Please help me plan my Portland/Coastal Vacation!
 

Hello everyone,
I've been perusing the site trying to get some info for my vacation this summer. I will have 7 days to visit Oregon. I will fly into Portland. I would like to visit Portland and then the coast.
This is what I was thinking of in terms of where/when to stay and things to do:

Fri-Mon/Tues stay in Portland at the Monaco. Will do Portland one day, visit the wine country one day (will probably have a car take us around), Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood drive another day.

Tues/Wed-Fri: Coast. Was thinking of either Surfsand, The Ocean Lodge, or the Overleaf. Which would you recommend- Cannon Beach or Yachats? Or should we split our time on the coast? Also, what are some "must-do" activities/drives/adventures on the coast? Since we will also leave out of Portland, maybe it would be better to stay in Cannon Beach area at the end since it's a shorter drive to the airport?

I get a bit overwhelmed reading through all of these posts, so would like some suggestions on my early ideas and then go from there.
Thanks for your help!! :)

Cannon Beach is only 90 min from Portland and the SurfSand is very nice. You can drive south and sightsee but go back to Portland from CB..

I like your itinerary..on the wine country day, will you come back into Portland for dinner or stay out in the wine area? There are a few very nice places for dinner out there..

When you booked the Monaco, what did you ask for?
I always ask for a King Suite/high floor :)
If you aren't staying in a suite..just a high floor then ..
3rd floor is dog floor although you would never know- quiet and clean ..

I think that if you don't mind one more change of hotel, splitting your time on the coast with one night at the Overleaf and 2 nights in CB would be very nice and give you a chance to see more of the coast. Be sure to visit Cape Perpetua south of Yachats and the 3 Capes loop as you drive between Yachats and CB (I'm thinking you'd go to CB last so you'd be closer to the airport).

Both the Ocean Lodge and Surfsand are very nice.

I am planning basically the same trip in mid September so thought I'd tag on to this post since our itinerary sounds very similar.

We are visiting Portland for the first time, coming from Chicago on a Friday and leaving the following Saturday or Sunday (8 or 9 nights). We plan to spend the first weekend in Portland at either the Monaco or Vintage Plaza, not sure which. We've stayed in Kimpton hotels before and liked them.

While in the Portland area, we plan to visit the Columbia Gorge and are not sure whether to do it as a day trip or stay there (Skamania Lodge?) for a night. We will be empty nesters by then, traveling without kids for the first time (age--early 50s), so moving/changing hotels isn't really an issue. We don't like to feel too rushed on a trip, and like to get out of the car for a little hiking now and then. I know it is close, but don't have a sense how big the Gorge area is or if we will continue all the way to Mt. Hood.

Like the OP, we then plan to head to the Coast. We thought we'd spend a couple nights in Cannon Beach at The Ocean Lodge and then a couple nights at Overleaf Lodge in Yachats.

We will also be leaving out of Portland, although the flights to Chicago don't leave until 2 pm, so not sure if we will spend our last night in Portland or elsewhere. Also wondered whether to take an inland route back from Yachats to Portland rather than retracing the coast...perhaps through Eugene? Then we could spend our last night someplace in the Willamette Valley wine country (suggestions anyone?)

Any advice is appreciated!

ttt

This is directed to Buckminster. Definitely return to Portland Via another route than back up Hwy 101 to Cannon Beach. If you want to hit Wine country go up Hwy 18 through Newberg. Great wineries. Skamania is a very nice place to stay. It will take about an hour to get to Skamania from downtown and Multnomah falls is on your way there. For Both Golfer26 and Buckminster just be forewarned that Hwy 101 from Cannon Beach to Yachats is a long and winding road. Beautiful drive but take you motion sickness pills if needed.

Personally, I would retrace back up HWY 101 to CB. You will see things that you missed as you headed south the first time. Don't forget to stop at the Tillamook Ice Creamery for a scoop of ice cream or a sample of their great cheeses. A stop at Depoe Bay is a must as well. Have lunch or dinner at Tidal raves. Great view. have fun.

We are flying out of Portland, so that's why we were thinking of spending our last 2 nights in Willamette Valley wine country. It looks like there are some nice bed an breakfasts in that area.

If we return via 101, we would spend our last night somewhere on the coast or in Portland again. (The flights to Chicago leave at 2 pm).

Bummer! I tried to book a room at the Surfsand, but the room that I booked was "pet friendly". I have very bad allergies to dogs and cats, and asthma. They put a note in my file about needing allergy cleaning but I don't think I want to take any chances on my vacation. I decided to cancel and go with the Ocean Lodge instead, which looks great as well. The room I booked said not pet friendly, which made me happier.

Another question...
do they do beach bonfires at this hotel as well? Not sure if it's a beach thing, or was specific to the Surfsand. I thought that sounded like fun!

Beach bonfires aren't specific to SurfSand, and you're right, they are fun. But, it might be a do-it-yourself thing at Ocean Lodge. Most grocery stores sell wood if you can't find anything suitable on the beach.

I've not stayed at Ocean Lodge, but I doubt it's much - if any - of a step down from SurfSand. Beautiful building. The one drawback would be that it's a bit of a hike from there into town.

