1 week in Oregon, must include Portland and Corvallis

My husband, 14-year-old son and I are planning a trip to Oregon 7/19 to 7/26.

We will fly in/out of Portland and will visit with friends in Corvallis on the weekend: Fri p.m. to Sunday. We%26#39;ve scheduled white water trips on the weekend so the son won%26#39;t be too bored. Any other Corvallis suggestions?

The dilemma: what else to do?

On previous visits, we have been down the coast as far as Tillamook, visited Astoria and camped at Fort Stevens, done the Mt. Hood/Multnomah scenic routes.

We really haven%26#39;t explored much of Portland (beside OMSI) before and want to spend at least a couple of days doing that: but what areas? We think we want a three star hotel in Portland. Hubby doesn%26#39;t like shopping much, but loves biking/mountain biking. Son likes techno music and sightseeing/history. Also wondering if/where we should camp along the way, if at all. We all like camping.

I haven%26#39;t spent much time on the Oregon forums before so I%26#39;m not sure how people feel about FAQ here. I have searched the forums and will continue to do so...just fishing for some fresh advice.

Thanks in advance to any generous souls who care to respond.

1 week in Oregon, must include Portland and Corvallis

I will let someone else talk about the city. There are others here much better than i am with Portland.

I think the best part of the Oreg coast is Depoe Bay to Reedsport. The drive between yachats and florence is particularly nice. quite a few cgs along coast State Parks and Forest Service you can reserve them thoiugh not all of Forest Service.

Silver Creek SP falls east of Salem is quite nice, 7 waterfalls in several mile hike. and a couple are pretty east to see without the whole hike,

1 week in Oregon, must include Portland and Corvallis

When I was in Corvallis for school, we went to Silver Falls it isn%26#39;t a very long drive. We also headed over to SunRiver which is a longer drive. But sounds like you might not of headed into Central Oregon so maybe Bend/ Sunriver/ Sisters etc is an option.

In Corvallis, hit Woodstocks for pizza. Just outside of town, you can hike or bike to the top of Mary%26#39;s Peak.

In Portland, if your husband wants to bike, I would suggest the Springwater Trail. I only only done the far eastern section, but it is really pretty and a nice paved trail. We usually backpack, but if you are talking car camping style and want to be near Portland, try Oxbow Park on the east side.

Silver Falls is great. If you need to drive between there and Portland, take 99E through Silverton instead of I-5...much more scenic.

Your son might enjoy the zoo here, just on the west side of Portland. The rose gardens and Japanese Gardens are right by it as well. Hike in Forest Park. Stay parked at the zoo area and take the trail up to Pittock Mansion for some nice views. Take a picnic lunch there as well. You can also drive up there, but the hike is really pretty.

For hotels in Portland, you might consider the Kennedy School. It is an old school that has been redone into a hotel, restaurant, etc. You can check it out at www.mcmenamin.com. It is not in the heart of downtown, but about a 5 mintue drive. I have stayed there several years ago and it was a lot of fun.

Another hotel that is right in downtown (the NW 23rd st area...which some tourists refer to as Nob Hill for some odd reason) is the Inn at Northrup Station. I have not stayed there, so cannot comment.

If you want a nicer place, then right downtown is the 5th Avenue Suites. Very nice hotel, great location, great restaurant on site. I have stayed there several times and it is great.

Thank you everyone for the helpful advice. The Kennedy School sounds intriguing as well as everything else posted. Onward with my research. This is why I love TA.

http://tinyurl.com/okxe4

This is the Kennedy School website. :O)

Thanks, ScarlettO1.

I already checked with Kennedy School and they are booked. I%26#39;ll have to save it for the next trip. It sounds like just the kind of place that we love. I did book the Inn@Northrup, though. It sounds like a good base for exploring Portland. We talked about staying at the Embassy Suites/Multnomah Hotel again (stayed there five or so years ago, when they first re-opened) but read the comments about the neighborhood not being so great...

Did I mention that I keep returning to the Northwest because I am trying to get my husband to agree to retire there? He loves it everytime but it is usually the summer and then he talks to a local, who then elaborates on nine months of rain during the non-summer months and I am back at ground zero again.

;^D

You know, we visited here in summer, came househunting in summer and moved in summer lol. So the winter, although we knew what to expect, was long and dreary indeed!

I think I managed better than my husband ( I keep saying, it is better than a Florida Hurricane or a NY snowstorm) but he just kept saying it was too depressing.

I think the guys might have a harder time adjusting, but mine seems to be doing better ( of course, it is not winter lol)

It is so green here though, after Las Vegas, you must love it!

(we actually thought of moving to LV too but figured we would go broke in a casino somewhere lol)

The Inn@Northrup will probably be perfect for you. The location is great, you can hop on the streetcar right there and you are in the middle of the NW area of town with all the restaurants and shops.

Anything else you want to ask, please do, Portlanders love to talk about Portland :)

aha! So enter the desert man : ) As a person that grew up in Corvallis and loves this state, but can%26#39;t stand the rain, I have found utopia (or at least for me). From what you said regarding year round weather, outdoor activities and history, you really should come to this side of the cascades and see why we are the fastest growing part of the state. Endless hiking, biking, rafting, golfing, fishing, etc. spots to choose from with one of the best ski/snowboarding resorts in the NW 20 min away, and an average annual rainfall of 13 inches, you can%26#39;t be disappointed. Too much to say to this end, but as for Corvallis et all, I must second the Woodstocks suggestion, and if you like chinese food, China Blue. Best hippie food in town is Nearly Normals, but ask for them to hold the dreadlocks : ) Also the Silver Falls is a fantastic suggestion, and they have some decent campgrounds there. But again, if you like OR but like it dry, you must check out my area here in Central OR. Please let me know if you have any other questions as I would happily help. Hi to all me fellow OR posters!

Silly--My husband loves Nearly Normals! I still can%26#39;t believe that Oscar%26#39;s closed. We comment on that every time we are there visiting, lol!

Back at ya, sillybilly! I was hoping you might chime in. And I agree, if you%26#39;ve already seen the coast, hapahaolegirl, central OR sounds like the perfect fit for your extra time. If you want to camp, I know there are campgrounds around Sisters, Camp Sherman, and Suttle Lake. You will love this area of Oregon for all the reasons sillybilly mentions. Plus, it just smells so good over there!

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