What's the inside info on the Riverside Inn?

I%26#39;m checking out the Riverside Inn - mostly because of the convenience of getting the Hellgate Jet Boat at their dock - When I look at the reviews, I see two extremes: Either this is the friendliest, cleanest, most customer service oriented hotel in Grant%26#39;s Pass, or it%26#39;s a slipshod, indifferent, disorganized dump. The truth has got to be in between the two extremes and I imagine that it depends a lot on what you consider to be adequate, but I would like to get an unbiased opinion.

We are experienced travelers and have stayed in truly scary hotels in Africa and Mexico. But in the U.S. we expect a clean decent place where we don%26#39;t worry about bed bugs and where we are sure that our reservations will be honored for a room where the plumbing works and the beds are good. Can we get this at the Riverside?

What's the inside info on the Riverside Inn?

HI UtahRoots, we stay at the RI several times a year, twice already this summer and many, many times over the years. We always book under the Entertainment Rate which is $49/night Sun.-Thurs. Our rooms are always clean, well appointed and the staff is very friendly. The past year they have remodeled their Eagle%26#39;s Nest breakfast room which is nice. There is now a complimentary breakfast included with the room. Fresh fruit, yogurt, bagels, muffins, juice, etc.

There is an outdoor pool and a jacuzzi and all of the rooms have beautiful views of the Rogue River. I have stayed at very nice 4 star hotels all over and find no complaints about the Riverside Inn. They have made several good improvements to the property over the past couple of years. I noticed last stay that new carpeting was in the upstairs room. ( I think we had 252.)

There are nice Pro Terra amenities in the bathrooms, same as they use at the Yountville Inn in Napa Valley. There is also the River Rock Cafe a few steps away where you can get Starbuck%26#39;s coffee, gifts, etc. We love the strawberry waffles here. You can purchase your Jet Boat tickets at the desk in the gift shop.

I%26#39;ll try to get a review out with some photos I have taken of the Riverside Inn. If you can get in at $59/night, it%26#39;s one of the best values around! Any specific questions, just ask! My brother-in-law has also stayed there with his 3 kids and they enjoyed the place.

Hope this helps! :)

What's the inside info on the Riverside Inn?

Forgot to add that Rafters Bar %26amp; Grill is their restaurant there that has good food. There is also a nice deck to sit out on and take in the views of the bridge and the Rogue. Beds are also fine! :)

I have stayed there a few times, maybe 10, never been disappointed. about half of the time was with others so one or more of us had riverview room where we could gather to watch river

I am not real hard to please and a time or two some may have complained but setting overcomes.

Even if your room is not riverside lounge is.

Easy choice for me Grants Pass Riverside, if leisure travel.

I think UtahRoots has chosen to stay in Gold Beach now. It would be nice and cool there! :)

Grant's Pass to the Coast - Which Route?

We%26#39;re traveling up the northern California (from Humboldt Redwoods park) and Oregon coasts to Portland. From Grant%26#39;s Pass, where we will be for a jet boat trip, we need help with planning the route north. We definitely want to stay along the coast, not inland, so Crater Lake is out for this trip. We have adrenaline junkie teenage boys who don%26#39;t tolerate more than about four hours in a car without stopping for something to make their hearts race.

Should we take I-5 to Hwy 42 and then west to Coos Bay or should we take I-5 up to Hwy 38 and west to Reedsport? I don%26#39;t want to miss anything spectacular on the south coast but I also have to keep in mind that at that point, we will have only five days left on our trip and need to be in Portland within 3 days of leaving Grant%26#39;s Pass. And we want to spend at least one day in the Newport/Yachats section of the coast. Is 101 between Coos Bay and Reedsport a must see? Is there a significant driving time difference between the two routes from Grant%26#39;s Pass to the coast?

Grant's Pass to the Coast - Which Route?

If it is a given you jet boat in Grants Pass not Gold Beach I would head back to coast at Sutherlin on OR-138 then OR-38 to Reedsport.. That is prettier and shorter to Reedsport than OR-42.

You see half the Dunes north from Reedsport to Florence. and in my view the better half. Though I might go out to Winchester Bay and Umpqua LH south a bit from Reedsport. nice views from Umpqua LH of dunes and river

Grant's Pass to the Coast - Which Route?

