Looking for tips: Western Oregon

[herbgeek]

I'm currently planning an early summer trip to Oregon. I plan on focusing on Portland, the Willamette Valley (for wine, cheese and hazelnuts) and at least some part of the coast.

Any things you would recommend? I already have Powells on the list. :)

[pinkytoe]

Years ago we stayed at this little place in Yachats on the coast. It was one of our most memorable trips. It sits high on a cliff with big windows. We rented a car in Portland and took a scenic drive along the coast stopping at all the little towns along the way:
http://www.oceanhaven.com/

[iris lilies]

I'm currently planning an early summer trip to Oregon. I plan on focusing on Portland, the Willamette Valley (for wine, cheese and hazelnuts) and at least some part of the coast.

Any things you would recommend? I already have Powells on the list. :)

I suppose you will be there past iris season, and that's the best time to go. Major growers are in Oregon. :D

I found Powell's to be a big letdown, and I went there back in the days before big online sellers of old books existed. But then, frankly, I found Portland in its entirety to be a letdown, I suppose because I had envisioned it practically having streets paved with gold. It was rather a big yawn for me. At one time it was my life goal to move to Oregon, but now, not so much. Not saying it's off the table, however.

[kib]

I loved the Japanese Gardens in Portland. Also was in this area of the country and a bit south around blackberry season, maybe later in the year than you're going, not quite sure. The invasive species of blackberry is considered a big nuisance, but frankly being able to grab handfuls of free roadside blackberries nearly the size of walnuts wasn't particularly annoying to me. :)

[sweetana3]

I enjoyed the art market along the river. Fun walk and some nice handmade things to puruse. Also try to get to the downtown farmers market. We were blown away. If you go early, see if the bisquits and gravy sellers are there. Line was huge and when they sell out, they leave. It was so beautiful that I took pictures.

We went up to the 1937 lodge on Mt. Hood. Great lodge to visit, Timberline. Amazing inside and free to visit.

[KayLR]

Yep, Saturday Market (beneath the Burnside Bridge) and the food carts.
Sweetana made some good suggestions. You should try and drive the scenic loop in the Columbia River Gorge.
Try to go to one of the McMenamins pubs; I like The Kennedy School best.http://www.mcmenamins.com/427-kennedy-school-home

[nswef]

Oregon and Washington have been on my list for several years, you all have piqued my interest into seriously looking for dates and places. Thanks!

[JaneV2.0]

A trip through the gorge, maybe to Hood River--stopping at Multnomah Falls would be nice. Yachats (my ancestral home, more or less) is far to the south of some of the prettiest views. I'd start a coastal trip at Astoria or Seaside. Cannon Beach is a fun, artsy little village.

IrisLily, you would have been happiest driving through neighborhoods like the West Hills, Alameda, Laurelhurst, Irvington--lovely, lovely houses there.

[Selah]

I spent many summers taking brief trips to Depoe Bay, Oregon, and loved it. If you've seen "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (the film) and if you remember the scene in which the group of patients chartered a boat and went out to sea, that was Depoe Bay. The surf is beautiful there.

[Simplemind]

Tell me what you like and I'll tell you where to go :cool: Trip Advisor is a good place to get some reviews. Portland Saturday Market is fun. Japanese Garden is beautiful and I think our Zoo is very nice. You can't go wrong driving up the Gorge and seeing all the falls. Stop in Hood River for lunch and watch the wind surfers out on the Columbia. Circle around Mount Hood and come back on 26. Each of the beach towns has a bit of a different flavor. My favorite flavor is Cannon Beach which has a bit more artsy/refined vibe, along with the prices to match. Seaside and Lincoln City are pretty touristy but that doesn't make them bad. Portland has many flavors and some are worth the time and others aren't, depending on what is interesting to you. I am a book lover but only go into Powell's when I am selling. There is a second Powell's in the Hawthorne district which is small but everything up and down that street is so much more interesting than the downtown Powell's. I'm partial to McM's Edgefield over Kennedy school but I have never been in one that I didn't enjoy their offerings. It is always a kick to see how they are decorated.

[iris lilies]

A trip through the gorge, maybe to Hood River--stopping at Multnomah Falls would be nice. Yachats (my ancestral home, more or less) is far to the south of some of the prettiest views. I'd start a coastal trip at Astoria or Seaside. Cannon Beach is a fun, artsy little village.

IrisLily, you would have been happiest driving through neighborhoods like the West Hills, Alameda, Laurelhurst, Irvington--lovely, lovely houses there.

hmmm, "Irvington" rings a bell with me. I stayed in a B & B in Portland when I was last there. Perhaps it was in that neighborhood. The B & B was a circa 1915 house. It was nice enough, but the great things were the furnishings. The owners also were professional upholsterers, so headboards, chairs, dressing tables etc--everything had professional fabric coverings. I loved that, and cannot live like that because of pets hair and other pet damage.

[herbgeek]

Tell me what you like and I'll tell you where to go

I like wineries, cideries and breweries and I know there are plenty of those. I want to visit a hazelnut farm. I'd like to see the coast. I'm not typically a city girl but from what I hear of Portland, it'd be more to my liking than a typical city. I like food, particularly small artisans (chocolate, cheese, patisseries). I would like to maybe do some hiking, near a waterfall would be perfect. Maybe we'll rent bikes one day and do a winery to winery tour or something like that.

When we did a trip to Washington a number of years ago, we liked the Olympic peninsula and small towns and off-the-beaten-track stuff, much better than we liked Seattle (but I did like the Public Market).

[Reyes]

Drop me a line if you make it to Eugene:-)

[Francie]

Hey, cool! We lived in Oregon (Medford) many years ago and loved the (relatively) easy access to the Ocean, so spent lots of time up and down the coast. Yum! AND, as a matter of fact, we were JUST talking about making a trip there this spring, and staying at Ocean Haven! Wow, cool! Great minds think alike! We've never stayed there before, but we love the Oregon coast (and the Washington coast and Far Northern California coast) but we haven't had a relaxing trip back since we moved to Idaho nine ears ago. Idaho is wonderful, in it's own special way :) , but sometimes our hearts dream of escaping back to Oregon or Washington. We're thinking Eugene area ... but likely more expensive than Idaho. {sigh}

[JaneV2.0]

hmmm, "Irvington" rings a bell with me. I stayed in a B & B in Portland when I was last there. Perhaps it was in that neighborhood. The B & B was a circa 1915 house. It was nice enough, but the great things were the furnishings. The owners also were professional upholsterers, so headboards, chairs, dressing tables etc--everything had professional fabric coverings. I loved that, and cannot live like that because of pets hair and other pet damage.

Irvington is where I grew up; it's a little tonier than it was, as city housing becomes ever more unaffordable. I still have friends there. It's great for Grimm backdrops...:devil:

(And I had relatives with a filbert (hazelnut) farm. At Christmas, they sent us bags full of culls..:D)