I think your girls would really enjoy spending some time hiking a few of the waterfalls along the Historic Highway in the Columbia River Gorge. I spend a lot of time there with my girls (5 and 11). We also enjoy visiting Bonneville Dam and feeding the trout at the fish hatchery there.
Further out of the way, but really an adventure my family enjoys, is visiting the Painted Hills and John Day Fossil Beds in Eastern Oregon. It might be worth going out of your way on your return trip to visit. The kids can even dig for their own fossils behind the high school in the town of Fossil, then head over to the ghost town of Shaniko.
Glad to hear you planned a trip to Crater Lake, Oregon’s only national park. To clarify, it’s not closed. Some of the road and facilities are closed. But it’s well worth seeing in wintertime, when there are some unique opportunities for exploring the park. Snowshoe hikes on the weekends are free through April 29, and the park even provides the snowshoes. I personally have done the snowshoe hike and wrote about it for the Medford Mail Tribune newspaper. Just make sure to register in advance because the hikes do fill up. As you probably gathered, Crater Lake is in a very remote area of the state. The closest lodging this time of year is about an hour away in Prospect. I have never stayed at the Prospect Hotel, but I hear good things about it.
If you don’t feel up for a trek in the snow, Southern Oregon has plenty more to offer. The Table Rocks are locals’ favorite for hiking, particularly in April, when wildflowers paint the landscape with fleeting colors. Free, guided hikes are offered through the Bureau of Land Management and other conservation groups. For more outdoor activities in the region, check the Medford Mail Tribune’s weekly Oregon Outdoors section.
Depending on what time of day you get into Oregon from San Francisco or head for home, you may want to stop for the night in Ashland, which is several hours’ drive away from Crater Lake. Ashland has the most lodging and dining options of any town in the region, ranging from budget motels, bed-and-breakfasts to luxury accommodations. The historical Ashland Springs Hotel is among the best-known landmarks. It was renovated and completely redone several years ago. Rooms are small but charming and comfortable, and the restaurant downstairs is very good.
I’m fond of Three Corner Rock, right outside Washougal. In addition, Ride Oregon Ride is a great resource for finding trails. I hope that helps, and happy trails!
As the date approaches I recommend checking out PDX Pipeline and my site, Dave Knows Portland for Portland area events. The first week of May means you might also be in town during the Cinco De Mayo on Portland’s Waterfront – it’s a big carnival with rides, fireworks, etc. If the weather’s nice that weekend it may be a particularly good choice of events to attend. Also I recommend visiting Powell’s Bookstore, brewpubs, and the Farmers Market at Portland State University.
Mount Saint Helens is going to be pretty much out of the question. Due to the time you have available, the drive is too lengthy for you to enjoy yourself. Most of the visitor center’s don’t open until May 18th either and the dining options in the area are limited, to say the least.
Mount Hood, however, is maybe an hour and a half from the airport, and you would have plenty of time to explore once you get there. Timberline Lodge is definitely something you won’t get on the East Coast. They feature Northwest cuisine and an extensive wine list including a large number of Oregon wines. In fact, they have the largest wine list in the state. You can’t go wrong there.
If you are looking for something even closer with more time to fit some hiking in, try a drive along the historic highway in the Columbia River Gorge. The Tippy Canoe near Troutdale has the best seafood this side of the coast, a great wine list and cocktail menu. If the weather is warm and dry, they have a beautiful outdoor dining area featuring stone tables, fire pits, and patio heaters if it’s a little bit chilly.
There’s a coveted motorcycle route through the Wallowas on the 39 road (Hell’s Canyon Scenic Byway) from Joseph to Halfway—if you have the time. To get to the Wallowas from North Idaho, you’d come through Moscow and Lewiston over highway 82—another epic two-lane roadway—to Enterprise. That’s where you’ll find Terminal Gravity brewpub, one of the first small crafters in the state and home of a great IPA. (I am a huge fan of their single hop variety double IPAs only available at the brewpub.) If you take the 39 road, you’ll end up on Highway 84 in Baker City, where you’ll find Barley Browns Brewpub. I also recommend a stop in Pendleton at Prodigal Son Brewery. From there you can continue on I-84 and swing through Hood River and the Double Mountain Brewery before high tailing it to the coast.
Wow… you won’t believe the list of family friendly recommendations in the Willamette Valley. Here are some places to check out:
In order to enjoy boating and easy docking, you’re going to have to find a place that is not oceanfront, but more like a bay, inland lake or river. I’m picturing a few places like that on the Nehalem River, and on the Nestucca River, both in Tillamook County. I just did a quick search and found a few on Mercer Lake, near Florence. But, I don’t know of any small, non-touristy communities that are also good for biking and playgrounds — those just don’t seem to go together. But I’ll bet the kids will think the beach is a pretty good playground.
I live right on this scenic byway and can attest to its beauty. It’s indeed worth a few days of your time.
This byway is named for two rivers: the Rogue (in my backyard) and the Umpqua. Of the two, the Rogue is regarded more for its rafting. The Medford Mail Tribune readers picked Noah’s River Adventures as their favorite guide service last year in an annual poll.
There are many other companies in Jackson and Josephine counties that operate rafting trips. If you’re driving Highway 1 up from California, you should take Highway 199 into Oregon, and you will pass right by Grants Pass, a major jumping-off point for river trips and the gateway to the Rogue’s Wild and Scenic section.
You’ll want to do your wine tasting early on, as most wineries on the byway are in the Gold Hill/Sams Valley areas. Del Rio is one of the area’s best, just a couple of miles from Gold Hill, where the byway begins. Folin and Cliff Creek cellars and Agate Ridge all are in the Sams Valley area, which surrounds the byway near the Table Rocks. Make sure to stop for a hike on these mesas, locals’ favorite hiking trails.
Finally, Crater Lake Cellars in Shady Cove is one of the last stops on the area’s wine-tasting trail. See the Mail Tribune’s complete guide to wine tasting in the region.
As far as lodging goes, there is a variety, from hotels and country inns to camping. The Edgewater Inn in Shady Cove has reasonably nice accommodations. Between that town and Diamond Lake, Prospect Hotel is about the only lodging.
Additionally, here is a story from the Mail Tribune about a few of the waterfalls on the byway.
These kinds of questions are always rough to answer, but I’ll give it a shot. The trouble is, IPAs are so variable that opinions invariably vary. But you didn’t ask me to waffle, so here goes.
I personally have three favorites, for different reasons:
- India Pelican Ale from Pelican. As an all-arounder, it’s hard to beat. Lots of sticky, resinous hopping, but it’s bright and not overly heavy. The hoppy aromas and flavors are intense but not overwhelming.
- Double Mountain Vaporizer. A recent phenomenon in Oregon has been the “Summer IPA”–an all-pilsner malt, light-bodied IPA that has all kinds of zesty, refreshing hops. Vaporizer is single-hopped with US Challengers, and it is ideal on a hot day. (Draft only.)
- Fort George Vortex. Sometimes you are looking to be overwhelmed, to have your eyelids pasted back in your skull as a green flame of hop intensity screams down your throat. Vortex is my go-to in those situations.
- Ninkasi does two nice beers, as well. Total Domination is their lively regular IPA and Maiden the Shade is their summer IPA. Terminal Gravity’s venerable IPA is still amazing. And, if you’re looking to go imperial, I’d suggest Hopworks Ace of Spades or Hair of the Dog Blue Dot.
Sound good?
Jeff
