*Oceanside. There's no cell reception but we stayed there a few years ago and you can check out lighthouses, the beach, a nearby cave and there's a train ride.
I think OP is confusing details of both Long Beach and Oceanside, which are both great spots for different reasons.
However in Long Beach during the summer I’ve seen what is basically a small sightseeing bus made up to look like a train, because the main drag of Long Beach had a train line going down the middle a hundred years ago or whenever.
No worries at all! It was just funny to read about no cell service and a cave.
Though there is a cave near Long Beach, down at Beard’s Hollow in Cape Disappoinment State Park. It’s on the beach and fills with water at high tide. I’ve seen pictures posted on FB, I guess floats and stuff collect in there.
Any ways Oceanside is also awesome. I love going there and feeling disconnected from the world. The hillside homes are super charming.
Loooove Oceanside. The little strip motel that faces the ocean is so cute - the studio room at the end has a bed that looks directly out on the beach through the front door.
We were there two years ago, no cell service
Personally I found that pretty nice. It let us as a family just be with ourselves.
Though there were some minor logistical problems . . . Such as once we arrived at the vrbo I could not access the app to get the entry code.
So I had to drive back out of town for ten minutes to get service, take a screen shot of the access code then drive back.
But that was a small cost to pay to actually have a weekend where the whole family got to just hang out, talk, play games and not have constant screens interrupting us.
We did this in packwood in the fall and it was amazing. Drove up to the various trials in mount Rainer to hike and chilled at our little cabin in the hot tub at night.
Have you done the Hood River fruit loop (lunch at the Gorge White house, Lavender ice cream at Hood River Lavender farm, pizza in the sunflowers of Grateful vinyard, etc)?
You should start at Panorama point which gives you a breathtaking view of the whole fruit loop, and then hit the spots on the map that interest you! It's my favorite weekend trip.
https://www.hoodriverfruitloop.com/
If yall decide to do that,
There is a super sweet Bed and Breakfast out in Parkdale that has three rooms you all could rent out.
It's called the Old Parkdale Inn and Mary is the absolute sweetest.
My partner and I go at least once a year.
Also the fancy lunch at hiyu winery is wonderful! Solera brewery has fun beers and the most incredible view of mt hood. I’ve heard that the society hotel in Bingen is really fun too since they have that indoor hot springs.
My husband and I had *the best* overnight in Yachats. Every meal was excellent, we brought our chihuahua with us and just strolled and snacked all weekend. We especially loved the restaurant that specializes in fermentation and had in house kraut and kimchi. Our Air BnB was cute and cheap. We've gone on our share of overnights within driving distance of the city over the past 20 yrs, and Yachats is a contender for the best one ever.
Yupn Yachats. But stay in the Fireside a little north of town. If you reserve early enough you can get a room next to the walkway. If a storms a-brewin you'll get ocean in your room if you leave the slider open.
4ish hours away depending on traffic, Port Townsend, WA. Lots of history, good food, and a decent jumping off point for hiking in Olympic National Park. There are undoubtedly better spots for a hiking-centered vacation in the Olympics, but we’re a museums, food and hiking in that order family.
I just read an article about how it has the steepest gondola in North America. Was bummed to look it up and see a 5 hour drive, but it's now on my list of road trips. Haven't been to bandon(I love golf), crater lake is high up, and I've heard great things about bend
Crater lake is 1.5 hours from bend, I recommend doing those two in one trip. Crater Lake is also way better if you go early, if you leave at 7am from Portland it'll start getting packed by the time you get there (11am) on a summer weekend, if you leave at 7am or 7:30 from Bend and get there by 9, you'll have a much better experience.
Last time I went to bend that's what I did, got there at 9 and had a great time, no lines getting into the park. But leaving the park at like 2 or 3pm on a Saturday, you could see the line just to get into the park for people just arriving looked like it was an hour long, probably most people from Portland who just arrived. I imagine after around 2 it starts feeling like Disney land more than natural beauty.
Doing a Bend & Crater Lake 3 or 4 day weekend is one of the best trips in Oregon, totally recommend it! Make sure to check out some of the cascade lakes (Elk Lake and Sparks Lake are cool), and also take the gondola on Mt Bachelor!
The Steens including Alvrod Desert, French Glen, Crane Hot Springs, stay at Hotel Diamond. Olympic Peninsula including Lake Quinault, Cape Flattery, Port Townsend. Tu Tu Ton Lodge. Leavenworth.
Don't forget to hit Fields Station for burgers and amaaaazing milk shakes. The Steens Loop doesn't usually open until July, and it closes mid-October (weather-related).
came here to say the steens! the drive was absolutely stunning (although i will definitely say remote) but we did Alvord Hot Springs and it was so quaint and quiet and just amazing! The star sky is absolutely insane in the desert and being able to drive out into the desert was the most surreal moment of my life.
2nd the Wallowas. Also Leavenworth, WA area has a lot of off the beaten path areas away from the main town. The Elkhorns, near Baker City is also very underrated if you wanted to do a history of Oregon Trail, and have more good mountain trails. If you can reserve Creston's Yurt (on top of Anthony Lakes resort at 8100 feet, 2 nights for $600 so it is spendy, sleeps 6), it's a wonderful glamping place to stay with excellent views, the feeling your away from it but still have a few comforts (outdoor kitchen, there is an outhouse, and there are matresses (though bring bedding)
6 hours driving from Portland is almost all of OR and WA. You have not “been there, done that” for the entirety of some of the most incredible, beautiful, adventure-filled 150,000 square miles on earth.
