Last-minute Oregon trip -- Please help with itinerary!

Hi,

My husband and I are headed to Oregon next week, and we need some help finalizing our itinerary. Here%26#39;s what we%26#39;ve mapped out so far. My main concern is that it%26#39;s overly ambitious and will involve more driving than exploring. Thanks in advance for any help!

Friday: Arrive Portland

Saturday: Walking tour of Portland in the morning; 2-hour drive to Cannon Beach, stay somewhere along coast that night -- Rockaway Beach?

Sunday: Explore coast, check out Tillamok, head to Willamette Wine country. Stay in Dundee?

Monday, June 15: Explore Dundee, maybe by bike?

Tuesday, June 16: Dundee --%26gt; Mt. Hood area, Bonneville Hot Springs, stay at Skamania Lodge? https://reservations.synxis.com/XBE/Rez.aspx…

Wednesday, June 17:

Hike around Columbia gorge, head back to Portland

Thursday, June 18: leave Portland

Last-minute Oregon trip -- Please help with itinerary!

You%26#39;re right to be concerned about the too much driving thing. So, I%26#39;d suggest sticking with the area around Cannon Beach for your coastal visit. Plenty around there to keep you occupied (Ecola State Park, the town and beach itself, Hug Point %26amp; Oswald West State Parks), and it%26#39;s not as if driving the coast south to Tillamook will save you any time getting to wine country. Aside from the late booking, problem might be a 2-night minimum stay in Cannon Beach.

Except for wineries, there%26#39;s little to ';explore'; in/around Dundee, and bicycles don%26#39;t really make sense for that. I don%26#39;t know anyone who%26#39;s ever been cited, but know you can be pulled over for RUI. ;-) Another issue.... lots of wineries don%26#39;t open on Mondays, the bulk of their business coming on the weekends. So, check before going. And one other thought... most wineries don%26#39;t open before 11:00am, so if the 2-night minimum on the coast turns out to be a problem, cut back the wine country stay to 1 night, if that even.

I don%26#39;t think I need to advise that you should be booking reservations ASAP?

Last-minute Oregon trip -- Please help with itinerary!

Sat... Cannon Beach is about 90 minutes from downtown Portland. Did mistletoe mention minimums? Unless they are not as prevalent farther south.. and you also need to book ahead now, summer crowds etc.

Dundee is about 30 minutes from downtown Portland.. why bother? Wine area is a good day trip.. have a nice dinner at one of the good restaurants.. stay the night in Portland.. this cuts down on time wasted packing moving/ packing , moving.

Wed.. good.. a day devoted to the Gorge and hiking etc ..

So I agree, too much driving and hotel hopping.. you can base in Portland for everything but the Coast .. and probably Mt Hood.

Weekends on the oreg coast can be quite busy. Us locals go then. If you don%26#39;t have room now you may not find a good one. though Rockaway Beach is possible i guess. any way you should find out

Scarlett has good idead do Dundee Carlton from Portland. Not sure what Dundee has for overnight. McMinnville and Newberg have places.

I agree with everyone else. The best accomodations on the coast might already be taken. So, unless you don%26#39;t have your heart set on oceanfront....

If you book at Skamania, which is a very nice property, they do have bicycles that they lend to the guests. You will also have to cross over a toll bridge to reach the Oregon side. Unless you are dead set on staying a night in the gorge, it will be an easy day trip from Portland as well to see all the sights.

Have you considered maybe moving the coast portion of your itinerary towards the end? Go during the week when it is apt to be a little less crowded and rooms a bit more readily available? Wine country I am sure would have to be done on the weekend, and while it can get crowded, if you are doing the gorge for a day trip, it shouldn%26#39;t be horrible on the weekend. Just a thought.

Yikes, next week!

Saturday night in June at the coast? Forget Cannon Beach, but Rockaway Beach may have something as there are a lot of rooms there and it%26#39;s just that little tick farther from Portland. It%26#39;s not a charming place, rather it%26#39;s a long string of a town, but it does have a nice beach :-)

Thanks so much for the excellent feedback -- this board is invaluable!

Based on your recommendations, we have decided to revise our itinerary, especially in regards to the first leg of the trip. Here%26#39;s what we%26#39;re looking at now:

Friday: Arrive Portland (11pm)

Saturday: Walking tour of Portland in the morning; check out Saturday Market; stay in downtown Portland Sat night (any recommendations for a budget-friendly hotel or B%26amp;B?)

Sunday: Drive to Newburg %26amp; visit wineries in the area, either by car or bike (check with Newburg Bicycle Shoppe for possible rentals); stay in Newburg or McMinnville that night

B%26amp;Bs with possible availability:

Dream Giver%26#39;s Inn, Lion%26#39;s Gate Inn, Springbrook Hazelnut Farm, University House of Newburg

(Any opinions on those places?)

Monday: Drive to Mount Hood; hike Mt. Hood

Bonneville Hot Springs, stay at Skamania Lodge?

(Skamania seems somewhat remote. Any other thoughts on where to stay in the Mt Hood area?)

Tuesday: Explore the Columbia gorge; head back to Portland in the afternoon; stay in Portland that night (again, any recs?)

Wednesday: Spend more time in Portland or make a day trip to the coast

Thursday: Depart Portland

Thanks again for all the insight. If you all have any thoughts on places to stay (I know I need to make reservations stat!) in the areas mentioned above, I%26#39;d really, really appreciate it. Thanks again! Looking forward to a great trip!

I wonder if you%26#39;re not throwing the baby out with the bath water, here. The coast is the best reason to visit Oregon, and if you haven%26#39;t yet seen it.....

So, I%26#39;d suggest choosing between Portland or wine country for Saturday night, then Sunday and Monday nights at the coast (easier finding a place to stay than on a Saturday night).

I know I made light of bicycling wine country yesterday, but the truth is, except for an organized ride, it%26#39;s likely you won%26#39;t see anyone else cycling. Roads are heavily trafficked and/or narrow; not to mention the hills. I%26#39;m not familiar with any of the B%26amp;Bs you list. The most often recommended on this forum are probably Black Walnut Inn and Youngberg Hill. For a more unique Pacific Northwest experience, check out Hotel Oregon in McMinnville.

One other thought... Portland Farmers Market is one of the best in the country. Plug that in on Saturday morning if it%26#39;s of interest: http://www.portlandfarmersmarket.org/ .

Hi and welcome.

Riding a bicycle in wine country here is not anything like doing so in DC or California....I really would not recommend it for safety reasons. The roads are VERY narrow and winding in our rural wine region with very steep drop-offs. Though our cities are very well appointed for cyclists in general, that isn%26#39;t the case for outlying areas, in my opinion.

As for options for lodging in the Gorge, Hood River might work for you.

Here%26#39;s a thought . . . Sun night in McMinnville / somewhere.

Monday drive to coast - head north on Hwy 47 through Yamhill, Gaston, Forest Grove, then take Hwy 6 to Tillamook. Drive north on Hwy 101 to Astoria, overnight there. Astoria is not on the ocean, it%26#39;s on the river, but there *should* be lodging available either in B%26amp;B%26#39;s or hotels - there is a wide range. You%26#39;d see Tillamook Bay, some great scenery, stop into Cannon Beach along the way.

Next day, drive back to Portland via either Hwy 26 or Hwy 30. Then continue with your other locations.