Best route for a tough drive - Salt Lake City to Crater Lake

We are hoping for some advice on the drive from Salt Lake To Crater Lake. Currently we believe that although it looks long on the map, best choice might be to drive I-84 to Boise-Nampa-Ontario, then West through LOTS of Oregon. On Route 20 to Bend, then down Route 97 to Crater.

It looks to be fewer miles through Winnemucca and up through Klamath via Route 140 - but they say it is more twisty and a longer and boring trip.

Either way we%26#39;ll take it easy and make the drive in two days. Any advice is much appreciated!

Best route for a tough drive - Salt Lake City to Crater Lake

Boy, this is one of those places %26#39;you can%26#39;t hardly get there from here...%26#39;

It%26#39;s going to be a long boring trip regardless of which way you go. I suggest going to Reno on I-80, then north on 395/139 to Klamath Falls. We drove that route from K. Falls to Reno last November. It was actually a very pleasant trip.

Since you plan to split it into two days, you could spend the night in Reno. Many of the hotels/casinos have really good prices on rooms this summer.

First Time Visit: July 10-15

We are planning 5 days in Portland/Vancouver with our 2 college-age sons. We are staying in Vancouver and are looking for recommendations:

- Would like to raft the White Salmon 鈥?recommended outfitters?

- Will visit some brewpubs for meals 鈥?which ones for food/drink/fun?

- If time only allows Mt. Hood or St. Helens 鈥?which one?

- In town or short day tour activities for us while the boys are with friends?

Thanks!

First Time Visit: July 10-15

Just to make sure: You are staying in Vancouver and want your questions answered as they pertain to Vancouver, not Portland? Do you want to do things in Portland also? Chuck...

First Time Visit: July 10-15

Hi and welcome to TripAdvisor. I%26#39;d suggest, as will others, that you visit Mt St Helens! It%26#39;s much more unique and the Johnston Ridge visitors center is very well done and definitely worth visiting.

As far as brewpubs, are you looking for some in Vancouver or Portland?

What type of short day activities are you interested in? The Columbia Gorge is a great half-day excursion.

Will you have a car?

Thanks for the quick replies ... we will have a car and are staying in Vancouver (WA). Our drive to rafting will take us along the Columbia; however, we realize it might be more appropriate to take our time and see the sights along the way another day (or can we enjoy it in 1/2 day on the drive out or back).

As for the brewpubs and sights, we would be open to activities in either Vancouver or Portland. It seems only a short drive between the two. Am I mistaken about this?

A day trip to the Oregon Coast would be nice, Cannon Beach and Seaside are both fun areas to explore. I am in Seaside now, let me know if you would like recs for this area. www.seasideor.com

I hope you have a wonderful trip! :)

We visit Portland regularly and have eaten in some very fine spots. We love Andina. But, one of our most memorable meals last visit was at the Bridgeport Brewpub and Bakery. Good beers, very good food, upbeat and relaxed atmosphere.

The Deschutes Brewpub is good, as well. Lively and a great indoor space. Both are in the Pearl, but at opposite ends.

If you are into it, the farmer%26#39;s market up on the hill by the college has not only wonderful produce, baked goods, and other foodie items, but also a number of ';roach coach'; vendors of prepared foods. Everything looked so good, we were sorry we had already eaten breakfast.

Have a nice visit.

If you are driving out along the Columbia. You could either take the old highway out, see the waterfalls and then cross over at Cascade Locks on the way to White Salmon, or vice versa. Depending on how many stops you make, it could take a couple of hours or half the day.

Generally, I would suggest Mt. St. Helen%26#39;s over Mt. Hood, unless you are planning on combining Mt. Hood with a day trip through the Gorge. Since it sounds like you will be heading that way anyway for other activities, I would probably just suggest Mt. St. Helen%26#39;s. Keep in mind that Mt. St. Helen%26#39;s will be a full day trip. There is much more to see that way, IMHO with all the visitor centers, eruption history, etc.

As far as brew pubs, any of the McMenamins properties would be fun. Edgefield is in Troutdale, near the ';mouth'; of the gorge. Kennedy School is also a lot of fun.

http://www.mcmenamins.com/

I would definately recommend the White Salmon rafting trip. It is about a 2 hour drive from Vancouver. I would go with All-Star Rafting www.asrk.com. be sure to make reservationa ASAP for that time of year. Then you can stop by Walking Man Brewery in Stevenson,Wa on your way home.

