Portland and the Coast

My husband and I are traveling to Portland mid July with 10yo daughter. Does anyone have any recommendations on things to do while in Portland? I would like to go to Multnomath Falls and perhaps to Timberline Lodge. Is the lodge worth staying at for a night? The pictures reminded me of the Wilderness Lodge at Disney World. We would also like to go to the coast for 4 or 5 days. Which is better, Seaside or Newport? We would like sight seeing and a little beach. We will be there a total of 8 days and this is our first trip. Thanks

Portland and the Coast

Are you flying into and staying in Portland?

You can stay in town and do day trips, the Falls %26amp; Gorge drive can easily be done in a day.. it is only about a 30 min drive from downtown Portland.

The Coast is a 90 minute drive from downtown Portland and can be a day trip too .. or staying overnight, remember that the hotels require a 2 night minimum and you need to book soon.

I think Cannon Beach or South is good.. Your 10 year old can have fun for a day in Seaside but I would not want to stay there the whole time.

So Newport would be my choice ..

Are you coming for business or strictly vacation?

What made you choose Portland?

I will post lists for things to do/see in Portland.. do you have a hotel yet?

Hotels

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Things to do ..

Take the Streetcar in town

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If you want another very nice day trip..Sauvie Island

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The Museums

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Japenese and Chinese Gardens

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Portland and the Coast

Thank you for the info. We are flying in to Portland and will rent a car. I have a family member moving to Portland in June and we are coming to visit her and her husband (starting med school residency). We have never been to the Pacific Northwest, so we are really excited. We travel a fair amount, but mostly to the east coast. We would like to stay in Portland a day or two on the front and back of the trip and spend the middle of the week on the coast.

Our visit is strictly vacation.

So you are staying with the relative? that is great ..

There is plenty to do in town for a couple of days and then take off for the Coast. I still think the Gorge trip is best as a day trip.

Just keep in mind, the beach/water can be cold , grey, damp .. or sunny . Bring windbreakers and sweats and jeans etc just in case. We have left a hot sunny day in town and needed sweaters in Cannon Beach.. I like the trip from Cannon south on 101 the best .. stopping in Manzanita and on ..

There are plenty of posters here that know the Coast like the back of their hands... I hardly got to see enough of it when we lived there and I reeeally miss it these days :)

You could do 3 days in town, 2 at one beach, 2 at another then 3 last days in town.

Have fun planning..

Look at www.pova.com

you can see what is going on when you are there ..

Between Seaside and Newport... I definitely prefer Newport. The Oregon Coast Aquarium would be fun for your 10yo. The Bayfront is interesting to wander, gawk, and shop. Nye Beach is clean with good restaurants and (mostly) friendly laid-back people.

You could visit Timberline and Mt Hood for a day, it%26#39;s a pretty drive.

%26gt;%26gt;Which is better, Seaside or Newport?%26lt;%26lt;

Well depends on what you like, LOL!

Both will be busy in mid-July, and whichever town you choose, be sure to make hotel bookings as soon as you can.

Seaside tends to attract a lot of families with children, as there is a carnival-type atmosphere, the Prom, a small aquarium and lots of shops in a central area. It is quite honestly, terrifically congested in the summer. You can drive from there to Astoria and across the bridge to Cape Disappointment which has a wonderful Lewis %26amp; Clark interpretive center, or visit upscale Cannon Beach.

Newport is a fairly large town, with two lighthouses, the bay (tours are nice), one of the Top 10 Aquariums in the US, and many lovely places to see nearby. Yachats, a town about 25 miles south of Newport, has Cape Perpetua, a covered bridge, Devil%26#39;s Churn, a blow-hole and great hiking.

Many folks stay in Yachats as it%26#39;s quieter, and drive to Newport to visit during the day.

Newport is about 3 to 3.5 hours from Portland via the fastest route.

In Portland, OMSI and the zoo would be good. Scarlett listed some great places as well.

Timberline Lodge is really interesting, but nothing like the Wilderness Lodge, IMO. You can easily do the gorge and the loop around to include Timberline in a day trip from Portland, but if you want to hike at all and really take your time, a night would be good at Timberline.

I much prefer Newport to Seaside. Did you look at Cannon Beach at all? That is where we usually head since it is closer than Newport for us. We live in a SW suburb of Portland and it takes us 90 minutes to get to Cannon Beach and just under 2 1/2 hours to Newport.

To support the preceding good ideas:

Oregon Coast

www.visittheoregoncoast.com

Newport, OR (as noted, lots to do/see here)

http://discovernewport.com/

www.aquarium.org

Yachats/Cape Perpetua (Fabulous views and landforms, as noted above.)

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I agree with the others that Seaside and Newport are two different places. Personally, I rarely go to Newport. Not because I do not like it, I do....it is just too far to drive for me. I am one of those ';are we there yet'; car travelers. LOL! I hate car travel.

Anyway, both are wonderful spots, for their own reasons. Yes, Seaside tends to be ';younger';. Newport, in my opinion, is for those who are either adults only...or if they have kids, they are looking for the Marine Center experience.

I always loved being their as an adult without kids.

As a kid, my parents did take me there, it was fun....we would hit Agate Beach and stay at the Agate Beach Hilton (I have no clue what it is called now....*sigh* tells you that I need to get back down there again soon.)

No matter what part of the Oregon coast you stay in, you will have a fabulous time! Each area has its own charm!

%26lt;%26lt;We live in a SW suburb of Portland and it takes us 90 minutes to get to Cannon Beach %26gt;%26gt;

Really? For some reason, I thought you were on the west side of Portland? It takes me 90 minutes to get from my house to the Seaside/Cannon Beach split at Hwy 101....and I am on the far east side of Portland.

I have left a the home of a friend in Beaverton and hit the hotel, at the coast, within 60 minutes.

Bottomline, PDX to the coast...FAST!!! LOL! Not like the east coast....Lordy, I remember doing the Boston to Martha%26#39;s Vineyard trip. Never again, never again!