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Summer Road Trip ‘23 - Washington and Oregon
Posted on 1/21/23 at 2:55 pm
Posted on 1/21/23 at 2:55 pm
We are planning a nine day trip in WA and OR for mid-to-late July. Probably flying into Seattle and coming home from Portland (or vice versa).
Seems like a have-to is Crater Lake, but we want to hear thoughts on what should be part of an itinerary. I know Olympic and Rainier seem like good choices too.
We have three kids who will be 16/14/9 and we love outdoor sights / activities, reasonably easy hikes, being out in nature and exploring.
What else would you put on your itinerary given these facts?
Seems like a have-to is Crater Lake, but we want to hear thoughts on what should be part of an itinerary. I know Olympic and Rainier seem like good choices too.
We have three kids who will be 16/14/9 and we love outdoor sights / activities, reasonably easy hikes, being out in nature and exploring.
What else would you put on your itinerary given these facts?
9
Posted on 1/21/23 at 3:52 pm to DrEdgeLSU
For Crater Lake, my recommendation is get there early on a weekday and drive the loop counterclockwise. There are numerous pullouts with stunning views and many short hikes.
One the way to or back from Crater Lake, I highly recommend the Bend area. Newberry Crater National Monument is great. Drive up to double craters with lakes and stop and see a twin waterfall on way up. From the caldera, drive to the summit of Paulina, the highest road in Oregon for amazing views of the caldera, the obsidian flow, and the Three Sisters volcanoes.
Downtown and the old mill area of Bend is great. Pilot Butte, a volcanic cinder cone within the city is worth the visit for great views. Nearby Sunriver is resort area. And nearby Sisters is an old west style town.
Portions of the Oregon Coast should be considered too.
For Mt. Rainier I would be sure to visit Sunrise and do the drive from there all the way around to Longmire. Many short easy hikes along the way.
For Olympic, the drive up to Hurricane Ridge, Hoh Rainforest, and the Highway 101 beaches (Ruby in particular) are some of the more accessible popular sites in park.
Depending on your route, Mt. St. Helens may also be a possible destination.
One the way to or back from Crater Lake, I highly recommend the Bend area. Newberry Crater National Monument is great. Drive up to double craters with lakes and stop and see a twin waterfall on way up. From the caldera, drive to the summit of Paulina, the highest road in Oregon for amazing views of the caldera, the obsidian flow, and the Three Sisters volcanoes.
Downtown and the old mill area of Bend is great. Pilot Butte, a volcanic cinder cone within the city is worth the visit for great views. Nearby Sunriver is resort area. And nearby Sisters is an old west style town.
Portions of the Oregon Coast should be considered too.
For Mt. Rainier I would be sure to visit Sunrise and do the drive from there all the way around to Longmire. Many short easy hikes along the way.
For Olympic, the drive up to Hurricane Ridge, Hoh Rainforest, and the Highway 101 beaches (Ruby in particular) are some of the more accessible popular sites in park.
Depending on your route, Mt. St. Helens may also be a possible destination.
Posted on 1/21/23 at 9:37 pm to DrEdgeLSU
If you go near Silver Lake OR, be sure and eat at Cowboy Dinner Tree. Fort Rock State Park's pretty close by too.
Cowboy Dinner Tree
Cowboy Dinner Tree
Posted on 1/22/23 at 12:50 pm to DrEdgeLSU
going to be up that way mid July as well. We are coming in from the east though and are planning north cascades NP and Olympic. Olympic looks like a bucket list slam dunk from the stuff I’ve read so definitely do that. We are spending 3 nights in that park and hope to catch most of the good stuff.
The suggestion above of the bend area is right on. Newberry area you can spend a whole day and not stop being amazed. Crater Lake is also spectacular, we took a boat ride out the island and hiked up the cinder cone, highly recommend
honestly just Olympic, bend and crater lake is enough to easy kill 9 days and still miss a bunch of stuff. Something like 3 Olympic/3 bend/2 crater lake/ 1 Portland would be perfect. I didn’t care for Seattle at all, its too damn crowded.
