Oregon in the spring- where is the best place to visit?

Jenny,

I did a road trip to Washington and Oregon a couple of years ago. Love Oregon! Hoping I can just post the link to the prior post. Here goes: http://www.trippy.com/a/55bea5b5e4b0f9ddfd5be985/507c527fe4b0c31db879944f

There is plenty to do in Oregon alone, so beyond that, it's completely up to where your interests lie, what your budget is, and how much time you have.

Let's start in Portland since that's where you'll most likely fly into.

In Portland: 

• Eat and drink. Portland is known for amazing microbreweries, delicious coffee (look for Stumptown Coffee Roasters) and more foodtrucks than you'll have time for. Go, explore, bring an appetite, and eat your way through the city.
  

• Take a cruise on the Willamette River with Willamette River Boat Tours or another boat company. There are several that take off from the Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park.
  
• If you want tax-free shopping, head to Portland SW 6th & Yamhill where Nordstrom sits on one side and the upscale Pioneer Place sits on the other.
  
• Go to Powell's City of Books. It's a local favorite, a true city of books, and they have food and great coffee too.
  
• Explore the artsy/foodie area of the Pearl District. It's beautiful, quaint, and has some great food.
  
• See the parks on the hill above the city with great views of Mt. Hood. The International Rose Test Garden is a must, but if you like gardens and have time, also explore the Japanese Gardens.
  

Daytrips from Portland:

1. Do a Willamette Valley wine tour. Rent a car or hire a car and explore the vast wineries down the 99W between Newberg and McMinnville (Oregon). Stop at Ponzi Wine Bar and Argyle Winery in Dundee. (http://oregonwine.org/visit-oregon-wine-country/) The scenery is beautiful. This will also lead you to the coast if you want to do a day trip at the beach.
   
2. You can get to the coast in about 90 minutes, so if you don't have time to do a full coast trip, at least drive over to Tillamook to try the famous cheese and ice cream and then drive up to Cannon Beach and back to Portland.
   
3. See Mt Hood and the historic Timberline Lodge. This is a great area for hiking.
   
4. Explore the waterfalls and hike if you'd like along the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Breakfast at the old Columbia Gorge Hotel is really special. Call ahead to make sure they're doing their brunch.  Drive the Historic Columbia River Highway to see the Vista House, Latourell Falls and five others along with the Multnomah Falls before reconnecting with Hwy 84 to either head back to Portland or go on to explore Hood River (known for windsurfing).
   

If time and budget allow:

1. Start in Portland and spend a few days getting to know the vibe of the city  whose motto is "Keep Portland Wierd."
   
2. Drive south along the I5. It isn't the prettiest highway, but it's fast. (If time allows drive through Bend instead.) Head to Crater Lake National Park for either a couple hours or a day. Drive south then along the Rogue River. If you see a place to turn off, do stop and explore. There are some absolutely phenomenal places to see along this drive.
   
3. Overnight in Ashland for some Shakespeare plays and a walk in Lithia Park. It's a cool little town with good restaurants.
   
4. Head to the southern Oregon Coast. It's a bit difficult to do here so you can head south to Crescent City and then head north along the coast as far as you have time. The southern Oregon coast is just so special. Brookings is always sunny. Port Orford is scenic and has great coffee. As you go north, you'll pass through areas with incredible scenery/views, huge rocks jutting out of the ocean, miles of sand dunes, sea lions, great tide pools... it's pretty incredible. You can cut in at Newport (Oregon) if you need to cut your trip short, but from Newport south is my favorite if you want more scenery and less touristy stuff. If you have time, go all the way up to Seaside (Oregon) or even the northern most Astoria (where Goonies was filmed) before heading back to Portland.
   

You could reverse this and do the coast south and then loop back up through the northern California Redwood forest and then onto Ashland, Crater Lake, and Portland. There is MORE to do... but this is a taste.

I was born in a small Oregon town along the southern part Highway 1. 

My favorite spots along this part of the coast are Cannon Beach, Newport Beach and Brookings. 

I've spent a lot of time in Newport. Nye Beach is a great place to stay. We adore the Sylvia Beach Hotel. I've stayed there multiple times an way back in 2009, I wrote about it here: http://www.heiditown.com/travel-agency/oregon/sylvia-beach-hotel-a-bookish-retreat-along-the-oregon-coast-newport-oregon/.

This is probably one of my favorite hotels (and as a travel writer I stay in a lot of hotels, condos and B&Bs). 

Eat at Local Ocean Seafoods. I recommend this place to everyone! The dungeness crab soup is amazing.

The coastline around Brookings is absolutely stunning. I grew up playing in those waves because my father was raised there and my grandparents lived there until they passed away. 

Cannon Beach is touristy, but really adorable. Try Ecola Seafoods Restaurant & Marketwhen you visit. Also go to Ecola State Park is gorgeous. 

It may be a bit rainy during the spring, but it will be green and gorgeous along the coast and you may even witness a spring storm, which is awesome. 

December to April is Dungeness Crab season. It will be everywhere. Eat it. Its delicious. 

Have fun. The Oregon Coast is one of my top three favorite spots on earth. 

Phil has some great suggestions.  Crater Lake is very beautiful.  I've only been in the summer, but facilities and hiking are probably going to be limited in early spring due to weather, so I would check on that before committing time.  There are also some surreal ash deposits as you drive northwest out of the park.

 Portland certainly deserves a few days, but it has been so long since I have been, that I'm not much help.  World class Pinot Noir is grown in the Willamette Valley and winery visits are a blast.  I really, really enjoy coastal Oregon.

 I started at Coos Bay and stopped numerous times. Each place has it's own charm, Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, Yachats, Waldport, Newport (Oregon), Lincoln City. I enjoyed my stay at Inn At Otter Crest.  Astoria is a nice little town near the mouth of the Columbia River.  It has a great museum, the Columbia River Maritime Museum and some great history on the Columbia River bar and the numerous shipwrecks.  They also have a fantastic hotel, the Cannery Pier Hotel with great views.  It sits on a pier and you actually feel like you're on the river.  If weather permits, a drive through the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, and out to Mt Hood is beautiful, as is a drive to Mt St Helens.  Have a great time.  It's a wonderful part of the country!