Portland to Seattle trip

Hi there,

My husband and I are looking to plan a trip to Portland and the Pacific Northwest some time in August or early September. We were thinking of flying into Portland and out of Seattle, renting a car and driving in between. We%26#39;re hoping to get in Mt. Hood, Crater Lake, some vineyards and the Oregon coast, before heading to Seattle. Does anyone have some sample itineraries with where to base ourselves and how long to spend in a specific place?

Thanks!

Portland to Seattle trip

How long do you have for your visit?

Crater Lake is far from anything; the rest are in a relatively compact area. Have you thought about Mt St Helens?

Portland to Seattle trip

You don%26#39;t say how much time you have to spend.

If you are going to do Mt. Hood, I suggest combining it with a day trip to the Columbia River Gorge to visit the waterfalls, Bonneville Dam, Hood River valley, etc.

HB mentioned Mt. St. Helen%26#39;s. I consider this another must. It is on the way to Seattle (would make for a long day) or you could do as a day trip from Portland.

Again, agree with HB, Crater Lake really isn%26#39;t near anything that you are interested in visiting. Unless you want to plan on spending some time in Bend. But, with your other interests, I don%26#39;t think that is practical, but hard to say not knowing how much time you have to spend.

I am sure one of the many wine experts in residence would be happy to help you out with some advice on combining wine country and the Oregon coast.

Thanks. We haven%26#39;t fully figured it out, but I think we%26#39;ll have at least a week to 10 days. I%26#39;m wondering if the best way is to be based in Portand for a few days and do side trips, or if we should plan our out-of-city visits as part of the trip to Seattle.

I keep forgetting Crater Lake is south of Portland! So I guess that isn%26#39;t convenient to visit.

I think with 10 days you would have time to see most of the places on your list.

Here%26#39;s my suggestions: Portland 1 or 2 days.

Drive from Portland to the coast down hiway 18 - thru wine country to Lincoln City. (1 day)

Go south along the Oregon Coast as far as Reedsport,(1-2 days) then go east on hiway 138/38 to Roseburg. Continue east to Crater Lake.(1 Day) Take hiway 97 north to the Bend area,(1-2 days) continue toward Mt. Hood on Hiway 26, stopping at Timberline, then take hiway 35 to Hood River(1 day) and return to Portland via the Scenic Gorge Hiway.(1 day)

Head north toward Seattle, visit Mt. St. Helens. (This can be a day trip from Portland, or on your way to Seattle) Spend 2 to 3 days in the Seattle area.

I guess that adds up to 9-12 days, but doable IMO.

Other option would be to skip Crater Lake and Bend and concentrate on The Gorge, the Oregon Coast, Mt. St. Helens. plus Portland and Seattle.