Sights along the way

On our way to camping in the Redwoods we%26#39;ll be spending one night in Gold Beach. Any suggested routes from Van, WA? Anything we should stop and see? It%26#39;s my husband and me and our four year old. We spend lots of time on the north and central coast, so I thought maybe drive down 5 to Eugene and come across to 101.

Sights along the way

I suggest you leave I-5 near Drain abd take OR-38, Nice drive along Umpqua R. You can stop and see the elk. Turn south on 101 at Reedsporr

Sights along the way

If you change your mind and hit the 101 a little earlier, a 4-year-old would have the time of his life picking up rocks at the Yaquina Head Lighthouse in Newport and finding an abundance of purple shore crabs.

Agree with phirl; take Hwy 99 which leaves I-5 at Curtain and goes to Drain. Along Hwy 38 at Elkton there is some sort of butterfly exhibit, but I%26#39;ve never stopped at it:

www.elktoncommunityeducationcenter.org/

And yes, the elk are interesting and there is a nice off road parking area with informational signs. It%26#39;s about 3-4 miles inland from Reedsport.

Your youngster might like to visit the dinosaurs between Port Orford and Gold Beach!

I agree, Hwy 38 is a pretty drive and you will reach the southern OR coast more quickly.

half-Brit, The dinosaur place is really still there? My kids loved it (they are 40 yrs old now).

Come to think of it, we stopped there with the grandkids about 6 or 7 years ago. They had a ball!

We also stopped at an aquarium in Crescent City where they could pet the sharks. Great fun--very small sharks. www.oceanworldonline.com

Activity ideas for a 6 year old in Portland

My 6 year old grandaughter will be visiting in May. I am fairly new in town and do not know all the cool places, and could use some help finding some ideas for fun places to take here both indoors and outdoors. Will the Rose Festival be going on?

Activity ideas for a 6 year old in Portland

omsi is great for kids and there used to be a childrens theatre that put on age appropriate shows--what about a stroll down by the waterfron to see the boats and then taking the young lady to lunch there- outside dining if the weather is nic

Activity ideas for a 6 year old in Portland

Another vote for OMSI. Also the zoo and the childrens museum.

Hi Jillbo.

Portland has a plethora of things for young folks to do- you are in luck! My family came out for a reunion last summer and we had kids from 6-18 so I did a little research.

Washington Park is easily accessible by the Max ( an adventure in itself) and harbors several different venues- the zoo, the children%26#39;s museum and the Japanese Garden ( actually very neat, even for children, with lots of koi and cool statuary) not to mention the rose test garden which is free.

I would second the vote for the OMSI, it is interesting, but a little pricey. The interactive options there will keep a young person busy for a LOOONG time. There is also a planetarium and an IMAX theather on site.

If you are considering outings beyond town, a trip to the Gorge would interest her as the waterfalls are beautiful. If you are inclined, you could go for a cruise on the Columbia in a sternwheeler- there are several trip option available and some include meals. Our entire family loved this! It was a teriffic memory-maker...I recommend it all the time. Also out of town is the Mt. Hood Railway trip which some of my family liked and some were not so impressed with. An Amtrak ride down to Eugene or up to Seattle might be an option as well- it may be really scenic- I don%26#39;t have any atual experience with it.

There is a nature center in Hillsboro which is pretty cool- they recently included an actual eagle%26#39;s nest in their display; sorry I can%26#39;t think of the name right off. Also in Hillsboro is the Rice Museum - a very interesting rock and mineral museum that offers classes for children. Kids seem to like it a lot.

If she likes books, don%26#39;t forget Powell%26#39;s downtown!!

There are several travel-oriented websites that have tabs to focus on child-oriented activities as well.

Perhaps these ideas will get you started.

I would not miss spending some time at the Oregon Zoo, the Saturday Market that runs on the weekends is also lots of fun. Enjoy Portland and welcome to the travel forums! :)

The Childrens%26#39; Museum by the zoo beats OMSI any day. At least for my almost-two-year-old.

I forgot to suggest/remind you of the great opportunities on the coast for ';out ot town'; options!

Shame on me!! :)

The Aquarium in Newport is very good according to those close to me, and the tidepools are REAALY cool- there are several places to check those out along the coast.

How long will she be here?

I agree with the previous suggestions.

The zoo is really fun. They are doing quite a bit of construction, but most of the exhibits are easily accessible. You just can%26#39;t cut through the backside of the Africa Cafe to get to Africa, you have to walk all the way around. And they are doing a lot of work over by the primate exhibits. But, I think taking her to see the baby elephant would be an absolute must. My kids always get a kick out of feeding the lorakeets as well.

She might be a little young for it, but ice skating at Lloyd Center could be fun. Sometimes we will stop in the food court, get an ice cream and just watch the ice skaters. They must be easily entertained.

If you do venture out to the Gorge, you must absolutely go to the Fish Hatchery at Bonneville Dam. Take a pocket full of quarters, and you can buy fish food and feed the rainbow trout in the viewing ponds. My kids always get a thrill out of doing that. They also have a nice picnic area with a small playground.

Another nice place to go, which is close enough to the city but just far enough away, is the Wildwood Recreation Area near Welches on Hwy 26 heading towards Mt. Hood. They have two very easy interpretive trails next to the river, and a huge playground. Lots and lots of places to have a picnic lunch here as well. They do charge a entry fee. Not sure what it is for daily, as I always get the yearly pass. Seems like it was $5 or less.

The East Portland Community Center is supposed to have a spectacular pool that just opened.

portlandonline.com/parks/finder/index.cfm鈥?/a>

Portland is blessed with lots of beautiful parks. If the weather cooperates, pick one and enjoy. You can also use the above link to find other parks in the city.

Wildlife

For our trip in June, down the coast, thru the redwoods, up thru Crater Lake and Bend to Hood river and up to Mt St Helens, what sort of wildlife are we likely to see? Anything we should be looking out for? Best times of day to see any wildllife?

Thanks

Wildlife

saltwatertides.com/dynamic.dir/oregonsites.h鈥?/a>

This website will give you the tide tables for various places along the Oregon coast. Low tides, especially minus tides, are the best times to explore tidepools, where you%26#39;ll find all sorts of marine life...anemone, starfish, crabs, small fish, etc. There are various places where you can see seals, sea lions and even whales sometimes. You can usually find the elk herd at Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area on Hwy 38, just inland from Reedsport. I%26#39;ve never seen elk at an ';Elk Xing'; sign, however.

There are bears and cougars in the forests between the coast hwy and the dunes, but you%26#39;re unlikely to encounter them (and that%26#39;s a good thing). Lots of maritime fowl and just inland osprey, owls, woodpeckers and, if you%26#39;re lucky, eagles. And you can always run into (oops, bad choice of words) deer just about anywhere.

Wildlife

%26gt;%26gt; There are bears and cougars %26lt;%26lt; but no lions and tigers, oh my!

Seriously, you%26#39;ll see deer everywhere, and do be alert around dusk because many of them do not have enough sense to stay out of the traffic.

Slightly inland you%26#39;ll see hawks, ravens, turkey buzzards, great blue herons, egrets and of course Canada geese.

You may see raccoons, possum, and maybe skunks just about anywhere.

Lots of elk in the elk preserves (!), but also keep a look out around dusk if you are in an area with nice pasture. They jump fences and will often be in the same pasture with cattle and horses.

Dusk and dawn are the best times to see larger wildlife.

You could see elk near the Forest Learning Center or Hofstadt Bluffs on the road to Mt. St. Helens. Also down on the southern OR or northern CA coast there is a large herd of Roosevelt elk. Help me out here gang, I know I%26#39;ve seen them down there someplace, but don%26#39;t remember exactly where.

Sea lions are plentiful on the docks at Newport and Astoria. Lots of squirrels, perhaps raccoons, maybe oppossum (but they are usually roadkill).

Watch for hawks and eagles along the Columbia River.

And, of course, the deer are everywhere--especially in my yard eating my tulips! :-(

Kitters, at least the tulip-eating deer aren%26#39;t knocking over your pasture fences like the elk do to ours! We have this one lazy old cow who either can%26#39;t or won%26#39;t jump, so she sort of steps over the wires, and sometimes the wires break, grrr.

Do you mean the elk down near Prairie Creek in CA? That%26#39;s north of Orick, south of Klamath.

Oh, forgot the sea lions and harbour seals. Waldport is a good place to see the seals at low tide on the west side of the bridge.

Also we have brown pelicans in some of the bays, I know Newport and Brookings each have pelicans. And whales offshore, of course.

connecting database

Low Key <10 Person Bachelor Party In Portland

Maybe all of your Portland experts can help me.

I%26#39;m planning a small bachelor party in Portland, but I%26#39;ve never been there. We are looking for a hotel that is on the public transportation circuit, isn%26#39;t expensive (we can stay in a dive, no problem) and has an area where we can all hang out. We were looking at White Eagle Cafe Hotel %26amp; Saloon but the rooms are really tiny and we won%26#39;t be able to hang out anywhere other than at the bar.

Any ideas?

Low Key %26lt;10 Person Bachelor Party In Portland

Check out the Ace Hotel. Close to Streetcars, buses,Powels, right downtown on the Westside. Jupiter Hotel on East Burnside is on bus lines and on the same side of town as the White Eagle.

Jupiter has the Doug Fir attached to it. Nice bar %26amp; rest. As well as a concert venue downstairs. Ace hotel has a Stumptown Roasaters attached. Plus lots of bars nearby.

Low Key %26lt;10 Person Bachelor Party In Portland

This might be the perfect situation to use priceline. I notice that at biddingfortravel dot com that 4 star rooms are going for as little as $52/night--much cheaper than the Jupiter and much more posh than the White Eagle.

