Oregon in Sept. - ideas
 

My DH and I are from Ft Lauderdale FL and are thinking about Oregon in Sept. We have about a week. Is it too aggressive to fly into Portland, spend 2 night there, then drive to the Willamette Valley for 2-3 days and then have a "taste" of the Coast? If so, what town / part of the coast?
Doable? Any other recommendations? We could also swap and do the coast before the valley, but definitely need to fly in and out of Portland
Thanks!

On the coast it would be good if you could see the stretch from Cannon Beach to the Sea Lion Caves, which are just north of Florence. Our favorite places to stay in this part of the coast are Cannon Beach and Yachats.

A day in the Columbia River Gorge (possibly combined with a visit to Timberline Lodge) would be a pleasing addition to your itinerary.

HTTY

I think the Oregon coast has a much broader variety of "tasting" options than the 4-5 varietals available in wine country, so suggest you allocate 2-3 nights in Portland, no more than 2 in the Willamette Valley, and the balance on the coast. And I've found no better setting on the coast than at the Overleaf Lodge in Yachats.

We usually do 1 arrival night in Portland, sightsee the second day in Portland (if Saturday go to the Farmers Market), then travel the Oregon side of the Columbis river toward the coast. Overnight Astoria sightsee Astoria next day then drive up the Wash coast or down Orgegon Coast for teh reminder of the trip. You can day trip from cannon beach into teh wine country or you do wine co day before departure from Portland. Last night in Portland for plane ride back.

I agree that a couple of nights in Portland and then heading to Astoria and down the coast is the way to go. A beautiful little out of the way place is Oceanside, just outside Tillamook. There is a gorgeous little dog friendly beach and you can have lunch at Roseanna's. Give yourself plenty of time driving the coast highway. If you make it as far south as Florence, you can drive to Eugene in about an hour and be back in the Willamette Valley. Silver Creek Falls is a beautiful stop on your way back up the valley to Portland. If you have a spare day, driving up to Mr. Hood or Multnomah Falls is also lovely and very close. September is usually the best time of year - have a wonderful time.

Be sure to check out The Allison Inn & Spa when you're in Willamette Valley - it only opened this past September. An awesome restaurant (JORY) and the most extraordinary spa in the entire Pacific Northwest (and prices are so affordable compared with other wine country regions). Nearby wineries that are awesome include Archery Summit and Stoller (in Dundee) and Bergstrom on Calkins Lane (the Adelsheim tasting room there may be the most beautiful in the Valley). Oregon Pinot Noir ROCKS!! Happy tasting.

My sister just came back from the WValley and stayed at the Allison.. absolutely loved it. Thanks for the tips on the wineries, I'll double check em against hers. Oregon Pinot is the absolute BEST. both Noir and Gris ;-)
Question to all (and thanks for the great tips on the coast, too)... HOW IS THE WEATHER in mid Sept or early Oct????
It'll still be hot and humid in Florida!

The weather here in mid Sept is usually very nice. By early Oct it starts to change though, as the rains set in. Our weather is nothing like Florida (have lived there). No comparison whatsoever, thankfully:)

As for the Allison, yes it is beautiful. I have not stayed there since it is 5 minutes from my home, but I am a huge fan of their spa.

Wineries...there are so many good ones. My favorites are Seufert (in Dayton), Arbor Brook (just up the road from Adelsheim), Brickhouse (not far from Arbor Brook and Adelsheim), Chehalem, and then in downtown Portland in the NW district is Grochau Cellars. If you like sparkling wines, Argyle in Dundee is excellent.

jealous that you live 5 minutes from the Allison!!!! that means that you have access to all that great wine! wow.

Ok, so it sounds like we could do Portland for 2 nights, then go to the coast and then to Dundee / Valley? I'm just starting research now - what are the approx. driving distance from Portland to coast (ie., Astoria), coast drive down to Dundee/Newberg? and back to Portland?

From Dundee over to say Cannon Beach is 90+ minutes, depending on traffic. Weekends are notoriously bad on that stretch of hwy99w. You can use some back roads and cut over past Hillsboro though which is a very pretty drive that way. Astoria is about 30 minutes north of Cannon Beach. From Cannon Beach over to downtown Portland, plan on 90 minutes.

Yes, we are lucky living so close to so many great wineries:) Trust me, we DO appreciate it!

LOL.... It's not that we couldn't come up with enough wineries to fill the 2-3 days you were planning. I'm guessing mms's recs are only her short list, and I could add several to that. Then we have a bunch that didn't quite make our short lists... You could spend a week or more without running out of good choices. I just thought that the most beautiful coastline in the country was more deserving of time than another four flights of pinot noir. :-)

hey passerbye! well, my husband enjoys a good glass of Pinot but I think that 2 days doing the wineries will be enough for him. The coast looks breathtaking! We always like to stay at least 2 nights in any new destination just b/c it takes at least a day to "get your bearings", understand the area, culture ,etc, and besides, who wants to pack and unpack all the time. That said, looks like 2, maybe 3 nights at the Allison would work, which leaves 2-3 along the coast, and the first 2 in Portland. Hotel recommendations along the coast??? Is there a good "base" to use for 2 nights? I prefer a nicer hotel. ;-)

I'm gonna try and talk you into 3 nights on the coast ;-) but the where depends a bit on what you like to do, whether that's lots of sightseeing, or kicking back with a glass of pinot watching the waves. Come to think of it, either Cannon Beach or Yachats would work, regardless. :-)

If you're leaning towards the Allison, I'd bet you'd also like Stephanie Inn in Cannon Beach: http://www.stephanie-inn.com/. Very nice! My fave in Yachats is Overleaf Lodge, which I think has the best of any setting on the coast: http://www.overleaflodge.com/. But it's not as nice as Stephanie Inn. A darkhorse pick would be Whale Cove Inn: http://www.whalecoveinn.com/. Darkhorse because I've not stayed there. But I have walked through, and it looks spectacular. Leaving from The Allison, any of the three would be a good choice in terms of the drive.