Favorite short trips in and around Oregon (Portland, Salem: sale, buy)

[Code Stemi]

Cape Arago State Park. Gorgeous

[NW4me]

Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz

For me, any place on the coast is a great short trip. I also like the Smith River area a lot. It's so unpopulated and remote. Even near paved roads it's easy to have it all to yourself. Unfortunately I don't have a good vehicle for exploring a lot of good close inland wilderness areas, or I would do a lot more of that.

As for winter, I don't have any favorites. I used to like to watch the storms on the coast. But I'm pretty much over that. The winter weather here is just not that much fun. And I avoid traveling inland in the winter. It's just a bit colder then what I like. I'm starting to adopt a habit of hibernating during the winter and saving money for summer.

Summer = hiking season. Winter = reading season.

That takes care of the important things!

[Larry Caldwell]

I like the trip from Zena over Eagle Crest to West Salem. Walnut Hill Road from Lafayette Highway to Star Quarry Road is great. Pea Vine Road from Old Sheridan Highway is nice. The Little Nestucca from Meadow Lake to Beaver. The Little North Fork of the Santiam is nice for a picnic. The Wilson River Highway from Gales Creek to Tillamook is nice. The Coos Bay Wagon Road is great. You get to drive through a fossil waterfall where the Coquille moved.

Wherever you are is your geographic center. If you are in Portland, how long has it been since you have done the drive from Estacada to Molalla?

The state is full of scenic byways. There is one from Riddle to Glendale, but the Tiller-Trail Highway is as nice.

[StealthRabbit]

Steve Arndt has spent many yrs researching and writing about OR trips. (several books available by him)
https://www.roadslesstraveledoregon.com/

Learned a lot from his display and discussions at OR State Fair

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by Larry Caldwell

I like the trip from Zena over Eagle Crest to West Salem. Walnut Hill Road from Lafayette Highway to Star Quarry Road is great. Pea Vine Road from Old Sheridan Highway is nice. The Little Nestucca from Meadow Lake to Beaver. The Little North Fork of the Santiam is nice for a picnic. The Wilson River Highway from Gales Creek to Tillamook is nice. The Coos Bay Wagon Road is great. You get to drive through a fossil waterfall where the Coquille moved.

Wherever you are is your geographic center. If you are in Portland, how long has it been since you have done the drive from Estacada to Molalla?

The state is full of scenic byways. There is one from Riddle to Glendale, but the Tiller-Trail Highway is as nice.

I have to drive Coos Bay Wagon Road sometime. Unfortunately I don't go to Roseburg very often. When I travel inland I'm usually going to Eugene. So for my back roads experience, I like to take Smith River Road through the Siuslaw National Forest.

[leastprime]

Silver Creek Falls, where you can get up close. More compact than the Gorge falls and easier to walk. Best times winter and spring when lot of water comes.

Kayak/float the Willamette or Santiam Rivers. Convenient, portions can be strung together to make it a real TomSawyer trip.

Visit the wineries. Willamette Valley drainage: Newberg-Amity, West of Salem, East of Salem, Corvallis, and Eugene.
McMinnville Air Museum.
McMenamins Hotels, pubs, and brew pubs. A unique experience at each place.
Take the Cascades train. PDX, Oregon City, Salem, Albany, Eugene.
Take the Amtrak Starlite to Chemult or Klamath Falls.

[texasdiver]

Hood River in the fall during the apple harvest. I have a cider press at home and every year drive out to Kiyokawa Orchards and load the car up with cider apples. Beautiful time of year to visit Hood River and there are fruit stands everywhere. In fact they made a fruit map of Hood River that you can follow to hit all the orchards, fruit stands, wineries, and cideries: https://hoodriverfruitloop.com/

[pnwguy2]

If you want a quick trip to the Oregon coast from Portland/Salem get on Highway 18 south of McMinnville, or 22 from Salem connecting with 18 that will land you in Lincoln City, then down the coast to Depoe Bay and then Newport. Fantastic scenery on this stretch...you can either go back the opposite way, (preferred), or go over to Corvallis on US20. The whole trip can be done in an afternoon, but watch for early darkness starting in November.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

Yep, that is one of the standard routes for a (from) Portland day trip.

You can start at Astoria (two hours or so from Portland), end up in Newport in 3-5 hours with several stops to check things out, then take 20 to Corvallis which takes about an hour, then Corvallis back to Portland which takes about 2 hours depending on traffic.

Long day, but very do-able.
Get up early and beat the traffic, spend your day exploring the north coast, watch the sunset on a clear day, then be home by 8-9pm.

If you have time, take the back route from Waldport to Philomath along the Alsea river.
Twisty and windy, but less traffic and beautiful back country.
There is a great cafe midway along the route in the little town of Alsea.

Time it so you are coming back to Portland later in the day, that way you can maximize your time on the coast without wasting your time on boring freeway driving.

The worst part is when you get close to Wilsonville and the I5---I205 split.
Traffic always seems to choke up right there.

[pnwguy2]

Somewhat off track, but I found this interesting about Lincoln City...

I have a map from the 1930's that shows the name "Lincoln City" did not exist. Instead, north to south you traveled through the small towns of Oceanlake, Delake, and Taft. Some oldtimers may recall this, but sure enough these three towns merged in 1965 to what is now Lincoln City. Explains the long length of Lincoln City along the coast.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_City,_Oregon