Amother thumbs up for the Doug Fir, I%26#39;ve heard that sometimes the Jupiter Hotel can get a bit loud so not sure how low key you want to be. Doug Fir is my favorite venue

Pluse you can go over to the Galaxy Bar for some ridiculous karoke across from the Doug Fir if you need a change of location.

However the Doug Fir is across the river from the %26#39;downtown%26#39; area and all the main bar areas. Definetly walkable, and bussable but not in the center of town.

I would also suggest the Jupiter. There are several fun places around it, too. RonTom%26#39;s is just down the street towards Portland and Noble Rot is just up the street on the opposite side of the road.

Bus number 20 goes right to downtown but I love this little pocket of fun bars and restaurants!

What to do in Coos Bay?

My husband and I are looking for some outdoor fun in Coos Bay over 2 days Aug 28-30. We are thinking of dunebuggying the dunes. Is this a good plan? What else is there to do for a young couple that%26#39;s outdoorsy?

What to do in Coos Bay?

Dune Buggys and or quads are a good way to see the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (ODNRA). Sunset Bay and Shore Acres State Parks west of Charleston are worth a vist as well. From Charleston Harbor, you could take a charter boat out into the ocean for Salmon, Tuna or bottom fish.

From Coos Bay, it%26#39;s only a 30 minute drive to Bandon and 45 minutes to Florence.

Den

What to do in Coos Bay?

It%26#39;s fun but just be careful!!!! It%26#39;s the last big weekend of the Summer and everyone and the brother plus a few hundred others, that have quads or dunebuggies will be out there. The weather has been awesome and all the parks in the dune areas I went through this week were practically full already.

If your into hiking there is a couple of nice areas in Lakeside about 15 minutes North of Coos Bay. Tugman state park and Hall Lake day use area. Tugman has trails around Eel Lake and Hall Lake has trails around 2 small lakes and also trails out to the dunes and the area is where atv%26#39;s are not allowed so you don%26#39;t have to worry about getting run over. You can also go out past Charleston to Bassendorf Beach, Sunset Bay state park, Shore Acres, and Cape Arago state park and lighthouse. Hope this helps.

I can%26#39;t help myself but........ GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!!!!!!!!

LOL!!!!!!! No really, have fun, I just was dumped off there when I graduated from high school on my first ';freedom trip'; at 2 in the morning by the greyhound to catch another, but missed it! In the interim, we were questioned by two seperate police officers and talked with some pretty scary characters. I hear the brochure is nice though.

: )

There is nothing to do in Coos Bay but get out quickly.!

Hi mrsdar, and welcome to the Oregon forum. I see you are a brand new poster! Sometimes we all get caught up in reading and answering posts, and we don%26#39;t notice the date on some of the threads.

For example, this one is about two years old.

Many people live and work in Coos Bay and perhaps might disagree with your opinion to ';get out quickly'; . . .

I lived in Coos Bay for about 25 years and return often as I have tons of family there. You can go out to Charleston and go crabbing. If you don%26#39;t have a boat you can crab off the docks. You can buy crab bait from many of the tackle shops (or just buy some raw chicken and use that) and also rent the crab rings if you don%26#39;t have one. You can watch for minus tides and go clamming. All you need is a shovel and a bucket.It is easy, and most of the locals love to tell their secrets. You can go out to the many beautiful beaches and beach walk or have a picnic. I like stopping at the oyster farms to pick up fresh oysters on my way to the beach and cooking fresh oysters on the beach. Most of the beaches are all off the Charleston Highway. Cape Arego is beautiful at Christmas time as it has a gorgeous light display. If your there around the holiday season that is a must see. I still go every year...now with my grandkids. There are also many fishing opportunities from sea to fresh water. They stalk Empire Lakes with trout and it is easy to fish right off the banks. In the Summer it is beautiful to go up Coos River and swim, picnic, and enjoy the beauty. There are two water falls (golden and silver fall) out that way that make a nice day trip while stopping along the river for a swim or to hike and explore. If you like dune buggies you can go out to Horse Fall where there is miles and miles of beautiful dunes. For somethings simple and fun you can take a day old loaf of bread out to Mingus Park and feed the tons of ducks and enjoy a stroll around the pond. It rains a lot in the winter and now that I am older the beauty of the outdoors there don%26#39;t entice me as much when it is cold and wet as it did when I was a kid. But it is still beautiful to take a drive out to the beaches or you can go to the Mill Casino, go bowling, theaters or shopping a the huge Pony Village mall. There are also many restaurants that are small, personal, reasonable and know how to cook delicious fresh seafood. I hope this helps for people who want to know more about Coos Bay, as I can see how it may be hard as they don%26#39;t really commercialize everything for visitors or tourists. The locals are very friendly and helpful and love to tell all their secrets. Some, once you get them started will add to my list of things until the sun goes down.

Hi Julie that was a very nice post, but this thread is getting on toward *3* (THREE!) years old . . .

Perhaps you could do some reviews for Coos Bay attractions?

tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g51813-Activitie鈥?/a>

lipgloss

Dune Buggy Rides

Which Dune Buggy company do you recommend and why? We will be driving up from Gold Beach, from what I believe is about a 3 hour ride. We would like to stop for lunch and dune buggy rides before heading to Yachats. Also, any lunch spot recommendations.

Dune Buggy Rides

Sanddunes Frontier http://www.sanddunesfrontier.com/ and Sandland Adventure http://www.sandland.com/ are the two near Florence. There are others south beginning at Houser, just north of Coos Bay/North Bend. Either of the two listed are fine, well established businesses. Coming from the south, you will hit Sanddunes Frontier first.

It shouldn%26#39;t take a full three hours from Gold Beach to Florence unless you make several stops along the way. 2.5 hours is about average.

Plenty of opportunites for lunch in/around Coos Bay, Winchester Bay, Reedsport and Florence. Do you have any particular tastes, or are you just looking for basic sustinance?

Dune Buggy Rides

Gapper...you have so many different threads of questions going I can%26#39;t remember when you%26#39;re planning your trip, how much time you have to get to places, what your interests are, etc. What ELSE do you want to do along the coast? How much time are you allowing for the dune buggy ride? Are you intending to go on the big 20 passenger guided buggy or rent your own (which could be dangerous)? How about time at Old Town in Florence, Heceta Head Lighthouse, Cape Perpetua? Any hiking, beachcombing or other activities?

You%26#39;ve been asked before to combine your facts into a single posting so we can respond intelligently. That way, we can all know what you want and coordinate our advice.

I%26#39;m sorry, maybe I am just confused. Certain questions for certain areas I am asking on that particular forum. Should I not be doing that. Should I post the itineary on all the forums involved and just keep adding any questions to that particular post.

Gapper, you write posts, including the last one, the way you are setting up your trip, in a very fragmented fashion.

We provide advice (e.g., whether or not you need tours), then you argue with us.

I don%26#39;t know why it%26#39;s so hard to understand the following suggestions, posted earlier. Had you taken a deep breath, read and considered them, you would help yourself and us.

Use the OREGON forum, we all see it.

Having said this, I bid you goodbye and hope you have a great trip.

';gapper, with all due respect, you are making us work very hard in responding to your posts. Some of what you inquire about has been addressed or partly so in your other strings. We lack a cohesiveness to your queries. So...

It would help us to help you if you told us your itinerary as best you know it, on one string, newly titled, including arrival and departure points, sites already chosen, number of days or nights at each site, locations, etc., as best you know this.

You should be able to do this with the information provided in prior posts and strings. Our replies then can be couched in reality, and you can intersperse questions at any point within that schedule. And we%26#39;ll feel free, as you asked, to provide suggestions within the context of the entire trip rather than its bits and pieces.

We%26#39;d then be able to better address, for example, how best to visit Mt. Rainier, Seattle, et al, which I covered in an earlier reply, in another string, to you. In that reply, I suggested, perhaps wondered, if you really could, in time available, - or even would want to make a choice - to see each mountain, and suggested priorities. I was trying to get at your schedule; no reply.

For example, above you ask about tours; I think we%26#39;ve addressed this - you don%26#39;t need them. You mention a tour to Mt. Rainier; no need. Plus, from Mt. St. Helens you could spend one night en route to, or at, Mt. Rainier, instead of doubling back from Seattle and blowing a day. But if you don%26#39;t reply to other advice regarding such things, how can we provide what you need?';

If you are looking at covering a big area in Oregon, you can just post on the Oregon Forum. All local postings show up on that forum anyway and those of us who follow the discussions monitor the Oregon Forum. I%26#39;m sure all the destination experts follow the Oregon Forum daily.

Voyaging, I am not arguing with anyone when they are giving me advice. I am very appreciative of it. When I first posted my thoughts and preliminary itinerary I had absolutely no clue about anything and was asking for help. I am on the computer for hours at a time trying to put this together. Now with all the responses (which I keep going over and over), I am getting a little more familiar with everything. This a big trip and I am trying to get the most out of it and have come here for help. I am sorry if it%26#39;s been a problem. Maybe there are other people that I am not annoying and they will continue to help. I will post the itinerary that I have come up with on the Oregon, Washington and Vancouver sites. I did not know that was the way I should have been going about it from the beginning. Now I know and that is what I will do and any questions from here on in, I will post on that original post. I hope tht is okay. Thank you.