I was about to make our reservations at Grant%26#39;s Pass...but I%26#39;m willing to listen to another suggestion. Tell me about Gold Beach, specifically about jet boat trips.

Jet boat rides at Gold Beach go up the Rogue River. the shortest takes a half day. The one at Grants Pass goes down river and takes less time, shorter trip.

Personally I much prefer Gold Beach, you start in area with some development, but soon get into mostly just river and forest and wildelife. Netiher trip get into really white water. to do that you need a longer trip from Gold Beach

GP trip to me never really leaves developed areas though riverside vegeatation pretty much hides it for much of trip.

The drive from Crescent City to GP on US-199 is 80 miles and part is slow, maybe 2 hour trip CC to Gold Beach 50 miles. In that sem two hours you can make a couple of stops and get to Gold Beach.

But do not go into Gold beach without reservations, room and boat, mostly room

As usual, phirl is right on the money. If you%26#39;re staying in Grants Pass, Drive I-5 to Sutherlin, then 138-38 to Reedsport.

The Boat Rides themselves from Gold Beach are much more interesting and the river is more beautiful in this area IMO, but it will be as much as 30 degrees warmer in Grants Pass. So, now for the tough decision...................warmth or beauty.

Den

Right now, it%26#39;s 102 degrees in Salt Lake City. I%26#39;ll go for beauty. I%26#39;ve had enough warmth thank you.

O.K., sounds like Gold Beach is the new destination. I%26#39;ve looked at two different jet boat companies. Does anyone have a preference? It%26#39;s the same river either way, so unless one boat company is significantly better, I%26#39;ll just book with whomever has room.

If we do the long 104 mile trip, do we get to any actual white water? We%26#39;ve run the Snake River and the Colorado with our sons so the whitewater would have to be pretty dang good to make the longer trip worth the money...

Speaking of booking rooms... The Tu Tu Tun is out of our price range and they frown on children, even teenagers...maybe especially teenagers...Is the Sun n Sea a good alternative?

How far on Snake did you go. we did lower 3/4s some fair white water, but class 3 at most. I stood at Hells Canyon Dam and siad don%26#39;t think I wnat to get in boat here. Looked pretty rough.

We only got to Agness on Rogue, white water above that. hope someone else can help more. I have bee further up river to Foster Bar on road and it does get more white, but abov there is best I think.

Seemed to me Jerrys was a bit more venturesome, doing spinnies in the river. good for teens, I was glad we were on mail boat

Sand n Sea? Yes, it is nice. Clean, comfortable and walking paths down to the beach. A small indoor pool there, not a resort by any means, just a nice motel. Get the oceanview room there! :)

I have taken the Mailboats for a mothers day ride in their covered boat. Very nice and scenic but might be too tame for your adventure seekers. Now on the other hand I have taken Jerry%26#39;s with my son%26#39;s 6th grade class. Now that was a little wild. They spun us and got the kids pretty wet. When we left GB it was foggy and cool but as we went up river it got sunny and quite hot so by the time we hit Agness the water splashing was quite welcome. But when we returned they asked the kids if they wanted to get wet on the way back and they said YES!!. I told them it was a bad idea, ';Remember the temp when we left Gold Beach?';. Do they listen to an adult that tends to think things through before making rash decisions? Not a chance! There was 30+ soaked and uncontrolably shivering kids saying ';We should have listen to you.'; and 4 semi-dry laughing chaperones. But it was a blast. You get to see wildlife along the banks, beautiful forests, and even some nice fish if anything is running at the time. Many of the fisherman will raise their catch for you to see. We saw deer, black bears, %26amp; Bald Eagles on our trip.

I drive the road between Coos Bay and Reedsport 12+ times a week and there is not much along the highway itself unless you leave the the main highway. There is a couple of pretty sites just before you reach Reedsport. There is Clear Lake on the East side of the highway after you go up the hill from Lakeside which is a very beautiful lake but unfortunately not anywhere to really stop and enjoy it. It%26#39;s breathtaking in the morning when then water is perfectly flat. Then just past Clear Lake is an overlook that looks over the dunes, the Umpqua lighthouse, the Umpqua river mouth and the ocean. Very nice views if it%26#39;s clear.

