please help fine tune oregon itinerary
 

My husband and I (50's--very active--like to hike, bike, boat, golf. nature) are planning an Oregon mid July 08 trip--So far, this is what I am thinking--but need advice.
Sat & Sun--stay in Portland (flying in from Chicago)Is there enough to see/do in Portland, or is it just another big city??
M & T --Stay at Columbia River Gorge hotel--explore area, hike, maybe do a winery
W & Th--Crater Lake Lodge--this is the only place that I already have reservations--must be W & Th.
Fri --Bandon Dunes--hubby golfs--big priority
Sat - Depoe Bay--stay at Channel Inn
Sun--back to Portland.
I haven't yet figured out all specific "must sees", although I have done much research. What I need to know is if I'm spending too much time in one place---should we spend only 1 night in CRG and 1 in Bend? We could add a night or two,--and we don't really love to drive, but know its a must if we want to see Oregon. Should I do the loop in reverse? Any advice would really be appreciated. Also, is a side trip to Mt. St. Helens worth it?

Looks pretty good as far as seeing some diversity here in Oregon. Mt. St. Helens is a must see, IMO. We have been there many times, and still enjoy it. Plus there are lots of hiking trails there that are fascinating. You can easily do this as a day trip from either Portland or the gorge.

If it were me, I would cut my stay at Crater Lake down to just one night. Crater Lake is great, but I would stay the other night in Bend somewhere. Definitely do the boat tour at Crater Lake, and you might consider getting off at Wizard Island to hike.

You might want to do the loop in reverse order only because of the coast. If you are driving south, it is easier to stop at the pulloffs and get back onto the highway.

Sounds nice, you will love the Columbia River Gorge Hotel, the Farm Country Breakfast there is really cool. ***kim*** ((f))

Portland is a nice "mid-size" city, but I don't know that I'd give it two days when you have so much else to explore; maybe if you use one of them for Mt St Helens. I tend to think of the Columbia Gorge as a place for windsurfers; it might be just me, but I'd give it one night at most.

There's some nice moderate whitewater rafting on the Dechutes river around Maupin. Imperial River Company has a nice lodge and restaurant on the river (not lots else in the town). Bend has lots of golf courses, mountain drives, and a neat High Desert Museum; worth a day or two.

If you want to do the boat trip on Crater Lake (worthwhile), you may want to plan to be there early. Last summer when we did it, we got to the office about 9 (opposite side of lake from the lodge), and they were nearly sold out for the day (no advance reservations taken). In your case, I might be tempted to cut down the lodge stay to one night; Crater Lake is a "don't miss", but it doesn't seem to reward day hikes the way some other NPs do; you can get most of the good views from the stops around Rim Drive. I'd give an extra day to the coast.

There's plenty to do in Portland -- great restaurants, Washington Park, Powell's bookstore/Pear District, Saturday market. It's also a great base for day trips to Mount St. Helens, the Columbia Gorge/Mt. Hood loop and coast (Tillamook, Astoria, Canon Beach and Fort Klatsop, where Lewis and Clark stayed). Also, the Willamette Valley is known more for the wineries, and Crater Lake is a LONG way from the gorge. Might be better off stopping in the Willamette Valley on the way from Crater Lake to Portland.

I would stay Monday in the Columbia Gorge, Tueday in Bend, Wednesday at Crater Lake.
Then on
Thursday you could drop down into Ashland(60 miles from Crater Lake) and enjoy wine food and theatre, either spending the night or continuing on, or you could drop down from CL to Medford
right past here
http://www.eaglepointgolf.com/

and head out through Jacksonville to do the Applegate Valley Winery drive.
http://sorwa.org/
You end up back in Grants Pass at 199 which sets you right on the path to hit the top of the Redwoods as you head towards the Coast and 101. You wouldn't regret it.

Head North after your redwood break and you've got Brookings, Gold Beach or on to Bandon if you are quick.

The gorge is much more than windsurfing. There is a ton of fantastic hiking here! I would keep two nights here if it were me.