We had a very positive experience at Sand Dunes Frontier. I highly recommend the ';dune bus'; that holds about 15 -20 people. The tour was just adventurous enough for me. The guides are fantastic, and the price for the bus is very reasonable compared to taking out a smaller buggy with a guide. Have fun!

gapper,

For what it%26#39;s worth, I don%26#39;t mind multiple post(he%26#39;s says as he shruggs his shoulders). I just ingore the ones I can%26#39;t offer any helpful advice on.

http://www.sanddunesfrontier.com/

This is the only dune buggy outfit that I%26#39;ve used and I%26#39;ve taken almost every visiting friend and relative on the big buggy ride. I heartily recommend it. However, if you are coming during the summer (I can%26#39;t remember what you said) you should allow extra time on weekends. It gets very busy and they go out on a schedule with reserved tickets. You can kill about a half-hour on the fun stuff they have there, but after that it can get a bit tiring. If you are not familiar with the dunes, DO NOT give in to the urge to rent individual buggies. Some of the dunes are 300 ft tall with sheer drop-offs and if the fog comes in you%26#39;ll never be able to tell where you are or how to get back. The dunes have at least one or two fatalities every year...so go with the pros, don%26#39;t get macho.

I will check into it. We will definitely not do it oursevles and will leave it to the professionals!

Mt St. Helens in mid April

We are visiting 4/15 - 4/20. In our other trips we have never made it up to St. Helens. From reading some of the threads it sounds like we shouldn%26#39;t plan it for our this trip. Thoughts?

Mt St. Helens in mid April

The Johnston Ridge Visitor Center is closed until May 17th. Some people consider that visitor center the highlight of their trip to the mountain.

The Forest Learning Center is also closed until mid-may. I believe the first visitor. The Silver Lake Visitor Center (the first you encounter off the freeway) is open year round.

http://www.parks.wa.gov/mountsthelens.asp

Keep in mind, if it is overcast, it wouldn%26#39;t be worth the drive because you won%26#39;t be able to see the mountain.

Here is a link to informaiton on winter road conditions:

fs.fed.us/gpnf/鈥R504-winter-safety.shtml

This time of year, I would probably skip it since most of the visitor centers are closed and that is a lot of the whole experience. However, if you get a weather window, the roads look good, and it really is a priority for you, I don%26#39;t see any reason not to go for it.

Mt St. Helens in mid April

Mahjerle summed it up well. Listen to her:)

We were out on the Columbia River today fishing (not catching) for spring chinook salmon. I happened to look upriver and said--';The mountain is out';.

It had been foggy earlier and then burned off. I had a wonderful clear view of Mt. St. Helens in her mantle of snow. I thought of how peaceful and serene she looked--much different from May 1980 when she %26#39;blew her top%26#39;.

Unfortunately for you, mid-April is just a little too early to visit the mountain and learn about her volcanic eruption. However, if you will be driving between Portland and Seattle, add a little extra time to make the 5 mile detour from I-5 and tour the Mt. St. Helens Visitor Center. Even if it is cloudy/rainy and you can%26#39;t see the mountain, you will learn much about the mountain%26#39;s history and the May %26#39;80 eruption.

Then plan another trip to the Pacific NW in the summertime (July-September)when you can drive up and look into the crater.

All of our other trips have been during the summer, but just so much to see in Oregon we never made it to St. Helens. Thanks for the help, I think we might spend the time on the Gorge this trip.

Best route for traveling from Hood River to Olympic NatlPark

We are planning a trip to Oregon and Washington. The first part of our trip, we will be staying in Bend/Sun River and plan to go to Crater Lake within that time. Then, the next part of our trip is at Olympic National Park. We were trying to figure out the best route to take from Bend to Olympic National Park. At the Olympic National Park area, we are staying in Port Angeles. We were thinking that we would leave Bend and drive to the Columbia River Gorge area where we would spend the day. Then after that, drive some more before finding a place for the night, possibly north of Portland. The following day we would drive onto Olympic. Any suggestions??

Best route for traveling from Hood River to Olympic NatlPark

In Centralia, the McMenamins hotel there (The Olympic Club Hotel) is a fun place for a night. Check their website and see if it interests you. I love the McMenamin hotels as they are so unique, but very well kept. DD and I stayed at the Olympic Club this fall and for a night on the road, it was perfect.

Best route for traveling from Hood River to Olympic NatlPark

Centraila and Chehalis are your best bets as far as towns. This is right at the jumping off point at I-5 if you want to go on Hwy 12 to Olympic NP-if you are going the western way around. After saying that I actually prefer to travel up the east side of the thumb- the scenery is more picturesque in my opinion.

I don%26#39;t know about the rooms at the Olympic Club Hotel in Centralia, and I%26#39;ve heard others rave about it. But, personally, I found the restaurant and bar area really dark and dreary. Reminded me of an old western bar. But maybe that%26#39;s just me.

However, there aren%26#39;t a great number of choices for hotels in the Centralia/Chehalis area.

Since you will be coming from Bend and may want to spend a little extra time in the Columbia Gorge area touring the waterfalls and visiting Bonneville Dam, I would suggest stopping at Kelso/Longview. There are several reasonably decent hotels just off I-5 next to the Three Rivers Mall (which is really pathetic) and several fast food and other restaurants close by. It%26#39;s about an hour south of the Chehalis/Centralia area.

It%26#39;s an easy drive to Port Angeles. I-5 to Olympia, Hwy 101 to Shelton and north on the east side of Olympic National Park.

Thanks for your advice. I am going to look into it.

kitters--We didn%26#39;t see much of the other areas of the Olympic Club since DD is a minor. Check in is at the bar, so I just saw that small area of it. The rooms really vary in size. We had the most basic room, with a bunk bed, lol. Perfect for us for that night. The room was plenty big for two of us though. Not dark and dreary, but definitely had the charm of yesteryear, if that makes any sense. We had a couple chairs and table in the room, as well as a small mirror and sink. There were plenty of bathrooms, and always spotlessly clean and always available. We paid $40 a night. I wouldn%26#39;t stay there for several nights, as there just isn%26#39;t that much of interest to me right there, but for a night on the road it was perfect and much better than a Motel 6 type of place.

Which duvet cover should i get

embassy suites or westin

Which is a safer area to walk around at night - the Embassy Suites or the Westin? From reading the boards, it sounds like the Westin more centrally located, but I would like to know which area is safer?

embassy suites or westin

IMO, the Westin is the better choice. The ES is fine, but if you go a block or so towards Burnside it can be an iffy area.

embassy suites or westin

I like the Westin ... great location .. close to the Streetcar line..right in the middle of downtown.. I would guess it could be safer..

Burnside is not that horrid....Pioneer Courthouse Square has far more ';street people'; at night.

Either is fine. Face it, if you want to go to the Pearl, you will have to cross Burnside. LOL!

I kept reading all the good reviews about the Monaco, so I wound up booking that and think we will be very happy. Thanks for all the input.

Yes, to get to the Pearl you must cross Burnside...but where on Burnside is a consideration, for myself anyway.

gapper--I can%26#39;t remember what your dates are for this trip. But if you are coming at a busy time, then yes that sounds like a good rate for what you are getting at the Monaco. Even though we live here, we have stayed there several times when we don%26#39;t want to drive home after events. It really is a nice hotel and so welcoming:)

gapper, we stayed at the Monaco a total of about 30 nights :)

So I guess you realize that I am totally biased ..

I hope you enjoy your stay.

Do have something to eat in the Red Star Tavern .. or just go for tea or drinks in the late afternoon.

You will be just a short walk from the Streetcar stop, which is in front of the Made in Oregon store/Governor Hotel ( unless they moved them since I have been gone) and you will be in the Pearl in a matter of 5 minutes maybe and from there on to the NW neighborhood and back around in a big loop..

Streetcar website with map

tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i1396-Portland_鈥?/a>

Thanks so much for all this information! It is making everything so much easier.

FYI - I just read in the Oregonian newspaper that the fancy new hotel The Nines has lowered their room rates drastically due to the economy. They are right next to Pioneer Courthouse/Max Station. You might want to check that hotel out. The hotel is above the Macy%26#39;s store.

I will check it out. Thanks.

I think there is a review by someone who stayed at the Nines and said they got the reduced rate which gave them a room over a noisy bar/restaurant?

Be sure to ask for locations of rooms when you talk to someone! Unless you are sticking with the Monaco which I think would be best lol... no no , I am not biased ! :)

Cleetwood Cove Trail

I will be visiting Crater Lake in September and want to do more than just the Rim Drive. I would like to do the Cleetwood Cove trail, but from some comments, it sounds extremely taxing on the body. I%26#39;ve hiked in the Canadian Rockies and at Glacier National Park, but wonder if the hike back up will be too strenuous for me.

Cleetwood Cove Trail

We did not think it was difficult at all. It is one mile and only 700 ft elevation change. Since you have hiked in other higher altitude places, you should be fine. There are benches along the way if you need to sit and rest though. Which trails in the rockies have you done? At Lake Louise we took the kids and did the Lake Agness Tea House/Big Beehive/Plain of 6 Glaciers hike one day. Loved it! Did some others, but that was really spectacular.

Cleetwood Cove Trail

I think you will be ok- just go slow and bring water :).

If you have hiked in the Canadian Rockies and Glacier National Park, Cleetwood Cove trail will be a %26#39;piece o%26#39; cake%26#39;. Going down is easy, and coming back up is just lots of switchbacks. It%26#39;s mostly in the trees, so it%26#39;s shady and cool with benches every so often where you can rest.

The first time we hiked it, our daughter was 3 yrs old. She trudged back up to the all on her own, we never carried her. Later when our kids were about 10 or 12, we got off the boat at Wizard Island and hiked to the top to have our sack lunch.

You might also enjoy the Pinnacles Trail in the park. It%26#39;s not around the lake, but through some interesting rock formations.

Thanks all for the info and about another possible hike. I feel much better about doing the hike now. To answer MTNGRL%26#39;s question about the Canadian Rockies, just a few of the hikes I did there were Plain of Six Glaciers, Johnston Canyon Falls, Bow Glacier Falls, Maligne Canyon, and Path of the Glaciers/Cavell Meadows. So many great hikes.

luv2knit--We have done most of those trails too:) At Johnston Canyon, did you go to the inkpots? It was pouring rain the day we did that, and when we arrived, DD was not happy with us. She asked/said in a very matter of fact voice ';we hiked all the way here for THIS';...pointing to the big puddles, lol! She was about 10 yrs old or so then, lol.