For a long day trip I would go to The Columbia River Gorge to see Multnomah Falls and continue all the way to Hood River to go to Full Sail Brewing or Double Mountain Brewpub. Depending on your timimg you can go back to Vancouver the same way you came or go up and over Mt Hood back to Portland, but this way will take an extra hour or more just driving.

There%26#39;s no much to see in Vancouver so I would recommend going over to Downtown Portland for a short day trip. Pittock Mansion is an excellent site to see overlooking downtown. Possibly a walk in Forest Park. There are several breweries located downtown as well. Bridgeport Brewing or Deschutes Brewing are favorites. But Mcmenamins has about 5 locations to choose from as well. For a list of all breweries in Oregon visit www.oregonbeer.org. There are just way too many to list.

Honestly I think if you have never been to Portland it is really hard to choose what to do in only 5 days. I have been exploring Oregon for about 10 years now and still haven%26#39;t seen everthing I want to yet. So good luck and hope you have a great time.

My appreciation to all for your suggestions! We had heard of Kennedy School and tried to book it for our stay, but they were full - we%26#39;ll still make a visit. One son is a big Rogue beer fan, so we%26#39;ll make a stop there, too.

Thanks for the river outfitter info, we%26#39;ll look at that. Any opinion on Wet Planet? There isn%26#39;t much on the net for reviews of Oregon/Washington trips and outfitters.

One important thing to remember since you are staying in Vancouver. The freeway from Portland to Vancouver, I-5, is solid congestion - as in inch along and stop - northbound from about 3:00 pm to about 7:00 pm.

There is a carpool lane for 2+, so you could use that, but you will have to squeeze into the rest of the traffic as you approach the Columbia River bridge :-(

Thanks again for the help ... here%26#39;s our plans (for now):

Fri 10th - Arrive 2:20pm / Kennedy School for drinks %26amp; meal / Check-in @ Vancouver HI-Express

Sat 11th - Vancouver Discovery Loop walking tour / Portland Saturday Market / McMenamins Roadhouse Brew-festival

Sun 12th - Either Portland sights or trip to coast / Rogue Distillery for dinner

Mon 13th - Mount St. Helens

Tue 14th - Columbia River Gorge / White Salmon rafting (outfitter: Riverdrifters or WetPlanet)

Wed 15th - Fly back to KC.

We%26#39;ll add another pub (Deschutes, Bridgeport, Henry%26#39;s Tavern?) and eats (Voodoo Donuts, Toro Bravo, Laurelwood Pizza?) where it works in the schedule.

Any thoughts to improve? Sunday is still a question for us, too.

homemade mask

RV camping spots

Hello,

My husband and I are researching a roadtrip to Oregon. We are going to rent an RV and would love any recommendations on places to go and where to stay. We both love the outdoors, fishing, animal watching, etc. . . Thanks!

RV camping spots

How much time do you have, and have you planned an approximate itinerary . . . are you thinking of going along the coast, mountains, or?

When are you traveling?

There are many State Parks in Oregon (although they may be full if you are coming in the high summer), and many private RV parks.

RV camping spots

We will be coming from yosemite in early/mid July and would like to travel for about a week. We love wilderness so we prefer anywhere where we would see animals with lovely scenery. Any suggestions?

You can start here:

www.oregonstateparks.org

Is that a week round trip? Or how many days do you actually have to spend driving around in the MH?

There is wilderness and beautiful scenery in soooo much of Oregon so it would really help if you share with us a bit more about what you want to see most.

Have you done any initial research yet?

Mt Hood will most likely have snow in the upper area campgrounds well into July due to the snow pack this year, according to a ranger I spoke with recently.

The Oregon coast is beautiful and well worth a few days.

The desert part of Oregon is also beautiful. In central Oregon, Jefferson Park Wilderness is gorgeous with lots of lakes, mountains, hiking, biking, golfing, etc.

The Wallawa%26#39;s and surrounds is beautiful.

The Gorge is beautiful but not much in the way of camping between Portland and Hood River.

We can spend a week in Oregon. We are from southern CA so we get to see beautiful coastline everyday. We prefer more wooded areas where you can fish and see more wildlife, maybe swim in a lake or stream. . . Any suggestions?

Nothing against So Cal beaches, but the Oregon coastline looks *nothing* like Newport Beach, lol! The woods come right down to the sand in many places, there are deer and elk nearby, and it is not uncommon to have a total of 20 people along a mile stretch of shoreline.

That said, from Yosemite you might head north on Hwy 395 up to Susanville, then take Hwy 139 to Eagle Lake. From there head to Klamath Falls and Hwy 97 north. There are quite a few heavily wooded lakes through this area with fishing and hiking all around.

