First I would like to thank the locals for contributing so much to the Portland forum. I haven%26#39;t been to Portland, and this will be my first trip, but I already feel like moving to Portland.
I will be arriving at 5/25 at 9am and will be leaving on 5/30 at 7am. The best lodging accomodation I could get was with the Downtown Holiday Inn which isn%26#39;t really Downtown (but close enough to take the MAX over)
I plan to do the following:
- Pearl District %26amp; downtown attractions (gardens,bookstore, etc)
- Hood River / Columbia Gorge / Wahtum Lake / Bridge of the Gods. I may possibly spend 2 days of the trip here.
- Oregon Coast (Cannon Beach, Seaside, Astoria)
- Wineries (Ponzi, Erath, Cooper Mountain)
My question are as follows:
- Am I missing anything that is a must see for a first time visitor?
- What is the best route to take for the day I spend on the coast? Are there specific places to see and visit at all the 3 stops?
- How many wineries should we visit? Are there any other recommended wineries? What are the fees associated?
- What are some good ';budget'; resteraunts and bars for a couple in their mid 20%26#39;s?
Any advice and/or comments will be very much appreciated. Thank you once again!
My Portland 5/25-5/29 Itinerary - Can the locals please...
Hi and welcome to the forums! Since you love wine tasting, don%26#39;t miss Shallon, the Cellar on 10th and the Vintner%26#39;s Room at the Hotel Elliott while in Astoria. :)
I would also put Domaine Drouhin and Archery Summit on your list for some places that are producing some excellent Pinot Noirs right now. We enjoyed lunch at the Dundee Bistro where you can also sample many of the Ponzi wines and there Ponzi tasting room is adjacent to the restaurant.
There is also the Wine Haus in Seaside in the Outlet malls where you can wine taste and they have an excellent selection of wines from all over the world. I%26#39;m not impressed with the wines from Erath or Cooper Mountain. The Rex Hill Reserve wines are worth checking out, tho and you may want to add this winery to your list. Cheers!
My Portland 5/25-5/29 Itinerary - Can the locals please...
You plan to stay in Portland every night??
I don%26#39;t think of trip to N Coast as a good day trip . especially if you add Astoria. we were already at coast last fall and decided to once again visit Astoria before we headed home. we fiddled around so much we didn%26#39;t even get to Maritime Museum. Astoria is a great visit. they have really fixed up the downtown. One of those places we just can%26#39;t simply drive through
In all the years we have been going to the coast my wife and i did do one day trip and that was to Seaside and Cannon Beach and that about filled the day
Wahtum Lake?? Curious why you picked that. that can be all day adventure.
I would rather do some short hikes in gorge to a few select waterfalls. Across top from Wahkeena Falls to Multnomah Falls is a good one, Bridal Veil Falls is short and worth it. And there are more. you could spend two days there.
Trust me on this... there are better ways to spend your one day at the coast than tasting wine in Outlet Malls and hotel lobbies. But it appears that%26#39;s what some visitors to Oregon do.
I%26#39;d suggest taking hwy 26 west directly to Cannon Beach. Of the three towns you mention, I think you%26#39;ll find it the most appealing. Take some time to walk the beach, and if the tides are right, check out tidepools around Haystack Rock. The ';must see'; in this area is Ecola State Park, just north of town. Allow yourselves some time to walk to the various viewpoints near the entrance parking lot, and explore Indian Beach. Maybe take the 1.5 walk along the hillside in to Indian Beach. Honestly, it will be tempting to spend your whole day in the Cannon Beach area. If you end up doing that, I doubt there%26#39;s anything in either Seaside or Astoria that you%26#39;d regret missing. Except maybe for some smoked seafood from Josephson%26#39;s in Astoria. :-)
If you do continue on, I suggest bypassing Seaside, and instead driving onto the beach at the north end of Gearhart. You can drive up the beach for, I%26#39;m guessing 10 miles. After getting off the beach, head to Fort Stevens, where at the north end of the park, you can see where the Columbia River flows into the Pacific.
