Tripping Oregon early October

[gbaglo]

I've been going through old threads on Oregon camping and Google Maps.

First question is: how do I get the Google map to print the route in a different color as it appears on screen? It's blue on screen and when I print, the actual route is yellow, the same as all the other roads.

Second is: We only have eight days. It's a good seven hours ( more with Toad ) to Portland from North Van. About 4 and half to Olympia, Wash. so I'm figuring on taking two days to get to our destination, which may be Cannon Beach. I'm looking for suggestions for a destination where we would stay put for three or four days and a way-point going down and back up. This is all complicated by a friend we may meet up with in Port Angeles ( going up or down, I have no clue yet ).

I'd prefer washboard to the I-5, but we should make time on at least one day, coming and going.

Anybody want to plan my itinerary? Rugged beach and quaint town, state park with services. I've been Googling and I'm getting overwhelmed.


baglo

 

[reace]

Hi Glenn,

Have you ever stayed at Lincoln City?

The whales come right into the bay! Very cute little town lots of character and some campsites right on the beach with amazing views. We normally stop here for lunch on our way home from Bandon to enjoy the views.

Another area we have been told to visit is the 7 Falls Campground...I don't know much about it except for the fact that there are waterfalls and the trail allows you the opportunity to walk behind them.....

Tammy

 

[bvansnell]

We are leaving tomorrow morning headed for Fort Stevens State Park, which is near Astoria, OR. We plan to overnight in Seattle where our son lives, however Dash Point State Park, WA which is just off the I5 at Federal Way, WA would be a good alternative. If you want a more central location, South Beach State Park, near Newport, south of Lincoln City might be good.

We have stayed at Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park near Florence and found it to be good.

We plan to spend a few days in each of Fort Stevens, South Beach and Honeyman on this trip.

I suggest checking http://www.oregonstateparks.org which we have found is a good source of information, and we have stayed in a lot of their campgrounds and found them all to be good.

We are tenting, since we won't get our Escape until next year, but all of these parks have good trailer facilities.

 

[Sandra L]

Aren't there factory stores in Lincoln City?

 

[gbaglo]

Yes. Factory outlets. I learned that this afternoon and apparently that's enough reason to choose a destination. Of course, the Old Bag doesn't drive, so that means I'll be sitting in a parking lot doing a crossword for at least a couple hours. I wouldn't mind if she would actually buy something. Invariably, she comes back to the car with nothing, or maybe a hand-stitched doily. I can't even go to a bar to pass the time, cause I'm the designated driver.

Still, Lincoln City and the surround sound interesting ( Thanks, Tammy ). I wonder if they have cabs.

baglo

 

[Donna D.]

oooh Glen! If you're in the area October 9-10... or there abouts, stop by and visit the Northern Oregon Gathering (NOG)... 31 miles west of Portland: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/index.php?showtopic=35028. Topic discussion on FiberglassRV

 

[gbaglo]

Leaving North Van on Oct. 11.

baglo

 

[Donna D.]

Well shoot, next time maybe... the NOG is always the second full weekend in October. It moves around the northwestern area of Oregon, October 2010 place to be decided at this year's fall NOG.

 

[ronstew]

I have been to Lincoln City twice in recent years. Most tourist-unfriendly tourist town I have ever visited. Neat looking place, but crappy service at the motel, library, restaraunts. Add that to being yelled at over a parking space that I waited five minutes for in the outlet mall.

The high-end Salish Inn was the one exception.

By all means, go. But don't expect good service.

I prefer Bandon.

 

[cheryls]

When we picked up our Escape we didn't have much time but still wanted to take a scenic way home. So we turned off of I-5 at Burlington, WA and went onto Whidbey Island and stayed at Deception Pass state park. Beautiful Park with nice campground. Too bad we could only overnight there. The next morning we took the ferry from Keystone to Port Townsend, then got on 101 and drove straight through Port Angeles.

Followed 101 down western Washington and stayed at Grayland Beach State Park, also very nice. The third day we made a lot of ground toward home, driving all the way to William Tugman State Park near Reedsport, stopping only at the Tillamook Cheese Factory.

In my opinion, any state park in Oregon is a wonderful place to camp. After driving through northern Oregon in late June, however, we really like sticking to the southern half of the Oregon coast, as it is much less crowded.

 

[bvansnell]

We returned yesterday from a three day stay in Fort Stevens State Park (near Astoria) and also visited South Beach State Park (south of Newport), and visited all points in between, although briefly.

On the way down we took the I5 to Olympia, then the 101 and 12 to Aberdeen and the 105 to Westport, Grayland, North Cove, Raymond and the 101 and 103 to Long Beach then the 101 to Astoria. The drive is interesting but slow. You could save a lot of time by taking the I5 south to Kelso / Longview and the 30 across to Astoria.

We took in the "30 mile garage (junk) sale" which ran between Westport and North Cove, which appears to be an annual event.

Both Fort Stevens and South Beach are great campsites, although large motor homes and trailers dominate. We saw a few Casitas, Escapes, T[at]B. These campsites were almost full, which the rangers attributed to the great weather. We were able to find a spot at Fort Stevens without reservations, however.

The pictures show our campsite at Fort Stevens (still waiting for our Escape) and a beautiful sunset there.

We did not have much time so stayed at Fort Stevens and took a day trip south to Newport and South Beach. It took from 8:00 AM to about 6:00 PM going southward, including stops. The trip back up to Fort Stevens took about 3 hours, and the traffic was light in the evening. There are some significant hills on this stretch, so you might not want to pull your trailer if you don't have to.

 

[Sandra L]

Very nice. Thanks for the pictures.

 

[gbaglo]

Nice pix.

Near as I can tell, we'll try to make Newport, with an overnight in Olympia. Your report is more useful than Google Maps.

baglo

 

[bvansnell]

The fastest way to Newport would be to take the I5 from Olympia to exit 228 south of Albany, then head west on highway 20 to Newport. South Beach State Park is just a few miles south of Newport, and once you drop the trailer you can easily get to Lincoln City (to the north).

Tammy mentioned whales. The first picture is from an amazing display of whales at Boiler Bay, just between Newport and Lincoln City.

The second picture shows Beverly Beach, just north of Newport.

The best navigating guide is the Official State Map of Oregon, published by the Oregon Department of Transportation. We got ours from the Fort Stevens State Park.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[cheryls]

Your shots are gorgeous, Brian!

 

[bvansnell]

Here are a few more shots taken this week at Fort Stevens, near Astoria. The fire picture is a tribute to Glenn's campfire shot.

 

[gbaglo]

That camp fire shot is mighty fine.

baglo