I would definately add in Mt. Saint Helens. We did this trip last summer. Took 2 weeks. Leave plenty of time for everything if you can. It's all gorgeous. Near the Bonneville Dam is a beautiful fish hatchery. We added that in and it was certainly worth it. A beautiful uncrowded fish hatchery. A great place to wonder around during the afternoon. From there we went to Mt. Hood, which is awesome. Stayed at the Timberline Lodge. Such an amazing place. If you have the time, it's worth it to add this in.

Being from the flatlands, I think you would appreciate Mt. Hood, which is really beautiful. Mt. St Helens is cool and educational, but won't leave you breathless as Mt. Hood might. Now I like Portland but you can't do it all.

So, here's a different way to do it.

Sat Portland.
Sunday Mt. St. Helens. Return to Portland for the night. (If it's raining or very overcast, skip Mt. St. Helens)
Monday, Drive to the Gorge. Visit some of the falls, picnic, hike, see the Bonneville Dam. Especially visit the salmon hatchery and ladder. Monday night, Gorge Hotel.
Tuesday, Mt. Hood. Visit Timberline Lodge. Stay in Bend.
Wednesday, drive to Crater Lake. Visit the High Desert Museum along the way, the lava caves, lava butte.
Thursday, see Crater Lake. (there is really not that much to do at Crater Lake)
And on with the rest.

I didn't consult with zztopz when I wrote my suggestions! In fact, I was writing, in a very slow way, when zztopz posted. I agree with all zztopz says, though I'd stay in Bend and spend more time enjoying eastern Oregon.

Actually, I take that back. If you can stay at Timberline Lodge, it would be great. There is nothing as beautiful as watching a sunset from the area around Timberline lodge and the sun won't be setting until very late in July.

Orcas, my opinion as a native landlocked flatlander is that for someone visiting from Chicago , to choose between desert in the summer and
coming down the west slope of the Cascades through river valleys and on to the spectacular Oregon coast-not even close.

I had actually thought about Timberline lodge--Is Mt. Hood closer to Timberline, or Bend? If we decided to stay there, would it be in place of Portland or Bend?

The winery drive south of Crater Lake sounds fantastic. Would you say that those wineries would be better than the ones around Bend?

Timberline Lodge is ON Mt. Hood--literally! Bend is quite a drive from there--about 1-1/2 hours, I think.

Also, the great Oregon wine country is between Portland and Corvallis, along Rt. 99 West. This is where the finest pinot noirs are grown and created. There are many wineries to visit and a guide to the area that I'm sure is online.

Hi cathee, the Rogue Valley, as you drop down from CL, is all about food, wine, outdoor activites, and Shakespeare.
http://www.osfashland.org/

This region-
http://sorwa.org/

July is about as good as it gets in Ashland, including 4th of July. There are several wineries here in the lower Rogue Valley too,
including here:
http://www.weisingers.com/cottagepage/cottage1.htm

a nice inn-
http://www.winchesterinn.com/

You could raft the Rogue or the Klamath from here too.
don't forget these 2 places-
http://www.traveloregon.com/
http://southernoregon.org/

thank you so much for all of the suggestions--now i wish i had two weeks--its obvious that we could easily enjoy that much time-South of CR sounds perfect--just whati was looking for--i have a lot more work to do-

if you had a choice between timberline lodge or crg hotel, which would it be? on line reservations show no availability at timberline--but just in case?

Timberline, hands down for me. It is such an amazing place! Call to check availability, and if full keep calling as they get cancellations. From the lodge you can hike on the Timberline Trail which is stunning.

If you are going to golf, do stay one night at the Bandon Lodge. It really is so simple, yet has such style and panache!
And do, if it is stiill there, have dinner at The Wild Rose, in downtown Bandon. Wonderful food and wine,delightful chef/owner and wife.
You will enjoy Oregon.

Here is Timberline Lodge:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...oft:*%26sa%3DN

Wow! That's one heck of a url. Go to Google. Put in Timberline Lodge and search for images. You will find an image of the mountain glowing in the moonlight and click on that and you will see some awesome photos of Oregon. Get Ready. It will blow your socks off.

