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Just bumping this thread because our trip is getting closer. We're still three months off, but I'm trying to finalize our plans to some extent. We'll be on the road for 15 days. Here's what I've decided so far...
Day 1: Salt Lake City, Utah to Ontario, Oregon. (about 6.25 hours driving)
Day 2: Ontario to Portland (about 6.25 hours driving)
Day 3: Day in Portland area
Days 4 through 8: Oregon Coast, starting in Astoria and traveling on US 101 to Crescent City, California
Day 9: Day in Redwood National Park
Day 10: Crescent City to Klamath Falls, Oregon, stopping at Crater Lake (about 4.5 hours driving)
Day 11: Klamath Falls to Winnemucca, Nevada (about 5.5 hours driving)
Day 12: Winnemucca to Salt Lake City (about 5.25 hours driving)
Basically, days 4 through 8 (5 in total) will be spent on the Oregon coast. I've received a bunch of stuff from the Oregon tourist bureau, but since I volunteer part time at the Salt Lake City Visitors Information Center, I know that anyplace willing to pay a fee can be mentioned in the literature that is provided to potential travelers. Based on the distance from Portland to Astoria (coming in to it from the Washington side) and down to Crescent City/Redwood National Park, we'll have to spend only about 2 hours a day driving.
What I can't decide is whether I should book hotels/motels for those days 7, 8, 9 and 10. (I do plan to have advance reservations in Ontario, Portland, Crescent City, Klamath Falls, and Winnemucca.) Our trip is from August 4 through the 15, so we'll be on the coast from Sunday, August 7 through Thursday, August 11. I'm that's high season for tourists. I don't want to end up running into one "No vacancy" sign after another all along the coast, but I don't want the trip to be so structured as to drive the other three people (my husband, his sister and her husband) crazy. I'm typically a real planner, so it's hard for me to just fly by the seat of my pants, so to speak. Would you Oregonians have any input for me? Would we be best to get advanced reservations for all four nights we spend on the coast (between Portland and Crescent City) or is winging it at that time of the year pretty safe in terms of our finding decent accommodations? And with the little towns all being so close to one another, are there some you'd recommend for overnight stays more than others?
At Tillimook stop at the cheese factory and have some outstanding ice cream, see them make cheese and visit the gift shop.
There is an airplane museum in an old blimp hangar that is good, also at Tillimook.
At Gold Beach take the Jet Boat ride up the Rogue river.
At Astoria you can take the bridge across to the Washington side and go as far as you have time for. If you go all the way up there is an Indian village with an interesting museum. Part way up is the Hoh rain forest park.
I have a little cottage on the coast and in the summer, as I drive up and down the coast highway, all the motels and all the campgrounds have "no vacancy" signs up. I am located in a desirable tourist area, but I suspect that it is the same all up and down the coast.
If you are going to do any camping, the Oregon State campgrounds on the coast are gorgeous. You can make your reservations on-line, but you really need to have reservations. They are full all summer.
If you are driving north to south, after you cross the bridge at Yaquina Bay (Newport), there is a rough looking shack that only has a sign with a picture of a crab on a sandwich board out by the road. If you can find a place in the parking lot (and good luck with that) that is a good place to stop for lunch, if you like fresh fish.
Also, in Astoria, find the Bow Picker for fish and chips. Its located in an old boat and it is well know, so anyone can direct you there.
I have a little cottage on the coast and in the summer, as I drive up and down the coast highway, all the motels and all the campgrounds have "no vacancy" signs up. I am located in a desirable tourist area, but I suspect that it is the same all up and down the coast.
That's what I was afraid of. I think that my husband would be okay with my getting advanced reservations for every night, and that's what I'd prefer to do. I'm not sure that the other couple is going to want to be so "restricted." I will pass along this information and will hope that they will agree that we should get advanced reservations.
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If you are going to do any camping, the Oregon State campgrounds on the coast are gorgeous. You can make your reservations on-line, but you really need to have reservations. They are full all summer.
No camping for us this trip.
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If you are driving north to south, after you cross the bridge at Yaquina Bay (Newport), there is a rough looking shack that only has a sign with a picture of a crab on a sandwich board out by the road. If you can find a place in the parking lot (and good luck with that) that is a good place to stop for lunch, if you like fresh fish.
Also, in Astoria, find the Bow Picker for fish and chips. Its located in an old boat and it is well know, so anyone can direct you there.
Thanks for the tips. This is exactly the kind of information I'm looking for!
At Tillimook stop at the cheese factory and have some outstanding ice cream, see them make cheese and visit the gift shop.
There is an airplane museum in an old blimp hangar that is good, also at Tillimook.
At Gold Beach take the Jet Boat ride up the Rogue river.
At Astoria you can take the bridge across to the Washington side and go as far as you have time for. If you go all the way up there is an Indian village with an interesting museum. Part way up is the Hoh rain forest park.
Thanks for the information. My sister has already been talking up the jet boat ride. She and her husband took it a few years ago and thought it was a fantastic experience.
If you are driving north to south, after you cross the bridge at Yaquina Bay (Newport), there is a rough looking shack that only has a sign with a picture of a crab on a sandwich board out by the road. If you can find a place in the parking lot (and good luck with that) that is a good place to stop for lunch, if you like fresh fish.
Thanks for the tip! I have been wondering about that place for a while. I figured it was going to be amazing or horrible, and I just hadn't worked up my courage yet.
Coos Bay, there's a somewhat newer casino with nice rooms in the hotel. We cancelled our reservations at another chain place and got much nicer room there for less. Redwood National Park is hard to find (and wasn't worth a stop for us) just a tiny sign in forest that we missed. The Jedediah Smith Redwoods Park is better, but the best part is the Avenue of Giants that a ranger told us about was the must see thing with redwoods. The Ave of Giants is south of Redwood Natl Park and Eureka in Humbolt Redwoods State Park.
We drove the coast down from west of Portland and stayed in Coos Bay, Grants Pass, Eureka on way to SF. If you go inland to see Crater Lake, you need to take hwy 199 to coast, it's my favorite drive I've ever take, and I've lived in CO and AK.
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