Then to Astoria, where, aside from Josephson%26#39;s, you can visit a museum or two, and compare the victorian houses to those where you live. But for me, the must see/do is the Astoria Column. If you%26#39;re a history buff, it%26#39;s one thing, but stop there if for no other reason than to fly balsa wood airplanes from the top of the Column.
Back to the subject of wine...... I second syrahgirl%26#39;s suggestions of Archery Summit and Domaine Drouhin. Both produce fine pinot noirs. But if you%26#39;re planning to buy anything at either of those places, best to bump the limits on your credit cards. ;-) Erath is in the same general area, and I%26#39;d recommend stops at Argyle and Adelsheim too. But I%26#39;d pass on Ponzi and Cooper Mt. if for no other reason but that they%26#39;re out of your way. If you%26#39;re planning your winery visits for that weekend, be advised that it will be busy. Memorial Day weekend is one of the two busiest of the year at the wineries.
Besides phirl and I, there are a couple other locals that I%26#39;m sure will have downtown Portland and Gorge recommendations. Have a great trip.
phirl, next time you%26#39;re in Astoria, you must visit the prestigious Maritime Museum! Our exhibit The Art of the Decoy will be on display there through the end of the year, possibly longer.
The Heritage Museum and Flavel House are also very historical and educational. You can purchase a Museum pass if you plan on visiting all 3 museums for one price. :)
Did not expect to receiving such an overwhelming response so quickly. Thanks!
To answer your questions...
Yes, I plan to stay in Portland every night. We are not set in visiting all 3 oregon coast hot spots if time will not permit. From the responses it seems Cannon Beach will consume the whole of the day trip.
Wahtum Lake was included just from reading around in the forums. Again, if time does not allow I don%26#39;t mind spending more time in the Gorge and skipping the lake.
Personally, I like wine, but am not especially interested in wine tasting and would rather spend the day hiking or scouring town. However, the GF said if we aren%26#39;t going to Hawaii then she bettter be getting a spa and some wine tasting in the trip.
Thanks for the tips so far!
You%26#39;re welcome! There is a nice spa in Cannon Beach and also in Seaside, the Spa on Broadway. Astoria also has a very nice one, the Columbia River Day Spa if you do go there.
LOL.... You must be pretty good, anonymous, selling GF on a trip to Oregon instead of Hawaii. :-)
Yes, you could easily spend the entire day in and around Cannon Beach. I%26#39;ve been going there for years, and never tire of it.
I think it%26#39;s a good idea to stay each night in Portland. The Gorge and coast are both easy day trips. What places did you try before settling on the Holiday Inn? At your ages, you might prefer a place like the Jupiter Hotel: http://www.jupiterhotel.com/. Or even Kennedy School, even though it%26#39;s a couple miles from downtown center.
You could cover hiking and some gardens in one day by walking between Forest Park, Classical Japanese Gardens, and the rose garden in Washington Park. And throw in a stop at Pittock Mansion for some nice city views.
Spas??? Not me. ;-) But maybe Mtngrl, Scarlett, or mamababoo can help you out.
We have visited Napa and Sonoma wine country. I prefer Sonoma, maybe because it is less busy, but don%26#39;t think you find the equal to either here in Oregon.
I have tried to visit some on a given day and they are not open. I have probably stopped at Ponzi 6 or 7 times in mid-week and not open
Oregon wine country not yet tourist destination. now if you are wine lover understand oreg has some good wines. and that might be worth it.
Mistletoe may have better idea of when they are open.
Promise I will quit posting here for a time after this
Mistletoe. I tend not to respond to questions about the city. of Portland. we have traveled some and Portland or Seattle do not make my top 10 favorite US cities list.
New York City, Wash DC, Boston, San Francisco, Nashville, Savannah, Charleston, San Antonio, New Orleans (before Katrina), and Vancouver do, though ask me in a week it could be a bit different.
Notice Las Vegas missing. if that is a clue to my thinking. my middle daughter would have it #1
Guess that is in part because so much more to see here in NW than cities
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