wkwb42a

My husband and I are considering a trip to Portland, 1st trip there, (from NJ). This would be for some time in late Sept. or Oct. What do you suggest to do in Portland, and how many days do you recommend to spend in Portland?

How many days for the wine country? How long a drive is it from Portland to the wine country?

Thank you very much for your advice.

Tomsd

There are a ton of posts in here under Oregon on this subject. I think you can enjoy Portland for a couple of days and be in wine country in less than an hour - and it extends down the center of the state - mainly along the Williamette Valley - which goes on past Eugene, one of my favorite places and the best University town in Oregon - about two and a half hours south of Portland.

Check out wineries on the various web pages but we liked the King Estate, Sweet Cheeks (great name, eh) and the Hinman/Sylvan Ridge which has a nice picnic area overlooking the vinyards.

Drive out the Gorge - east of Portland along the mighty Columbia - and then down to Mt. Hood (south of the town of Hood River) and at least have a drink looking up the glacier at our favorite place - Timberline Lodge. They also have great views looking "down" (south) the cinder coned peaks of the Cascades, all the way to the Three Sisters in Bend. http://www.timberlinelodge.com/

Tomsd

BTW - the Oregon Coast is also spectacular - a couple of hours from Portland. IMO - the best drive is from say Florence (an hour plus west of Eugene) up to Lincoln City - and a nice place to stay - where you might see some whales from your room - is the Surfrider Resort - at Depoe Bay - just south of Lincoln City. http://www.timberlinelodge.com/

wkwb42a

Thanx very much, Tomsd. Sounds like in just a few days in Portland and vicinity, we can get a nice feeling for the area and wine country. How is the weather typically in October?
Thank you again.

Fodorite018

October is when our weather takes a turn. Usually, the first half of the month is still nice, and then the rain and cooler weather return.

The heart of wine country, SW of Portland, is right around Dundee. It is about 45 minutes from downtown Portland. Newberg/Dundee/Carlton/McMinnville has over 200 wineries in this area alone, and the best ones are the smaller ones, IMO. Get off the beaten path and you will find some real gems.

As for how much time to allot here, it just depends on what you want to do. Some people just take a day and visit 2 or 3 places, and others spend days here.

This is where we live, and we know quite a few of the winemakers and hit the various wineries often. So if you need a locals advice, just ask