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Oregon in May



 
 
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  #1  
Old January 29th, 2004, 04:36 PM
ElBee
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Default Oregon in May

Hi all,

for our first visit to the US, we would like to go to Oregon. We plan to
travel on may 15 and return home around three weeks later.
The plans so far are;

- Fly to Seattle
- Take the AMTrack to Portland (my wife really likes to travel by train)
- Rent a car in Portland
- travel along the coast south about til the border of California
- travel north inland to Seattle

Does this make any sense?
Are the main attractions like Crater Lake accessable this time of the year?
Hints, Tips, suggestions anyone?

I hope my English makes any sense.

Regards

Léon van den Broek,
The Netherlands


  #2  
Old January 29th, 2004, 05:48 PM
Keith Willshaw
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Default Oregon in May


"ElBee" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

for our first visit to the US, we would like to go to Oregon. We plan to
travel on may 15 and return home around three weeks later.
The plans so far are;

- Fly to Seattle
- Take the AMTrack to Portland (my wife really likes to travel by train)
- Rent a car in Portland
- travel along the coast south about til the border of California
- travel north inland to Seattle

Does this make any sense?


No

It would be far better to pick up the car in Seattle
and avoid paying drop off charges. In addition by the
time you have travelled to and from the station at each end,
checked in etc you'll spend the best part of a day making a
journey you can do by car in 3 hours

A far better choice for a railway trip would be one of the excursions on
the Mount Hood Railroad or the Skunk Train in California

http://www.mthoodrr.com/
http://www.skunktrain.com/

Are the main attractions like Crater Lake accessable this time of the

year?

On average Crater Lake gets 18 inches of snow in May and the main
facilities at the Rim Village dont open till June. The road up to the
rim MAY be open but the rim road will be closed and you shouldnt
attempt the drive to the rim unless you have tyre chains and are
experienced in winter driving.

Its a beautiful place but I'd have to advise you to think
twice. See

http://www.nps.gov/crla/crlatrip.htm
http://www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm


If the road is open visit Mt Rainier NP but check first
as you may not be able to get past Longmire if the
snow has been heavy, it was just thawing in early
June this year but we had no problems.

Also dependent on weather is a trip to Mt St Helens, even
20 years after the eruption the view is awe inspiring

The main road through Lassen NP will also almost
certainly be closed as it doesnt normally open until
Mid June.



Keith


  #3  
Old January 29th, 2004, 06:48 PM
Edison Ed
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Default Oregon in May

I agree with the other poster about renting a car in Seattle and forget about
the train.

It's less than a three hour drive from the airport to the Portland area. The
airport is south of Seattle and closer to Tacoma.

Unless you want to go to Portland on your drive down I-5, I would advise
heading to the coast via highway 4 on the Washington side of the Columbia
River. It's a beautiful drive and you can take the bridge across to Astoria to
start your journey down the Oregon coast.

Depending on how much time you have, I would suggest spending at least 3 - 5
days touring the Oregon coast. It's beautiful in May and there many great
beaches and small towns to explore. The coastline is over 300 miles. You could
do it in 1 or 2 days but you would miss alot.
Take highway 1 all the way to Brookings Oregon, the last town in the state.
Continue into California and then take highway 199 into the Redwoods along the
Smith River. It's one fo the most beautiful drives in the area. Take a walk in
the redwoods and then continue on 199. It will bring you back into Oregon and
you'll end up in Grants Pass. I would then suggest a visit to Ashland and the
southern Rogue Valley. Ashland is a great small town with a wonderful
Shakespeare Festival. Lot's of great restaurants, etc.
(I live in Ashland)
From this area ,Crater Lake is about a 2 hour drive and yes, depending on the
weather there could still be a lot of snow up there. You would have to call the
park when you're in the area to find out if the road is open.
If you need more info on the area, please email me directly.
Happy travels.
Ed
  #4  
Old January 29th, 2004, 06:56 PM
SBarbour
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Default Oregon in May

I agree... and, you might consider stopping at the Oregon Caves off 199 in
Cave Junction. (Ed, are my bearings correct? It's been awhile since I've
been up there).

Sharon

"Edison Ed" wrote in message
...
Take highway 1 all the way to Brookings Oregon, the last town in the

state.
Continue into California and then take highway 199 into the Redwoods along

the
Smith River. It's one fo the most beautiful drives in the area. Take a

walk in
the redwoods and then continue on 199. It will bring you back into Oregon

and


  #5  
Old January 29th, 2004, 07:41 PM
Edison Ed
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Default Oregon in May

I agree... and, you might consider stopping at the Oregon Caves off 199 in
Cave Junction. (Ed, are my bearings correct? It's been awhile since I've
been up there).

