Oregon
With Covid still a threat, we decided to stay in the United States this year while traveling. We made up a list of places we’d like to visit and Oregon was at the top of both of our lists. We’d both been there before, but we didn’t spend much time or get to really see a whole lot.
I’d say one of the most important things to focus on when visiting Oregon is what time of year to go. We went during the first week of June and it was quite chilly with a ton of rain. Depending on what you want to see and do, make sure you go when the weather will be best. Much as expected, Oregon is absolutely beautiful. Thanks to all that rain, the green, lush scenery is quite stunning.
We flew direct from Denver to Portland, a quick and easy flight. We stayed at a hotel that sat right off the Willamette River, which put us within walking distance to downtown. We only ended up staying two nights at that hotel due to the nerve-wracking amount of noise at and around the property (construction, streetcars and rowdy all-night partiers). We ended up moving to the Marriott Downtown Waterfront, and it was amazing. This brings me to a good point when making hotel reservations. We’ve been using hotels.com for years to make the majority of our lodging reservations. They once again came through for us. They handled the hotel change and we ended up getting a fantastic room on the top floor of the Marriott for the same price. Just make sure you read the fine print about cancellations, refunds, etc. Changing hotels could have been a nightmare but thankfully they handled everything with ease.
We spent our first full day in Portland exploring the International Rose Test Garden and the Portland Japanese Garden. These stunningly beautiful gardens are right next to each other, which made it a breeze going from one to the other. The Rose Garden is free to the general public and it houses more than 10,000 rose bushes with more than 650 varieties. The peak time to visit is in June, but we were a bit early. There were tons of roses in bloom, but had we gone a week or two later, I think the amount of flowers would have doubled. This garden started receiving roses from all over the world back in 1918 and it has been going strong ever since. If you love gardening, flowers or just nature in general, this is a great spot to visit. I could easily post 3-4 dozen pictures of the different flowers, bushes and trees that I saw, but I think that would be a little much. These are just a handful of my favorites. The Japanese Garden charges a fee of $20 per adult. This seemed a little steep but we figured it was going to a good. cause. This 5.5 acre garden is very serene and there weren’t a ton of people milling about, which was really nice.
On our second day in Portland we made the thirty minute drive east to visit Multnomah Falls. It is important to note that from the end of May through the beginning of September, you must have a permit for the falls. You can take care of your permit online with ease, and it only costs $2.00. This is the most visited outdoor area in all of Oregon, not surprising since this is the tallest waterfall in the state. I think it is a definite must-see. Note only is it absolutely picturesque but its also easily accessible to everyone. You don’t have to be in great physical condition to get up close and personal with the falls. If you are looking for a bit of exercise, I totally recommend doing the 2.2 mile roundtrip hike to the top of the falls. It’s mostly paved terrain that covers a bunch of switchbacks. There were only a couple steep inclines where we felt the need to stop and catch our breath. Totally worth it though. There are several other hikes in the area if you’re looking to make it a little more challenging. The Multnomah Falls Lodge, which sits at the base of the falls is a great place for lunch after the hike. We had a delicious meal there. Make sure you order the French Onion Soup…yummmmm! I’d give yourself half a day to thoroughly enjoy the falls, do the hike and have a meal. This area is known as the waterfall corridor, so there are a bunch of other waterfalls to check out if you have the time.
Definitely bring a rain jacket if you want to get up close to the falls. The mist engulfs you after you cross the bridge.
Oregon Coast
After a few days in Portland, we headed to the coast. We first decided to check out Cannon Beach and the famous Haystack Rock. If you’ve ever seen photos of the Oregon Coast, you’ve definitely seen this area. It is gorgeous with its deep beaches and interesting rock formations. Cannon Beach is a really cute town with lots of small restaurants and shops. Give yourself a couple hours to check out the town and take a long stroll along the beach. Interesting to note, this is the first place where I’ve found intact sand dollars on the beach. I consider myself an avid beachcomber, so this was an exciting discovery for me. It takes about an hour and a half to drive from Portland to Cannon Beach if traffic is light.
