(TGA) - Well its that time of year that I take my elderly parents on their yearly vacation and with the lucky spin of the wheel, the lucky winner chosen was Washington, Oregon. So now I have been trying to map out some sort of destination for us to visit, coming from Boston, the east coast COLD Atlantic ocean, this will be our first trip to the Western coast, Pacific ocean and really want to soak in the ocean, shores, coastline…I have put together some sort of highlights and would like to have some feedback on some of your thoughts…
Day 1, Flying into Seattle Oct 8th then drive down to Salem Or
Day 2 drive Salem west to 101 S and follow the coastline down…..maybe down to Florence….how far is far enough to take in the coastline? And suggestions on places to stay..
From here Im lost and need some assistance..
My dad had always said he wanted to see the Redwoods in n Ca…Id hate to be this close to it and not let him see this, but realistically…it is worth the drive all the way down there while we’re on the coast or a waste of 2 days?
Would like to then cross over and on to Mt Hood ( I would love to get a few hours of some kiting in while Im there) then onto Mt St Helens… staying somewhere in between. Ive been to many NP and most are a good days drive thru with many stop offs and picnic areas for sightseeing that do not require …a lot of walking…remember the parents…or someplace where they can sit while I do some exploring
How many days are needed to drive thru the parks?
then up to the seattle area for a few days, maybe out to the point of Cape Flatterly.. Port Angeles …where are nice piers on the Seattle waterfront that really give you the best sights and views of downtown…are the islands worth taking in?
Im willing to stay 15-20miles outside of seattle if its cheaper and still easy to get in out and around…any suggestions…
Is this doable in 8-9days?
Thanks a bunch and look forward to some of your suggestions and ideas
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I'll let our coast experts answer for themselves, except that you might find the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Oregon just as cold as the Atlantic (year round) and if your ol' folks try to "soak" in it you might wind up with frozen "pop-sicles!"
Speaking of cold, October can be downright beautiful, with fall colors beginning to show. A few years ago, we went to New England to see the fall colors, only to find that that year they were better here in Oregon. And, at higher altitudes, it can already be wintry. For example, the road to the Johnston Ridge Observatory at Mt. St. Helens us "usually" open through October, but early snow could close it...so you'll need to check closer to the date you'll be going there.
If you're going to drive down from Seattle to Salem, I'd suggest going just a little farther to Albany (historic town with lots of antique shops) or Corvallis (home of Oregon State University)...but not on a weekend when the Beavers have a home football game. From there to Newport and then south along the coast to the Redwoods would make sense to me.
Your concept of what national parks are don't match with the ones we have. Redwood National Park is really a string of redwood forests linked to numerous state parks and historic groves...stretching for about 100 miles or so. But, coming down the coast, you can get a good taste of them before turning east on Hwy. 199 to Grants Pass. From there, I'm confused about your "crossing over to Mt. Hood." The redwoods are just below the southwest corner of Oregon and Mt. Hood is close to Portland in the northern portion of the state. Perhaps, you were thinking of Crater Lake, which is the only national park in Oregon. It, too, is subject to early road closures due to snow and, unlike the parks you described, only takes a few hours to see and drive through (unless you get reservations for the lodge). Again, you'll need to check www.tripcheck.com regularly for the lastest road conditions.
Mt. Hood itself will probably already be receiving snowfall.
So, with all that, think things over and let us know when you have more specific questions (although our other destination experts will surely already be offering their advice).
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Can you get your hands on a map of Oregon? Oregonpoppa is correct that you seem to want to hopscotch all over the state ;-)
I'm going to suggest that you go even farther south on I-5, south of Eugene and then take Hwy 38 to the coast. I think that is the prettiest drive between the valley and the coast. You'll see some elk when you get near Reedsport, then turn south on 101 and go to Crescent City, CA.
Take your parents on Howland Hill Road just out of Crescent City. It's a 6 mile drive that will take about a half hour. No hiking required:
redwoodhikes.com/Jed%20Smith/Jed%20Smith.html
Also drive south from Crescent City on 101 for about 12 - 15 miles to see more redwoods and some really spectacular scenery. Well worth it and your Dad will be very pleased.
