Portland first trip travel advice
 

My DH and I are traveling to Portland for the first time in September. I took notes on much advice in this forum and have a tentative itinerary. Could those who know this area advise if this is reasonable in the time and distances between points of interest?

Day 0 -Arrive in Portland late evening, stay near airport or downtown.
Day 1 - Drive along Hwy 30 to the coast, check out Ecola State Park, Cannon Beach, stay at Arch Cape House one night.
Day 2 - Return to Portland via Hwy 26, check out the city, stay at Hotel Monaco.
Day 3 - Day trip to Columbia River Gorge, return to Portland.
Day 4 - Visit wineries in Williamette Valley, return to Portland
Day 5 -fly home

Once I have the basics in place, I can plan dining, wineries, etc! Thanks for your comments and advice.

September is a beautiful time here. It definitely looks like you have done your homework too;) The only real adjustment I can think of is to hit the wineries on your way back from the coast. You could stay a night around McMinnville or Dundee and then head into Portland in the morning. That would save a bit of backtracking. On your first evening, definitely stay in downtown. It is not that far from the aiport, but much better atmosphere.

Yup, looks good, except I'm not sure why you're taking hwy 30 to the coast. Hwy 26 is a much shorter route to Cannon Beach. Or, are you wanting to see some of Astoria?

Wow, what fast replies! I love it. My thought for Hwy 30 was to see more of the coastline, as I've heard that the Oregon coast is a must-see and different than other parts of the US. Okay, so drive Hwy 26 to Cannon Beach and Arch Cape? mms, would you then recommend heading south on 101, go east on Hwy 18 towards McMinnville?

Beachbum caught something I missed. I would agree with taking hwy 26 instead of 30. Astoria is not on the coast, but rather the river. And yes, head down 101 and then take 18 then up to 99w. It is scenic and you won't be backtracking at all.

<i>Okay, so drive Hwy 26 to Cannon Beach and Arch Cape? mms, would you then recommend heading south on 101, go east on Hwy 18 towards McMinnville? </i>

Absolutely, this is the way we did it all the time..views and scenery of all sorts most of the drive..You are gonna Love Arch Cape :)

On a map it appears that OR 30 gives lots of river views, but it doesn't. Beachbum has snatched you out of the clutches of potential disappointment.

Sound like 30 is not as scenic as it may seem on the maps. So I guess the only reason to go that route is seeing Astoria. So is Astoria worth it?

Or is taking 26 going straight to Cannon Beach the better route. I know it's shorter, which is nice.

Astoria is one of the oldest settlements in the NW--Lewis and Clark camped there in 1805.

It has an excellent maritime museum; old buildings, including a wonderfully restored Victorian house; and a bridge that crosses the Columbia River to Washington State.

If you like river towns, you will probably like Astoria.

<i>...tick tick tick....</i>

Yes, Astoria is very much worth seeing, especially if you're into history! We have a second home in Astoria which we purchased over twenty years ago, long before it became a major tourist destination, wow have changes this place has been through over the years. There is much to do/see, the Maritime Museum, the Flavel House, the Heritage Museum, the riverfront trolley, Pier 39 and Fort Clatsop are all places that are fun to visit and explore. oldoregondotcom is a nice website to acquaint you with the area, let me know if you would like dining recs, we have several favorites, we were just in the area for awhile last month! ***kim*** ((#))

LOLLLLLLLL

This is TOO funny!!

:)) =D&gt; :)) =D&gt; :)) =D&gt;

OMG Kal you are good!

Astoria has the history part going, but calling it a &quot;major tourist destination&quot; is about as far from the truth as can be, IMO.

&quot;major &quot; is in the eye of the beholder or some such nonsense..
It has a history ( it was a thriving cannery town but then declined ) but so do many many towns in Oregon and along the Coast with the added treat of actually being on the Pacific Ocean Coast..which means amazing views from every stop along 101..small charming Beach towns, forest on one side, ocean on the other..
If you live in Oregon or Washington and have unlimited time to see all the towns, is one thing... but if you are visiting..well, some might consider it a waste of time.

globehopper- it is such a lovely area, you will fall in love!

Don't know if you've stayed at the Hotel Monaco before, but I have and it is the cutest, quaintest and loveliest hotel! And, as with all Kimpton hotels, the service was excellent!

Have fun!

Paula

&gt;:D&lt; Cha CHING!!!!!

Who had &quot;7 mins&quot; in the pool?

Kal...are you posting under two names now...fess up. &gt;:-)

That was too funny!

Unlike other people, I only need one name to sound like an idiot. 8-}

Sarge56, we haven't stayed at a Kimpton hotel before, but have now booked our reservation and really looking forward to our trip. I still need to get a place in Willamette Valley area, which may be a bit tougher. It looks like some of the often-mentioned inns require 2 night minimum. Thanks for the help!

