So I originally had a vacation planned for Willamette Valley visiting wineries and a day doing the Mt. Hood Loop for July 2nd - 7th. Then Garth Brooks announced a concert in Eugene on June 29th. As a huge Garth fan, I've rebooked my flight to attend the concert but now I'm trying to decide what to do with the rest of my time.

So originally I was thinking to drive to either Crater Lake or Cannon Beach, but I can't decide. We don't want to just be in a car the entire time driving from wherever we decide back to the Salem area - so I was trying to find stops along the way with beautiful or cool things to do (that aren't wineries, I have enough of those already booked for the remaining time). We like hiking, but unfortunately, it would have to be something shorter and not very strenuous as I have a nerve condition in my leg thanks to someone rear ending me that flares up if I hike too long or too hard - so in an effort to minimize the potential of ruining the rest of my vacation, I think it might be better to just drive and make small stops at various places.

So I'm hoping someone had some suggestions on how to make the most of our extra days, without having to change hotels a ton of times. We'd love to see some waterfalls, gorgeous views, etc.

So here's the current itinerary:

June 28th - Fly in to Portland late evening / staying at a hotel by the airport as our flight gets in really late.

June 29th - Drive to Eugene / Garth Concert in Eugene (staying at a hotel near stadium for the night).

June 30th - July 2nd ----- ???*
*I potentially need to factor in time to make it to Bull Run Distillery in Portland (I'm potentially going the day of the Mt. Hood Loop, but they may not be open as we are doing that on July 4th, then going into Portland for fireworks). They aren't open early enough for me to go before driving to Eugene. So I was originally leaning towards Cannon Beach since it's easier to fit Portland in if I have to, but Crater Lake looks so beautiful, I feel like I should try to do that instead.

July 3rd - 7th - We rented a house in Yamhill for these days. I already have this planned out, with appointments booked at various Willamette Valley wineries and a day scheduled for the Mt. Hood Loop.

Thanks so much for any suggestions.

If you are interested in distilleries- Heritage Distilling is in Eugene. Its in an area called the Whitaker where there are several brew pubs, restaurants.

Check out Oakway Center- several restaurants, Sabai is my favorite ( Thai food) but there are several others. If weather is good, there is a nice bar at the top of the Hilton- outdoor seating with a fire pit. Also Sunriver Brewing located there. There is a nice walking trail along the river- no hills, a nice rose garden to walk through. Stop at Valley River Inn for snacks, drinks at their outside deck along the river.

Take a drive over to Springfields Public House- and old church turned in drinking and dining establishment. There is a whiskey bar there, several restaurants and outdoor seating.

Take a drive up the McKenzie Highway...Stop at Sahalie Falls where there are trails along our beautiful McKenzie. If you go all the way to Clear Lake- there is a nice flat trail to walk, or kayak or row boat rental available. No motors allowed on lake. There is a small restaurant with basic dining.

How about a raft trip on the McKenzie? Very fun.

One of the medical groups has bikes to rent at various spots around town. Eugene is pretty bike friendly so bike lanes on the main streets. There are a few ideas. Enjoy Garth!

Thanks so much for the recommendations. I will check them all out. A day on the water sounds amazing.

I completely forgot to check to see if there are any Frank Lloyd Wright houses in Oregon, and there are So I'm definitely making a trip to Silverton to see it, and since it's on the grounds of the Oregon Gardens, I will see that too. So that will take care of one day for sure. So I can make that my day to run up to Bull Run if I can't do it on the Mt. Hood day.

There are two Amtrak Thruway buses from Portland Union Station to Eugene (7AM and 11:10AM) before the Amtrak Cascades train to Eugene (12:30). Rent the car the day after the concert and head either for the coast or to Crater Lake. There is a new distillery in Madras if you choose to go through Bend on the way to Hood River.
To get to downtown Portland from PDX take the TriMet red line from right outside baggage claim. The train or bus takes a little less than 3 hours from Portland to Eugene but it beats driving I-5 IMO.
I have seen the FLW house at the Oregon Garden and was not that impressed with the view from the outside. It was moved there from the location where it was originally built.

You can choose either Crater Lake and the east side of the state, or the coast, but not both.

If you go with the east side, recognize that it's a four-hour drive from Eugene to, say, the Crater Lake Lodge. Once you're east of the Cascades, I'd continue north to Smith Rock State Park (gorgeous and under a lot of people's radar) and then up to Mount Hood and the Hood River Valley, than into Portland via the Columbia Gorge, in essence doing the "Mount Hood loop" as part of the way back to Portland. Here's a map showing this. As in all cases, you should add 25% - 30% to Google's often unrealistic drive times, and remember those are "wheels turning" times. https://goo.gl/maps/QuscLCbBVkjj8JXm9

If you choose the coast, then I wouldn't go as far north as Cannon Beach (in which, by the way, you're likely to encounter 2-night minimum stays at many lodgings, especially around the holiday.) Instead, I'd head out to the Florence area from Eugene, seeing places like the Heceta Head lighthouse and beach, then north to Yachats ("ya-hots"), Newport and Depoe Bay, before heading inland. You could visit a winery or two around McMinnville, then possibly swing up to Timberline and back to PDX using the same route as in the previous case. Here's a map for this alternative - https://goo.gl/maps/nni7iSpmTm45ADZV7

It's entirely possible to do a day trip to the coast from Portland, so I guess that's a third option. The route I'd choose would be out to Ecola State Park from Portland, then north over the (awesome) mouth of the Columbia to Cape Disappointment on the Washington side (waves on rocks, a couple of lighthouses, a great Lewis and Clark visitor center, even Waikiki Beach - the other one.) Then follow the north shore of the Columbia back to Portland - it's more scenic and historic than the Oregon side. Map - https://goo.gl/maps/3KQMd2A5gpXjKrvT8

Remember too that there are lots of wineries in the Hood River - Maryhill area, many producing excellent vintages. The Hood River "fruit loop" - http://hoodriverfruitloop.com/ - is terrific at that time of year. If you want to stay in the Gorge/Hood River area near the 4th of July, it's also imperative that you make accommodation bookings asap.

For your day in Silverton, be sure to add Silver Falls State Park. There are several falls that you can drive to and just look, without having to hike. The South Falls requires a bit of walking, but it is not difficult, and it is the grandaddy of the park. You walk under/behind the massive falls. We used to take a relative there that was confined to a wheelchair and were able to do that, to give you an idea.

I love sunbums suggestions of Sahalie Falls, Clear Lake and the McKenzie. You could easily do that on your way to Crater Lake. I would only do CL if the north entrance is open, which it should be, but keep an eye on it. Otherwise the south entrance will eat into your time. If the north entrance is open, and if the boat rides are up and running yet (it would be a bit early, but some years it happens) then definitely do that as it gives a whole new perspective of the lake.

I personally would not take the train between Eugene and Portland. The drive is right at 2 hours and I-5 is very easy.

You can easily do a day trip to Cannon Beach from either Portland or Yamhill. The entire coast gets slammed over the 4th of July, so it might be tough finding lodging this late for those dates, so I personally would do CL and then just to CB as a day trip. If you have time while staying in Yamhill, just take 47 up to 26. It avoids 99 into Tigard/Beaverton and significantly cuts down on drive time and headache and is a nice scenic route.

Are in staying in Yamhill itself or do you just mean the general area? For many years we lived just a few minutes from there, so know it well