Then continue your journey along Hwy 199 and back to I-5.
Your coastal route would include a glimpse of the Oregon Dunes, large Coos Bay with a cool bridge, the town of Bandon which has a pretty old town, fantastic sweeping coastal views from Port Orford south to CA, cross the Rogue River at Gold Beach and stop to look at the Mary D. Hume, and many small day-use parks along the southern coast. There is also a real ship on land at Smith River, CA ;-)
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My 2 cents for you is a few stops.
Jerry's Rogue Jets in gold beach http://www.roguejets.com/rates.php
64 mile round trip 8:30am-2:30pm (May 1 - October 15)
home of the HK-1 flying boat
Silver Falls State Park - Day Use
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYzh7JirlZI
timberline lodge mt hood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb7dvVU18ZA
these are places to take friends or relatives who come to visit from out of state.
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Since you have already gotten good advice for OR, I will touch on the WA portion. Basically with 7-9 days, and with elderly parents, I would not recommend it. Too much driving, not enough staying in one place long enough to see it.
That said, what drew you to Cape Flattery and Port Angeles. PA is a good place to stay if you want to explore some of the ONP, but there isn't much to do in the town itself. As for the islands...not enough time for the San Juans, but again if you are just doing a driveby trip you could do Whidbey. But it depends on what you are looking for. As for where to stay, I would definitely NOT look at staying outside of Seattle. We used to live up there and so know the area very well. Staying outside of downtown can be cheaper, but not when you factor in the traffic and extra parking. If you want nice views of the city, go to Gasworks park or take a ferry ride. You can go to Bainbridge, which is nice, and then the ride back has nice views of the city.
While I gave more specifics than I intended, the biggest thing you need to do is look at a map and see just how far distances are. Daylight will be starting to get short, and it might be getting pretty cold, especially anywhere along the water. Figure out what your priorities are and if you want to travel slow or do a driveby.
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nothing wrong with jkoregon's suggestions except that the jetboats usually only run through Labor Day and will probably not be available on the Rogue in October (but check anyway); and Silver Falls State Park not only requires walking, but HIKING, even on the paved path to South Falls...not something for the ol' folks (but otherwise one of the most beautiful experiences in the state).
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Sorry, you don't get to the warm Pacific Ocean beaches until somewhat south of San Francisco. :-(
However, the Oregon Coastline is absolutely spectacular, even better than Maine, IMO.
It's a 4-5 hour drive from Sea-Tac Airport to Salem, depending on the time of day. Late afternoon has heavy traffic from the airport south past Tacoma and Fort Lewis. Remember, also, that you will still be operating on Eastern time, but it will be 3 hours earlier here.
You might want to consider spending the night in Seattle, see the waterfront, Space Needle, perhaps the Boeing Museum of Flight.
If Day 2 is reasonably nice weather, plan to drive up to Mt. St. Helens (allow 3 hrs. RT from I-5 exit)on your way to Salem. (Cloudy rainy weather, leave it for the return trip)
Someone suggested visiting the Spruce Goose in McMinnville. If your parents are close to my age, (65+), they would probably really enjoy seeing this museum. Besides Howard Hughes' giant aircraft, there are many smaller old planes, WWII and Korean
War fighter planes, etc. Instead of going to Salem, exit I-5 in Portland and head for the coast on Hwy 18. This will get you to the coast at Lincoln City, which is the highway you would eventually end up on driving west from Salem.
You only have to go as far south as Crescent City to see the redwoods--no need to go clear to the National Park. Take Hwy 199 back north toward Grants Pass OR and you will go thru the Jedediah Smith Redwoods.
Mt. Hood is an easy day trip from Portland, but you really need to include the Columbia River Gorge Hiway. Make the loop from Portland east on the Historic Gorge Hiway to Hood River, then south on 35 to Mt. Hood and back to Portland on Hwy 26.