Have a great trip!

Dreamin, %26lt;%26lt; When we left GB it was foggy and cool but as we went up river it got sunny and quite hot so by the time we hit Agness the water splashing was quite welcome.%26gt;%26gt;

That sounds sooo appealing! :)

I bet it does. It was getting close to 90 here yesterday and is suppose to do the same today. I hope not. The fog got sucked in this morning so that could be good for us and bad inland.

one day on the oregon coast

I will be staying in cannon beach for one full day and evening and then heading to seattle the next day

any recommendations.....

one day on the oregon coast

tripadvisor.com/Travel-g51790-d117451/Cannon鈥?/a>

We like to go to the beach, whether it is warm enough for getting your feet wet or just walking on the sand..we like Mo%26#39;s for a very casual lunch ( we take our dog so we don%26#39;t eat inside that much when in Cannon Beach ) ..

I enjoy walking in and out of the shops and galleries, we like taking a drive along the coast and Ecola State Park..

mistletoe and Mtngrl and phirl and dengay are just a few longtime locals who know a huge amount about Cannon Beach, I hope they look in and can give your some of their good advice. :)

ie tab

please help, so much beaty so little time!

hello, all oregon coast lovers! I haven%26#39;t been in years, I am finally going this Aug and I am excited.

My plan is cannon beach I already have 4 nights booked there, and I started feeling the urge to drive further south to the central coast at least, but I dont know if I can pull it off.

Mon, arrive in cannon beach around 4pm, from van, bc

Tue - spend full day in cannon beach and area

Wed - wanted to drive up coast as far as I could and then driving back to cannon beach to spend the night.

thurs - back to cannon beach to sleep before 7-8 hour drive home.

Fri - drive home

May I please ask for all your help, my question is:

How far could I expect to drive on Wed to central coast and then same day back to cannon beach? AND

which is the first city where I could see the dunes? Do I have to go all the way to florence to see them?

This was just going to be a cannon beach vacation but I am feeling the urge to go further within this time frame.

Thank you all so much for your input, it is going to be very helpful! :)

Thank Bren

please help, so much beaty so little time!

beebee here, sorry I meant to post, so much beauty so little time :)

please help, so much beaty so little time!

I am from Van, bc too, and I just back from the Oregon Coast trip today. We didn%26#39;t want to drive so much, so we spread our trip out to 7 days.

We drove from Cannon Beach to Florence on one of those days -- while making stops for a few hours at Lincoln City, and Newport. But there was a lot to see in between that we didn%26#39;t do. It really depends on whether you want to stop at every viewpoint, stop for food, or explore. If you don%26#39;t make any major stops, you can definitely get down to Florence.

I don%26#39;t recall seeing any of the dunes until arriving in Florence...

About 160 miles from Cannon Beach to Florence along 101, so 320 mile trp there and back, and you probaly should go at least 10 miles south of Florence to see some of the Dunes. That is doable but long day and as other poster said you will miss a lot of good stops.

There are some minor dunes at Sand Lake near Tillamook, but if think you are going to Forence area I would not waste any time there.

If you do that I suggest also you do not do any beach time on way down. since you will probably already done some of that.

I would stop at Depoe Bay, Otter Rock, Yaquina Head lighthouse.

, Seal Rock,

Then southof Yacxhats it rellay gets good Devils Churn Cape Perpetua, Heceta Head LH, Viewpoint at Sea Lion Caves,

Then selected spot on Dunes. South Jetty, Lake Cleawox, Siltcoos beach. I would not go any further south than Dunes Overlook, since you have long trip back.

On way back you can decide if you hae time to visit Neport, Bayfront or Nye Beach, and any of the nice beaches near there.

Hi,

Wow thanks for your help guys, I wrote all your advise down, thats great as its really hard to actually know what a realistic time table for travel would be.

I have been to cannon beach a few times 7 years ago and up the coast once but I totally forget how long it actually took with stops, but I do remember total beauty!!! and I am so exicted about going back.

places like the oregon coast make you believe there is a god, its so beautiful

thanks again,

Brenda

Since you enjoye the Oregon Coast so much, you may want to check into subscriving to the Oregon Coast magazine. Gorgeous photos and interesting articles!