After a nice afternoon in Cannon Beach, we continued the drive south to Lincoln City, where we’d be staying for the rest of our trip. The drive down Pacific Highway 101 is a very scenic, albeit curvy and swervy drive. If you do drive on the 101, be prepared for mostly single lane driving, which can be very slow at times. It’s about a two hour drive, so give yourself plenty of time. Along the way, a great place to stop is the Tillamook Creamery. If you’re a lover of all things dairy (ice cream, yogurt & cheese), this is a fantastic place to get a treat or stock up on some of your favorite products. We rented an amazing beach house through Vrbo and it didn’t disappoint. It sat right on top of a cliff overlooking Olivia Beach. We love using Vrbo, and we’ve had nothing but great rentals through them.
So, when visiting Oregon, we found it best to stay super flexible and not be too set on any specific plans. I say this because the weather can change on a dime and there are some activities that wouldn’t be fun in a torrential downpour. We played things by ear and whenever we saw a break in the weather we immediately headed out. There are tons of little beachside towns up and down the coast. They’re all quite similar but they vary in size and what they offer. We made our way to many of these towns and all the beautiful spots in nature. We typically grouped our outings together, seeing as much as we could in one area. Our first day of exploring included the Devil’s Punchbowl and the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area (yes, that’s its actual name). Funny to note, the lighthouse was originally called Cape Foulweather Lighthouse due to the horrible weather in the area. There was an $8 cover charge to get into this area but it was free with our National Parks Pass.
On another day with clear weather we headed south to Cape Perpetua which is the home to tons of coastal wonders and various hiking trails. My husband and I love exploring tidepools, so we loved this spot. We visited Thor’s Well, Cook’s Chasm and Devil’s Churn. Come prepared for all sorts of weather, and don’t be surprised if you get blasted by ocean swells. You can stay far away and still take in the beautiful scenery, but we like to get up close and personal if at all possible.
Another beautiful area to check out is Depoe Bay. This town is known for whale spotting and it has beautiful seaside cliffs to explore and climb. We actually saw a whale from the shore when we were climbing on the cliffs. There are lots of little shops and restaurants up and down main street, so you can make a morning or afternoon of visiting the town. The lava cliffs are perfect for climbing just be careful to watch your steps for slippery rocks and the occasional spray or splash from the ocean.
I have to give a small shout out to the exquisite rhododendron’s that grow all over Oregon. This bush that I spotted on main street in Cannon Beach might just be the prettiest flowering bush I’ve seen in my entire life. These flowers grow in all sorts of colors and sizes just about everywhere. I had to take a photo of this one because it was so beautiful that it almost looked fake.
Coastal Cuisine
The food on our trip did not disappoint. I was really looking forward to fresh seafood and they totally delivered. I also really enjoyed the focus on farm fresh fruits & veggies as well. Most restaurants we visited really prided themselves on homemade, small batch food that was delicious. My favorite by far was all the fresh halibut and cod. I think I ate fish tacos four or five times and they were all different and yummy. I also have to give a shout out to Pig-N-Pancake. This is an Oregon breakfast place that has six restaurants up and down the coast. They make some amazing gluten-free pancakes, which were a really pleasant surprise.
Final thoughts
Overall, Oregon is dream location for the nature lover. The ocean, mountains, rolling green hills, rivers, lakes and everything in between are totally stunning. This trip was very low-key and relaxing. I’m a sucker when it comes to watching the waves and combing the beach for treasures, and we certainly spent a lot of time doing that. If you’re looking to relax, and spend a lot of time outdoors, Oregon is the place for you. There are certainly many things to do in Portland, but the coast is a more leisurely type of location. When planning a trip to Oregon, pay attention to what the weather will be like when you’re traveling. It was unseasonably cold and rainy during our trip, so that definitely played a hand in what we ended up doing. Oregon is like a little piece of heaven on earth, all the green, the water and the flowers are a dream. Enjoy!
