Is it worth staying a night or two in Eugene?

When travelling from Bend to the northern Oregon Coast, should we stop in Eugene or Salem? Is there really anything to see and do or should be just bypass and go directly to the coast.

Is it worth staying a night or two in Eugene?

Just keep driving. There isn%26#39;t much in either town worth stopping for.

Is it worth staying a night or two in Eugene?

Not sure what you mean by northern Oreg coast. Most of the locals call Newport central coast but you posted on Newport forum . If Newport your destination I would just take US-20.

My wife and I visit State Capitols, Salem has nice capitol grounds. But i would not spend night in either Salem or Eugene.

Yeah, what they said : ) But if you stop via 20 for lunch, go to woodstocks in Corvallis for pizza, or China Blue for chinese.

Silly--We will be in Corvallis soon for a game and are already looking forward to hitting Woodstocks again. Love that place!

How large is your group, and are you traveling with kids? Depending on what you are looking for... there are some nice attractions in both cities!

Salem has a nice riverfront park with a hand carved carousel. The State Capitol building is downtown, and it also has nice grounds. Nearby is Willamette University.

Eugene is Home of the Ducks - the University of Oregon. The campus is lively and there are shopping areas nearby. The McKenzie River runs through town. There is also a nice swim center with a wave pool and water slides. You could check out Spencer%26#39;s Butte and Hendrick%26#39;s Park.

Both cities have farmer%26#39;s markets and Saturday markets. And the Willamette Valley is home to many wineries if you are interested in that type of activity.

Mtngirl I miss it so. Eat a piece for me!

Where exactly you are headed and what things you like to do en route can answer your question many different ways.

Take Hwy 20 for Yachats to Depoe Bay. Last week I drove Bend to Newport in a little less than 3-1/2 hours using Hwy 20. Over 3 and less than 4 hrs is a consistent time for this road. There aren%26#39;t many über noteworthy stops, but if your stomach tells you it%26#39;s time to refuel then you can find reasonalby good places along the way. We often get a cone in Sisters at the Alpine Inn and stop at Costco in Albany along this road. Corvallis has been steadily improving itself over the years and offers options as well that I am sure are covered in other threads.

Take Hwy 22 for Lincoln City to Manzanita. This will take you through Salem. Along the way you can grab a deli sandwich %26amp; all to go and rent a pontoon boat on Detroit lake for a pretty unique lunch that doesn%26#39;t use up the whole day. Without disrespect, Salem is not a place I would choose to spend a vacation day. But if you want to shop at a Nordstrom%26#39;s that has no lines - this is the place to do it!

If you are headed to the north coast (Cannon Beach%26lt;%26gt;Astoria±) then you will want to link up with Highway 26 which I would do using 99W and OR47 via Forest Grove. 99W is a great road and passes by a number of superb wineries, as well as the charm of old McMinnville (they have a very good McMenamins %26amp; more plus a first class air museum). This is probably a 5 hour drive or so (still less than driving over Hood and dealing with Portland traffic).

If you are headed in the direction of Florence to Reedsport and beyond, then you do want to take 242/126 all the way passing through Eugene. I have no clue how often you get to travel 242 from bend to McKenzie Bridge - but it never ceases to amaze me. This is a scenic drive on par with almost any in the Northwest. The old Inn along the way does serve an awesome meal as well (not for kids though IMHO). Eugene itself is typically event specific. Along with the shopping, the market, and a strong campus vibe, some of the museum exhibits in the Uof O can be pretty cool. The oldest pair of shoes known in the world are on display there (10,000 yrs±! and they came from the Fort Rock Cave south of Bend BTW), as well as a growing art collection and more. But again, it%26#39;s not what one would generally call a vacation destination. The disadvantage of this route is the additional time it takes, as it is a much slower road, but if you haven%26#39;t done it - make plans to.

All of those drives can %26amp; should be be very pleasant. Especially if you prefer highway travel versus freeways.

That said, the Oregon Coast always offers unique scenery and as much o see and do as your time allows. So don%26#39;t sacrifice much of that time for the stopovers, and have a great trip!

You are from Florida. and if you have been to oreg several times, I could give you some ideas for Eugene or Salem or Corvallis, but if first time (or third time) visitor not real high priority.