1 day - Columbia River Gorge?

I will be in Portland for business next week and am considering staying the Friday night, to spend Saturday as a tourist.

I was thinking about driving out to the Gorge and perhaps taking this route:

www.columbiariverhighway.com/Mt_Hood_Loop.pdf

How long would this take? Would you recommend it? As I%26#39;d be driving alone, I would need sufficient stops to take in the scenery. Is it a difficult (very windy) drive?

I believe I am staying downtown (haven%26#39;t booked travel arrangements yet).

I have never been to the Northwest before. Do you think my day would be better spent? If so, what would you recommend?

(I love food, culture, history, nature, shopping...)

1 day - Columbia River Gorge?

If you decide that the Loop will take too much time or the weather is not quite as good as it could be.. you can cut down the drive to just the Gorge.. going on the Old Historic Highway, which is just wonderful and scenic and stop at all the overlooks, driving through the deep green forests past one waterfall after another. You will most likely want to get out of the car at most of the falls, Bridal Veil Falls , you have to park and walk to see, so it can be a good day trip just doing that.

Coming home ( back to Portland) you get on 84 and zip right back into town ..

This way you get to see the beautiful of the Gorge/Falls and still have a little time to shop and enjoy being in Portland.

Downtown is good, you can get around easily and quickly and there are so many good places to eat, shop and browse.

Enjoy your trip :)

1 day - Columbia River Gorge?

If you haven%26#39;t yet booked accommodations, you might have a problem, as next Saturday (June 6) is the Rose Festival Parade. Big deal around here; lotsa people; parade route through downtown. It could make getting out to the Gorge a bit more difficult for you, so you might just hang around town and participate in the fun.

With all that is going on in Portland, you might consider spending your extra night outside the city core, if you aren%26#39;t able to manage to find something else.

On that note, right now is absolutely goregous in the gorge. I was out there last weekend, and the wildflowers are really blooming. Thought to myself, in another week or two they are really going to be at their peak.

The drive is super easy. The old highway does get a bit narrow and windy, but nothing horrible. Most people are going kind of slow and gawking anyway, LOL! Lots of places to stop, either for scenic views or checking out some waterfalls. Many very easy hikes along the way.

Depending on how many stops you want to make, it can take anywhere from a few hours to all day. But this is a very easy day trip from Portland, which I do quite often. As others have said, if you find you have spent too much time in the gorge, and aren%26#39;t feeling up to the loop, you can always hop right on the interstate and head back.

One word of caution, if you are going on Saturday, I would recommend getting an early start. Some of the parking areas can fill up fast along the old highway. However, I did go last Saturday, a holiday weekend, didn%26#39;t take my own advice, and got a late start. I still managed to find parking at Crown Point and the other waterfalls I like to stop at. The parking lot at Multnomah Falls was an absolute zoo, no place to park, traffic backed up, so we skipped it.

Wonderful! Your advice is all terrific, thank you.

My accommodation was booked a couple of hours ago, so I%26#39;m all set there. I am indeed staying downtown.

I am now thinking of heading out at around 8am on the Saturday and meandering along the highway to Hood River, and perhaps coming back along the interstate to the airport if I run short on time. I do want to allow for stopping at Bridal Veil Falls, walking out there, etc. What are the other highlights along the route that I simply MUST stop at?

My flight leaves around 10pm on the Saturday night.

How long would it take from downtown Portland to the start of the scenic highway?

Although I am now worried streets will be closed for the parade, which might make my exit from the city difficult (I will be relying on a GPS).

The scenic highway is not very long, I%26#39;m glad you are leaving Portland early, and the viewpoints are well marked. You can hit every one of them easily.

Columbia River Gorge

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

http://www.spectacularoregon.com/

GPS might not be of much help in getting you around the parade, kateoz. In what hotel are you staying? Maybe we can help you figure it out. Ordinarily it only takes a half hour from downtown to the start of the scenic highway. Take exit 22 and follow the signs. You%26#39;ll want to stop at Women%26#39;s Forum Overlook, probably Vista House, Multnomah Falls, and several others. My favorite is Wahkeena, because you can walk right up to the base of the falls.

columbiariverhighway.com/historic_columbia_r鈥?/a>

If you get an early start, there should be no problem in getting back to PDX in time for your flight.

I%26#39;ll be staying at the Marriott Waterfront. Would love any driving tips you could give for the Saturday.

(I also want to visit Mount St Helens - it is one of the few topics I clearly remember studying when I was a teenager - but won%26#39;t have time for both, obviously. Which of these trips is better this time of year?)

What time is your flight?

Really, Mt. St. Helen%26#39;s is a much longer trip. When we go, it seems like it is such a long day. Easy day trip, but not near as easy as Columbia River Gorge. Besides, if the weather is nice (thought I would cross my fingers since it is parade weekend and always seems to rain for that), you can still see it easily from the Oregon side of the river.

I think 8:00 is a good time to set out. I never stop at Bridal Veil. Not sure why. Now I think I am going to have to stop there next time I go that way, LOL!!

The must sees, IMHO, are Women%26#39;s Forum, Crown Point/Vista House, Latourell Falls, Wahkeena Falls (really nice place for a picnic, especially if you can nab a spot next to the creek), Multnomah Falls, and Horsetail Falls. If you still have time, hop on I-84 and go see Bonneville Dam. It is quite impressive for someone that has not seen it before. Stop and feed the fish and see the sturgeon at the fish hatchery as well.

Oh, and make sure to stop by the Corbett Country Store for something cool to drink if it%26#39;s a hot day. If we don%26#39;t take the cooler, that is usually our pit stop before hitting the really scenic part of the highway.

You should be fine at Waterfront Marriott. Get on 2nd Ave (one-way north) to Alder, then take a right onto the Morrison Bridge. Get into the left-hand lane over the bridge, taking the ramp to I-5 north and The Dalles. Stay right at the ';Y'; in the ramp, and you%26#39;ll end up on I-84 headed towards the Gorge. Easy!!

I agree with mahjerle about St. Helens. Great day trip, but it%26#39;s 5 hours +/- roundtrip just in drive time.

Need any restaurant recs? Most that I%26#39;d recommend are in/around the Pearl District (which you could access via public transit), but the Veritable Quandry is less than two blocks from the Marriott. You%26#39;ll want to walk through the Rose Festival%26#39;s ';Waterfront Village';, but resist the temptation to buy any food there. Well, unless you like corn dogs! ;-)

I guess I will just have to come back on my own dime. :)

Thanks all for the great tips. I am really looking forward to being a tourist for 10 hours! And seeing some of Portland at night (am so glad I%26#39;m not staying near the client, which is 10 miles out of the city).

I won%26#39;t want to drive to dinner from my hotel, but am very happy to walk up to 15 minutes to get somewhere.