sonteacher

We're planning a trip mid April we're traveling in a RV I'm wondering if my itinerary is possible

4/19 Fly in to Portland travel to My St Helens
4/20 visit My St Helens and travel to Astoria
4/21 Travel from Astoria to Florence stopping to sightsee along the way
4/22 Travel from Florence to Brookings sightseeing along the way
4/23 Travel from Brookings to Crater Lake stopping to see the redwoods and Klamath falls
4/24 Travel from crater lake to John Day fossil pits
4/25 Travel from fossil pits to My Hood
4/26 Travel from My Hood back to Portland
4/25 depart
I want to see the Bonneville dam just not sure where it fits in. Any input would be helpful I don't want to be stressed about making it to the next stop. I'd rather eliminate some stops. I'm not sure how much we will be able to see at crater lake since it will be in April so I'm not sure if it's worth the trip there. I really want to see the fossil pits. It's a special trip. My mother was born is Coos Bay she recently passed and wanted her ashes spread there so we're traveling from Virginia Beach

janisj

Don't have time to post more -- but that is a horribly hectic itinerary -- especially in a motor home. And in April there will still be snow in a lot of places.. You'd have a minimum of 5 to 6 full hours of drive time every single day -- that is without stops. I'd stick to the coast/redwoods bits and forget about Crater Lake etc.

tomfuller

In April there is a good chance that you will not be able to drive all the way out to the Mt. St. Helens visitor center. The one time I tried to get there in April, I got within about 6 miles of the visitor center before I was turned back by snow on the road. .
Go directly from Portland west on US 26 (not US 30). you can drive up to Astoria if you feel that you must see the Astoria Column. The most photographed spot in Oregon is Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach.
Ecola State Park might be a good place for camping near the ocean. Continue south on 101 with stops in Tillamook for the cheese factory and just south of Newport for the Oregon Coast Aquarium.
My favorite camping spots near the Pacific Ocean, are William Tugman SP near the Oregon Dunes and Sunset Bay SP outside Coos Bay.
There is also a good chance that you will only be able to get into Crater Lake NP via the south entrance. Right now the only way to get up to the rim of Crater Lake is on snowshoes.
Where are you renting the RV? Many of the coastal Oregon State Parks have yurts available to rent if that would interest you.
Check to see if you can camp at Ainsworth SP in the Columbia Gorge not too far from the Bonneville Dam.

sonteacher

I used google maps to map out an itinerary the driving time didnt appear that long between stops. Should I not be using google? I knew we were going to run into snow but thought we would be able to see some of crater lake and mt st helens.
Is it worth the drive to the fossil pits?

Gardyloo

The road (WA 504) to the Johnston Ridge observatory (Mount St. Helens) will likely still be closed; the observatory itself doesn't open until the middle of May. The issue with visiting high altitude/mountain areas then is not just that they're inaccessible due to snow (and some require chains to be carried until May anyway) it's that you're very likely not to be able to see anything due to clouds, fog, rain or snow, or all of the above. It's a very low-probability activity, especially considering there are numerous alternative things that you COULD be doing with those days.

I'd limit your trip to the coast, returning via the Willamette Valley, and spend the last couple of days in the Columbia River Gorge area. I would NOT recommend an RV for this trip, due to winding and wet roads on the coast and in the redwoods (and also in the Columbia Gorge.) You're traveling in the off season, where you might encounter problems of availability for RV campgrounds and facilities, and the high cost of the RV, counting all the add-ons for equipment, will probably exceed the cost of an ordinary vehicle plus hotels/motels. I'd give it serious consideration.

Here's a map with a proposed route - https://goo.gl/maps/tJyVDLCkhGC2 With the exception of a short side trip to the fascinating Maryhill Museum east of Hood River, it stays to the west of the Cascades and at low elevations, both important at that time of year.

Google Maps' time estimates are usually very optimistic, often bordering on laughably so. Add at least 20% to 30% to their estimates, and count yourselves lucky if that's all it is.

suze

It's fine to use Google. But know it notoriously underestimates times. Plus of course an RV adds times over a car. Personally I would not be comfortable driving the routes that could still have snow. If you cut Crater Lake and Mt St Helens then you have a more reasonable itinerary. Slow down, spend more time on the coast.

janisj

Google maps drive times are overly optimistic in a sports car, in a motor home they would be laughably optimistic. Those would be you drive times - on a clear day, with no snow, rain or ice, no traffic, and no construction. Plus the speed limits are often lower for motor homes.
Me -- I'd stick to the coast . . . AND rent a car, not try this in an RV. A car and staying in local hotels/motels would be easier and almost certainly cheaper than renting a motorhome.

sonteacher

We're a family of 5 adults and 1 child traveling so the RV is the mist economical option. My husband has driven dump trucks so I think we should be ok with an RV.
Whats the weather in April? Rain? 50 60 degrees?

janisj

>>o the RV is the mist economical option<<

Probably not. A motor home large enough for 6 would be a huge hassle on some of the roads you'd be on. I can't imagine it being cheaper than airbnb houses larger/more comfortable than a motorhome. And there are plenty of hotels/motels with kitchens/kitchenettes so yes, there are more economical options . . .

suze

Whats the weather in April? Rain? 50 60 degrees?

Sure, probably about that. But it will be different if you are going into the mountains or are down at the coast.

CindyA

Several years ago, we did a similar fast-paced trip, but not as ambitious as your plans. For our trip, we flew in and out of PDX, and rented a car. All roads were open, as it was September and still fairly warm. It would have been very difficult to do any more than this, especially with more people, and in an RV. Our itinerary:
1) Arrive Portland (tour Rose Garden)
2) Columbia River Gorge and Mt Hood, back to Portland
3) Cannon Beach
4) Cannon Beach and Ecola SP
5) Newport, with several stops along the way, including Tillamook
6) Florence, with stops at Yachats, etc
7) Sand rail ride then off to Crater Lake via Reedsport (stayed in Prospect)
8) Crater Lake/Bend
9) Back to Portland, via Hood River (changed route due to fires)
10) Fly out
We loved Crater Lake, but if the weather or road conditions are iffy, I’d save it for another time.

Gardyloo

At sea level, 40s - 50s and wet, on the coast, add crosswinds, sometimes big ones. At mountain altitudes, snow, rain, fog, temperature in the teens and 20s.

Good luck with the RV plan. It's your nickel.