Itinerary advice

I%26#39;m planning a trip with my husband (no kids) for late September. We%26#39;ve never been to Oregon before, we%26#39;re in our early 50s, prefer nature more than cities, prefer casual lodge atmosphere, enjoy photography and moderate hiking.

Here%26#39;s my tentative itinerary so far. I%26#39;d appreciate any advice you have to offer on the itinerary itself (whether the drive times make sense for each day) and recs on where to stay. Also please see questions on #1 and #8 below.

Thank you!

1) drive from Portland through CR Gorge, stay at Timberline Lodge (is this an easy driving day?)

2) Bend

3) Crater Lake Lodge (already booked)

4) Crater Lake Lodge

5) Brookings

6) at Gold Beach, take jet boat up to Paradise Lodge for the night

7) back to Gold River, up to Bandon

8) Yachats (thinking of the Overleaf Lodge) (could possibly do 2 nights in Yachats-would it be worth it?

9) Cannon Beach

10) back to Portland to fly home

Itinerary advice

Or, here%26#39;s an itinerary:

1) from Portland to Mt. St Helens and back

2) from Portland to CR Gorge, night at Timberline

3) Bend

4) Crater Lake

5) Grants Pass

6) Crescent City

7) Gold Beach

8) river trip to Paradise Lodge

9) back to Gold Beach, then up to Bandon

10) Yachats or Newport

11) Portland

Thanks for you help!

Joanne

Itinerary advice

I really like Yachats, but to me I think Newport better for first timer to Oreg, more to do there. It has a nice strollable bayfront, plus Nye Beach very visitor friendly Aquarium there is quite good. we were recently in Monterey and went to their aquarium. though it is a bit better than Newport not as much better as I had thought. Two lighthouses in Newport

I assume you plan some Redwoods on your day from Crater Lake to Brookings. get a bit south of Crescent City.

You say two nights at Crater Lake. Bend in my view has more things to see. so suggest you spend much of your day to Crater Lake seeing stuff around Bend. Newberry Crater for one, our other Crater Lake. and McKenzie Pass with the great lava beds.

You posted 2nd agenda while I was posting. Mt St Helens good add.

Not so sure you need that much time from night in Crater Lake then nights in GPass, Crescent City, then Gold Beach. I think you could do that in one day less.

Crater Lake to Crescent City seeing some redwoods.

From CC suth to Redwoods maybe as far as Klamath, then to Gold Beach

I do agree with Gold beach before boat ride, because coast from Brookings to Gold beach deserves some time, and not a quick trip to catch the boat, but book Gold beach early. We were just on that section of coast again and realized from past trips that BR to GB requires more stops to enjoy, cause many best sites are not in view from highway. GB to Bandon is more viewable from Hwy.

Thanks, phirl, you addressed the big question I had with my second itinerary--because I had cut CL down to 1 night, it seemed like too much driving to do CL to CC in one day, but you say it%26#39;s doable? Given the new plan (see below), I assume we%26#39;d see the lake (and maybe take the lake boat ride) the day after leaving Bend? Yachats appealed to me because I was thinking it was more wild, less touristy. Newport sounds good though, so will research. From there heading north, what would you suggest awe-inspiring beauty?

1) from Portland to Mt. St Helens and back

2) from Portland to CR Gorge, night at Timberline

3) night at Bend

4) night at Crater Lake

5) night at Crescent City

6) night at Gold Beach

7) river trip to Paradise Lodge (stay night)

8) back to Gold Beach, then up to Bandon (stay night)

9) night at Yachats or Newport

10) ?

11) Portland

Any particular reason you would like to stay a night in Bandon? It is only one hour from Gold Beach.

Neport is far larger than Yachats: about 10,000 people v. 600 people! They are about 30-35 minutes apart on a good straight road.

Cannon Beach is congested but has a nice beach, and Astoria is worth seeing. I would not take the Three Capes drive because there are not that many ocean views from it. Tillamook Bay is large and scenic; Depoe Bay is different; the stretch of road from about Wheeler to Cannon Beach is pretty.

I would definitely add another night to Bend.

See, this is what I need you all for:-) I was thinking a night in Bandon because it would take at least a half day to get back down the river to Gold Beach (I%26#39;m guessing here, I need to call the jet boat people), then start driving north again. I didn%26#39;t realize it was only an hour away--so you%26#39;re right, we should go further north that day. So Newport be doable, if we didn%26#39;t get started from GB until mid-day?

As for another day in Bend, I%26#39;m willing to be convinced:-) I%26#39;ve been focusing on the CR Gorge, CLNP, and the coast, and thinking of Bend only as a stopover.

Bend!!! Truly, so much of interest in that region.

It%26#39;s only 90 miles from Crater Lake, offers circle drives into the Cascades and the lakes, volcanic activity areas are fascinating, short trails to lovely waterfalls, High Desert Museum, et al.

http://www.visitbend.com/

I%26#39;d like to add, you can drive, and see, Crater Lake highlights in half a day. Striking views. But Bend highlights will fill a day or more.

I assumed you would not be back to GB till midday or later so Bandom seemed ok, it is a nice beach town, and do not hurry to Newport, too much to see North bend to newport.

You could move on to N bend but Bandon much nicer stop

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