Blazer's Edge: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:

Around SBN: Auburn Fires Tommy Tuberville Bar-right-arrows

[OT] I'm bored today ...

Steward_yosemite_2007__254__tiny by bfan on

The NBA season is winding down, the Blazers are a lame duck for a few more games until their goose is cooked, the last cinderella has fallen, and I'm sick of reading about trade proposals.

So, here's an off-topic question for y'all: The wife and I are thinking of taking a little West Coast road trip this summer. Flying into the Bay Area, drinking some wine in Napa, driving the coast, hitting up some Shakespeare in Ashland, seeing Crater Lake, driving the coast some more, visiting friends and family in Portland and Seattle, and possibly finishing out in Victoria.

Any suggestions for pit stops, camping spots, views, bars, collectibles, etc.? Favorite restaurants? Favorite wineries? Favorite breweries? What are some must-see destinations?

Thanks for all your opinions you West Coasterners.  Or is it Coasters? Coastites? Coastees?

0 recs | Comment 94 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Display:

If you're traveling up the coast,
I recommend a stop in Manzanita. On the main street there is a small restaurant called Left Coast: Siesta. It's not authentic Mexican food, but it is so good that every time I get out to the coast, I make it a point to stop there and eat. In fact, on my last trip back to Oregon to visit family, my wife and I drove out of Portland for the express purpose of eating there. That, and the Grandparents had the kids for the night.
"I could see that, if not actually disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled." -P.G. Wodehouse

by T Darkstar on Mar 31, 2008 2:12 PM PDT   0 recs

Almost forgot!
South of Manzanita in Tillamook, you absolutely have to visit the Tillamook Cheese Factory. Hands down the best cheddar cheese on earth, and I say that only miles away from Wisconsin. On top of that, they have great ice cream too. The visitor's center is a little, er, cheesey, but still worth it.
"I could see that, if not actually disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled." -P.G. Wodehouse

by T Darkstar on Mar 31, 2008 2:18 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Great suggestions!
Thanks!

I have to ask: Only miles away from Wisconsin? Where do you live?

After going to school just south of the Twin Cities, I love me some cheese curds. Does Tillamook make those? Or is that just an upper-Midwest think? ...

by bfan on Mar 31, 2008 2:21 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Cheese curds
yea they definitely do the whole cheese curd thing. I would also see a few of the larger breweries in town, such as Rogue and the like, just to get a taste for the town. Tillamook is almost directly west of portland, so if you are taking 101 you could just turn east after you go through tillamook.
TheOdenator

by TheOdenator on Mar 31, 2008 2:36 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Well, it is a few miles.
I live in Northern Indiana now. Minneapolis/St. Paul would certainly be closer than I am. But after my father took me on a death-march of a drive to Northern Alaska when I was twelve, a few hundred miles just doesn't seem that bad.
"I could see that, if not actually disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled." -P.G. Wodehouse

by T Darkstar on Mar 31, 2008 3:21 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

NOT the best cheddar...
....................................... sorry, Darkstar. I eat Tillamook's top-end 24 month extra sharp and it doesn't hold a CANDLE to the 5 year old cheddars of Wisconsin, which are off the sharp-o-meter. Carr Valley cheese factory in Mauston is who gets all my money when I'm in the neighborhood.

Best cheese in Oregon? Yep.

Best cheese in the West? Yep.

Best cheese? NOT CLOSE.

I will add: throughout the west, from SF to Seattle, you can find SUPERB sourdough bread. Eat lots and then weep sad tears when you are home again and can't buy anything close at any price...