Tolvana Park where the Ocean Lodge is located is a very pretty part of Cannon Beach. You will be right next door to the Stephanie Inn where here I would suggest a meal. You must make reservattions in advance and guarantee with a credit card, this place offers some of the best food on the coast. Also in Cannon Beach, don't miss Ecola State Park and Indian Beach. Our family enjoyed surfing there a couple of weeks ago during our 9 day trip to Oregon. :)

From Cannon Beach you could venture to Seaside, Gearhart (don't miss a stop at Pop's Sweet Shop) Warrenton (Fort Stevens State Park) and Astoria. If you feel adventurous, take a drive over the Astoria-Megler bridge to the WA coast. Enjoy your travels and let me know if you have further questions on the northern coast, we spend several weeks a year at our beach cottage in Seaside. ***kim*** ((#))

We've traveled quite a bit and eaten in many different types of restaurants, but when my husband and I were in the Pacific NW last year, we were continually amazed by the wonderful food. If you want any recommendations for where to eat in Portland, I have two. The Bijou Cafe (132 SW 3rd Ave.) is great, especially for breakfast, and it's only a few blocks from the Monaco (great choice, btw). The breakfast in the Red Star Tavern at the hotel is quite good, but pricey for what it is. If you want to splurge for dinner one night, try Higgins (1239 SW Broadway). If you happen to be in Astoria (NW Oregon), the Cannery Cafe is an excellent place for lunch overlooking the water.

mowrites, I could not agree with you more!

Great suggestions..

From experience as someone who actually lived in Oregon/Portland for a time, do not expect hot sunny beach weather and the sight of surfers in the water.
The water is freezing cold all year round and die hard surfers in full body wet suits might be seen once in a while. And this would be in the "heat" of summer, not in early Spring or late Fall.

I was looking at recent photos of a supposedly "sunny" day in Cannon Beach last week...the sky was full of black clouds lol
So check weather underground right before you leave for Oregon and see how the temps look ( water temps too)...

Hey kimamom, is there any part of Cannon Beach that's not pretty? ;-) Or, was that just the intro to plugging the Stephanie Inn restaurant again? :?

Let us know if you'd like dining recs for Cannon Beach, Golfer. Stephanie Inn might be the best at attempting gourmet, but it's far from my dining preference when I'm at the coast.

Hello again-
I would love dining recs in Portland and in Cannon Beach. My husband and I love to try the "best" recommended places wherever we go! He really likes fish and seafood, I'm more of a chicken/pasta kind of girl!

Portland:
seafood

SouthPark - soo soo good! everything on the menu
Jakes at the Governor ( Jakes Crawfish is M&S)

Asian / Vietnames / Thai
Silk in the Pearl ( pho is wonderful, everything is good, the place is so beautiful)

Miso Happy on NW23rd ( good and cheap)
Sungari Pearl ( pretty pretty Chinese )
I cannot remember the name of the Japanese place we liked lol
Typhoon on Broadway ( or on NW23rd, I like Broadway best) Just the best Thai..everything on the menu is great.

Piazza Italia .. in the Pearl .. you will think you are in Italy..

Fenouil- French/PNW style :) I loved this place, went as often as I could.
Ten01- good or ok, depends.. in the Pearl, lunch is good..

Everett St Bistro- again, everything on the menu is good, frites are special with mussels..crabcakes and salad on Sun Brunch is great...I miss them :)

bluehour- I hate their attitudes at night but we ate lunch there and Happy Hours all the time..they liked Pup so that sort of redeemed them in my eyes lol.

Vault Martini for Happy Hour- Blood Orange Margarita.
Between Vault and Everett St Bistro was a Mexican place called District, if they are still there, they did a good Happy Hour too.

Paragon...just great .. calamari!!

Higgins
Wildwood is fabulous..
Mothers for breakfast (2nd & STark)
Mama Mia for dinner ( 2nd & Strk) same owner..
a couple of blocks down towards the river from the Monaco.

eat at the Red Star Tavern! love their food, breakfast is great..

this should do for now LOL

Hey-
Thanks again!
So, another question for anyone that's stayed at Hotel Monaco...
Since it is dog-friendly, it's just a specific floor? Should I call to make sure that I am in non-pet room? Also, when I made my reservations, I had to check non-smoking, but it said that the preferences may or may not be taken into account. Was just wondering if anyone had any problems with receiving a smoking room when asking for a non-smoking room.

Well, then you get to choose, Golfer. ;-) Any restaurant in Portland worth going to will have good seafood on the menu, but not all have good pasta. For that, you should go to Caffe Mingo. I'm sure you'd both be happy at places Scarlett mentioned though: SouthPark Seafood Grill, Ten 01, Fenouil, Higgins.... Then there is Wildwood, Paley's Place, Carlyle..... And my current favorites, Le Pigeon, Toro Bravo, and Alberta Street Oyster Bar &amp; Grill. They're <i>ALL</i> good. Seriously!

In Cannon Beach, my favorite is Gower St. Bistro, across the street from SurfSand. Next door (towards the beach) is the Wayfarer, which your husband will particularly like. Then, a block or two down the street towards town, Newman's @ 988. In the center of town, both Ecola Seafood Market &amp; Restaurant, and Bill's Tavern are great for casual fare. Then, just south of Ocean Lodge is Mo's, part of a small Oregon coast chain. People like it for different things (grilled cheese bread for me!), but everyone agrees that it has the best view of any restaurant in town.

3rd floor-dog floor.

No need to call, they would keep the dog rooms for dogs, there are 11 (I think) floors, plenty for people without doggies.
They have never put us in a non-smoking room, we have stayed over 30 nights at the Monaco.

The manager is Craig Thompson..if you had a complaint..but I have never had one yet :)