It may be too cold for much swimming, though. You may also want to visit Crater Lake - you can stay at Diamond Lake RV Resort nearby with full hookups.

Also check out the State Parks website.

Really??!! I know nothing about the Oregon coastline! Elk and deer along the coast sounds incredible! Honestly, we are looking to travel to a beautiful, relaxing site in hopes of animal watching, swimming, fishing, etc. Thank you so much. I truly appreciate your insight!

Here are some websites to help in your research:

http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/2143/

http://www.spectacularoregon.com/

http://www.101milebymile.com/

Thank you!!

Trip to the Fossil Beds

Okay, my turn to ask the questions. Sorry if too vague. At this point I am just playing with the idea, so, please bear with me.

Where would you suggest to stay in Fossil? I really want to take the girls there to dig for fossils behind the high school when my niece gets here from San Diego next week. Hoping the weather will stay on the relative cool side, and don%26#39;t want to push it until later on after summer starts.

At any rate, should I spend the night in Fossil, or should I try to push on for John Day? I want to try and do it on the cheap, but get the most bang for my buck.

Trip to the Fossil Beds

I%26#39;d like to do the same thing with our grandkids one of these days, so I%26#39;ll be very interested in what you learn. My biggest problem is they always want to visit in early August, when the heat can turn you into a fossil in no time.

Trip to the Fossil Beds

**BUMP***

Eastern Oregon? Anyone?????

Wonder where phirl is? He knows a lot about eastern Oregon.

Maybe he too is having trouble with this new format . . .

Oh, gosh, let%26#39;s give poor phirl a break :) You%26#39;re right, though-he has been very helpful and knows alot of good places.

Anyway, just thought I%26#39;d butt in. There%26#39;s not that much in Fossil. Two suggesions:

Mitchell, Oregon Hwy 26

Sky Hook Motel-small very clean and friendly owners

(girl I work with stays there and loves it)

She also said Little Pine Cafe has great food.

Shaniko, Oregon junction of Hwy 97 %26amp; 218

Shaniko Hotel is very historic and the kids would love it. I think it%26#39;s for sale so check to make sure it%26#39;s still open for business.

Both are not that far from the John Day Fossil Beds and that way you wouldn%26#39;t have to go all the way to John Day.

Have fun.

P. S.

Phirl, please feel free to jump in and correct me if I%26#39;m ';all wet'; about Fossil-it%26#39;s been awhile. I was just trying to help if possible. :)

Thanks for the info Oregon Explorer!!

I am pretty stuck on taking them to Fossil and digging for fossils behind the high school. I don%26#39;t know if this will be more fun for me or them.

In researching, I ran across this place to dig for Thundereggs, outside of Madras: Richardson%26#39;s Rock Ranch..anyone have any experience with it?

www.richardsonrockranch.com/index-2.html

I am looking at this itinerary maybe:

Day 1: Shaniko, Fossil, Mitchell. Spend night in Mitchell. (I realize this is probably at least 4 1/2 hours of driving. Hoping to be able to break it up by stopping for fossil digging, exploring ghost town, etc.)

Day 2: Wake up early, explore Painted Hills unit of national monument. Come home through Madras, possible stop at the rock ranch. (I live on the east side of Portland, so was thinking I would come back over Mt. Hood.)

Okay, everybody...open up and tell me how absolutely nuts I am to try and pack this in to a weekend!! LOL!!

Sure you don%26#39;t want to fit in Crater Lake too? LOL!

There is a shoe tree on Hwy 97 just south (I think) of Shaniko. The girls might get a kick out of it ;-)

If you go to Mitchell, will you see if Henry the Bear is still there?

Although I love Fossil, I%26#39;ve never spent the night there even though the Flora Inn seems like an obvious choice. My sister had a horrible time there--something about barking dogs all night.

I love staying the Condon Hotel, but that might be a little far away. The Shaniko Hotel is closed now thanks to a certain newspaper publisher. I%26#39;ll be staying at the Northwestern Hotel in Heppner a week from Monday, but that probably doesn%26#39;t help much either.

I spent a good chunk of the summer of 2001 out there, but it was mostly camping.

Be sure to take plenty of sun screen and hats. It can get really hot over there.

Richardson Rock Ranch is still open? I would think it would be all dug out. It was there years ago when we used to go to Madras and the Cove Palisades several times every summer.

