Oregon Fall 2017 itinerary help
 

Need fall colors Road-trip advice from San Francisco to Portland and back. We know about the fires but still want to enjoy the fall in Oregon. Leave San Francisco late afternoon October 14th and Return October 22nd. Need help making itinerary. Right now, this is our plan. trying to fill in.

San Francisco - Mount Shasta - Ashland - Bend - Portland - then down US 1 home.

Eight days is pretty high speed if you plan to return on US 101. (US 1 is on the east coast.)

I would focus on the Hood River Valley, which is glorious in the fall, and see as much of the Columbia Gorge as you can. Hopefully the Historic highway will be reopened by then, or at least enough parts of it that you can stop and see things (some of the paths and wooden bridges at Multnomah Falls burned in the Eagle Creek fire complex and I guess there's no firm ETA on when things will reopen.) The Washington side of the river is wide open, and it's pretty scenic too.

Then I'd probably stay in the Willamette Valley quite some way before cutting over to the coast on the way back. The valley can offer surprisingly good autumn color, and the vineyard areas around McMinnville ought to be great too. One thing you might look at is seeing some of the marvelous covered bridges in the Willamette Valley and in the passes through the coast range out to the coast. Often these are in places where the bridge "pops" with fall foliage around them, e.g. http://www.visitroseburg.com/wp-cont...eredBridge.png or https://oregonfallfoliage.files.word...10-10-2013.jpg . Here's a website showing the location of many of these bridges - https://www.coveredbridgemap.com/or/

Here's a map to consider as an outline (vary according to conditions and preferences) - https://goo.gl/maps/qE8742dNwLp

Too much in too little time really. Though Gardyloo's route would be very good and ticks all your boxes. But that 27 hours calculation on the map is very optimistic. That would have you averaging 55 MPH the entire way and you won't nearly along the coast or in some of the mountains. Though I-5 is fast so that helps. I'd think 33-35 hours behind the wheel is more realistic.

Do you live in SF? If so I'd maybe concentrate on the inland bits and do the coast on another trip when you can take the time to enjoy it.

FYI
Highway one --called Pacific Coast Highway (PCH)
goes from San Diego all way up California to just above FT. Bragg @ Leggett where it runs into 101 which goes all along coast all the way to Port Angeles, WA
Personally, the Oregon coast is my all time favorite.
We travelled it over 15 times in 20 years..
It is true..average MPH on this route...35 to 50..less in busy summer months.
I, also, think the Willamette Valley is your most scenic AND has some great wineries to visit...
Not that you asked...but Portland has biggest privately owned bookstore in USA
Powell's..and a great assortment of food trucks downtown.
Also Washington side of Columbia River is sonic but not as many "view" areas as Oregon side. ( I happen to drive it early this summer)
Also you might have noticed on a map...Bend is some distance from other places you mentioned..
Hope you have a wonderful trip...weather should be good qalthoughcOast can be really windy..

>>Highway one --called Pacific Coast Highway (PCH)
goes from San Diego all way up California to just above FT. Bragg<<

Uh -- nope. It is only called the PCH in Southern California . . .

<i>Uh -- nope. It is only called the PCH in Southern California...</i>

And not even in all of southern California.