My only suggestion is that you try and stay at the Tu Tu Tun Lodge..
It won all the travel accolades and it is stunning and pretty cheap!

tututun.com

I'm late to this party, but wondering why you'e planning so little time on the coast. And it's shortened even further in that the better part of a day will be spent on the golf course (well worth it, by the way).

Without doing the research, I'd guess that Oregon's top three attractions are its coastline, Columbia River Gorge, and Crater Lake, probably in that order. Most visitors are satisfied with one day each in the Gorge and at Crater Lake, but I've never heard anyone say they spent too much time on the coast. You could spice up the trip with stops at points of interest - wineries or whatever - along the way, but I'd suggest building your itinerary around those three major attractions.

I like the suggestion for Ashland, it's a great place full of culture and charm. We like the Ashland Springs Hotel or the Plaza Inns & Suites there for lodging, last month on our grape picking trip in the wine country,we did an overnight at the Stratford Inn which was nice. Great enclosed pool and very spacious breakfast room with lots of goodies at the buffet. :)

Ashalnd is full of fantastic places to eat, also. Peerless, Amuse, Chateaulin, Lark's, Beasey's on the Creek and the Liquid Assets Wine Bar are a few of our favorites. Last month was our first visit to Liquid Assets, love their Tenderloin there and the service was fantastic. ***kim*** ((f))

Don't you just use Ashland as an overnight stop between your home in California and the northern Oregon coast, kimamom? Or, are you suggesting cathee go out of her way to stay there?

How can something be out of the way when they are on Vacation to see Oregon? I know all you Portlanders think no one should venture outside a 100 mile radius of Stumptown, but the rest of the state is quite spectacular. Some of you should come see it some time.

bbqboy--I think you are way off base. Many of us that live in the Portland are DO visit other areas of the state. We thoroughly enjoyed backpacking in the Wallowas and will be going back this summer for a week long road trip all throughout the eastern half of our state.

You must have missed my prior post, bbqboy. You're preachin to the choir here.

I am coming even later to this party and as an ex-Portlander ( weeping)...but....as newbies there, we were like tourists every day, so we did do a lot of sightseeing for the time we lived there ...

Sat & sun- no Portland is not just another "big city"..It actually feels like a small town..the people are very friendly, it is not a hustle and bustle cold type of atmosphere and one of the charming aspects of the city/downtown is that back when- someone said we will have to grow and make new offices and hotels and apt bldgs but we will gut the old buildings and put the new stuff inside..giving the look of the city an old fashioned and gentle look.

Then there are the neighborhoods with their individual characters and plenty of charm.

We were there 2 weeks on vacation then moved there..we did not see everything in those 2 weeks..

We did go to the Gorge ( 30-45 minutes from downtown) for the day- back in town for dinner and an evening out in the city.
If you take the Historic Highway, past the falls etc..it will take longer to get there but you can take 84 back to the city- about a 30 min drive.

We went to the Coast on another day (90 minutes from downtown) , back in time for dinner in town and a concert.

So you can base yourself in town and do it all in day trips or you can break it up into City days and nights, 4 at least then driving through "wine country" ( this is so not what anyone expects when they think Wine Country..you are on a 2 lane highway going past small towns and in traffic and there are the vineyards on the side ( blue signs for the tourists) and you can wander off road and find the others but this will be more complicated and we found it to be not as great as we expected.

Stay a while at the Coast..Cannon Beach is beautiful, plenty to do and see there..plenty of places to eat.. nice and funky too.

Look into Manzanita and the Inn at Arch Cape.
10 miles south on 101.. fabulous views, very nice Inn with fireplaces in the rooms and a short walk from your door to the beach.
Drive back to the city from there..

I am clueless about Crater Lake..I would definitely stay at Timberline although it reminds me of the Shining lol.

Ashland would be nice if you wanted to see a play .. otherwise, isn't it a bit out of the way? far south? Unless you are headed to California..