Y’all will have a blast
The suggestion above of the bend area is right on. Newberry area you can spend a whole day and not stop being amazed. Crater Lake is also spectacular, we took a boat ride out the island and hiked up the cinder cone, highly recommend
honestly just Olympic, bend and crater lake is enough to easy kill 9 days and still miss a bunch of stuff. Something like 3 Olympic/3 bend/2 crater lake/ 1 Portland would be perfect. I didn’t care for Seattle at all, its too damn crowded.
Y’all will have a blast
This post was edited on 1/22/23 at 12:55 pm
Posted on 1/22/23 at 11:31 pm to DrEdgeLSU
You might think about picking just one state to focus on with plans to return to the other in the future. These two states are bigger than a lot of people realize and travel times can be slower than you think, especially with a family of five in tow.
Posted on 1/27/23 at 12:17 am to DrEdgeLSU
This a LOT of driving, but beautiful scenery the whole time. You’ll need a Discover Pass for any state parks in WA ($30 for a year but I think there’s a $15 option.) $100 ticket if get caught without. You’ll also need the National Parks pass. $80.
West Rim of Crater lake is 95% of what you would want to see, in my opinion. East Rim, if you’re in the outside lane, can actually be dangerous because of the slides that have happened. You’ll save an hour or two and not really miss that much.
Gifford-Pinchot/Johnson Ridge Observatory would be the top thing I would add. St Helens and Spirit Lake, and on a clear day several other visible peaks (Hood, Adams, Sisters).
Take a ferry if you can. It’s the top tourist attraction in WA state, but you’re limited on time already. Whidbey Island/Deception Pass is pretty magical. Could catch the Mukilteo ferry (just north of Seattle) to Clinton, which is south end of Whidbey. Oak Harbor/NAS Whidbey is about 45 mins north and the bridge about an hour. On a clear day, you can see the pacific range across the bay. It’s truly one of the most beautiful places in the country, but it’s a full day in itself.
Could go on and on, but you’ve got enough. Just remember the passes. They don’t frick around with it, especially on tourist trailheads.
ETA: It won’t be “full swing” fire season, but there will likely be some. Be ready to adjust if there is a heavy smoke layer at a particular destination. You could still go, but could likely drive a couple hours a different direction and not have any smoke to deal with.
West Rim of Crater lake is 95% of what you would want to see, in my opinion. East Rim, if you’re in the outside lane, can actually be dangerous because of the slides that have happened. You’ll save an hour or two and not really miss that much.
Gifford-Pinchot/Johnson Ridge Observatory would be the top thing I would add. St Helens and Spirit Lake, and on a clear day several other visible peaks (Hood, Adams, Sisters).
Take a ferry if you can. It’s the top tourist attraction in WA state, but you’re limited on time already. Whidbey Island/Deception Pass is pretty magical. Could catch the Mukilteo ferry (just north of Seattle) to Clinton, which is south end of Whidbey. Oak Harbor/NAS Whidbey is about 45 mins north and the bridge about an hour. On a clear day, you can see the pacific range across the bay. It’s truly one of the most beautiful places in the country, but it’s a full day in itself.
Could go on and on, but you’ve got enough. Just remember the passes. They don’t frick around with it, especially on tourist trailheads.
ETA: It won’t be “full swing” fire season, but there will likely be some. Be ready to adjust if there is a heavy smoke layer at a particular destination. You could still go, but could likely drive a couple hours a different direction and not have any smoke to deal with.
This post was edited on 1/27/23 at 12:31 am
Posted on 1/27/23 at 6:29 am to DrEdgeLSU
Minor detail but the salmon ladder and the park it was at was a cool spot in Seattle, it’s used almost year round by the different species. It’s where the salmon go from the bay to the lake through the lock and there’s glass you can see the fish.