Have a great trip and please report back with us after your travels! :)

Hasnt been to the coast in over 7 years so you tell her to subscribe to your magazine? I am sure this makes sense on some planet

I drove from Florence to Seaside (6 miles north of Cannon Beach) two weeks ago and it took 4.5 hours of straight driving!! The coast route (Hwy 101) is VERY busy right now, so I wouldn%26#39;t advise trying Cannon Beach to Florence then back in one day.

phirl is correct about Sand Lake, but the dunes there do not compare in size or beauty with the ODNRA, which begin south of the Siuslaw River in Florence.

Den

Good post Den. I was wondering how long it would take in busy season.

Agree with Den with that info I wouldn%26#39;t go to ODNRA.

One option to condier for a day is Tillamook County.

Three Capes Road to Pacific City see the dunes at Sand Lake. Rockaway Beach, Manzanita, Tillamook Cheese Factory. Tillamook Air Museum. Easy to spend a day there doing something different and not spend all day just driving.

Then come back from BC to central oreg coast when you can stay there.

thank you all so much for your help, I am doing a lot of reseach and I just keep extending my trip!!

On Thusday I am thinking about driving from cannon beach to around depoe bay or newport and staying the night there, now I am just reseaching which camp site to stay at. drive to florence on early friday morning, then drive back the coast and stay the night closer to cannon beach, then head home to van, bc early sat morning.

It still sounds rushed a bit but by driving home sat instead of friday I miss work/ rush hour traffic

Does this sound more doeable? :)

funny thing is this was a last minute planning trip and I didn%26#39;t expect to spend this much money ( i%26#39;m renting a car also) but I know oregon coast is worth it and hubby has never been there.

thanks again all, I better get some shut eye.

Brenda

This link my help your research for a campground:

www.oregonstateparks.org

Since you are renting a car, I assume you will be tent camping????

There%26#39;s not a lot in the Depot Bay area, but there is Beverly Beach, north of Newport and South Beach, just south of the Yaquina River. You might also consider Beachside, between Waldport and Yachats.

Den

back blackheads

driving from seattle to cannon beach, exit over to coast?

Hello, I thought I saw someone else ask this question, but I no longer see it now.

I have been researching driving from seattle to cannon beach( mostly just trying to find the best exit route over to the coast)

and I keep finding two different routes suggested.... If anyone could advise me on the best route of these two you would be a lifesaver! This is my first time driving to cannon beach and pray that I don%26#39;t get lost.

here goes for the two routes I keeping seeing, and I will make it a brief description as I bet most of you know the routes well.

1. map quest suggests: merge onto us - 101 n via exit 104 toward aberdeen and going south past raymond

2. other map suggestions have been to: go down I5 further and take the kelso longview exit, follow the us - 30 to astoria.

I have seen both of these routes suggested; mainly suggesting route 2. to get to astoria and route 1. to get to cannon beach, but you have to go through astoria to get to cannon beach any way.

Any help would be soo appreciated, I am worried about getting lost so thank you all for your help.

Brenda

driving from seattle to cannon beach, exit over to coast?

I would go US-30 from Kelso-Longview. It would be quicker. They are about same distance 101 south through Raymond not real interesting. in my view. US-30 only sort of intersting, but it is better road than 101. -

If you do go toward Aberdeen there is a little cutoff WA-107 from Montesanto. If you go into Aberdeen then it is further than Kelso way.

driving from seattle to cannon beach, exit over to coast?

I%26#39;d do # 1 and that is what my in-laws do all of the time. You take the Aberdeen exit by Olympia and then go through Montesano (you don%26#39;t go as far as Aberdeen- follow the Montesano exits), eventually you%26#39;ll go through small towns such as Raymond, South Bend, Naselle, then to Astoria, and make your way to Cannon Beach. It will take you approximately 4 hours. If you wanted to drive more on the freeway for a longer period of time instead of highways, then do # 2, however it will take a little bit longer. Yes, you go through Astoria, OR either way. Good luck! Your drive will be well worth it and I hope you get great weather too!!! One other thing. When are you planning to go? If you are going this week, do plan 2 because of a huge festival going on this week that you%26#39;d avoid some traffic.