No, I didn%26#39;t make it to the inkpots, and I don%26#39;t remember why I didn%26#39;t :) Probably, because I was leaving that day, and wanted to get on the road towards Lake Louise. I stayed in one of the precious cabins right there at Johnston Canyon, and loved the hike.

HELP! Looking for name of A-frames in Bandon from LONG AGO!

Years ago, maybe 30 years or so my husband and I stayed oceanside in or near Bandon in some A-frames that I%26#39;m sure aren%26#39;t there any longer. They had decks that looked out onto the ocean. There were probably 6 units or more and very close to the ocean with rocky cliffs right there. We visited Bandon last year and couldn%26#39;t find anything that resembled them but we are just so curious to know what the name of the place was. It was such a wonderful romantic experience. We%26#39;ve been married 58 years and still remember this stay. We had a postcard and pics from the trip but can%26#39;t locate them. Can someone please help us with just the name? Thanks!

HELP! Looking for name of A-frames in Bandon from LONG AGO!

58 years and, obviously, going strong. Nice.

Try these folks:

http://bandonhistoricalmuseum.org/

HELP! Looking for name of A-frames in Bandon from LONG AGO!

we%26#39;ve been going there since %26#39;84 (25 years). but, i don%26#39;t remeber any a-frames. the windermere was kind of a chalet-y looking place, but they%26#39;ve improved almost all of the charm out of it. the three gables had three gables. neither had /has rocky cliffs, though the latter was about a block away from some.

are you sure you%26#39;re not thinking of the alpine chalets about 10 miles north of newport? they are true a-frames and are above a relatively rocky, but heavily vegetated, cliff.

best wishes for the next 58 years.

my bad. the three gables was/is the restaurant, but as i recall, there were some rentals right next to it available through the motel across the street (bandon beach motel?) that had that same chalet-y or chateau-y style.

There are some homes with A-frames further down south on BeachLoop Road maybe a mile or two past Windermere. I am wondering if those homes were converted to private residences?

Congrats on 58 years and how very romantic! My husband and I were married at Sunset in the Old Rustic Beach Cabin on January 1, 1996. Middle of winter and it was sunny and actually quite warm. I have fond memories also of a woman on a horse seeing us out on the deck taking pics of us and our families and drawing a heart in the sand with her horse.

lipgloss

Where to stay along the coast??

We are going to cut down on our time at Crater Lake to spend more time on the coast. Now the question is where do we want to stay? I put this in the Bandon forum because it is one of the towns we are considering. The others are Port Oreford and Yachats.

We%26#39;ll be driving quite a distance the day we will arrive on the coast, but want to stay in one place for two nights rather than move around.

Have checked out reviews on this site and have ideas of places. Doesn%26#39;t have to be a budget place, but not $300 a night either. Want an ocean view and access. Interested in lighthouses, photography, hiking.

We are open to staying in a different town than the ones listed if it%26#39;d be better. I know I am all over the place with this, but any advice is appreciated.

We%26#39;ll be there July 3 and 4 so trying to figure out what we want and get something booked as I am sure that is a popular beach holiday. I grew up in FL and 4th of July was crazy at the beach.

Where to stay along the coast??

S. OR beaches are not like FL beaches on the 4th, by any means. The only real ';crowds'; (and I use that word loosely) were in the Seaside and Cannon Beach areas. In FL you swim and sunbathe. Here, you hope for sun and walk the hundreds of miles of scenic beaches - again, very unlike FL.

Where to stay along the coast??

bandon.

prime is around face rock. that is the real ';bandon beach';. you%26#39;ll wear out your camera. probably a little late to rent a house, but give it a shot. you want ocean front, unobstructed, not ocean view. otherwise, sunset motel, vern brown addition (i think it is called). maybe the old gorman motel (i think it is called ';bandon beach motel'; now. but, beware, they advertise that they have two buildings. you want to be on coquille point, not a block away on beach loop). a weaker sister would be the windermere motel, a great place before it was modernized.

lighthouses at bandon, across the coquille river, cape blanco and a small one on an island off the cape arago highway (inaccessible) south of charleston which is south of coos bay. further south to shore acres state park and cape argo itself, with several secluded beaches along the way. excellent hiking in the area. eagles. sea lions. tide pools. you%26#39;ll probably have to go to coos bay for fireworks, anyway.

that said, the best fireworks we%26#39;ve ever seen are in brookings. fourth of july the way the fourth of july was meant to be. way crowded, though.

second best? stanley, idaho.

worst: reno, nevada. cheap. cheap. cheap.

Bandon will probably be the best choice to fit your wants. There a few places out on Beach Loop where you%26#39;ll have a view and beach access. For the 4th it might be a little expensive and busy. I would check availability ASAP.

Port Orford is pretty much a no nothing. You blink and you miss it. Not much in lodging or site seeing other than the wayside at Battle Rock.

Yachats I don%26#39;t remember any places there with beach access. Several with nice views. Some of the places on the South end of town are near the river outlet which does have some beach but not much.

As for fireworks I%26#39;m not any help when it comes to Bandon. I pretty sure they have them but I don%26#39;t know where they fire them off. I would imagine most likely over the bay so there won%26#39;t be any beach watching. A long time ago we went to fireworks in Port Orford but you could hardly see them through the fog. Yachats is pretty small and not sure if they have a show or if everyone heads up to Newport or down to Florence. Someone else may know if they have them in Yachats.

The Gorman... Smile. Unless management and ownership changed, unsmiling, daunting, dour folks. But the setting on the bluff is fabulous, so ask for a ocean view room. But, it%26#39;s old, do not expect much! Once you drive and see the coast, the Bandon motel won%26#39;t be that critical.

I know your itinerary, but I%26#39;d give Bandon, which I like, one night and two in Yachats or Newport.

Actually Yachats has the two motels I, and others, have long suggested, Fireside and Overleaf, next to each other, which are on a slight rise overlooking the beach and beautiful shoreline, rocks, etc. Plus the miles long walking trails that crosses in front of them...

Newport has a good fireworks show based, I believe still, off the small boat harbor on the south side of Yacquina Bay.

Thanks all for the help. Glad to hear we won%26#39;t have too many people to share the beaches with on the 4th. I am going to talk with my sister later tonight and figure out where we want to stay, but I am thinking Bandon at this point. Location wise I think it%26#39;ll be better for the tavel plan. The plan has changed a lot since we decided we were going to Oregon, but hopefully we can get reservations and just start counting the days until the trip!

By the way...I saw a recent (March 09) review for the Gorman or Bandon Beach Motel (new name) and it said there was new management, new paint and a fresher, nicer place in general. The review was quite favorable actually. I looked at the website and they do have a wonderful location as someone stated earlier in a post. It%26#39;s on the list of possible places now. Thanks!

Yachats has a nice fireworks display. They stage it from Yachats State Park just north of the mouth of the river, so they can be seen both from the north and the south.

In addition to the Fireside and the unbeatable Overleaf, the Adobe is oceanfront as well, but none of the three are truly beachfront. There are small ';pocket beaches'; along this stretch, but the nearest ';real'; beach is 3/4 mile walk north along the Historic 804 Trail.

Yachats would be a GREAT location to explore some of Oregon%26#39;s best lighthouse. Yaquina Bay and Yaquina Head lighthouses are about 30 minutes north, and the most photographed lighthouse on the west coast, Heceta Head, is about 20 minutes south.

There is also an abundance of hiking at the nearby Cape Perpetua Scenic Area, not to mention some of the best tidepools along the entire coast.

Dengay, I am prepared to bow to your knowledge. What is the difference between beachfront and oceanfront? Are we differentiating between sandy beaches and rocky shores? If so, I agree that Fireside and Overleaf are the latter, which incidentally is one reason I prefer their location, much more dramatic tidal and storm action than sandy beaches.

Bit late to jump in here, but since I live just north of Yachats . . .

To get true ';beachfront'; with long empty sandy beaches, you%26#39;ll need to go a bit north of Yachats, 3-4 miles or so. Yachats does have ';oceanfront'; lodging with waves crashing upon rocks. There are walking trails along most of the oceanfront areas, but no beach in town except near the little river there.

I have a full list of the Yachats motels, but unfortunately it%26#39;s not on this laptop and I%26#39;d not be able to send it out until this next Tues.

As far as fireworks, Dengay is right about the Yachats fireworks right there in town. Also, Yachats has a July 4th ';La De Da'; parade that is a wonderful, fun, free-for-all non-professional, everybody welcome parade! A total kick to see :-)

Also . . . drum roll here, please . . . with Yachats you get a two-for-one fireworks display because Waldport (the town located just 8 miles north) has their fireworks on July 3rd! They shoot them out over the Alsea Bay.

As far as crowds, yes, every place you go will be busy. The Yachats/Waldport crowds tend to be pretty well behaved, and many families go to the beach and have BBQ%26#39;s during the day. You will not find very many, if any, loud drunken parties.

Good photo opps all around Yachats, Waldport, Newport, everything from two lighthouses, a covered bridge, Cook%26#39;s Chasm, the blowhole in Yachats, Alsea Bay, tons of wildlife (the critter kind, LOL) . . . well, you get the idea ;-)

Bandon is my favorite place on the Oregon coast. Check out Sunset Hotel or Windamere.

Voyaging,

I learned on our first trip to Hawaii that there is indeed a difference between oceanfront and beachfront. As the word indicates, ';beachfront'; means there is a sandy beach adjcent. Oceanfront on the other hand, means just that, therefore it would%26#39;t be false advertising to to say a facility is oceanfront, like the Overleaf, Fireside and Adobe, and NOT find a useable beach.

