Coast stops.

I love these forums. They%26#39;re fun to read %26amp; I feel like I%26#39;m getting insider info!!

My husband %26amp; I have 41/2 days in Oregon. Sept. 18-22 I wrote before about MT. Hood %26amp; took your advise %26amp; made a reservation at Bridal Veil for the first night. We%26#39;d like to do some hiking %26amp; visit the falls. Do we need another night at Bridal Veil or should we stay closer to MT Hood? How long does it take to do the scenic route from Hood River on Rt 35 fto Rt 26 east to Portland?

We%26#39;d also like to see the coast but don%26#39;t want to spend all day in the car. Any suggestions on a 2 day trip at the coast %26amp; then to end up in Portland before leaving the next afternoon?

We like scenic beaches %26amp; understand the Oregon coast has spectacular cliffs. Where to go that%26#39;s not a 4 hour drive out of Portland??

Coast stops.

It%26#39;s about 100 miles from Hood River to Mt. Hood and back to Portland via 35 and 26. You%26#39;ll at least want to stop at Timberline Lodge, but if I%26#39;m understanding you right, you could easily spend a morning hiking in the gorge, then the afternoon looping back around Mt Hood to Portland.

The coast deal is easy: Cannon Beach and Ecola State Park, only 90 minutes from Portland. If you have the time, and cliffs are what you want to see, loop back to Portland via Oceanside, outside of Tillamook. Spectacular, and a good chance of seeing hang gliders flying off the cliffs out over the beach.

Coast stops.

I agree with Mistletoe in terms of the coast... it%26#39;s about a 90 minute drive to Cannon Beach from Portland, and the town is very nice and the beach is phenomenal. You probably won%26#39;t want to swim in the ocean (too cold) but it%26#39;s great for strolling, castle building, campfires at night, bike riding, people watching ... at low tide you can wander the tide pools near Haystack Rock, and talk with the very knowledgeable people who are there to %26#39;chaperone%26#39; the area (it%26#39;s a protected wildlife area). We stayed at the Hallmark Resort right on the beach, but there are tons of places to choose from. There are several nice places to eat as well, and the town is nice to stroll through also.

Also going to add South of Cannon Beach are interesting pull of beaches like Hug Point and more so leave time to stop a few times and you won%26#39;t regret it!

Cannon Beach is beautiful, just a short 90 minute drive from Portland. Go to the Cannon Beach forum for some good reviews. I have several photos posted there. Seaside is only a ten minute drive from CB, so you could easily do both. Seaside is a fun place, small aquarium, a promenade and the gorgeous Necanicum River where you can paddle boat or kayak. Have fun and let me know if you would like suggestions for CB or Seaside restaurants, I have reviews with photos of several places in these towns posted here!

Welcome to the Forums and have a great trip! www.seaside-or.com and some www.cannon-beach.net are some informative websites that may help you with your travel planning. Cheers! :)

tripadvisor.com/Travel-g51790-s401/Cannon-Be鈥?/a>

Here is a nice Insider Page with photos for Cannon Beach that should help with your research too :)

Gorgeous? ';gorgeous Necanicum River where you can paddle boat or kayak. '; ummm well, ok.

';Gorgeous? ';gorgeous Necanicum River where you can paddle boat or kayak. '; ummm well, ok';

HAHA! Well it looks okay at night I guess...but I wouldn%26#39;t eat crab caught out of there (eeew!)

We just spent the night at the Holiday Inn with a room right on the river, it was not what I would term ';gorgeous'; - the boating looked like fun for families with kids.

Seaside is really great for teens I imagine, lots of arcades and places to buy tee shirts.

I think Ecola for natural beauty/beach views and Cannon Beach for tourist shopping and dining are a good bet for a day trip out of Portland.

My parents have a beachhouse on 3rd Ave which I use on some weekends when they%26#39;re not using it. Seaside is great if you have kids/teens since there is a huge arcade, little mall, carousel, rides, moped/bike rentals, etc.

There is also the long cement boardwalk --can be rough in some areas for rollerblading but great for walking/biking. There are some great little restaurants away from the main drag (Broadway St.) and also in Cannon Beach (which is only about 10 minutes away)

Cannon Beach/Seaside are really not that far from Portland and is really a day trip. If you go north of Seaside about 5 minutes on HWY 101 (past Gearhart) you can drive on the beach (Delray beach) If you go south on 101 past Cannon beach about 5 minutes, you%26#39;re up in the hills and is a great photo op since there is a turnoff/lookout point on your right. For a longer day/overnight trip, I recommend staying in Seaside or Cannon Beach and then go south to Tillamook and drive back to Portland through the wine region the next day.

Regarding the falls: It%26#39;s about 1/2 hr from Portland. Most people drive I-84 to get there but I HIGHLY recommend driving on the Washington side --HWY 14 (much more scenic) and cross over the bridge of the Gods. It%26#39;ll take a bit longer but is well worth it for the scenery. Check out the Skamania lodge http://www.skamania.com/ or the Columbia Gorge Hotel http://www.columbiagorgehotel.com/

if you want to stay in the area. There is also a 2-hour boatride at the gorge if you want to be on the river: http://www.sternwheeler.com/

Chicogirl and generx--Hand around here long enough and you will find that the word ';gorgeous'; is used a lot, lol!