Outside of being the most westerly point in the U.S., there's really not much point in driving and hiking all the way out to Cape Flattery. With only 8 or 9 days, consider seeing more of the areas closer to Seattle--Snoqualamie Falls, Whidbey Island, Mt. Rainier Natl Park, etc. Keep in mind that, unlike the New England states, it takes the better part of a day to drive across Washington or Oregon, either North/South or East/West.
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What is elderly? I assume you must know what your parents can handle on road trips.
If your dad wants Redwoods do it. much better than cape Flattery. go at least as far as Prairie Cr Sp.
Suggest you do OR coast Depoe Bay to Reedsport, then Port Orford to Brookings then Redwoods. then pick a route back to Seattle
I suggest Crater Lake, Columbia Gorge, Mt St Helens. Mt Hood does not need to be seen up close.
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My in-laws were here last fall,for 5 days, around the same time.
They are in the "over 70" age bracket and have mobility issues. They are fairly well-traveled and these are the Oregon things that they chose and still talk about:
Astoria- loved the waterfront and driving over the long bridge to Washington, the Maritime museum
Newport, OR- loved the Aquarium and Yaquina Head Lighthouse and Interpretive Center
Chinook Winds Casino- they like the East coast casinos more, but this suited them for a rainy day diversion
Depoe Bay Whale Watching Center- saw whales in the bay that day without scopes or binoc's
Air Museum in McMinnville
Timberline Lodge
Multnomah Falls
Scenery between The Dalles and Bend- which seems boring to most people but they loved the changes in terrain and the views of the mountains
It is true that the ocean water here is WAAAY cold, but perhaps they would enjoy going to one of the hot springs resorts where they could enjoy a good soak....I haven't been to any but know someone who is a regular at Belknap Hot Springs which is on the McKenzie river and they have overnight accomodations of all sorts there. There was a question about hot springs on the forum a few days ago so you might get more information from that thread if you are interested.
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Two suggestions for the best view of downtown Seattle: Kerry Park, which is on Queen Ann Hill just north of downtown (this is where the networks set up shop when visiting Seattle) or across Elliot Bay in West Seattle.
The waterfront piers are too close to downtown to afford much of a view...plus the double-deck viaduct gets in the way.
Taking a round-trip ferry ride over to Bainbridge Island will get you a nice view of downtown going and coming.
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WOW……Thank you all for your input and suggestions…
My parents are 82(this trip is part of my mom’s bday present)and father is 77 with Alzhiemers… Both healthy…but not healthy enough take hiking or extremely long walks, but mobile enough to get around
Ive listened to all of your suggestions and most of them sound just perfect and easy enough…going by most of your suggestions/recommendations, I’d like to run a brief glance on what looks like a fairly easy route covering a lot of area(s)
Day 1 Land in Seattle drive to Bay City for the night and get an early start right on 101
Day 2 101south in Bay City and heading south along 101 down the coast down to Brookings for the night catching all the views that had been suggested…Oregon Dunes. Large Coos Bay, Bandon..etc… if its early enough…maybe take the ride down further 15 miles to false Klamath, Ca before turning in for the night
Day 3 Drive down Howland Hill roadscenery then turning around heading north before picking up 199 north thru Jedediah Smith Redwoods towards grants pass stopping for the night up around Salem area..
Day 4 Drive To Mt hood, timberline lodge, Columbia river gorge spending the day there,(would it be better to take 84, or 26?) Ending the day staying Portland
Day 5 easy day driving…gotta go easy on the “ol folks”….drive w on 26 to Cannon beach taking 101n up and around to Astoria to hgwy 30 back to Portland for another night
Day 6Drive to Seattle Via Mt St Helens, then on to find my hotel and possibly do the Space Needle
Day 7-8-9 roam the sights…attractions…the touristy thing for 2-3 days
All depending on the weather of course..thanks again all for your input…
A few months ago I decided to take an east coast road trip from Arcadia NP, Bar Harbor maine to Cape Cod Ma and take pictures of every existing lighthouse on the coast. Since I’ll be on your coast, how is access to the lighthouses or any particular ones that I should keep my eye out for?
Phew...I think I got all that right...
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