The Nines/Urban Farmer

On Thursday, the new luxury hotel in downtown Portland opened...The Nines. It occupies the top eight floors of Macy%26#39;s (formerly the Meier and Frank building.)

The place is beautiful. The entrance is on SW Morrison. Today, they had about eight young men there, serving as doormen and valet.

The elevator whisks you to the eighth floor lobby before you even realize that you%26#39;ve left the ground floor. I actually thought the elevator wasn%26#39;t moving.

The lobby is modern and sleek, with a lot of wood. There are black and white mannequins as well as wire clothing sculptures...paying tribute to Meier and Frank, which opened there in 1908.

Just passed the lobby you will find several seating areas, with chairs and sofas. A little further in is Urban Farmer, the restaurant.

Urban Farmer uses local ingredients and they focus on organic foods.

In fact, the entire building seeks local supplies. This is a ';green building';. Many of the things used in the building came from the demolition of the old interior. They reused things where they could.

I ate breakfast at Urban Farmer this morning. Great Crab Ommelette. I have not yet stayed there, although someone I know did stay there last night and said that it was fabulous.

I know, this sounds like more of a review than a post. :-)

The Nines/Urban Farmer

I saw this on the news the other evening. Looks very nice! Of course the opening is not at the best time with the economy, but hopefully it will weather that.

A crab omelette sounds good! I had one at my fav place in Seattle a couple weeks ago (with avacado..mmm!) and was in heaven, lol:)

The Nines/Urban Farmer

Finally ! Didn%26#39;t it seem as though they were taking forever? I wish I could see it, I guess we will have to stay there when we visit? lol

I love those elevators.. we had that sort in our apt building and I do miss it now, with the elevators we have here in BA ( you probably remember those, Wineauxs? ) ancient old bird cages ? lol

';A crab omelette sounds good! I had one at my fav place in Seattle a couple weeks ago (with avacado..mmm!) and was in heaven, lol:)';

Which restaurant?

I have never had a Crab Omelette but since I have not had any crab since leaving Portland, I will be happy to have one right now lol.

voyaging, it is the Urban Farmer, in the hotel.

Here is the link to the Hotel..

The Nines

www.thenines.com

voyaging--Well, I should have specified, my fav breakfast place...Bacco%26#39;s. They make really good cappuccinos there too. It is right next door to the Inn at the Market, but after breakfast they have the other dining area open, up on the corner.

Mtngrl, I don%26#39;t feel that the economy will hurt this hotel at all. The main clientel (sp) will be those on expense accounts (same as those who go to Lucier).

Those who have way too much (at least they think they do) or corporate accounts will fund places such as The Nines. Which is good. Anyone spending money, in the current economy, should be revered.

I am sure that it will not take long before we hear of a stay at the hotel, by our resident hotel/travel expert. ;-)

Scarlett, I really cannot ID on the elevators in BA.....wish I could as I wish I would have had more time there. I was there for 28 hours...then off to Mendoza. I stayed at the Sofitel in Puerto Madero.....not a fair judgement of BA. LOL!

%26lt;%26lt;I have never had a Crab Omelette but since I have not had any crab since leaving Portland, I will be happy to have one right now lol.%26gt;%26gt;

Oohhhh hhhhooo! Scarlett, you need to visit Dungeness land again! Trust me, this was GOOD! Oops! Did I yell that! The only bad part was the flat tire I came back to! UGH! Thank you Farm Tow! LOL!

I hope you are right about the hotel:) And I bet any reviews we see will be strictly from the lobby and maybe a restaurant restroom.

LOL mtngrl, I know that you are right!

neighborhoodnotes.com/sw/鈥?/a>

Here is a great article about the hotel as well as photos and info on the Being Green part.

I was looking for the name of the architects... our apt building, The Louisa, was an award winning Green building so I was curious if it was the same people.

What a great looking place.. those views!

You are right, I must hurry back to Crab town lol...

reptiles

Inn at Cannon Beach

Hello!

I am looking for a recent review on the Inn at Cannon Beach. Is there still construction going on around the Inn? I plan to be in the area the 1st week in June.

Thanks!

Inn at Cannon Beach

Hi and welcome! Inn at Cannon Beach is a lovely property, I have some photos posted of this Inn on this site. You should call the Inn and ask them about the construction. Enjoy Cannon Beach! www.cannon-beach.net :)

Inn at Cannon Beach

It would appear that none of the regular posters have recent information for you, bluemorningglory.

I did read the most recent reviews from 2008. For the price, you might want to look at other lodging, as this inn would appear to not have ocean views and some rooms are right on busy Hwy 101 :-(

Lincoln City or Newport?

We%26#39;re planning a 3 night trip in April with our 1 and 2 year olds and can%26#39;t decide where we should go. Any suggestions? Of course we want to visit the aquarium, stay in a motel with an indoor pool, oceanview, and a continental breakfast would be great too. Any ideas? Not sure, besides playing on the beach, of what else to do. Thanks in advance!

Lincoln City or Newport?

What is your lodging budget?

Lincoln City or Newport?

We%26#39;d like to be around $115 a night.

Your price is a bit low, even for April. The Whaler might work for you; it is up on a bluff above the beach:

http://www.whalernewport.com/about_us/

I will try to think of others in your price range that have an indoor pool in Newport.

If you are interested in staying a bit south in Yachats (about 30 minutes with a straight road), there is the Yachats Inn, which is oceanfront, indoor pool and very reasonable:

http://www.yachatsinn.com/index.htm

Or, in Lincoln City, the Sea Gypsy might work. Oceanfront, indoor pool:

http://www.theseagypsymotel.com/index.html

Never know what you will find in April for weather.

MOstof motes in Newport are above ocean, great views if oceanfront but not great beach access from rooms

Lincoln City has more motels close to beach. I will let others answer about indooe pools

The La Quinta in South Beach (Newport) is pretty affordable for suites. Their pool is open 24 hours a day too if you have a super-powerful baby monitor. Also within walking distance to Rogue and the Aquarium.

I have also stayed at the La Quinta in South Beach. Was very happy with the place. Seemed like the price was right too.

But no oceanview. Do any La Quinta rooms have a bay view?

Not sure if i put this in my review or not (it%26#39;s been a couple years), but half the rooms view the parking lot and the other half view that little forest between the la quinta and the road. I couldn%26#39;t see the bay from my top floor room. The place next door (yaquina bay lodge?) definitely has a bay view--over the parking lot of rogue.

Turns out my review was on a site other than TA, but here is a relevant passage:

As far as i can tell, all of the rooms are nearly the same size, it%26#39;s just that some of them are layed out differently. So the ones that are ';suites'; have small bedrooms seperate from a small living room, whereas the other rooms are just one giant room with a bed in the corner.

';But here%26#39;s the important part: The smaller the room number, the closer you%26#39;ll be to highway 101, which is quite loud. Also, the even numbered rooms face the parking lot and the odd numbered rooms face a little forest. Based on those factors, the worst room in the place would be #102, and the best room would be #327.

As it turns out, we had a great time here. The pool is open 24 hours a day (again, that%26#39;s close to the smaller numbered rooms if you don%26#39;t like the smell of chlorine) and the breakfast included one of those waffle makers, which is always a nice surprise.

For a monday night in september, the place seemed pretty full--about 80% occupancy or so. So it%26#39;s no wonder they weren%26#39;t accepting any priceline bids.';

Okay, sorry for the multiple posts here. The Inn At Yaquina Bay hasn%26#39;t updated their website since 2007 so I gave them a call. Their weekday rate for April is $65 and their weekend rate is $85. La Quinta is $99 and $109. The Inn at Yaquina has slightly smaller rooms if I remember correctly but I think they also have balconies. Certainly a better view unless you specifically ask for one of the rooms that face the approach to the bridge. I have stumbled to that Inn many times after a long night at the Rogue.

Oregon Coast

Posted on: 3:02 pm, today Report inappropriate post

We are an older couple, 65 and 69, on a fixed income, no interest in shopping, can%26#39;t afford fine dining, or hotels over $100. Very interested in seeing the Oregon Coast. I have read the threads here trying to gleen the best until my eyeballs are bleeding.

Here is what I have come up with so far: September (no set dates)

1.Fly from Charlotte, N.C. to P.D.X., rent car and drive to Troutdale stay at Best Western.

2. Columbia River ';Old Highway'; to The Dalles. Return to Troutdale Best Western Via I-84.

3.Drive to coast via Route 26, visit Ecola State Park, stay Seaside

4. Drive toward Newport, visit Tillamook cheese factory. Take three capes drive, stop at Cape Lookout and Kiwanda. Stay at Econo Lodge in Newport.

5. Stay Newport Econo Lodge, rest, visit Aquarium, sightsee.

6. Drive to Coos Bay stay at The Edgewater Inn. Visit Cape Arago.

7. Drive the ';Incredible'; Coast to Crescent City CA. Stay at Best Western Northwoods Inn.

8. Sightsee: Redwoods National Park. Stay B.W. Northwoods.

9. Drive to Grants Pass via Route 199 to I-5. At Wolf Creek exit and visit town of Golden, return to I-5 to Salem Stay(?) 300 miles (?)

10. Visit State Capitol, see Salem, Visit Silver Falls State Park 4-6 hours, retrun to PDX La Quinta INN.

11. ?? Fly or See ??????

Have I missed anything wonderful on the coast?

Have I allowed enough time for a leisurly trip?

Is there public transportation from the airport to the Japanese Gardens in downtown Portland? I would like to see them but do not want to drive in the city.

I appreciate any and all replies and suggestions.

Oregon Coast

A few thoughts...