Posted on 1/27/23 at 12:56 pm to baldona
quote:
Minor detail but the salmon ladder and the park it was at was a cool spot in Seattle, it’s used almost year round by the different species. It’s where the salmon go from the bay to the lake through the lock and there’s glass you can see the fish.
The Ballard Locks. Lots of great food and microbreweries nearby too. Also the bar from “Deadliest Catch” is right there. A decent amount of the crab fleet are based out of Salmon Bay above the locks.
Fun fact: South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone came up with their “fish sticks” joke while visiting the locks.
Posted on 1/27/23 at 4:05 pm to DrEdgeLSU
We did a similar trip a few years back but didn't make it all the way down to Crater Lake.
Our favorite thing in that area was going to La Push and hiking through the forest to 1st 2nd and 3rd beach during low tide and seeing the tidepools. We stayed in a VRBO on Lake Sutherland in Olympic and it was beautiful. One of my favorite VRBOs I've ever stayed at.
The Oregon Coast was cool as well but Olympic was definitely our favorite. Mt. Rainier was cool for a couple of hikes and we did a "cruise" down the Columbia Gorge on the Sternwheeler which my kids enjoyed, though they were younger than your kids.
We did a whale watch out of Port Angeles which was alright but we really only saw one or two whales and they were pretty far away.
It's a beautiful area with lots to do.
Our favorite thing in that area was going to La Push and hiking through the forest to 1st 2nd and 3rd beach during low tide and seeing the tidepools. We stayed in a VRBO on Lake Sutherland in Olympic and it was beautiful. One of my favorite VRBOs I've ever stayed at.
The Oregon Coast was cool as well but Olympic was definitely our favorite. Mt. Rainier was cool for a couple of hikes and we did a "cruise" down the Columbia Gorge on the Sternwheeler which my kids enjoyed, though they were younger than your kids.
We did a whale watch out of Port Angeles which was alright but we really only saw one or two whales and they were pretty far away.
It's a beautiful area with lots to do.
Posted on 1/27/23 at 5:13 pm to Snoop Dawg
quote:
The Ballard Locks. Lots of great food and microbreweries nearby too.
If I'm in Seattle you'll find me drinking in Ballard. Imo the best of the best is in that area. And Holy Mountain isn't far away.
Posted on 1/29/23 at 11:44 am to DrEdgeLSU
Hoh river trail and hole in the wall at Rialto Beach are both can't miss places while in Washington.
Posted on 1/29/23 at 12:10 pm to DrEdgeLSU
quote:
We are planning a nine day trip in WA and OR for mid-to-late July. Probably flying into Seattle and coming home from Portland (or vice versa).
I would suggest just doing one state but that's me. There is so much to see and do it's mind blowing.
quote:
Seems like a have-to is Crater Lake, but we want to hear thoughts on what should be part of an itinerary. I know Olympic and Rainier seem like good choices too.
We have three kids who will be 16/14/9 and we love outdoor sights / activities, reasonably easy hikes, being out in nature and exploring.
What else would you put on your itinerary given these facts?
If you plan on going to Crater Lake I would suggest a few days in Central Oregon. Stay in Bend. To get to Bend take the highway 26 route over Mt. Hood. I cannot stress this enough.....do not take I-5 south route that your phone will most likely give you.
Shortly after you pass the Timberline ski area look for a sign noting Trillium lake. The road is to your right. Don't miss the view from the day use area. It's stunning.
Enjoy the views from the highway. You will see Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, Three Fingered Jack, Mt. Washington, 3 Sisters mountains, Broken Top and Mt. Bachelor (in that order so you know).
You will not get much of any views going the I-5/highway 22/20 route. If you absolutely must go that route (don't do it!) stop off at Hoodoo ski bowl and follow the signs to Big Lake campground and see the best view of Mt. Washington available anywhere. It's absolutely gorgeous.
Newberry has already been mentioned and it's a must see.
It will add to your drive but it's a drive that will be worth it. From Bend head west and take the Cascade Lakes scenic byway to Crater Lake. Make sure and have a map or your directions already in your phone because you will lose service. You will get it back but just be prepared.