"You don't live by the jumpshot, you die by the jumpshot." ---Charles Barkley, 2/7/08

by timbo on Mar 31, 2008 2:40 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

As a poor graduate student,
I cannot afford 5-year old aged cheddar. For that matter, I can't afford the Tillamook either. But I have never liked cheddar that sharp. The Tillamook Medium was spot-on perfect for my tastes. But I will concede that Wisconsin does better with sharps, if you like that sort of thing.
"I could see that, if not actually disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled." -P.G. Wodehouse

by T Darkstar on Mar 31, 2008 3:27 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

You need a Cheese Reserve
A Big score of that black waxed T-Sharp is to be put in refigeration for years and years. Then brought out on special occasions, like a fine aged wine.
"The Team with Caricature!"

by Lizzy Lowblow on Mar 31, 2008 4:22 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I've got a brick in there now, actually...
..................................................... found a pound of Carr Valley 5 year old that I had forgotten in the back of the fridge for 2 years. It was good. They actually sell 7 year old and maybe even 8; but it starts getting a little crumbly after 5 years. Five years is just right -- an absolute explosion of sharp cheddary goodness.... <drooling> On a loaf of perfect biting sourdough, with a giant mug of icy cold IPA. MOUTH PARTY!!!
"You don't live by the jumpshot, you die by the jumpshot." ---Charles Barkley, 2/7/08

by timbo on Apr 1, 2008 8:49 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

i love manzanita
and just north of it is a beach called Hug Point which is a great place for a day picnic.  One half of the beach is hidden away during high tide but when it is low tide you can go over to the other side which has a waterfall and is overshadowed by a big bluff.  it is my favorite beach of all time
Travis Outlaw drops the sledgehammer on Daequan Cook for a dunk so vicious, it's illegal in 48 states.

by BlazerBandit on Mar 31, 2008 11:26 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Bring food, liquids, blankets and a Lover
Just in case you get stranded.
"The Team with Caricature!"

by Lizzy Lowblow on Mar 31, 2008 11:38 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Dude
If you're driving then I think a cool comparison would be to go to Napa Valley in California then visit the wine country near McMinnville, Oregon.

http://www.ci.mcminnville.or.us/category/visitors/

The EMP is pretty cool and expensive in Seattle.

http://www.empsfm.org/index.asp

Blazer's Edge #1 Trusted Relationship Site, Move Beyond "Traditional" Online Dating and Blogging

by tominhawaii on Mar 31, 2008 2:28 PM PDT   0 recs

We've done McMinnville ...
Which is nice. I can't for sure say what wineries, though, beyond Firesteed and Duck Pond. Any particular vineyards you like in the area?

Thanks!

by bfan on Mar 31, 2008 2:35 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Wineries & Vineyards
If you are looking for a nice place to stay in McMinnville that isn't right in McMinnville, the Youngberg Hill Vineyard and Inn is about 10 minutes to the West off of highway 18 (here). My other favorite vineyards in the area are Maysara (here), which is not to far from Youngberg on 18, Domain Serene (here), Domain Drouhin (here) and Sokol Blosser (here), which are all more towards Dundee.

If you want to pick out some places the best place to go is www.oregonwines.org  

by PtownJake on Mar 31, 2008 3:06 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Ditto on Maysara
Great wine and the owner is a really cool guy.

by coolguyrob on Apr 1, 2008 3:42 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

EMP looks sweet!
I'm an audiophile, and my wife was a music major and is currently a choral conductor, so that's right up our alley--and I'd never even heard of it! Thanks!

by bfan on Mar 31, 2008 2:37 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

it is an awesome experience
there is so much great music in that building (built by Paul Allen i believe) and the interactivity really helps bring out the info in a fun and exciting way
Travis Outlaw drops the sledgehammer on Daequan Cook for a dunk so vicious, it's illegal in 48 states.

by BlazerBandit on Mar 31, 2008 11:24 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

The EMP is awesome
I spent a ton of time upstairs in the room where you can learn to play some instruments.
Tony Luftman... A sportscaster's role model

by JTDuck22 on Mar 31, 2008 3:14 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Powell's Books....
.............................................. on Burnside and (12th?) in Portland is an absolute must-see for anyone who knows how to read.

Oregon is the micro-brew capital of the world but I haven't toured any breweries and can't advise on that.