The hotels in Troutdale are clustered, sort of like a truck stop area. I don%26#39;t know if you have looked at the Edgefield or not, but it is in your price range and is a great place. Their website is www.mcmenamin.com, then look under hotels, at the Edgefield. It would be my choice over the other hotels in the area, and it fits your budget. Plus you can have meals on site, which are not expensive and are good.

While out in the gorge area, you don%26#39;t need to go all the way out to the Dalles. After the scenic highway and all that has to offer, go to Hood River, explore the town, watch the windsurfers, then head back. You might want to take the old highway again, just because it is so pretty.

When you hit Ecola State Park, don%26#39;t miss Haystack Rock, also in Cannon Beach. If you go at low tide, be sure to check out the tide pools. Many times there are docents there to share their knowledge on all the sea life.

Silver Falls State Park is great. I was born and raised in Salem, so have spent a lot of time there. As far as staying in Salem...eh...not really exciting, but after a long day of driving and doing the falls, it would be a fine place to lay your head for a night.

Yes, you can take MAX up to the zoo, which is next to the Japanese Gardens. You said you are not wanting to drive in the city, but don%26#39;t worry about that. Portland is really easy to get around and very compact.

Oregon Coast

Hey you are not older. just senior. we are 68 and 65.

Pretty good agenda. You will have no trouble filling a day in Newport. And Econo-Lodge is ok. i spent several nights there, was working on my house in area. but when wife goes we stay at Valu-Inn so she can walk beach in morn. costs a bit more.

However I would not stay in Coos Bay. Last Sept we stayed in Bandon at Bandon Inn for well under $100 though wife helped with some negotiations when we made reservation The first team comes out when we talk price. Bandon a great place to spend an evening and morning. Coos Bay a place to sleep.

But get early start when you leave Newport much to see southbound. Yachats to Florence some of best coast there is and then the Dunes are pretty good too south of Florence

There is public transport to Japanese Gardens, but not simple.. Light Rail (MAX) goes from airport downtown, then you need to transfer to right bus. Tri-met has pretty good website to find out which bus. Since you asked question assume you have experience learning public transport in new cities. we sure have. and you should not have trouble just need to check it out.

Phil in oreg

I don%26#39;t want to throw a wrench in the works, but I%26#39;m wondering why you haven%26#39;t planned a stop at Crater Lake. Seems a natural fit into this itinerary.

Thank you so much Mtngrl and Phil for the input. The Edgefield, what a beautiful place, thank you for the link. I had though Troutedale since it seemed easy from the airport. Our flight will not get in until 8 pm and that will be a 4 hour time change (midnight) for us.

Have I allowed enough time for the coast?

Perhaps I should stay somewhere south of Salem on I-5 then drive into the city to see the capitol, then to Silver Falls Park?

No, I am not familiar with public transportation, or travel in cities.

We live so far back in the sticks we get the grand old opery on Sunday afternoon.

Neither am I very familiar with the computer, as this was my first post I hope I have followed the correct procedure to reply to you.

Thank you so much,

krazimomi

Hi Mistletoe, I saw Crater Lake on the map, read the pages, couldn%26#39;t figure out how to get there from Grant%26#39;s Pass, the amount of time to allow, nor an affordable place to stay.

Suggestions?

I fit my name :)

krazimomi

mistletoe is right, you should try to include Crater Lake.

The time difference is only 3 hours, so not quite as bad as you were thinking:) Flying east to west is much easier on your body than the other way, so don%26#39;t worry. The Edgefield is very close to the hotel cluster, but it feels like a world away.

As far as staying in Salem, I can%26#39;t help much with hotels. There are a few that are right where I-5 and HWY 22 intersect (where you would veer off to go to Silver Falls). I have not stayed at those, so I can%26#39;t personally vouch for them, but the location is fine. I would avoid anything near the Lancaster/North end of Salem. If you stay in the area I mention, it is a very short drive in to the Capitol also.

Maybe Chinese Garden better for you within a block or two of light rail. no transfer needed. quite different though not as many growing garden things. sure La Quinta can help you

Do you like capitols?. we do try to visit all we can if within reasonable distance. probably have been to half of them Oregon has a good one.

Anyway Salem ok place to stay, just not that great but neither is anything south for tourist type things.

Consider visiting Oregon Gardens near Silverton and Silver Creek Falls.

Phirl,

Yes, I try to visit the capitol building of each state I pass through, drives my husband nuts, but then everything does except golf. No, please don%26#39;t suggest golf courses in Oregon. He golfs three days a week and this is MY trip :).

I may trade that last Portland day for Crater Lake. A suggestion from Mistletoe, if I can re-figure the itinerary to include it. Thank you for telling me about the gardens near Silverton.

krazimomi

Grand Old Opry. oh yes. we have been to Nashville twice. Once to see C%26amp;W HOF and agian to see new C%26amp;W HOF

I was disappointed in first one too much Elvis, He is a favorite of mine but he was really pop They did a great job on new one showcasing the true C%26amp;W stars. And we did get to Opry live. what a thrill for me. and wife enjoyed it too. Had seat real close to front.

Think Lefty Frizell first C%26amp;W star I ever saw live, in Newport, but maybe it was Maddox Brothers and Rose.

And we have been to Branson. One of my favorites shook my hand, Janie Fricke. and does Mickey Gilley ever put on a great show, yes

Though my favorite live show of all was Porter Waggoner and Dolly Parton when he was first billed. They were a great pair.

Not all of this happened on oregon Coast Though did see Charley Pride and Eddie Rabbit there

I saw Charlie Pride at the WV state fair several years ago, he had a great show. Saw George Jones there last year but his voice is failing and he forgets the lyrics. I drive to Cincinatti once a year to the music hall for the opera. I love all different music from Bluegrass to opera. I met Jack Green and Jeanie Sealy while working in a bar years ago when she had the hit ';Can I Sleep In Your Arms Tonight Mister.'; They were both so nice, drank a lot too :). Jack Greene had a very nice voice but not many hits.

Neighborhood help needed for Portland area

Hi everyone,

My family is considering a move to Portland in the next couple years (from Boston). We are drawn to the area for it%26#39;s many outdoor activities, diversity, beauty, etc. We%26#39;d like to start doing some research now and was hoping for some help on what neighborhoods my be suitable for us. I am 40, my wife is 37, and we have two young sons (under 3). Ideally, we%26#39;d love to find a neighborhood that is safe, convenient, accessible to the city, has some cultural diversity, good schools, and outdoor areas for the kids. From an income perspective, I would consider us middle-class.

We%26#39;ve heard sooo many good things about Portland, and now it%26#39;s time to start making a move happen. Any advice on what areas might be appropriate for us would certainly help us narrow down the choices. It would also give us a better sense for home prices.

Thanks for the help!

Neighborhood help needed for Portland area

You probably know that the forums are designed for travel information, NOT real estate / relocation, since you%26#39;ve been a TA member for three years.

You might check the Oregonian newspaper online for home prices, and there are lots of informational websites about Portland.

lipgloss

Portland-Seattle (Mt. Hood, St. Helen's, Rainier)

As part of our trip we will be driving from Portland to Seattle and would like to see Mt. Hood, St. HElen%26#39;s, Rainier. From the postings on this board, we were thinking while we are in Portland, we could do a day trip to Mt. Hood. Do you have any suggestions on which tour companies to recommend? Then on our way from Portland to Seattle, it was suggested to visit Mt. St. Helen%26#39;s. Which route is the best to take and would we be able to do this without taking a tour. We don%26#39;t have any intentions of hiking or anything, just going to the visitor centers and taking some pictures. What else should we plan to do and how long should we plan to spend there, with leaving enough time to get to Seattle (how long will that take). Then while in Seattle we thought we could take another tour to Mt. Rainier (any suggestions) and how long will this be, there and back. Thank you for any info.

Portland-Seattle (Mt. Hood, St. Helen's, Rainier)

Can%26#39;t help you regarding tour companies. However, it%26#39;s normally a full day outing to do the Mt. Hood loop that includes the Columbia Gorge and a visit to Timberline Lodge (a great lunch stop). It%26#39;s a three-hour ride from Portland to Seattle. Seeing Mt. St. Helens makes it a full day%26#39;s outing also. There are several visitor centers and it%26#39;s absolutely a must that you go all the way to the Johnston Ridge Observatory at the end of the road and see the view from there and the movie. You don%26#39;t say when you%26#39;ll be visiting. The observatory won%26#39;t open until mid-May and winter conditions could prevail for awhile. Snow is quite deep at Timberline, but if you go with a tour company, you won%26#39;t have to worry about the driving.

Portland-Seattle (Mt. Hood, St. Helen's, Rainier)

We will be heading there in August. How far is Mt. St. Helen%26#39;s from Portland and would we be okay doing it on our own. Are there many signs to guide us through to all the areas that we should be going to? Do we have to get out and walk or can we drive and get out when we want to? Is there a certain route we should take from portland to Mt. St. Helen%26#39;s that is the easiest?

I believe its exit 45. Its pretty clearly marked. You need to stop at a few of the visitors ctr to get the most out of it. The last one is the most spectacular.

You turn off I-5 at Castle Rock, which is about an hour north of Portland. From there, it%26#39;s about 45 miles to the observatory. It%26#39;s all good road with lots of great scenery enroute. The first visitor center comes up about 5 miles in and is worth the stop. The next one is also pretty good (you get to walk through a mock-up of a volcano). Although there are a few spots to buy lunch, you%26#39;d be best advised to take along a picnic lunch and make use of the nice picnic areas (or, if it%26#39;s cold, hit the visitor center that has the luncheon counter on your way out and just use their indoor facilities). You won%26#39;t have to do any hiking...just the walks from the parking lots to the centers.

David--close, it is exit #49 :)

But yes, it is clearly marked and very easy to do yourself. Also agree that the movie at Johnston Ridge is a must!!!

