We have a day and night to get from Portland to Eugene, what could we see on our way? –Linda

Hi Linda,

I am the AskOR Willamette Valley expert and I am happy to give you a few suggestions for enjoying our gorgeous region!  First of all, for lodging, I would check out www.obbg.org if you are thinking you might enjoy a night in a B & B along your route.  If you would like to wine taste or if you are in to seeing some of the most beautiful country in the world, take hwy 99W out of Portland south all the way to Eugene.

On your route, enjoy our small towns and villages and know that in each and every one of them you’ll find something good to drink and delicious local food to enjoy.  You’ll be going right by the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum near McMinnville:  http://www.evergreenmuseum.org  If you have ever wanted to see the Spruce Goose, this is its home!

Traveling further south along this route, you will come across my favorite place for local beer and food in Amity, OR at The Blue Goat Cafe:  http://amitybluegoat.com  Save room for dessert because it’s really good!

A great place to stay if you want an in between Portland and Eugene place is Corvallis.  A vibrant bustling town home to Oregon State University.  Take the campus tour if you’d like or take a hike!  My most favorite Oregon hiking trails are nearby.  The Mc Donald Dunn Forest:  http://www.cof.orst.edu/cf/recreation/trails.php  I hike here a few times a month and there’s always something new to see.  You can do just a few miles or take a longer route as you choose.  My reward for working hard on these trails is a bite to eat at either Block 15 or American Dream Pizza on 2nd Ave. both in downtown Corvallis.

You can choose to skip over to Albany from here on hwy 20 right out of downtown Corvallis and enjoy their darling downtown area before heading again south on to Eugene again via hwy 99.  A few tidbits about Albany… they happen to boast the most in number and varied styles of historic homes and buildings in the entire state of Oregon!  Worth a stop for some photos of the gorgeous vintage abodes and a trip to the Albany Carousel Museum and studio is awesome:  http://albanycarousel.com  A few places to dine if you choose to eat in Albany:

Well… this is my short list.  I am happy to provide you with more info but this could keep you busy far longer than a day and a night.  Hope you enjoy your planning and your trip.  Thanks for your question!