Help with itinerary

First time visitors to Oregon and the amount of information is staggering. I have been planning this trip for months so hopefully I have got it right. We don%26#39;t want to book accommodation in advance but this is what we have decided so far.We are leaving Whitefish,MT on 7th September and will probably stay overnight in Lewiston,ID. Using this route because we will be coming from Seattle %26amp; Spokane so don%26#39;t want to go back to Spokane.

8th September - Umatilla

9th %26amp; 10th - Hood River (Columbia River Gorge)

11th - Troutdale - after doing Mt Hood loop.

12th - Newport

13th %26amp; 14th - Coos Bay area

15th - Crescent City

16th %26amp; 17th - Grants Pass (for Crater Lake)

We have to be in San Francisco by 19th so will be a straight run down I5. Does this sound okay? Open to any suggestions and changes but we don%26#39;t want to drive any more than 200 mls per day. Thanks everyone.

Help with itinerary

We don%26#39;t want to drive any more than 200 mls per day: Grants Pass to San Francisco is almost 400 miles. We%26#39;re doing the Ca. and Oregon Coast Part of your trip in reverse beginning tomorrow! The run from SF to Grants Pass is around 6 hours depending on traffic in the bay area. Crescent City to San Francisco is more scenic drive and takes about 6 hours (depending on traffic) too.

Help with itinerary

I meant Crescent City to San Francisco on 101.

Is there a reason you picked Coos Bay as your main coast stop? It is not on the beach and is really a former lumber mill town.

Also - why Troutdale? It might be fun to see downtown Portland and the waterfront there.

I would recommend Bandon just south of Coos Bay.

Otherwise, it%26#39;s a beautiful trip.

Hello, bearhug, well, you%26#39;ll be covering a lot of territory in your trip!

Perhaps you can give us a bit more info about your likes/dislikes? That would help us help you. I too was wondering why you%26#39;re skipping Portland?

And will also agree that Coos Bay is one of the less scenic areas of the coast. Perhaps we could suggest a more scenic stop?

If you don%26#39;t want to book ahead, just be aware that you might not find vacancy at the upscale oceanfront hotels, particularly on a weekend. If you%26#39;re not planning on staying at one anyway, or don%26#39;t mind older, smaller motels in town, then you should have no problem finding lodging.

Be sure to visit our Stonehenge at Maryhill in the Gorge!

p.s. We visited the Mary Rose in 2006 - incredible!

Okay everyone,thanks for your suggestions. I will answer your questions first. We chose Troutdale because we live in a big city and this trip we will be visiting Seattle and San Francisco so thought we would skip Portland but if you think we would regret that maybe we should think again. Coos Bay a bad idea? Definitely prefer scenic so is Bandon a better choice? We prefer the Mom %26amp; Pop motels so it sounds as though we won%26#39;t have a problem there.Is Grants Pass the best place to stay for visiting Crater lake? OH and I are both from Ireland although we now live in England and your coastline looks a lot like Ireland. Ah, feeling homesick now!!

Troutdale has a charming little downtown ';Main Street'; area. There is not a lot to do, so if you simply want to relax, this would work. If you want some nightlife, you%26#39;d be better off going another 12 miles to downtown Portland. Of course, as mentioned, it is only a 20-25 minute drive, on I-84 at non-rush hour times, so you can do both.

Hi! Welcome to Oregon

A definite yes to Bandon instead of Coos Bay. There are no views in Coos Bay and Bandon is a beautiful small town right on the beach.

Troutdale is primarily a truck stop town on the freeway with a very, very small downtown and an outlet mall. Perhaps you were planning to stay at McMenamin%26#39;s Edgefield Lodge - a former poor house now all fixed up. That can be a fun place to be and you could drive into Portland.

I would recommend seeing Portland - not necessarily for nightlife, but to walk along the river and ride the trolley. Try to stay at a motel fairly near the river. I think you%26#39;ll find that it doesn%26#39;t have the feel of a really big city and is worth visiting.

Be sure when you go to Crescent City that you make into south into the redwoods if you can. They are something to behold.

I suggest you look into Shady Cove for your stop near Crater Lake. You will be much closer and on a beautiful river. However Grants Pass is fine.

I will suggest you spend two nights in Newport, and one night in Bandon. Or, if you like really small towns (pop 600), spend two nights in Yachats instead of Newport. Far quieter, more scenic. You can still drive up to Newport if you%26#39;d like, as it%26#39;s only 30-35 minutes on a straight road.

Reagrding lodging, there are several less expensive motels in Yachats, some on the oceanfront; suggest the Wayside Lodge. In Newport, look at Newport City Center Motel for the best value, or the Waves for a good ocean view at a very reasonable price.

Many people like the LaKris in Bandon for a good bargain. In Crescent City, I always suggest the Crescent Beach Motel since it%26#39;s on the beach and fairly priced.

I think you%26#39;ll be fine not booking ahead - just some ideas to tuck away ;-)

Thanks everyone for all your help. You have certainly given me a lot of ideas and we are definitely going to stay 1 night at least in Portland. Any thoughts on lodging there preferably within walking distance of the waterfront?