Gold beach to mewport

coming off rogue river at 8pm. I was wondering where to spend the night. It looks like there is not that much to do between GB and Brandon so to say time for next day trip to Yachats I thought I would stay in Brandon for the night.

Any problems?

Gold beach to mewport

Bandon is a beautiful town. Check out The Inn at Face Rock.

Gold beach to mewport

Hi again, Ken,

Gold Beach to Port Orford is one of the more spectacular sections of the coast, but I won%26#39;t go so far as to say you%26#39;d regret missing/shortchanging it. ;-)

I agree with Mistletoe, very nice section GB to Port Orford. I for sure would not drive it after dark for first trip. I suggest you stay in Gold Beach then Florence. Yachats better place to stay, but not at cost of missing much of florence to Waldport section

Bandon is nice strollable town but it will be mostly closed by time you get there after 9PM. You would be better off to visit next morn for an hour or two.

is leaving a full day to drive po to florence good?

what%26#39;s the drive like between florence and newport? is that a good all day trip as well?

Okay Ken, you%26#39;re stretching me here... Maybe phirl or someone else can fill in some of the blanks.

I think the highlight of the drive from Port Orford to Florence would be the Oregon Dunes, which are best seen just a few miles south of Florence. Bandon%26#39;s Old Town is another good stop, and as a golfer, I would be remiss if I didn%26#39;t recommend a stop at Bandon Dunes. You%26#39;ll also have the option of spending a few hours and $$ at the casino in Coos Bay.

The stretch between Florence and Newport, though much shorter, has more coastal views, and more to attract your attention. Highlights in that stretch are Haceta Head Lighthouse, Cape Perpetua, Oregon Aquarium, and Sea Lion Caves. I still think you should work in an overnight at the B%26amp;B in the Haceta Head Lighthouse keeper%26#39;s house.

See, I told ya.... Anyone else?

i looked at light house kinda expensive - have you stayed there? or what have you heard?

If you%26#39;re up to venture off of highway 101, a drive out to Sunset Bay, west of Coos Bay would be worth your trip. You pass through the fishing village of Charleston on your way there, where you will find several good fish and chips resturants. I really like the ';Fisherman%26#39;s Gratto'; right next to the bridge. Sunset Bay is only a few miles down the road from Charleston. This is where you will find one of the most beautiful beaches in Oregon. If you continue on another mile you%26#39;ll come to Shore Acres State Park. Here they have a large formal Japanese Garden. The gardens are all that remain of the estate of former timber barron Louis Simpson.

The strech from Coos Bay to Florence is mostly uneventful, but at Winchester Bay, you have another working fish port and some of the best dunes in the entire Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.

A 4 mile drive east on highway 38 out of Reeedspot will bring you to Dean Creek Elk Viewing Pasture. Large herds of Rosevelt Elk, the largest of all elk species, live here. I have driven by the pastures 1-3 times per week for 13 years and have seen elk every time.

It is true that the drive from Florence to Newport, while only 50 miles, is full of great scenery and fun things to do. You clould easily burn a day on this stretch. I would still spend the night in Yachats verses Florence and back-track the few miles to start your day%26#39;s adventure, probably at Heceta Head Lighthouse or Sea Lion Caves.

i looked at light house kinda expensive - have you stayed there? or what have you heard?

Do you think that sif i beed to start from GB at 3pm that it is better to stop for the night i PO rather than in Bandon. If i went the next day all the way to yachats. will I have enough time to do brandon,(No Golf), the safari park, your detour an hour of dune buggy lighthouse and,sea lions cave,?

No, never spent the night there, but have looked around inside. Pretty cool, and I%26#39;ve heard the breakfasts are great. The other thing I%26#39;ve heard is that the place is haunted. The intrigue of that possibility is enough for me to want to stay there.

got it, i%26#39;ll do a night in po and then take your advice and stay in yackats doing the deour out of coos bay. thanks,

mistletoe ghosts? yes people who keep staring into that light will see all different kinds of ghosts. perhaps i will see the ghost wisperer there.

has anyone stayed at hacienda lighthouse?

Sauvie Island

We went to Sauvie Island today. I highly recommend it.

This is what I posted on the Insider Pages...........

