L.A. to Portland and back - what not to miss? (1 Viewer)

[Grolar]

So I want to head to Portland from LA next May with my family aboard my 80. The plan is to speed up to SF and then head north through the 5, visiting Lassen, Shasta, Crater Lake and the Columbia river, then go west and return south on the 101. I'd love to visit Mt St Helens but I might run out of time. Trip should last three to four weeks. So is there something that I shouldn't miss, some hidden gems? No real wheeling anticipated.
Thanks for your ideas.

(EDIT: revamped the trip to include WA, see below)

 

[e9999]

yes, do all the NPs on the way. There is also a volcanic tubes one someplace in Norcal that's on the circuit no?

I did similar trips a few times in recent years. Good times!

 

[Sno bored]

I went to the volcanic tube caves a bunch of years ago, and they were pretty cool. They are somewhere in California just south of the Oregon border.

 

[Grolar]

Lava beds national monument it is. I'll check that on my to-do list. BTW, any hope to get some dry weather in NorCal/OR in May?

 

[lgrt]

Check out the Oregon Dunes for a day in the big sand by Florence OR.
if you are interested in staying off the highway check out Oregon Off-Highway Vehicle Association
Sea Side and Cannon Beach are nice beaches that are worth a day or so... lots of stuff to do


Hope you have a great time.

 

[PortFJ62]

You should drive out on 84east into the Columbia Gorge and take the family to Multnomah Falls. You can also do a short hike to the top of the falls.
Multnomah Falls & Historic Columbia River Highway

If you head to downtown Portland you should stop into Voodoo doughnuts. Unique little shop with crazy doughnuts plus the kids would enjoy it. 3rd and burnside
Voodoo Doughnut - The Magic is in the Hole!!!

Just a couple suggestions.

You could also drive up to the historic timberline lodge for some lunch and see Mt Hood. Might still be skiing up there then.

 

[barrypt5]

You should drive out on 84east into the Columbia Gorge and take the family to Multnomah Falls. You can also do a short hike to the top of the falls.
Multnomah Falls & Historic Columbia River Highway

If you head to downtown Portland you should stop into Voodoo doughnuts. Unique little shop with crazy doughnuts plus the kids would enjoy it. 3rd and burnside
Voodoo Doughnut - The Magic is in the Hole!!!

Just a couple suggestions.

You could also drive up to the historic timberline lodge for some lunch and see Mt Hood. Might still be skiing up there then.

I have to second Matt on Multnomah Falls, especially now the falls should be flowing at a pretty hi volume right now....a true view of the Columbia is driving 84 east (and it will get you away from the buzz of Portland and some really pretty parts of Oregon). Have a great trip!

 

[Grolar]

Thanks guys, much appreciated. Those Falls are now on my list. The Florence dunes were already as I'd like to enjoy some sandboarding/sleighing/skiing there.

 

[RACERX24]

If you are going to go to Crater lake,you should take the drive through bend and come over Mt Hood..Bend is a really cool town in the High Desert with Mountains all around..Make sure you stop at Smith Rock State park,it has some of the best Rock Climbing in the work and some incredible views of the cascades if you take the hike to the top..The Deschutes river has some Blue ribbon fly fishing as well..HAve fun

 

[Grolar]

So looks like we're going to go all the way to Olympic NP and Seattle, finally. Since many mountain range parks are still hibernating in early May, we're going to go north through the coastal 101 up to Forks, WA (Twilight Zone, I hear) and down through Seattle, the West WA NPs and Portland, then Bend and south down to Yosemite. Planning four weeks. Yep, too much time on my hands. The 80 is apparently feeling better so I should take it for the 3,500 mile ride and snap pics all along.

 

[OGBeno]

Light a doober in Arcata....you will fit in fine.



The redwoods are nice and relaxing. Stop and take a hike for the day.

Get some beer at the Lost Coast Brewery or stop in Fortuna to see a historic Victorian town.

Sushi--go to Kyoto in Downtown Eureka....some of the best sushi in North America.

-o-

 

[e9999]

Glacier NP is great. You can drive practically to the glaciers in the summer. Go for a short hike and you're there.

 

[Grolar]

Light a doober in Arcata....you will fit in fine.

