how busy they get in July?