2nd Trip: Suggestions Please!

We%26#39;re an active retired couple who will be arriving in Portland Aug 15 and leaving on the 23rd. 2nd trip. We were there the same week in 2007. Drove to Mount Hood, spent one night and then headed back the scenic route to the coast. Stayed in B%26amp;Bs in Mendecino (our favorite coastal town), Lincoln City and Newport and then back to Portland. Stayed at the McMenamin%26#39;s Edgefield Hotel (loved that too) the first night and the Bluebird Inn the last night (that was fun too). On the way to the coast we stopped at some winery in a wonderful dairy sort of town (don%26#39;t remember the name of it) Visited the Japances Gardens and a couple breweries...loved the whole trip.

Not sure where we want to go this time. Any ideas? Would the California Redwood Forest be reasonable or should we go North up the coast. We%26#39;re renting a car. We like b%26amp;bs or small unpretentious funky or historic inns.

Thanks in advance for any and all responses!

2nd Trip: Suggestions Please!

I%26#39;m a little confused--how did you get to Mendecino, that%26#39;s in Northern CA without driving thru to Coast Redwoods?

It sounds like you have seen the Southern OR coast, but have you traveled the Northern OR coast from Astoria to Lincoln City (although your %26#39;dairy sort of town%26#39; sounds like Tillamook.)

Have you been to the Columbia River Gorge to Hood River/The Dalles on the Historic Hwy or is that your Mt. Hood Scenic route?

Have you been to Mt. St. Helens, Bend OR or Crater Lake?

Please give us a little clearer idea of the routes you traveled before, then we can make some better suggestions.

2nd Trip: Suggestions Please!

Like Kitters, I am a bit unsure of just where you have spent time. But also like Kitters, my first suggestion would be to hit the Bend/Crater Lake area. So much to do and see around there and a week is a nice amount of time for a first visit there.

So sorry for the confusion! I meant Manzanita---not Mendecino. Here%26#39;s the route we took on our last trip: We arrived in Portland. Stayed one night at the Edgefield Hotel and then drove the scenic hwy to Mt. Hood (Hood River?) and then next morning drove to Lincoln City seeing lots of gorgeous scenery, waterfalls etc on the way and South as far as Yachats over the next few days...just kind of meanadered along. Saw several lighthouses, the Devils Churn. Then we went North as far as Cannon Beach and then back to Portland through that %26#39;little dairy sort of town%26#39; that I can%26#39;t remember the name of.

We%26#39;re talking about driving from Portland to Astoria and then we%26#39;re stuck..do you think we should go north? Again...any suggestions are greatly appreciated. We%26#39;re going to spend one night and then all the next day in Portland before we leave at 9:30 on Sat, Aug 22. The last day in Portland, we want to go to the Chinese Gardens (went to the Japanese Garden last time) and considering doing the Brunch or Cocktail cruise ... it says %26#39;live entertainment';. Do you know what sort of music they play? We like jazz or blues particularly if you know of anywhere we might find some along the way.

O.K., Manzanita makes more sense. You%26#39;ve seen a good share of the Oregon Coast and the Columbia Gorge.

Astoria is interesting--you could cross the river, drive out to Ilwaco and Cape Disappointment and up to Long Beach. I would not drive any further north than Oysterville. The Washington coastline is just not as outstanding as the Oregon coast. (and I live in WA :-) You could do this in a day trip, or spend the night at a B%26amp;B in Astoria or Long Beach.

Portland Spirit Cruises have a jet boat %26#39;Outrageous%26#39; that makes a cruise to Astoria and back on Tues, Thurs, and Saturdays with a 4 hour stopover in Astoria. We%26#39;ve often seen them go by when we%26#39;re out fishing on the Columbia River. Looks like fun!

www.portlandspirit.com

If you have not been to Mt. St. Helens, it really is a must see. You could make a loop from Astoria to see it, or a day trip from Portland.

However, unless you really want to spend most of the week near the ocean, I would highly recommend a loop trip to Bend and Crater Lake. By mid-August, McKenzie Pass might even be open.

Hi there, %26#39;Georgia. Sounds like you had a great trip last time. I think that Kitters has a good idea in suggesting that you try seeing ';the other Oregon'; this trip by heading toward Bend and then down to Crater Lake. It could be snowy again by that time, I guess, but I don%26#39;t think its too likely- is it locals?

Anyway, there is a publication called The Oregon Trip Planner which is online at www.TravelOregon.com which might be helpful to you in your planning. Its oriented by region and offers some trip ideas for varying amounts of time in each area. It includes maps and dining/lodging information as well.

As for yur question regarding the music on the dinner cruise, the last advertisement that I heard said it was jazz, but I don%26#39;t know if it changes with each cruise or not. The folks at Portland Spirit are very nice and I%26#39;m sure they can answer your question best.

If you do choose to head back to the coast, there is a funky sounding place, a B%26amp;B that is a literary-themed hotel- I think in either Lincoln city or Newport. All the rooms are based on literary themes, or authors, et al. For the life of me, I can%26#39;t think of the name at this moment, but it has gotten lots of good reviews. However, they do not have phones or tv%26#39;s in the rooms, so its really a book-lover%26#39;s retreat. I will try to find my guidebook with the info and pm you later.

It%26#39;s called the Sylvia Beach Hotel, in Newport. We haven%26#39;t stayed there but I would love to sometime. When you are in Astoria, try to schedule some time for the Maritime Museum, a ride on the riverfront trolley is also lots of fun, there are some nice places to wine taste in Astoria, also. Shallon, Cellar on 10th, The Flying Dutchman and the Silver Salmon Grille are a few of our favorites. www.oldoregon.com is a nice website for this area.

If you do go over the bridge to the WA coast, stop in the quaint little town of Seaview, 42nd Street Cafe or The Depot are nice choices for meals in this area. I hope you enjoy your trip! :)

If you drove the coast only as far south as Yachats, you missed a few sights/activities that might be of interest: Oregon dunes, a jetboat ride up the Rogue from Gold Beach, breathtaking scenery between Port Orford and Brookings.... Not to mention the chance to dip down into northern CA to see the redwoods.

Put that together with Crater Lake... maybe a couple days in Bend (or Ashland).... could be a nice trip!

Crater Lake also fits well with Ashland and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which (surprisingly) is one of the largest theatrical organizations of its sort, anywhere. It%26#39;s a very nice town, but August will of course be high season.

Nice that you did the Japanese Garden (I%26#39;m a fan). This time, try the Chinese Garden and look for the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden. Late Aug. is the very worst time for gardens in Portland due to the dry summers, but Crystal Springs is deservedly beloved.

The Sylvia Beach Hotel is in Nye Beach, which I think is a neighborhood in Newport but feels like a totally different town. It%26#39;s a great little beach spot! The hotel is fabulous but you should reserve soon if you want to stay there in August. Have fun!