You tried the Black Walnut Inn ?
www.blackwalnut-inn.com

Not as elegant, but probably available for one night, is the Hotel Oregon in McMinnville. The McMenamin brothers turn assorted old buildings into brewpubs, hotels, etc. Funky but very Oregon. http://www.hoteloregon.com/index.php
Since you're going south of Cannon Beach on 101, be sure to head back to the coast at Tillamook to see the 3 Capes Scenic Loop; it has gorgeous views and lots of people miss it. You reconnect with 101 near Pacific City.

Kal, you are good!. Anyway, my DH loved Fort Catsup (sorry I couldn't resist!), but the kids and I found it boring. We were more into Tillamook, and McMinnville for me. I have an ex there, he he he. Also, I really like Newport and Florence: my Idol loving brother is there now. I guess those spots are too far down the coast for globehopper.

Geez.... where have I been??? I didn't know Kal was back!!! \:D/ And, boy did you nail this one, Kal! ;-)

Now, where were we globehopper? Without getting off US 101, you won't see any of the coastline between Astoria and Cannon Beach, and the best of it is really in Ecola St. Park and Cannon Beach anyway.

I like mms's suggestion to spend the night in wine country on the return from the coast, but suggest you consider returning via hwy 6 from Tillamook. That might give you a little time to drive another scenic part of the coast, the Three Capes Scenic Loop.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming. :-)

Author: Kal
Date: 04/10/2008, 08:27 pm
Unlike other people, I only need one name to sound like an idiot.

Nobody would argue with that :))

Tillamook has a great air museum, as does McMinnville if you are into that. You can also take a whale watching tour out of Depoe Bay, just 20 miles or so south of the hwy 18 entrance. So much to see! If you do go through the Three Arches scenic loop, stop in Pacific City. It's a great little town and the Pelican Brewery is great. Have fun.

Alohaaa one and all...even Faina.

Yeah..it's great to be back from my year long self imposed banning (which I strongly urge <i>some</i> posters to try)...and to see that some things never change! :)&gt;-

I tried one month banning. Enough for me :))

If you end up doing some driving around Tillamook, I HIGHLY recommend a tiny little beach just north of Oceanside - I've heard that the locals call it &quot;100 Stair Beach&quot; because you have to go down a bajillion stairs to get to it. It's not well-marked - on your way from Oceanside toward Cape Mears, look for a small fenced-in municipal-looking generator or tank of some kind. (It's about a mile or two from Oceanside, as you're heading down a hill.) Pull over, cross the street, and look for the stairs. Try to go at low-ish tide - lots of great agates and green jasper to find, not to mention wonderful tidepools at the far end. LOTS of fun!

Also, I second the mention of any of the McMenamins hotels - they're very Oregon: quirky, casual, and fun.

The wineries will be lovely that time of year. Do you have any in mind to make sure to hit?

Thanks for great info.

Thanks, everyone! I am still reading, but a quick trip to Boston and now work is getting in the way of trip planning. Art5805, I just made a reservation at Hotel Oregon, it looks good and funky!
I have been hearing great things about Mount Hood area and hikes in that area. Any suggestions for that area? We'll get back to wines soon.

here is a great hike in the Columbia River Gorge

http://www.oregon.com/hiking/eaglecreek.cfm

Yes, the Eagle Creek trail is great. I like Oneonta Gorge too: http://www.oregon.com/hiking/oneonta_gorge.cfm. My main reason for posting though, is to top this for mms, who I'm sure can give lots of information on hiking around Mt. Hood.

Methinks you might have to add another day or two to your trip, globehopper. ;-)

globehopper..watch out.
They were all really nice to us too , when we were planning our visit to Portland a few Septembers ago.

Next thing you know, you are moving there!!

<i> Just a warning ... it could happen to you :D</i>

I have used the forums to plan trips to Austria, Spain, Rome, Sonoma, Florida and starting on Chile, but you Portland advisors are great, fast, clearly know your stuff and set us straight! DH and I are catching the enthusiasm! I wish that we could stay longer, but have to count the vacation days closely.(that's why I'm &quot;hopper&quot;) Maybe we'll just have to move.

Thanks beachbum:)

globehopper--What are you looking for in terms of hikes...mileage, elevation gain? There are SO many great hikes in this area! The hard part will be narrowing it down.

Hey miamitusow,
Don't tell about that beach! We used to call it Short Beach, because the creek that spills onto the beach is Short Creek. I counted 126, or maybe 129, steps, plus assorted uphill rocks, last week. For those of you who must find it, it is a great beach.

Scarlett, that's what I am afraid of ;-).

I've lived in the Portland area most of my life, but haven't heard of 100-stop beach until now. How secluded is it? I'm asking because on another board, there's a poster inquiring about taking nude photos during a visit to the Oregon coast.

It's not that secluded! Most days there are people there, plus some houses on Radar Road overlook the beach. (Also, brrrr.) Short Creek is the water source for Oceanside; that's why there is a fenced-off area and tank by the road.