The redwoods in No. Cal. are probably my favorite place on earth. It's hard to find a place to camp on weekends though, even thought the area is largely unpopulated, so plan ahead if you're hoping to stay in a state campground.

I also adore Highway 1 in Cali, south of Fort Bragg.  A little off the track and more impressive if you're going north-to-south (driving in the right lane) but a fun, windy drive with spectacular views if you catch the weather right.

I grew up in Eureka, CA on the north coast. They've got a couple very good seafood restaurants and if you're there for breakfast and want to be a fat pig, the Samoa Cookhouse is something of a landmark, in a family-style greedy-gut sort of way.

t

"You don't live by the jumpshot, you die by the jumpshot." ---Charles Barkley, 2/7/08

by timbo on Mar 31, 2008 2:36 PM PDT   0 recs

Excellent suggestions.
I'm actually a book editor, so Powell's is usually my first stop whenever I'm in town. Last time I was there I picked up a like-new Annie Dillard, and a nicely worn One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.

Thanks for the Cali suggestions. Had Redwoods in the back of my mind, but other than that I know nothing about northern California, and I love breakfast, so that's helpful ...

by bfan on Mar 31, 2008 2:40 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

There's also a decent museum in Eureka...
.............................................. strong in coastal native americana.
"You don't live by the jumpshot, you die by the jumpshot." ---Charles Barkley, 2/7/08

by timbo on Mar 31, 2008 2:47 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I'm going to echo Timbo
The CA coast from Point Reyes to Ft Bragg is incredible.  Not only is the scenery jaw-dropping, but it's studded with romatic B&Bs, interesting restaurants, and creative residents. Mendocino is one of my favorite towns on the whole planet (but avoid it on a summer weekend).  

Ditto as well for the coastal parks north of Eureka/Arcata (a great little college town).  Beautiful redwood forests right next to the ocean -- it's like a two-fer-one deal.

by Corvid on Mar 31, 2008 4:30 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Oh yeah, I forgot
For a little bit of Arcata flavor, check out the police log in the local newspaper:
http://www.arcataeye.com/index.php?module=pagesetter&tid=2&topic=7

by Corvid on Mar 31, 2008 4:49 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

That paper is HILARIOUS.
Perhaps better than the Onion.

by bfan on Mar 31, 2008 7:09 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

The Redwoods are pretty neat
Tony Luftman... A sportscaster's role model

by JTDuck22 on Mar 31, 2008 6:12 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

JT
(OT) There is a "Cariture Contest" goin' down.
"The Team with Caricature!"

by Lizzy Lowblow on Mar 31, 2008 6:19 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Got it!
Tony Luftman... A sportscaster's role model

by JTDuck22 on Mar 31, 2008 7:01 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

If you are in Portland during the June - July
timeframe, consider an evening at the Chamber Music Festival NW.  They have evening concerts at Reed College and Catlin Gabel school.  I prefer the CG location.  You can come early and bring a picnic dinner & wine, or purchase a selection of entree's, micro brews or wine and eat under a grove of doug firs, then go into the performance hall for a nice evening of classical music.

If you spend the night in Newport, there is a nice resteraunt over looking the beach just north of the inlet into the harbor.  The motel a couple blocks north of there is a nice place to stay.

If you like airplanes, there are museums in McMinneville (the Spruce Goose is there) and Tillamook.  

by timg56 on Mar 31, 2008 2:40 PM PDT   0 recs

Now this is what I'm talking about.
Does the Chamber Music Festival NW have a web site? That's the kind of think my wife will die for ...

by bfan on Mar 31, 2008 2:42 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Don't forget the largest ball o string
lol. Don't forget to until the dog from the bumper of your car.

by 92wastheyear on Mar 31, 2008 2:54 PM PDT   0 recs

untie
is the word I meant

by 92wastheyear on Mar 31, 2008 2:55 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Edwin K. B&B
If you're heading to the Oregon Coast, I'd recommend staying at the Edwin K. in Florence, OR. My wife and I had one of our best vacations and stayed only two nights there. Supremely relaxing area. It's right next to their Old Towne area, so it's great to just walk around and sample all the shops and foods.