Sharon

Yes, I lived in this area for 12 years before making it out to Oregon Caves.
It's a very nice trip off of 199. It can get very busy on the weekends though,
week days are usually best.
Ed
  #6  
Old January 29th, 2004, 08:53 PM
Patty Winter
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Default Oregon in May

In article ,
Edison Ed wrote:
I agree with the other poster about renting a car in Seattle and forget about
the train.


However...there are excursion trains in all three states the original
posters plan to visit, so maybe that would give them their train fix.
I found these listings of excursion trains, exhibits, and museums:

http://steamrailroading.com/tourist/sites/ca.shtml

http://steamrailroading.com/tourist/sites/or.shtml

http://steamrailroading.com/tourist/sites/wa.shtml

I would then suggest a visit to Ashland and the
southern Rogue Valley. Ashland is a great small town with a wonderful
Shakespeare Festival. Lot's of great restaurants, etc.


I was going to suggest the same thing. See www.orshakes.org for
information about the festival, which runs from late February
to late October. If by chance the original posters postpone their
visit to June (in order to have a better chance of visiting Crater
Lake), they can even take in a show at the beautiful outdoor
Elizabethan Theatre.


Patty


  #7  
Old January 29th, 2004, 11:33 PM
CoastWatcher
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Default Oregon in May

As I sit here today in our little beachfront retirement home 25 miles
north of Astoria on the Long Beach Peninsula, it seems like paradise.
Right now I'm looking out the window at the snarling Pacific with a high
wind storm blowing; fantastic! Lived in the San Francisco many years
before retiring so have traveled the Washington/Oregon/CA coast many
times. Can't recommend it too highly. Just don't everyone come at
once. :-)

snip snip


  #8  
Old January 30th, 2004, 04:19 AM
mimi
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Default Oregon in May


"Keith Willshaw" wrote in message
...

"ElBee" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

for our first visit to the US, we would like to go to Oregon. We plan to
travel on may 15 and return home around three weeks later.
The plans so far are;

- Fly to Seattle
- Take the AMTrack to Portland (my wife really likes to travel by train)
- Rent a car in Portland
- travel along the coast south about til the border of California
- travel north inland to Seattle

Does this make any sense?


No

It would be far better to pick up the car in Seattle
and avoid paying drop off charges. In addition by the
time you have travelled to and from the station at each end,
checked in etc you'll spend the best part of a day making a
journey you can do by car in 3 hours


Much as I like the train myself, I have to agree this stretch of track is
not particularly scenic. You do get a little bit along Puget Sound and near
the end a bit along the Columbia River. North from Seattle into Vancouver
BC is prettier.

If you intend to concentrate on Oregon, have you considered flying into and
out of Portland instead? Or make it an open jaws.

Not wishing to denigrate the sights of my home state, Washington,

Marianne


  #9  
Old January 31st, 2004, 04:46 PM
ElBee
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Default Thanks all for the splendid info!

We will arrive a week later, fly to Portland and rent a car, take a week to
explore the coast (southward), visit Ashland, and try to fit in all the
other suggestions posted.


Many thanks and greetings from a wet and windy The Hague, Netherlands


"ElBee" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

for our first visit to the US, we would like to go to Oregon. We plan to
travel on may 15 and return home around three weeks later.
The plans so far are;

- Fly to Seattle
- Take the AMTrack to Portland (my wife really likes to travel by train)
- Rent a car in Portland
- travel along the coast south about til the border of California
- travel north inland to Seattle

Does this make any sense?
Are the main attractions like Crater Lake accessable this time of the

year?
Hints, Tips, suggestions anyone?

I hope my English makes any sense.

Regards

Léon van den Broek,
The Netherlands




  #10  
Old January 31st, 2004, 07:32 PM
Henk
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Posts: n/a
Default Thanks all for the splendid info!


"ElBee" schreef in bericht
...
We will arrive a week later, fly to Portland and rent a car, take a week

to
explore the coast (southward), visit Ashland, and try to fit in all the
other suggestions posted.


Many thanks and greetings from a wet and windy The Hague, Netherlands



"ElBee" wrote in message
...


Knip

Leon.

I would suggets to fly in to Seattle a direct flight with Nortwest the KLM
partner.
Rent a car at SeaTac Airport, get the Interstate 5 (I 5) down to Portland.
It's only ± 175 miles (300 Km) a four hour drive. (70 mph)
You don't have a direct flight into Portland, you have to catch a small
plane to fly in to portland (PDX).

Henk


 




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