I would not opt for doing any tours. You are coming at a good time for all the roads and such, and all 3 mountains are easy enough to do on your own.

gapper, with all due respect, you are making us work very hard in responding to your posts. Some of what you inquire about has been addressed or partly so in your other strings. We lack a cohesiveness to your queries. So...

It would help us to help you if you told us your itinerary as best you know it, on one string, newly titled, including arrival and departure points, sites already chosen, number of days or nights at each site, locations, etc., as best you know this. You should be able to do this with the information provided in prior posts and strings. Our replies then can be couched in reality, and you can intersperse questions at any point within that schedule. And we%26#39;ll feel free, as you asked, to provide suggestions within the context of the entire trip rather than its bits and pieces.

We%26#39;d then be able to better address, for example, how best to visit Mt. Rainier, Seattle, et al, which I covered in an earlier reply, in another string, to you. In that reply, I suggested, perhaps wondered, if you really could, in time available, - or even would want to make a choice - to see each mountain, and suggested priorities. I was trying to get at your schedule; no reply.

For example, above you ask about tours; I think we%26#39;ve addressed this -you don%26#39;t need them. You mention a tour to Mt. Rainier; no need. Plus, from Mt. St. Helens you could spend one night en route to, or at, Mt. Rainier, instead of doubling back from Seattle and blowing a day. But if you don%26#39;t reply to other advice regarding such things, how can we provide what you need?

I missed that you had other strings.

But I do suggest if you plan PDX to SEA in a day. you go to Johnston Ridge first. Unless you like long days. All the visitor centers are interestig and your day can disappear if you dawdle in each. We did that on a day trip from Portland and it was getting late by time we got back.

Stop at the Weyerhauser VC. They have a totally different story. They are managing private timberlands so have different mission than Forest Service which is managing public lands and the natural result of the volcano and let nature take over. I think the comparisons are interesting.

I have a couple of thoughts about other two mountains including not going up close to either, but Columbia Gorge is a must.

Hi Voyaging, I am very sorry. I have been going back and forth reading everything and trying my best not to ask the same questions and I am sorry if I missed some posts and did not reply. I will go over everything again and post as much of my itinerary as I have right now and any suggestions would be great. Thank you for your time. It is truly appreciated.

Forgive me if I am repeating anything others have said--there%26#39;s a lot of threads to read, but gapper, I just wanted to make sure you are aware that good weather is critical to seeing Mt. St. Helens. You will need a clear day in order to really see the mountain. If your don%26#39;t have a clear day, it probably won%26#39;t be worth the drive up to Johnston Ridge because you won%26#39;t be able to see the mountain. Check the forecasts, and you can always stop at the first visitor%26#39;s center off I-5 to see if the ';mountain is out.'; The staff will be able to tell you.

Mt. St. Helens is one of the most impressive sights I have ever seen. Prepare to be amazed! And..to echo the others, you don%26#39;t need a tour to enjoy the sights. It%26#39;s best done at your own pace.

Thank you. I truly hope it is a clear day because we really don%26#39;t have a choice in which day we are going. It is on our way to Seattle and that is the day we have to leave. Thanks for the tip!

conditions and marriage

Portland Perks program- any insight into it?

We are going to be spending a few days around Portland before heading over to Seaside. Last year we booked the Embassy Suites downtown through the Portland Big deal and loved it! It was especially nice that we booked like we would have through the hotel and not pay in advance. I noticed this year with the new Portland Perks program you have to pre-pay. I also noticed that several of the hotels didn%26#39;t have any dates available for July or August. I%26#39;m wondering if it means they haven%26#39;t got dates at all, they%26#39;re not up on the website yet or they just aren%26#39;t part of the program?

Any insight into this new program would be appreciated!

Lisa

hikes to take and things to do

It appears we are pretty set with out itinerary. Now I would appreciate some help with the hikes to take and activities not to miss!

The itinerary is as follows:

2 nights Portland -- go to Mt St Helens

Drive the gorge -- which stops should we make -- waterfalls to hike to? We plant to take the day to do this and end in Hood River for the night

Nest a stop at Timberline and then on to Bend for 2 nights. Go to Sisters and go to the lava chutes -- what else should we do?

the next day drive to Crater lake and do the rim drive. Stay overnight so we can do a morning boat ride.

Then on to Grants Pass for 3 nights. Maybe a stop at Jacksonville and Asheville on the way. Don%26#39;t think we will do a play. Will do a jet boat on the Rogue and a trip to the caves -- and laundry here!

When we leave we will go to Jedidiah State Park -- which hike to do? Fighte 3-4 hours hiking after 2 or so hours driving to get there. Then up the coast to Port Orford. Where should we stop on this part -- or just pretty much drive straight through?

Port Orford is one night -- then up to Yachats for 2. Should we rent Dune Buggies on our own or do the tour? Want to see Heceta lighthouse. What else should we not miss?

Then to Cannon Beach area -- maybe Shaws -- for 2 nights. Should we drive to Astoria? Or are there other things to do here? I know to do the three capes loop.

Back to Portland for the last night before we fly out.

We love handmade things and seeing artists so if there is anything along the way that we should stop at -- please let us know. I am partial to glass artists but we like stone masons and wood workers and metal artists etc. Also places to stop for lunch or a dinner not to be missed. And hiking -- not necessarily all day hikes every day but stopping for a 2 or 3 mile hike to a great place would be great!

Thanks you all for your assistance. I am really looking forward to seeing Oregon!

hikes to take and things to do

Funny that you mention art; I just compiled a short list of my favorite galleries. I know someone will flame me for not suggesting a particular one in Cannon Beach; I think a few of the artists are good, but neither the gallery nor much of the art turns me on. There are several glass and metal galleries, including Cannon Beach, Newport and other towns.

Finer galleries along the Oregon Coast.

Freed (Lincoln City), Triad (Seal Rock/Windermere Office), Lawrence (Salishan), Earthworks (Yachats).

Unsure why Grant%26#39;s Pass for 3 nights.

Three Capes Loop: If hiking, sure; if just sightseeing, unsure if it%26#39;s worth the time with all other sights to see along this beautiful coast.

These websites will help with your planning. They are quite descriptive and will help narrow your choices, especially for the hikes.

Oregon Coast

http://www.oregoncoasttravel.net/

www.visittheoregoncoast.com

Newport, OR (Florence is nice also, for its old town along the water, but Newport offers quite a bit more.)

http://discovernewport.com/

Yachats/Cape Perpetua (fabulous)

fs.fed.us/r6/鈥?/a>

OR Coast Lighthouses http://www.nwcoast.com/lighthouses/oregon.asp

Columbia River Gorge

http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/columbia/

http://www.spectacularoregon.com/

Silver Falls State Park (only if you can squeeze it in)

http://www.silvertonor.com/

Crater Lake National Park

http://www.nps.gov/crla/

Oregon, Central (Quite an interesting area as you will read and see.)

http://www.visitbend.com/

hikes to take and things to do

The Oregon Caves are on your way to Jedidiah. Not sure why you%26#39;d want to make a day trip there and back to Grants Pass. Oh, and it%26#39;s Ashland, not Ashville.

Don%26#39;t rent dune buggies. Too dangerous. Let them take you. There is also nice hiking around Heceta Head, but you might not have time; you definitely want to do Cape Perpetua.

Glass blowing - lots south of Newport. Google: glass blowing newport oregon.

Didn%26#39;t I give you info about hikes/drives around Crescent City?

Lots of nice day use parks with short hikes in Samuel Boardman SP. Why Port Orford?

Why 3 nights Grants Pass?

Dune buggy rides are near Florence, not Yachats, but on the way. Also in Winchester Bay.

Voyaging gave you the lighthouse link above.

I think Syrahgirl talked her into staying someplace near Grants Pass.

Perish the thought, oregonpoppa! :-)

Re: Columbia River Gorge - voyaging has given you the website:

Take the scenic highway-Be sure to stop at the Vista House. Stop at each of the waterfalls. Most have short walks to the falls. There is a trail from Wahkeena Falls to Multnomah Falls, but it is mostly through the woods, not all that exciting IMO.

If you are feeling ambitious, hike to the top of Multnomah Falls, if not, at least hike up to the bridge. Eagle Creek is a good hike, but longer.

Suggest that you rent bicycles in Hood River and do the Twin Tunnels trail to Mosier. Or you can hike from Mosier up to the tunnels and back. About 2 mi RT.

Definitely hike to the top of Multnomah Falls. It doesn%26#39;t take that long and to see it from above pretty cool, IMO.

Another one in the gorge that we really like is Triple Falls. Only takes a couple hours and is quite scenic.

I agree with the other locals, I would not opt for 3 nights in Grants Pass.

In Bend there is so much to do! High Desert Museum, Lava Caves, Lava Butte (the paths at the bottom, the visitors center, and also drive to the top...all 3 are really good), loads of hiking in the area, white water rafting on the Deschutes, canoeing, etc. So two days will just barely scratch the surface.

I no lie...halfBrit...see this response to kapmap from syrahgirl on March 18:

Posted on: 11:57 am, March 18, 2009

Sounds good, we have done the jet boats on the Rogue River serveral times. Our favorite place to stay in Grant%26#39;s Pass is the Weaksu Inn, we have stayed twice in the River Cabins in the back of the property. This is a historic property and very nice, it backs up to the Rogue River, check out their website, www.weaskuinn.com Have fun! :)

Actually I was thinking Grants Pass before Syrahgirl. I chose it for location -- it will be about an hour shorter driving when we leave to go to the redwoods and it is on the Rogue River. We were not really interested in seeing a play and I thought we could stop in Ashland and Jacksonville on the way. Also, it was more difficult to find lodging in Ashland -- the places were already filling up. I did consider Jacksonville and there were a couple of places there to stay that were open and reasonable in price.