On your way take note of where the Green Lakes trailhead parking lot sign is at for the next day if the family isn't wiped out by that point
It's one of my favorite trails and you won't regret the mostly easy 4.2 miles one way to the Green lakes. The views are flipping amazing. Here's a taste. 
You will need a permit to hike the trail as the trail runners from Bend have ruined it for everyone. Easy search for the permits. Pack a lunch/water and relax at the lakes. You can swim in the lakes if you can handle the water temp.
If you want to spend a day relaxing instead you can float the Deschutes river. Go to Riverbend Park and you will see a trailer that rents tubes. It's about a 90 min float or less depending on the flow. Bring a small cooler with drinks and enjoy the man made rapids. You can pull out after and walk around and do it again then float out to the take out where the shuttles are located.
Go to Crux for a beer or 3. It's a family setting with a view of the mountains to the west. El Sancho tacos has a food cart there, it's where they started originally but now have a brick and mortar spot in the city. Those white boys make a delicious taco.
Go to Pilot butte for the sunset, get there in plenty of time as a lot of folks go. Beautiful view of the mountains from there.
On your way back to Portland you can go to Maupin and raft the Deschutes river. It's the best area to raft the Deschutes. It isn't far out of the way and just get a 4 hour float, it's the highlight section of the river. First floats start at noon typically.
Head north on 197 for a very different view of Oregon than what you have seen. And it is the most direct route. If time allows stay in Hood river and enjoy the town. Lots of beer spots and restaurants. pFriem brewery is top 3 in the state and is down by the river. My favorite place to go is Double Mountain brewery, they have great pizza and very good beer.
Whether you can stay or not on your way to Portland on I84 stop off at the Bonneville dam and go see the Fish viewing area. Ballard locks was mentioned but honestly you will see a lot more fish at Bonneville. Sockeye salmon will be running and the Summer Chinook will be at the tail end of its run but most likely you will see some BIG fish. Either way the Columbia river has a lot more fish than the depleted Puget Sound which is very unfortunate.
Depending on the time of your flight out and if you have time I can recommend some spots in Portland that will be great. Just let me know.
This post was edited on 1/29/23 at 12:35 pm
Posted on 1/30/23 at 4:51 pm to LSUintheNW
quote:I agree with this - and I would make that state Washington. There's plenty to do in Central/Eastern WA as well - the Palouse, Palouse Falls, Grand Coulee, etc.
I would suggest just doing one state
Seattle area: Snoqualmie Falls is only 25 miles away and is worth it.
Peninsula: look up "High Steel Bridge" and then decide to go there
Posted on 1/30/23 at 8:18 pm to Big Scrub TX
quote:
I agree with this - and I would make that state Washington.
I would normally agree but 3 kids including a 9 year old might change the analysis. Which brings up the issue of relocation - do you want to pack up a family of 5 every day and checking in and out of a new hotel/air bnb? You can plan a loop itinerary where you see a lot but its going to involve that hassle.
Maybe it's better to plan a hub and spoke itinerary where you base in two places and do day trips:
If you stay in or near Portland you could reasonably do the following as day trips:
(1) North Oregon Coast - Astoria, Seaside, Ecola State Park, Cannon Beach + Haystack Rock
(2) Willamette Valley - wineries, small towns and restaurants
(3) Silverton - Oregon Garden and Silver Falls State Park (best place for waterfalls)
(4) Columbia River Gorge - Hodd River - lots of places to stop and see things, hike, etc.
(5) Mt Hood area - Trillium Lake, Timberline Lodge, Lavender farms.
If you stay in or near Seattle you could do:
(1) Snoqualmie Falls and Snoqualmie Pass
(2) Whitbey Island, Deception Pass, Anacortes
(3) Mt. Ranier - long but doable if well planned, or you could spend the night there when traveling between cities.
I guess it's pick your poison - an extra hour in the car doing day trips or an hour screaming at the kids to get out of bed and pack their bags.
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