Jenny
New Jersey
I am looking to possibly go to Oregon in early spring.
Were is the best places to vist, stay, eat etc.
Should we just do Oregon or travel to another state as well.
Any suggestions would be appreciated
thanks
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:
Daytrips from Portland:
If time and budget allow:
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.
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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.
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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!
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