Notice that TA has changed back to the old format. Apparently many, many posters complained, including me. (See the Sticky note at the top of the listings--You spoke we listened-

Hey mahjerle-

Well henry the bear is still there in Mitchell-at least as of May. Can%26#39;t really help with the lodging in the area since i useally just stay at John Day-but that is quite aways away from where you are going.

The fossils behind the highschool are fun- it will probably take no less than an hour to find your limit of fossils.

Have you guys been to sheep rock unit? I really think that one is the best, but it is that much farther away.

Condon is a little farther away-but that is a great little town- I think they even have a city pool- the park looks really nice.

Oregon coast with kids

Hi, we are planning a trip to the coast over summer vacation. I have two boys - ages 5 and 7. What are the best (safest) beaches and some fun spots to visit with this age of children? Thanks

Oregon coast with kids

Hello and welcome, I would spend some time in Seaside, lots of fun things for kids to do there! www.seasideor.com is a nice website for this area. :)

Oregon coast with kids

Welcome to TripAdvisor. Seaside is probably a good bet for you. Go up to Astoria and ride the trolley . . . drive out to Fort Stevens and see the ';Fort'; and the Peter Iredale (at low tide). Drive south to Hug Point and take a beach walk to see the old ';highway'; cut into the rock on the beach - combines a little history with a walk!

You might also consider Newport. The aquarium, bayfront, marine science center, etc.

Dairy-free kid-friendly

Turns out that beh-beh%26#39;s bod is no fan of the dairy products, which is weird since I frequently inject brie and bleu into my veins.

Looking for a place for an early (4pm-5:30pmish) dinner on Thursday night that might have a few dairy-free items on it. Normally, this means beans and rice at a Mexican place, but maybe you locals are more creative than I. He%26#39;ll eat anything else. Tonight he had crawfish and watermelon (he even ate the rind) so anything but dairy is fair game. We%26#39;re staying out by St. Charles but Bend is a small town so as long as it%26#39;s not Sunriver or Redmond then anything is possible assuming we can get out of there for less than about $50 not including wine or beer.

Also, if you can think of anything, a good place for breakfast on Friday mid-morning besides Jake%26#39;s. Someplace kinda hipster or hippie with a high-chair that has plain oatmeal on the menu? Does ';Breakfast Club'; fit that bill?

This is a beh-beh of contradictions, it seems, and he%26#39;s reinforcing it more and more since his favorite breakfast is homemade vegan crepes with ham.

Dairy-free kid-friendly

Not sure about Breakfast Club. Pilot Butte Drive In has oatmeal but I%26#39;ve never tried it. Is 5 grain cereal an option? If so then the hot 5 grain at the Alpenglow is terrific. I like mine with a little maple syrup - Yumm! Plus they have high chairs AND sippy cups!

There%26#39;s also a crepe place in downtown Bend called... The Crepe Place.

For dinner with vegan/dairy free options? Well I guess there%26#39;s sushi which would mean Yoko%26#39;s on the Eastside or at Mio at Cascade Village. (Kanpai would be over the price mark.) Kebaba (middle eastern) on Newport might also work... and he%26#39;s also on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/kebaba) so you can Tweet him (LOL)!

I%26#39;ll keep thinking about it and will let you know if anything else comes to mind...

Dairy-free kid-friendly

OK more ideas percolating...

There%26#39;s a Pita Pit downtown too but... ew. I%26#39;m not a fan.

Also a couple of Thai places (are those dairy-less?), but they might be out of your price range. Toomie%26#39;s has been around for a long time, but I prefer Typhoon. Both are downtown.

homemade mask

4th of July Florence -- Yachats -- Bandon???

Hi there!

Hoping a local expert may see this. We are planning a whirlwind trip from Portland metro area. I was hoping to get advice first and foremost on the last leg, but also on the whole darned thing b/c it looks like we%26#39;re trying to do a lot.

Immediate problem: we need to plan July 4th-6th. Travelling with senior in-laws from Brazil and 7 year old, plus us 40somthings. I%26#39;ve heard that Yachats is cool on July 4th all day and we have neighbors who will be there. Problem is we will be waking up in Bandon July 4th, but that could be changed.

So do we wake up early, drive to Yachats and stay there all day for parade through fireworks? (I would vote for this b/c I want that 4th of July flavor). Or take our time, go to Coos Bay, Florence and try to perhaps catch fireworks in either Florence or Yachhats (My hubby votes for this one, but he doesn%26#39;t know what to try to see). We were thinking of basing in Florence for the 4th %26amp; 5th either way, unless you recommend another place. A moderately priced nice beachfront place would be the best.