by Steve The Hedge on Mar 31, 2008 3:02 PM PDT   0 recs

If you make it clear up to Canada...
I'd highly recommend Vancouver, it is an absolute gem of a city, and it's just past Victoria. It's big, there's tons to do and see there, the locals are nice, there's really awesome archicture, there are many options for food and shopping, vast nightlife choices, and it's one hell of a hockey town (last I checked, the Canucks were 8th in the race for the playoffs... last time I was there was during a Canucks playoff game, and that town was ALIVE). It's extremely scenic as it's right on the water with huge mountains overlooking it.

You can't NOT have a great time there.

"Competition is a process or variety of habitual behavior that grows out of a habit of mind." -Willard Beecher

by you'vegottomakeyourfreethrows on Mar 31, 2008 3:09 PM PDT   0 recs

Yes, Vancouver is beautiful
If you go that far, then you should go a couple more hours to Whistler.

by tweener on Mar 31, 2008 3:26 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Vancouver has a good aquarium...
"You don't live by the jumpshot, you die by the jumpshot." ---Charles Barkley, 2/7/08

by timbo on Apr 1, 2008 8:53 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

It would be a little bit of a detour
but Yosimite national Park in California is awesome
Tony Luftman... A sportscaster's role model

by JTDuck22 on Mar 31, 2008 3:16 PM PDT   0 recs

Did time in Yosemite last summer ...
And yes, it is awesome in every sense of the word.

Funny that T Darkster used the phrase "death march" earlier, and here you mention Yosemite ... My trip through Yosemite and the Ansel Adams wilderness--about 90 miles in 6 days--was my very own trail of tears. Blisters all over my feet, but nowhere to go but forward. That's the most beautiful place I've ever been (and I'm from Alaska), but ironically it's a trip I'd like to forget ...

by bfan on Mar 31, 2008 3:51 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

nice highbrow rec's
but don't forget to take in a parlor pizza from Abby's...You can't find that style of pie out East. There's a few along the Oregon Coast.  
"I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany."

by dcblazer on Mar 31, 2008 3:17 PM PDT   0 recs

scratch Crater Lake and go to Wallowa Lake
Crater is so impressive.  However, you would have lot more fun if you spent a few days in Joseph.

Some very interesting natural history there if you are interested in geology, native american or wildlife viewing.  

by tweener on Mar 31, 2008 3:25 PM PDT   0 recs

No doubt....
Some of the best scenic vistas in Oregon are in the Eagle Cap Wilderness area. I'm going to be backpacking there this summer.

by PtownJake on Mar 31, 2008 3:52 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Take your camera with you if you go
We saw a fresh set of wolf tracks about 4 miles up the Imnaha river canyon last year.

Bfan it's an amazing scenic drive through the gorge and then across a couple of mountain ranges.  It is between 6-7 hours to Joseph from Portland.  You might as well keep going and say Hi to Dave in Idaho while your at it.

by tweener on Mar 31, 2008 4:43 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

That does look interesting.
A lot of Nez Perce history I presume?

Unfortunately, this is a coast trip except for the Ashland/Crater detour, so that might be untenable this time 'round.

However, the whole point of this trip is to try to win the wife over to moving to Oregon, so your suggestion is definitely one to keep in mind for the future ... Thanks!

by bfan on Mar 31, 2008 4:12 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I have to say, I personally question making
Crater Lake the priority diversion... Course, I guess its been 20 years since I made the trek there, but I'm remembering pretty dull country getting there, to see a nice lake way down it a big rocky hole.  Kind of like, "Well, there it is, now what".  Boring drive in and out, no boating, swimming, etc. (at least as I recall).  Not like a recreational lake.  I don't remember much of any town nearby, just not much "fun" to do.
The redwoods are way more inspirational to me, which you will see if you do the coast 101 (as opposed to "fly by" on I5 inland - not really "coast" trip.)  
I would say nicer to divert up East of Eugene into 3 sisters area.  Lake Waldo - incredibly quiet mountain lake up there.  Supposed to be super clean.  No high power boats, camping, NICE.  Not as desolate as CraterLake.
And, if any way, really better to beat the summer rush... make it spring trip.
Trail Blazers - reigning champs of the NBA lottery !

