We have never been to the Pacific NW and plan to start this Sept with Oregon. At this point our intention is to fly into Portland, rent a car, and spend approximately two weeks wanting to emphasize 1.Coast 2. wine country 3. Mt. Hood and 4. Portland. I realize this is a "tall order" but would welcome suggestions and/or recommendations. We love natural beauty and enjoy Pinot Noir!

Two weeks will be plenty of time to see everything. In fact, I'd try and fit in a drive to Seattle for a few days (only 3 hours up there from Portland). And then you could drive down the coast.

A better header like "Oregon Itinery" would bring more responses.

Yep - you covered the stuff to see in Oregon. Two weeks will be great. The Gorge is beautiful with plenty of places to hike. Take the old scenic route, exit just out of Troutdale. Stay at Timberline Lodge at Mt. Hood (grand but old).

Drive the coast, maybe starting in Astoria which is a cute town with great old houses, a wonderful shipping museum, Lewis and Clark's fort then take Hwy 101 south as far as Florence. Stop in some coastal towns and waysides. Cannon Beach is popular, Tillamook has great ice cream and cheese. Gambling in Lincoln City if that is your thing. Newport has a great aquarium. Florence has sand dunes, rent a dune buggy. Then cross over to Eugene. Take Hwy 99W north to Forest Grove, stopping at all the wineries along the way.

Spend some time in Portland, see the Japanese and Chinese Gardens. Walk through the Rose Garden and Forest Park (and the zoo if you want). Visit the Saturday Market, Pioneer Square and there are lots of neighborhood districts with shopping.

Mt. St. Helens is wonderful - was just up there for my first time and was very impressed. You could probably do that in a day trip but there are fun places to stay up there.

Crater Lake is awesome but pretty far south - depends on the amount of driving you want to do. Ashland has the Shakespeare Festival and it a cute town. Gold Beach on the coast has jet boats on the Rogue. Very fun if you want to do the driving.

September has beautiful days but gets cool in the evenings. Probably one of the most beautiful times to be in Oregon. Great weather but not too hot.

Do post again once you have done more research and you'll get more input on your itinerary.

Sara

You will love the North Willamette wine country! If you get the chance definately stay at Youngberg B&B and eat at the Joel Palmer House. Incredible!

This site can give you tons of info, maps, etc.

http://www.yamhillwine.com/index.htm

Portland has some wonderful restuarants and a great downtown area.

I'd drive up the Columbia Gorge, go to Multnomah Falls and spend the night at Skamania Lodge or in Hood River. Then drive over Mt. Hood and go to Bend (lots of mts and outdoor activities). Then drive towards Eugene and head to the coast. On the way home, go through McMinnville area wineries (stay at the Old Oregon Hotel, eat at Nick's) and then head back to Portland to end your trip. Stay at the Mallory Hotel (it's close to town on light rail, have a great dining room and has free parking).

Good Luck

I wouldn't go to Seattle, there's too much to do here.

In the wine country department, make sure to get the guide to Oregon wineries. (You can get it and lots of other good information, at the visitors' association, www.pova.org) Some of my favorite wineries to visit are WillaKenzie (good wine, lovely tasting room, nice people), Erath, and Eyerie, but the guide lists smaller wineries that are wonderful to visit, too. At any of the places, you'll get a chance to talk to the owners/vintners about their wines - everyone always seems delighted to share their knowledge.

When you go to Mt. Hood, you might want to consider stopping on your way to see Edgefield. It's a hotel (the former site of the Multnomah County Poor Farm), restaurant, event space, beer theater (2nd run movies), pub - and the walls are covered with murals by various artists. (They also have a wine tasting area, but I don't think their wine is all that good.) www.mcmenamins.com will give you an idea.

In Portland, don't miss Powell's, arguably the best bookstore in the world. For great desserts that are simply works of art, visit Papa Hadyn (on either NW 23rd Ave, which is a major tourist stop for shopping, or on SE Milwaukie). You can nose around the Pearl District for interesting shops, and be sure to visit Council Crest on a clear day for a terrific view of the mountains. Hiking in the Hoyt Arboretum is nice, as is Forest Park. And there's a new Eastside Esplanade walk right along the east side of the Willamette River that's supposed to be good - it's on my list of things to do.

You may also want to consider taking a drive up I-5 to the Mt. St. Helens visitors' areas. Take the Castle Rock exit and follow signs. It's about a 1-hour drive from Portland. It's a pretty amazing landscape up there.

If you want any more specific information, please feel free to email directly.

-Mia

A trip to the Pacfic NW without seeing Seattle would be like going to France and skipping right over Paris. Seattle is a wonderful city and worth checking out in your 2 week stay.