Port Orford is also for location -- after hiking at Josiah Park we were going to start up the Oregon coast -- The choices seem to be Brookings, Gold Beach or Port Orford -- I was thinkint it would take between 2 and 3 hours to get that far after hiking -- didn%26#39;t think we would want to drive more than that. Gold Beach did not have a place to stay that was under $200 a night and I did not want to spend that much. Another option would be to stop at Brookings -- and then drive to Yachats the next day -- how long is that drive? Would that be a better option?

Would it be better to stay in Florence over Yachats?

With limited time, we can%26#39;t do everything. Ideally, we would have more stops along the coast for 2-3 days each -- but we can%26#39;t take that much time away from work. I was trying to get diversity and balance in this. But the reservations are not yet made so I can change this if it would be better to do so.

Thank you

So y%26#39;all think we should do 3 nights Bend instead? 2 nights Jacksonville or Grants Pass and one night where -- Brookings or Port Orford -- then Florence or Yachats or even Newport?? Or should we not go as far north as Cannon City -- maybe just Otis or Newport or Depoe Bay? Perhaps doing a bit less of the coast would have it feeling less rushed.

I%26#39;d cut a night from Grants Pass and do 2 nights in Gold Beach and do the jet boat trip on the Rogue there.

And as had been mentioned, you%26#39;ll go by the caves on the way to the coast from Grants Pass.

I%26#39;d definitely stick with Yachats over Florence. Don%26#39;t miss Cape Perpetua south of there.

depoe bay memory test

years ago north of depoe bay was a motel? that had a teepee on the front lawn and an indican named chief depoe who would tell stories etc etc to the guests-----------------what was the name of this place

depoe bay memory test

You got me. I can%26#39;t even remember the place. and i have been around near Depoe Bay most of my life.

depoe bay memory test

phirl

You got me. I can%26#39;t even remember the place. and i have been around near Depoe Bay most of my life.%26gt;%26gt;

it was right next to hwy 101-- and it was close enough that we used to walk into depoe bay -- i think they also had campgrounds for rent

I was just there this past week and don%26#39;t remember seeing a teepee on a front lawn.

zacharysmommy

I was just there this past week and don%26#39;t remember seeing a teepee on a front lawn. %26gt;%26gt;

the place was torn down -- dont know what replaced it-

Lougee, can you remember which side of the highway it was on? There was an RV park just to the north, where the Worldmark is today. We used to stay there a lot, but I don%26#39;t remember any teepee.

Chief Depoe died in 1997, but I think his son still makes appearances at the Salmon Bake.

Phirl, I figured you know the answer!

I couldn%26#39;t find info on the motel, but I did fine a bit of history of Depoe Bay:

centralcoastjournal.com/db_history/db_histor鈥?/a>

centralcoastjournal.com/db_history/db_histor鈥?/a>

Okay, here is a better link....the entire article:

centralcoastjournal.com/db_history/index.htm

half-Brit

Lougee, can you remember which side of the highway it was on? There was an RV park just to the north, where the Worldmark is today. We used to stay there a lot, but I don%26#39;t remember any teepee. %26gt;%26gt;%26gt;

it was on the ocean side as you drove south on 101-

they had a big house with a lot of rooms that we used to rent with the family during the holidays

havent been there in years so i dont know anything about worldmark location-- i do remember that driving south there was a stark looking multi floored condo?? also on the right just before before we got to the place

PDXWineauxs

thanks for the link -- nothing there on the motel-- i did google the chief but that didnt lead me any further on my mystery quest

half-Brit

There was an RV park just to the north, where the Worldmark is today. We used to stay there a lot,

did chief depoe tell his stories there??

do you remember the name of the rv park you stayed at

Trip to Portland OR, Forks WA and Seattle WA 11/14-11/16/08

Hello, Thanks to everyones that helped from the Portland, Forks %26amp; Seattles forums our Trip was awesome!!

This trip was inpired by book and movie Twilight..I%26#39;m a very big fan ;)

We flew from San Francisco CA at 7am and arrived to Portland OR 9am. Rented a car at Dollar and started our road trip. First stop was breakfast at McDonalds. Took the 84 east and stopped at the Multonomah Falls...absolutely beautiful!! After spening about an hour there we drove up to Vista House...Wow!! The Gorge River is huge! Next we drove to Point View Inn and took pictures. An employee there,which I dont remember the name, gave us a tour and explained the whole filming experience. After we decided to drive around Portland a bit before we started to head out to Forks WA. I got to say I LOVED portland, I enjoyed all the green...by the way the weather was great, no rain, only sunshine!! At about 1pm we decided to start driving towards Forks WA because we were told that it was a 5 hour drive and I wanted to enjoy the areas while we still had daylight.

We took highway 5 north and found a town where the High School scene was filmed and found it. We stopped and took pics. Again, another awesome employee there took the time to share his experience while Twilight was being filmed. It was very exciting to see the actual school and the cute town. At about 2:30 we got back on the road and enjoyed the drive...Wow what a drive!!.. It got dark on us about an hour before we arrived to Forks...the drive was sooo smooth the whole way. We got to Forks at about 6pm since it is a small town we were able to find the motel quickly. We stayed at the Pacific Inn...the rooms were great but most important, clean! We went to find something to eat and found a burger place. We decided to hang out in room and relax from the long drive and watched TV...zzzz

When we got up we went to explore the town, with only about 3000 people we covered the town pretty fast. We stopped at the commerce of chamber and of course they had all the Twilight information we needed. They gave us a map and we found each place fairly easy. Bella%26#39;s house, Bellas truck, Forks High School, Dr. Carlisle parking spot at the hospital...but keep in mind that none of the movie was actually filmed at Forks but the book is based on the town... It was all filmed in Oregon.

Next we decided to visit La Push beach...Our hightlight of the day!! It is breath taking... and the weather was great, no rain or clouds only sunshine...we got very lucky with the weather thru our whole trip. It was about 3pm when we thought of going back to Forks but decided to drive the opposite way towards Port Angeles...another place that the book talks about...it was a 50 minute drive and a fun one too... all green and we drove right by Lake Cresent. Once we arrive to Port Angeles we decided to look for the movie theater that Bella went to with Jacob and Mike. We found it! and found the bookstore and also found the restaurant ';Bella Italia';. We ended watching a movie...Wooo pretty old theater :)Drove back to forks and got back to Motel at about 9pm...zzzz time

We got up pretty early and left the motel at about 7am...we didnt want to catch traffic and not knowing how the Ferry worked I decided that it was better to be early than to be late. we got to Brainbridge Island Ferry at about 10am and was at Seattle side by 11am. Drove all around Seattle, which reminded me so much of San Francisco, drove to the Space Needle Tower and ended up at the Pike Place Market...fun place...Drove back to the car rental to return the car and went to airport and flew out at about 7:30pm....

This was sooo much fun...we did alot of driving which I dont mind because I love to site-see...Cant wait to go back. Maybe next time I will stay a night in Portland and explore the area more....

Thanks to everyone who helped out on my planing, everything turned out even better than planned.

Trip to Portland OR, Forks WA and Seattle WA 11/14-11/16/08

Now I have to see the movie :)

Thanks for an excellent report!

Trip to Portland OR, Forks WA and Seattle WA 11/14-11/16/08

Sounds fun, we saw Twilight a couple of nights ago, thanks for the report! :)

There were also scenes filmed at Madison High School in Portland.....my old high school.

Sounds like you had a great time. The Viewpoint Inn is fabulous, isn%26#39;t it! It is a historic site as well.

The Gorge is, well, gorgeous! The Columbia River, which runs through it, is facinating. It starts out as a small river and as it winds its way through Washington, down to the gorge, through Portland and on to the Pacific Ocean, it keeps increasing in width.

I cannot recall the name of one of the restaurant, in Oregon, that was used in the film.....they left the actual name in the scenes, which has brought lots of attention to them, hey free PR!

Glad to hear that the trip was a magical one for you!

%26gt;%26gt;I cannot recall the name of one of the restaurant, in Oregon, that was used in the film.....they left the actual name in the scenes,...%26lt;%26lt;

syrahgirl, you saw the movie, did you notice the name of the restaurant?

Nice TR, monkey00 and glad you had good weather!

Mtngrl saw the movie last week so she probably knows the name, although, she lives in Oregon so she probably knows it anyway..lol...

. . . and she%26#39;ll probably answer, lol!

Did you hear we%26#39;re having beautiful weather here, Scarlett? Drizzled all day yesterday, but we had nearly a week of sunshine and today is lovely :-)

Not sure the ski resorts care much for it, though.

%26lt;%26lt;Not sure the ski resorts care much for it, though.%26gt;%26gt;

I%26#39;m one of those who doesn%26#39;t care for it. ;-) I am so done with the sun...bring on the cool, cloudy days with snow on the mountain!!! Please!!!!!

PS...I am a local....yet as mentioned...I cannot recall the Oregon restaurant included in the movie. Rats, hate it when that happens!

LOL, yes, I know the answer:) The Carver Cafe. The funny thing is, DH and DS go there often after fishing.

I was so glad to see your trip report. I saw the movie last weekend, and DD just saw it for the 3rd time when we were up in the Seattle area the last couple of days. We are both reading the books too.

The View Point Inn is beautiful and the location is stunning! The elementary school in Corbett was also used in filming, as well as Oxbow Park (near the gorge, and a great place on a hot summer day).

My DH used to spend time every summer in La Push, so the movie caught his attention a bit.

You sure did a lot on a short amount of time:) I have lived in a couple areas of WA, but the Olympic Peninsula is so unique and different from the rest. It truly is a gem!

half-brit--We just got back this morning from Seattle...very rainy there yesterday. But I loved being back there!