by DaveR on Apr 1, 2008 12:31 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Crater Lake is gettin hammered!
For a limited budget, forget it. All you will get, is I've been there. Want to pay for a boat trip to Wizzard Island. Cool, don't stay there. You will be stranded on one of the most remote places on this Earth. Maybe good to know for the apocalypse. I ran out of gas, tryin to get there, on a motorcycle. Be warned. It is "The End of Thhe Earth".
"The Team with Caricature!"

by Lizzy Lowblow on Apr 1, 2008 12:55 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Personally, I loved it
I thought the drive was awesome. I remember on the way, stopping and walking out on this incredibly high bridge, over a turquoise river. Then, a big truck came over the bridge, and it started waving, up and down, like I was on a boat at sea. And that was terrifying... Thats on the way there from Medford, I thought the whole drive was awesome. Then, going the other way out, it's just woods for a little while, exept for a viewpoint where you can see unearthed cinder cones, pointing out of the rocks like towers on a castle. I thought that was pretty crazy.

And on a limited budget, there is TONS of hiking all around crater lake, from overnight backpacking, all the way down to little, short hikes down to the water. If you're not a big hiker type, there's still a bunch of great, short trails, all over the place. Plus, for me it would be worth it just to look at it, keeping in mind what actually happened there, is that it was a gigantic volcanic explosion, of what used to be Mt. Mazama, more than 40 times more powerful than St. Helens, and then the whole thing blew up and self-destructed, collapsing into itself. Deepest lake in the country, because the mountain collapsed into it's magma chamber, miles below the earth's surface. It's really incredible.

But, that's just how I feel about it.

Plus, I remember they have the best warning signs there: "Warning: falling off of cliffs can cause injury or death."

by TimG on Apr 1, 2008 9:35 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Maybe so.
But Ashland and the Shakespeare Festival are the real diversion. Crater lake just seems like something to see because I haven't seen it before, and it's not too far from Ashland. Maybe it's not that cool, but I won't know until I get there ... :)

by bfan on Apr 1, 2008 5:54 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

My wife adores the Wallowas...
...................................... Crater Lake? Meh. Very famous, buy a postcard. Or go if you're in the neighborhood...
"You don't live by the jumpshot, you die by the jumpshot." ---Charles Barkley, 2/7/08

by timbo on Apr 1, 2008 8:54 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Crater Lake
is a place about which, when I haven't been there in a while, I say "meh."  

But I make it a point to drive up every so often, 'cause when I get there it is just awesome and I think, "oh, right, THAT'S why."

But it's just a few hours' drive for me; and the trip up and back, along the North Umpqua and past Diamond Lake, is darned pretty.

So says the homer.

by roseburgian on Apr 1, 2008 9:11 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Your itinerary is ambitious
Napa is inland from the coast and the redwoods. Then Crater Lake is far east. If you do Crater Lake come north to Sisters and then through the Santiam pass back into the valley. Probably the finest scenery in Oregon in Sisters.

There is an old road between Newport and Lincoln City North of Otter Crest. The views are to die for. The Pacific there is so dominant and majestic any time of year. The bridge is washed out north of Otter Crest so you come back (only a couple of miles) from the north. Park and walk in and down in the cove.

by lee3022 on Mar 31, 2008 3:50 PM PDT   0 recs

Yes I know ...
it's ambitious. This worries me. There's so much to see, but we do have some time.