A very pleasant Portland area destination is Sauvie%26#39;s Island, managed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. This is a prime hiking and fishing and birdwatching location. Over 150,000 ,migratory birds and geese visit each fall and spring. Cranes and swans as well as beavers and red foxes live on the island. Picnicking and hiking are wonderful ways to explore the island. The beaches are open to the public. There are two markets on the island where you can buy foods, you can also get your produce from the farms and there are pick your own flower farms as well.

.........................

It is very easy to get to from downtown Portland, as long as you don%26#39;t get lost as easily as we do.

But it is only 10 miles from downtown so even with getting lost, we got there quickly..and easily.

It is lovely. For as far as the eye can see, farms and fields full of flowers, trees, cattle, horses and wildlife areas ... We stopped at every farm stand that was open, we bought produce, a huge watermelon for 50 cents a pound, and I got a handmade Market Basket for my forays into the Farmers Mkts here in town..it cost about half what they do in town :)

I really recommend this as a day or half day trip..you can go fishing, you can go to the beach , you can bring your bikes, it is flat so biking is easy.

Just use a lot of sunblock :)

Sauvie Island

Scarlett,

I couldn%26#39;t agree with you more. Having just moved to Portland a couple of months ago, my wife and I were anxious to explore our new home. Having a 10 month old baby limits some of the options available. So on the advice of a neighbor we sent to Sauvie Island. We were really blown away. It was stunningly beautiful and very serene. We stopped at a number of farms and bought the most delicious rasberries we have ever eaten. We only saw one other couple on our hike in one of the parks. It was perfect.

One of the things we love most about Portland is that you can drive a few miles out of the city and be in the most peaceful farming/natural scenery around.

We can%26#39;t wait until August when the peaches will be in season. mmm....

Stephen

Sauvie Island

Ahh! I am glad to hear someone else likes it too :)

We are newbies also, having moved here last August. There was one large group of people on bicycles, I think ( if I were to ride a bike) that it would be a great place to ride bikes then picnic. Our neighbor takes his dogs there, goes to the beach, and picnics there..we will probably go back out in the fall..

Thanks for the report Scarlett. As nice as it is, one might be tempted to never set foot outside the Pearl, so it%26#39;s good to see you expanding your Portland horizons. Where to next?

And you must be an urbanite too, Lucero. I like the word ';serene'; as a descriptor of Sauvie Island. It fits. Except around Halloween, when I%26#39;d swear everyone in the entire city goes there in search of the perfect pumpkin. Too bad you have to travel so far though. ;-) For many of us suburbanites, scenery like that at Sauvie Island is practically literally out our back door. Yes, this is a nice place to live. Welcome to Portland.

Speaking of pumpkins...the kids in my daughter%26#39;s driver%26#39;s ed class are trying to tell her that pumpkins are not sold in grocery stores here, that you have to go to a pumpkin patch to get one...either they are pulling her leg or these kids need to go to the store more often. I really cannot believe Safeway is not making a buck on pumpkins in the fall!

They were in the stores that we have here in town.

I think you are right, the kids need to go shopping for groceries more lol..

Maybe it%26#39;s just a fun way for the local kids to mess with the new kid. She takes it all in stride.

I do appreciate all the info that you and Mtngrl have supplied - I feel almost like I have two new friends! Now, where should I get my hair cut? lol

LOL, Mtngrl will know that...

We have to meet one day for lunch, somewhere..you will be safe, we are really harmless lol...

Yes we should! I belong to another group crazies who left TA due to troll attacks and formed a private chat room and some of us have started meeting in person. There are quite a few from the PNW so I am due to meet a gal soon.

We may have bumped into each other at the store by now anyway!

Scarlett, pumpkins were in downtown stores because you don%26#39;t have a pumpkin patch nearby! ;-) But a lot of folks around here do make as big a deal about picking the perfect pumpkin as they do about finding the perfect Christma.... (ooohhh, can I say that?) tree, lol. If you head out Scholl%26#39;s Ferry or along Roy Rogers, Chicogirl, you%26#39;ll find corn mazes, hay rides, farmers markets, and other attractions trying to lure you to a particular pumpkin patch. Or, you can pick one from the pile in front of Safeway. ;-)

Well, this year I will be buying my pumpkins at the Farmers Market, just to be contrary :)