I have heard Bandon compared to golf in Scotland :)

bbqboy, where do you live? I thought you lived in Portland too :)

A question about the Oregon coast--I have planned 2-3 nights on the coast--but in doing more research I discovered that the coast is often VERY windy, and in July highs only reach upper 60's--doesn't sound too inviting. We have been to Carmel hwy 1 and also Olympic Nat. Park beaches--beautiful---What makes Oregon coast unique? Also, I read something saying that the "best" part of the coast was Central on down past Bandon---will I be missing anything if I don't go as far north as Seaside or Cannon?

Hmmm, I think I have heard people ( locals who know these things) say that the Central Coast is amazing. We were never that far south but I bet they are right :)

I would not go north of Cannon Beach myself.. the coast line south just to Manzanita was breathtaking.

Cathee, both the Central and northern coasts are great. Haven't been to Bandon. Newport has a great acquarium if you like that sort of thing.

In my opinion the most beautiful part of the coast is the drive between Florence and Newport. Dont just drive it though...use the stops along the way to explore!
My second favorite area is Cape Arago Highway actually near Bandon but off 101. Shore Acres, Cape Arago, Sunset Bay and Bastendorff Beach Parks are along the hwy and are the coasts best kept secret. You will see pull offs along the road with trails...there are no signs telling you what is there but trust me as a former local ( 12 years on the coast now in the Rogue Valley)....take one!!!
As far as the winds...yes it does get windy but the coast is worth the trip and July is a GREAT time to go!
Look forward to hearing the trip reports!

Thanks fof the Cape Arago suggestion--I'll have to check that out, as I have read something in my travel books about that, too. We will be driving from CRater Lake Lodge to Bandon. What is the best route from there, and are there any particular stops we should make?

Also re Bandon lodging--I'm researching places to stay--My husband will be golfing at Bandon--should we stay at the lodge--spending 2 nights in bandon--or go down to the beach--bandon inn? windmere inn?

The route you will want to take depends on time...personally I would take I-5 North to Hwy 42 and cut across there. It is a nice drive but doesnt have to many places to stop. There is an old covered bridge that is interesting for a quick stop. The road follows the Coquille River for a while and has some nice views. Mainly it is fast and not unpleasant. On I-5 you could stop in Grants Pass (my new hometown) for a Rogue River mailboat trip. Or just stop in the Rogue River recreational area for a quick break to see the sites.
If you want more scenic you could go through Crescent City and up the coast through Gold Beach and Brookings. This would add quite a bit of time to the drive and considering how much area you are covering I would stick to fast.
For lodging in Bandon the places you mention are nice but if you dont mind a bed and breakfast I love this one...
http://www.lighthouselodging.com/
If you like a little more excitement (I dont!!) The Mill Casino in Coos Bay is offering a free shuttle to Bandon Dunes and has rooms overlooking the bay. I owuld opt for BAndon.
Also do visit oldtown Bandon (walkable from the Bed and Breakfast) it a neat little area for shopping etc.

Has your husband checked with the Bandon Dunes yet, cathee? If he wants to book a tee time more than a week or two in advance, you may have to stay in accommodations on site. At least, that's been my experience in the last five years.

Thanks for the heads up, beachbum--that WOULD have been a huge disappointment to drive all of the way there, and not get to play.

Absolutely book in advance...and be prepared the greens fees during the busy season are high! Off season you will pay a fraction...

Now my husband isn't sure if he wants to go to Bandon--might want to save it for a guys golf trip--if that happens, and I have to choose 1 town to spend a couple of days to experience the coast from Crater Lake back to Portland--which would be the best for us? newport? cannon beach?--a town where we could walk the beach--,some good hiking--nothing that would make our trip back to Portland too much longer--i'm trying to cut down on all of the driving a bit--so it will have to be a town north of Bandon.

Tell your husband Bandon Dunes is perfect for a guys golf trip. And you won't be lying!

I'd suggest Yachats as the place to spend a couple nights. It's in the middle of arguably the most beautiful section of the coast, and near other attractions and activities of interest. And I'd recommend Overleaf Lodge as the place to stay. Just a spectacular setting.

To get to Yachats from Crater Lake, take hwy 138 to 38 (includes a short section on I-5), then north on 101 at Reedsport. The drive along the Umpqua River is another of Oregon's more scenic ones.