Napa and Sonoma are not too far from my friend's place outside Oakland, so I figure we'll hit that for a couple days and then head up the coast--well stocked for the road ahead. :)

We'll have to cut over toward Crater Lake anyway so we can hit the Shakespeare festival in Ashland. Doesn't look too far from there ...

by bfan on Mar 31, 2008 4:08 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Not too ambitious at all
I went on a road trip two summers ago, 4000 miles, almost entirely within the state, in 8 days. I pretty much drove at least a little while on almost every major highway in the state... it was awesome though. Thing is, it's hard to go wrong on any of the highways in the state, they're just gorgeous.

I would mention the Oregon Caves, if you're into that sort of thing. They're pretty cool, but I havent seen them since I was like 15. The drive there, though, is cool.

I would say, if you have time, to go from ashland to crater lake by going across to K-falls, and then going north to Crater lake, the Klamath Lake area and north of it heading towards crater lake is one of my absolute favorite places.

Like someone said above, some of the most amazing stuff you could possibly see is just outside of Sisters, if you take highway 242(?) (aka. the Mackenzie pass, it's windy as heck, has length limits, and is closed in the winter, but man it is WORTH IT), right after you get out of Sisters is the Mackenzie Lava Flows, its miles and miles of these huge lava flows, it's crazy. Mt Washington and some of the other mts of the area backdrop just, i mean, incredible barren, rugged, sinister landscape. It was one of my favorite things on that trip.

Also, earlier on, Northwestern Cali, like on the brink of the desert, is pretty cool, along with Lassen Volcanic Nat'l park.

Anyway, in general, give preference to the US and state highways over the interstate, and you can't go far wrong. Thats the best thing about roadtrips in oregon, the spaces in between the destinations are often even better than the destinations themselves.

by TimG on Mar 31, 2008 4:51 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I'd cut over from Santa Rosa...
..................................drive Highway 1 all the way up to Fort Bragg. There are some redwood groves along there, I recall. Then do 101 up the coast to Eureka. That's some great scenery... Everybody thinks that California is overpopulated, etc., but the population density for that entire drive is far below Western Oregon's, and the scenery better, no insult intended.

Crater Lake seems the wrong direction if you're intent on getting into BC, but that's just me.

t

"You don't live by the jumpshot, you die by the jumpshot." ---Charles Barkley, 2/7/08

by timbo on Apr 1, 2008 8:58 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Tillamook cheese factory is a must
Rip City citizen

by kbbballkid37 on Mar 31, 2008 4:10 PM PDT   0 recs

Having just been to the Tillamook Cheese Factory..
last week, I must say that while it's very interesting, the air museum in town is probably just as fun. We have family in Tillamook and though we always get ice cream, the air museum (if you haven't been) is just as cool.

Also I'd buy a skimboard and have fun with that...it's too cold to really get out in the water pretty much year round hahah but skimboarding on the edge is something I like to do. We actually kitesurf but that takes time and money; skimboarding is an excellent (and cheap--the board is like 20 bucks) alternative.

"martell and blake make mormons angry"

by prezofdeath on Mar 31, 2008 4:23 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

You could buy a good kite...
............................................ flying a SMALL flexifoil is a hell of a lot of fun and easy to learn -- no wetsuit required.

t

"You don't live by the jumpshot, you die by the jumpshot." ---Charles Barkley, 2/7/08

by timbo on Apr 1, 2008 9:00 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

A few suggested stops
The Pelican Pub in Pacific City (20 miles South of Tillamook). The Nehalem Bay Winery. Gets some ostras at Bay City and heat them up and eat 'em at Nehalem Bay State Park with Tillamook Creamery butter and North Plains Elephant Garlic (Good luck on this treasure hunt).

Crabin' at the Garibaldi Boat Basin;

 http://www.cyclofiend.com/cc/2006/cc008r3-georgekendrick1206.html

"The Team with Caricature!"

by Lizzy Lowblow on Mar 31, 2008 4:39 PM PDT   0 recs

Also we are called "Coasties"
Like those who guard us.

Locally we are "The Mooks" and refer to out of towners as "Flat Landers".

