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Where is a better 2 day trip, Oregon Coast, Mt Hood Area / Falls or going up to Seattle (which is 5hr+ trip)? |
Travel Info I am going on a trip to Albany, Oregon about 80 mls south of Portland. We will be staying with someone for 10 days. During our stay my husband and I want to have a couple of days to do something fun. I have been trying to decide if it would be better to go to the Mt hood/Falls area, head over to the coast (last time we came in Nov and it was storming so it should be much nicer this time. We went to Seattle and it was also rainy last Nov. Can someone give me the good and bad points on these places and help me make up my mind? Also any suggestions on great places to stay? I've been looking at hotels and B&Bs. Any locals know of nice places and good deals? Thanks in advance. Travel Tips Depends on what you like to do. I'm not much of a fan of big cities, and the traffic in Seattle area is quite horrible, so that would be last on my list. The coast is nice, but can be quite cold and stormy this early in the year. My vote would be to visit the Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood. Of course I am prejudiced, since I have lived in the Columbia River Gorge most of my life. Things to see: Multnomah Falls (Multnomah Falls is the second highest year-round waterfall in the nation. The water of the Falls drops 620 feet from its origin on Larch Mountain.) Horsetail Falls, Oneota Gorge, etc. There are many trails and great waterfalls along the Scenic Highway. Osprey (there are many pairs nesting the the Gorge this time of year so they are easy to spot. Brown birds with white heads with a brown "mask" on their face. They are quite interesting to watch as they fish. Also there are a number of pairs of Bald Eagles although they are less often sighted. Mt. Hood is great, the roads are clear now. You can even stay at the historic Timberline Lodge, built in the 1920's. Activities: kayaking, mt. biking, windsurfing, kiteboarding, snowboarding/skiing, hiking, etc. Hood River, OR is an interesting town with a lot of great shops and people visiting from all over the world. Others do something fun, get divorced well, seattle rains...that's just "seattle." so, you saw it already. the oregon coast is not one of those tropical places, and it may very well rain this time you are there as well. but i love it, and there are so many break B&B's, cottages to rent, etc... cannon beach and manzanita are my favorites. if you haven't been to mt hood, you could stay there. the lodge runs about $200+ per night, but it's very romantic and there are lots of activities for the summer. your best bet for good deals may be the beach. With the weather fluctuating as it has been, I'd feel the beaches are the safer bet. Not just for the temps, but the things to do as well. The mountains are more fun during the summer when you don't have to worry about the cold as much during the day and the rain factor. Since you will be further down in Albany, if you choose the beaches, you'd be picking one from Lincoln City on down. They've already had their kite flying contest for Spring, but the beaches there are great for kite flying just about any time. Also buying bread and feeding the seagulls can be enter- taining and cheap entertainment. If you have the time, a trip to Florence, to the sand dunes and dune buggy rides can be alot of fun. Or just running on them and sliding down the hills of sand can be fun too, if you're young. There is Mos', the restaurant made popular for their clam chowder, with locations along the ocean towns. There are billboard signs to tell you where the closest location is, when you drive along the old highway skirting the ocean. Of course, there are souvineer shops in every locale along the coastline, but many people shun that commercial aspect and just enjoy the beach itself. Watching the tide roll in while having a lunch that can be purchased in town at a grocery store and kept in a thermal cooler, can save money from having to eat every meal out. And coastal prices can cost you if you don't ask around for places where you get your money's worth for quality and flavor. Usualy the locals know where the bargains are, and what they do for entertainment in town, if the beach isn't enough. Myself, if I don't have a beach fix a couple times of year, just to take a walk on the sand and inhale all of that salt air, I'd be depressed. Where else can you go to get the cobwebs cleared out, and your sinuses cleansed, all at the same time? Well I know where I'd go, if I had the chance for a vacation. The beach is always calling to me. So that's where I'd go. I'm not sure of good deals but my wife and I stay at this place in Hood River, OR a best western and we rent this tight suite right on the Columbia. Great views, we found a really good restaurant or two I think one was called 3 rivers grill or something like that ( I don't quite remember, the local Pinot Gris was outstanding!) We had a good enough time that before we left the hotel I booked it for a night in June. We also are staying at a place in Seaside, it's right on the beach, w/ a little kitchenette: Shilo Inns Seaside. I've never stayed there, but the rooms, they say, have been newly renovated, the pics on the web looked good, and our room faces the ocean. Oregon is bangin', you might do well to just take a night or so to kick it in Portland there's so much the city and state have to offer. Have fun!!! Peace |
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