Whole shebang (is this too ambitious?):

Sunday 28 - Portland thru Sisters, stay in Bend for 2 nites at Marriott Towne Suites. Tour Bend, visit High Desert %26amp; Volcano areas.

Tuesday July 1 -- wake up early, drive to Crater lake, poke around, rest, drive to Roseburg, stay at Windmill Inn. (Eat at Crater Lake Lodge?)

Wednesday July 2 -- wake up early, drive to Bandon at Windermere on the Beach for 2 nights enjoying beach and wildlife safari.

Friday July 4 -- Yachats in a.m., or not?? Base out of Florence for 4th %26amp; 5th, or should we stay in Yachats or somewhere else. Beachfront is a big plus for my hubby and son.

We don%26#39;t need cheap but we can%26#39;t do pricey. 2BR/2BA suites are good too.

Ideas on what to do, where to stay, favorite eateries?

Thanks for all you do for us wanderers!

4th of July Florence -- Yachats -- Bandon???

I should add...

We%26#39;re leaving Sat 28, not Sun;

We%26#39;ve seen the coast north of Florence, incl. sea lion caves.

So we%26#39;re interested in the South to Central Coast area mostly.

The in-laws are fairly active -- can climb stairs and walk a lot, though they would probably not enjoy nature hikes unless on the beach. Thank you!

4th of July Florence -- Yachats -- Bandon???

Whew! Okay, first of all, here%26#39;s a twist for you . . . some of the coastal communities have fireworks on July *3rd*! Then a neighbouring town will have them on the 4th. I know Waldports%26#39; is on the 3rd, and so is North Bend, just about 20 miles north of Bandon.

www.nwcoast.com/events/eventprofile.asp鈥?/a>

Yachats%26#39; fireworks are on the 4th, so you could do both North Bend and Yachats in a two-for-one deal, lol.

Florence, as you probably know, is not on the ocean. It does have one motel on the ocean, the Driftwood Shores. Yachats does have oceanfront hotels, motels and cabins. Can you give a dollar amount to ';cheap'; and ';pricey';? In other words, what is your price range? Not sure if you%26#39;ll find any 2bed/2ba suites, unless you rent a house.

Here are some scenes from the 2006 July 4th Yachats parade:

http://www.yachats.org/july4th06.html

Wow, that was quick! Thanks for the info!

Over $150/night is pricey for us, since we need 2 rooms. We%26#39;ve been lucky to get $120 or less in Bend/Roseburg. Even luckier in Bandon to have a 6 person cottage on the beach for $169 (though only 1 bathroom). New is not crucial but somewhat attractive, clean and bright is.

We are not attached to Yachats and don%26#39;t know a whole lot about it or the 4th events. We%26#39;re really interested in the best experience to be had at the time. *IF* we can get a nice 4th celebration in, that would be great but we wouldn%26#39;t want to take away from any crucial sightseeing that would be missed to do so.

I see that you live in the area -- are there any popular favorites for independence day celebrations, either on the 3rd or 4th in that whole so/cen coast area?

I%26#39;m pretty sure my travelling companions won%26#39;t want to abandon Bandon%26#39;s beaches for a July 3rd advance celebration, though they might surprise...

This forum is awesome. Thank you for being at the ready to help!

I feel like I am the one always bringing bad news. It%26#39;s unlikely you%26#39;ll find lodging in Florence on those dates...not only are 4th of July times heavily booked far in advance, but the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials and Oregon Bach Festival in Eugene are filling everything for miles around, including Florence. I think you might have better luck looking for something in Yachats or Waldport.

Thank you poppa, will try to book something ASAP. I wasn%26#39;t aware that all that was going on, nor that the southern coast would be so popular on the 4th.

If you were able to get a room at the Best Western Pierpoint Inn, just south of the bridge in Florence (~$110/night), you could watch the fireworks from the best vantage point in town; the comfort of your own motel room!!

Thanks for that info...we%26#39;ll file it away for future reference. It%26#39;s sold out unfortunately, like everything else...

Also, I%26#39;m noting that along the beach prices as much as double regular summer rates, maybe because it%26#39;s 4th weekend or because of the events poppa mentioned?

I keep forgetting about the track trials, darn it. Why couldn%26#39;t they have held them in February? Lol.

July 4th is the busiest weekend of the year on the coast. You might try for a rental in Yachats:

http://seanikvacationrentals.com/

Thanks to everyone...we ended up with a vacation rental in Yachats. Looks like it will be fun!

Pretty sure you%26#39;ll enjoy Yachats.

Have fun!!!!