"The Team with Caricature!"

by Lizzy Lowblow on Mar 31, 2008 4:52 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I am no Flatlander.
I'm either a Highlander, since I live in Colorado, or an Uplander, since I'm originally from Alaska.

But I hope to be a Portlander before long ...

by bfan on Mar 31, 2008 6:41 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

You'll be OK
It is the Willamette Valley folks that get labelled.
"The Team with Caricature!"

by Lizzy Lowblow on Mar 31, 2008 6:50 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Mooks Drive Real Slow...
................................ book it.
"You don't live by the jumpshot, you die by the jumpshot." ---Charles Barkley, 2/7/08

by timbo on Apr 1, 2008 9:01 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Honeymann Park in Florence
And take the 199 on your way up the coast to see some amazing redwoods on a windy fun road with some quaint restaurants along the way.
"Life is a meaningless sequence of events in between Blazer championships"

by broggerboy19 on Mar 31, 2008 4:42 PM PDT   0 recs

Yes!
199 is an awesome stretch of highway... one of THE windiest though... but hey, makes it fun.

by TimG on Mar 31, 2008 4:56 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

BTW
If you need to cut across from the coast to Ashland, it might be worth it to take 199, which cuts from 101 just outside of crescent city, and goes to grants pass. So, you'd be going a little out of your way, and have to backtrack a little bit south on 1-5, but it might be worth.

by TimG on Mar 31, 2008 4:58 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

That is the plan.
I'd like to stick to the coast as much as possible.

by bfan on Mar 31, 2008 6:39 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Southern Oregon Coast is no big whoop...
If you drive Cali to the border and then jump over at Waldport or Newport or something and keep heading north, you'll see the best of the Oregon coast, in my opinion...
"You don't live by the jumpshot, you die by the jumpshot." ---Charles Barkley, 2/7/08

by timbo on Apr 1, 2008 9:04 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

In other words...
SF --> SR --> 1 --> 101 --> 199 --> I5 --> Waldport and North...
"You don't live by the jumpshot, you die by the jumpshot." ---Charles Barkley, 2/7/08

by timbo on Apr 1, 2008 9:06 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I thought the southern coast was the best
But, that could be because I am just so accustomed to Lincoln city, newport, cannon beach, etc.

If you are going to crater lake, i would take timbos route above, and make it

101 --> 199 --> I5s to ashland, then to crater lake, and if you can spare the time, I would go north from Crater lake through bend, to sisters, take 242, see the lava flows (seriously, incredible) and then 126 through eugene straight out to florence, and then up 101 from there. I don't knwo if you'll have time to take such a detour, I would say it's worth it, and you still get pretty much all of the best parts of the Oregon coast. If you cant go to sisters, the highway that goes northwest from north of crater lake, to eugene, i think 58? is a great drive too.

I don't know. If I talk long enough I would eventually say to go everywhere, so I'm just throwing out options.

by TimG on Apr 1, 2008 9:48 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Yeah, for sure, north to Crescent City 101...
.................................. and then take 199. Another fun drive, great scenery, few people.
"You don't live by the jumpshot, you die by the jumpshot." ---Charles Barkley, 2/7/08

by timbo on Apr 1, 2008 9:02 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Breweries
I'll stick to recommending breweries, which are near and dear to my heart:

Pelican, in Pacific City,  which someone mentioned is excellent

Rogue in Newport is arguably the best brewery in the world

North coast in Fort Bragg CA is pretty good, especially their old rasputin.

Lagunitas in Petaluma CA (just west of Napa) is excellent, and has pretty fun brewery tours.

Anchor steam in San Francisco is a classic, although I haven't been there before.  

Hale's Ales in Seattle is pretty awesome

Those are the main coastal ones I can think of.  If you're in Ashland, you should also check out Caldera, which is a pretty new brewery.  Not sure what the actual brewery is like, but their beer is danged good.  I would also think about checking out the San Juan islands in washington or vancouver island in canad