Damn, that sounds funny. If only I understood what you mean... :whoops:

 

[Grolar]

Glacier NP is great. You can drive practically to the glaciers in the summer. Go for a short hike and you're there.

No room for Glacier NP, unfortunately, too far east. Sticking to the coastal ranges. Well, glaciers won't disappear overnight, are they?

 

[Grolar]

Less than 10 days to go before we hit the road... and I'm a little bit worried about road closures due to snow cover around Mt Rainier and Mt Saint Helens. WA guys, any input about expected road conditions there in mid May? Still too early in the season to go through?

 

[lacruiser]

I did this trip back in 88, I'll give you a couple of ideas.

First of all, you gotta do Mt. St. Helens. Absolute must.

Second, if you want to see why WA is called the "evergreen state", drive along the western side of the Olympic Peninsula, and stop in for a quick visit (day or overnight) to the Quinalt Lodge, and take a hike. It can be a short (half-mile) hike. the place is amazing, and well worth the trip. You're in the middle of a temperate rain forest.

South of the Columbia, along the coast, is a faithful reproduction of Ft. Clatsop. this is where the Lewis and Clark expedition wintered in 1806 and it was a highlight of the trip. the place is staffed with people wearing period costumes, going about the business of a typical day in the early 1800's. The kids loved it. they used to actually make real lead rifle balls, melting the lead over the old stoves in crucibles, pouring it into molds, but the park service employees recently told me they stopped doing that because of toxic issues. They still have demonstartion shoots using the old muzzle-loading flintlock rifles, though. The place is really a treat.

Lewis and Clark National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service)

I second on the drive along the columbia east of Portland. Awesome drive.

Another beautiful drive; Hwy 126 from Florence (hwy 101) to Eugene.

My cousin lives in Sisters, a pretty sophisticated little town, for being in the middle of nowhere. One of the coolest drives we took was one of the roads going west from there. It drives right through the middle of a very recent (around 1000 years old) lava flow, and they built a lookout tower right next to the road, all out of black lava rock. VERY cool indeed. It's 2 stories tall, you can climb up on it. I've been to some lava fields in other places in the west, but none as good as this one. The road goes through some interesting scenic changes, from the highlands of the center of the state, through the volcanic fields, into the cascade range, and then down.

In Nor Cal, the coastal redwoods are beautiful. allow some time there.

Mendocino on the coast N of San Francisco is a model of a New England town. Cool to take a look.

If you have the time, the Skunk Railroad goes from Ft. Bragg to Willits. There is a break in the middle, the best leg, by far, is the coastal half. Gorgeous part of the state, they usually have some cool entertainment on board, and good snacks at the stop. You'll need a half-day, worth it.

So much other stuff to see on this trip, but those are a few of the highlights that we still talk about 20 years later.

Have a great time. We enjoyed this trip so much, we're going to do it again, probably next year.

This time, we'll not stop at Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, but drive all the way to the end instead.

 

[Grolar]

Thanks for the info. The train trip looks very tempting, all the more as we're supposed to stop over in Ft Bragg on the way.

 

[car-car]

On the return trip, the Santa Cruz/Monterey/Pacific Grove/Carmel area is pretty cool. Pebble Beach is right there. Big Sur is awesome as well.

Sounds like a fun trip.

 

[Grolar]

On the return trip, the Santa Cruz/Monterey/Pacific Grove/Carmel area is pretty cool. Pebble Beach is right there. Big Sur is awesome as well.

Sounds like a fun trip.

Thanks, already done last year and I'm just planning a quick stopover in San Simeon before heading to SF on Hwy 1, but a stop in Big Sur is on my list of course.

 

[LT]

So I want to head to Portland from LA next May with my family aboard my 80. The plan is to speed up to SF and then head north through the 5, visiting Lassen, Shasta, Crater Lake and the Columbia river, then go west and return south on the 101. I'd love to visit Mt St Helens but I might run out of time. Trip should last three to four weeks. So is there something that I shouldn't miss, some hidden gems? No real wheeling anticipated.
Thanks for your ideas.

(EDIT: revamped the trip to include WA, see below)

We are 15 minutes west off I-5 on the way to Portland, or 30 minutes south of Portland. You are always welcome to stop by and say hi and check out the shop

1000 Commerce PKWY
STE A
Newberg, OR 97132

503-822-1111