Travel to Mt. Hood or Pacific Coast (Portland, Seaside: to buy, price)

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by titorivera

No idea. Looking for the most direct place from Portland to the Coast. Never been there.

The most direct place would probably be the Cannon Beach/Seaside area. You can probably get some ideas from Post #2. Maybe somebody can give you more specific ideas. Mo's Seafood & Chowder I believe has a location in Seaside. It's famous.

[sofarsogoood]

Originally Posted by titorivera

Where do you suggest having lunch on the Coast?

The Fish Peddler at Pacific Oyster for lunch, then head to Tillamook Ice Cream factory for ice cream and visit the dairy factory.

[StealthRabbit]

What specific do you want to see on the coast?
How much driving do you want to do?

HWY 26 west to Seaside / Cannon Beach is most direct from Portland.

Seaside is a tourist / Arcade town with a promenade / long beach. OK but not terrific
Astoria is north, and has a very good museum (ship wrecks / coastguard), nice architecture of a historic port town., also scenic bridge and tall lookout column on a hill +/-, but Astoria is ~1hr out of the way for a day trip.

Cannon Beach is very scenic and lots of high end beach shops (art), Oregon rocky coast area + sand
Ecola State Park (Nice overlook is nearby)

Many scenic areas headed south from Cannon Beach (Hug point / Oswald State Park...)

Manzanita, small town, nice long beach

Twin Rocks / Rockaway - small town, nice sandy beach (Take Minnehaha St to beach (South 101, near walking overpass), It's quite near Twin Rocks view, sometimes lots of driftwood, sometimes none(?)

Garibaldi, small town, big bay (not scenic, fishing and ocean charters)

Tillamook, inland town

3 Capes, nice drive, not much beach

Pacific City - small town, nice beach, not crowded

Lincoln City and immediately south (Depot Bay / Otter Crest / Blow Hole)= rocky coast.

Newport area = lighthouse, marina... (Probably a bit far for a day trip).

Food... pretty personal to taste ' local fare' desire. Some seafood is better away from the coast.

I prefer Clam Chowder and Halibut at Sea Breeze (small cafe at intersection of 26 and 101. (does not have a view).

Some people like the Bowpicker (Boat fish and chips in Astoria parking lot) Not my taste.

There is a nice cafe in Pacific City. Check opening hours in Sept.

I'm sure there are plenty of spendy places. We often grab a sandwich and eat with the seagulls (they will snatch your Chocolate Chip Cookies when you're not looking... be careful!

For a day trip... I would consider out on 26 and back to Portland on 6 (tillamook) or 18 (Lincoln City). but... I really prefer Hug Point for Sunset (near Cannon Beach), followed by supper at Sea Breeze, and back to Portland by midnight. so, you can do the reverse loop, (headed North) just be very careful crossing traffic on 101. Or... you can do the round rip on 26 (it's the fastest / shortest

[leastprime]

Re: Tillamook.
The Tillamook Cheese Factory is all automated. Not much to see, except for the videos of the cheese making process.
The Ice cream is nice but sometimes the wait-crowds make the IC less than perfect.

Warm days will make the "air" more dairy like.

Cape Meares Lighthouse. And the Tree.
Munson Falls.

Three Capes route. Highway-Parks need to cut down some trees and brush to make the views awesome. Maybe someone has already do so (haven't) visited in 5 years.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by leastprime

Re: Tillamook.
....

It's a handy place for rainy days (a few museums / indoor things to do)

NOT good on a REAL rainy day (lowlands / flooding)

Buildings (hangars) at air museum (largest plywood structures in USA) are awesome to see, whether you go to the museum or not)
Pioneer museum is excellent
Quilt Museum is nice too.

[leastprime]

Day trip coastal route:
PDX-Seaside on 26-Tillamook-3 Capes Route to Pacific City-Big Nestucca river route=Cloverdale/Hebo/ThreeRivers Highway (22) to Dolph Junction (used to be stagecoach stop/hotel) catching main highway 22. Continue to Junction 22/18, taking 18 to McMinnville (Wineries, Evergreen Air/Space Museum-Spruce Goose). Cut over to I-5 (down (S)Woodburn Outlet Mall) or up (N) to Portland.

slight deviation: South of Pacific City, take 130 and follow the Little Nestucca River Route which will join up with 22 at Dolph Junction. Of special geology interest, If you take this route, the Little Nestucca Plain changes into the Coast Range very abruptly, . It is also the far end of any Tsunami, about 5-6 miles from Ocean. The Big Nestucca Route, you will gradually enter the Coast Range at Hebo, ~15 miles inland from the Ocean, and is the furtherest of any Tsunami.

Overnight stay, at the Anchorage Motel, Pacific City, Remodeled nicely. Has kitchen. Or if no budget restrictions, the motels at the Cape. Or at the Tillamook Co. public campground.
YMMV

[leastprime]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

It's a handy place for rainy days (a few museums / indoor things to do)

NOT good on a REAL rainy day (lowlands / flooding)

Buildings (hangars) at air museum (largest plywood structures in USA) are awesome to see, whether you go to the museum or not)
Pioneer museum is excellent
Quilt Museum is nice too.

There won't be any heavy rain+snow melt from the Coastal Range+King tides in September. Maybe a Tsunami, but highly unlikely. Mid September will still be nice, Actually September is perhaps the nicest time to go to the coast.
Never been to the Tillamook's Blimp Hanger. One of these years.....
YMMV

[leastprime]

Mt Hood Route is also very scenic, geologically interesting. Transition from river Savannah to forest Alpine then to high desert on the southeast side of Mt Hood, or river desert on the Northeast of Mt Hood.
I'm just not as familiar with it.
YMMV

[Nell Plotts]

Cannon Beach
The Oregon Coast holds some of the most beautifully grand but lesser-known beaches in the contiguous USA. Cannon Beach is the ideal, easy-to-reach introduction to the region, with miles of white sand, waterfalls tumbling to the beach and the hulking, 72m Haystack Rock which makes for a picture-perfect silhouette. In town, you’ll find art galleries, chic boutiques and incredible dining (hint: try the chowder).

How to get to Cannon Beach: Take US-26 East until it junctions with US 101 – a trip that should be only 1hr 30min by car. Turn south.

The best way to see the Oregon coast is to drive south as all the scenic turnouts will be on your right.

[karlsch]

If you want to see the famous Oregon coast, do not drive to Tillamook, which is inland, to see how cheese is made. Go to the actual coast to see what made it famous, even if it is raining.