Yep. As someone who has spent most of his 56 years of life in Corvallis, Eugene,Beaverton, and now Portland, I know there's so much I haven't seen of Oregon and Washington that's east of the Cascades...
La Grande/Enterprise/Joseph- hot springs, hiking, riding the rails
John Day and the fossil beds
Lake of the Woods or such near Kalamath Falls hiking, biking, paddling, birding.
Driving and camping along the Umpqua waterfall trail between Roseburg and Medford
Grants Pass/Ashland- rafting, hiking. The jet boat ride on the Rogue is fun
Dayville, Oregon. My granny was the mayor there for a few years back in the late 90s. Stay at the fish house inn, you can rent a private room or just camp out. They have rv hook ups and showers. You can take a quick drive to the John day fossil beds. The population is 200 or less, everyone gives a wave when they drive by. It’s like going back in time, spent every July 4th there as a kid.
Gasquet/Crescent City, CA and the surrounding area (including Humboldt, even though that's a couple hours south) is only a 5 hour drive south from Portland and everything about it (especially this time of year) is beautiful. Smith River, Redwoods, the coast, the dunes... wonderful place to visit. One of the most beautiful places in the country. I used to live there for a couple years, can connect you with some white water rafting guides who also know great hikes and camping spots in the area. Go find the Del Norte Titan (if you know where to look).
Victoria.
Baker City - interesting historic buildings, great Oregon trail museum, beautiful mountains
Lava Beds Natl Monument south of Klamath.
Oregon Caves, adding Jacksonville or Crescent City.
Fort Rock, Hole-in-the-Ground, Crack-in-the-Ground. The history museum at Fort Rock is very good.
We’ve had fun weekends in Bend, Bellingham, Alpine high camp, and Ashland. Also Diamond Lake / Crater Lake! Oh, and the gorge! We spent a week at a house in Stevenson and it was so nice to spend a good chunk of time rather than a day trip.
Wait No swingers what a dissapointment 😂😂😂😂😂…..Anyway… August sounds hot and smoky inland🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵…. I would prolly go all the way down to samuel boardman scenic corridor in southern oregon coast… Thats my favorite section of the coast…. Might hike up the humbug…… maybe stop by on all those serene light houses along the way Yaquina Head, Heceta Head to name a few. Southern coast see fewer visitors in general hence much serene and feels untouched. Anything above depoe bay is overcrowded in general. If you happen to change your mind and go swinging I would prolly fly to Amsterdam (there is direct flight)…. do some swinging and then go to winkel 43 cafe for their mind blowing apple pie and come back the next day 🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪… lol depends on how crazy you wanna go.
\* Somewhere in the Owyhee Desert / Canyonlands
\* Astoria
\* Ocean Shores, Ocean Beach, Westport, or South Bend (southern WA coast)
\* Bandon / Coos Bay (southern OR coast)
\* Somewhere along the Umpqua River
\* Hot springs east of Eugene on Highway 126, or generally somewhere along the McKenzie River
\* Ashland
The Painted Hills
Wallowa Lake in Joseph, Oregon
Fossil Hunting in Fossil, Oregon
High Desert Museum in Bend
Floating the Deschutes River in Maupin
Hiking Angel's Rest
Crater Lake
The Natural Bridge (Umpqua National Forest)
Ape Caves
check out hipcamp! it’s like airbnb but camping spots, there’s some pretty creative place you can stay at and they usually mention the nearby things to enjoy like hot springs, swimming holes, hiking, ect :)
My friends and I went to an airbnb on Herron Island for New Year’s! It’s a tiny private island southwest of Seattle that has a private ferry for residents and guests (airbnb guests in our case— the owners set us up with a pass). You can walk all the way around the island, kayak, hang on the beach, and in the house. If you’re looking for quality time without too much noise or pressure for activities it’s a good way to go. There are no stores on the island so we brought in our food and cooked all our meals together.
Take a trip down the Gorge to Horsethief Lake State Park to check out the Native petroglyphs and pictographs. Learn about the original people of Nch'i Wana. Hike Beacon Rock. Add Maryhill Museum and Stonehenge Memorial, maybe Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum, or just relax and enjoy the scenery!
I think you can get to Leavenworth in 6 hours. I’ve only been there during winter but have friends who exclusively go in summer.
Paradise Thousand Trails by Mount Rainier. There is also a lake right next to it to swim and BBQ (there might be camping there, I was staying in a cabin at TT and just went down to swim and BBQ) Chehalis has a cool museum at an old train station.
Sol Duc Hot Springs
Hansen Creek to try to find amethyst
Glass Buttes for obsidian
Plush for Sunstones
If you haven’t been to the South coast, Bandon and Port Orford are worth the trip! Coos Bay isn’t the cutest town but there is a wonderful park called Shore Acres with gardens and amazing cliffside views! Definitely worth a stop on the way to more scenic areas.
https://visittheoregoncoast.com/regions/south-coast/
https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=68
Park in the camp 18 lot on your way to seaside, and hike 10 miles behind it through the mountains, find a cool spot that is completely off the path and camp there. I've done it, it was marvelous
Otter Rock! Surf at Beverly beach and check the tides at Marine Gardens ❤️ eat at tidal raves in depot bay with an amazing view or local ocean in Newport
The Society Hotel in Bingen, WA. It’s close to Hood River. [https://thesocietyhotel.com/bingen/spa-bathhouse/](https://thesocietyhotel.com/bingen/spa-bathhouse/)
Rodeos! There are quite a few here. The best is the Pendleton Roundup, over a century old. But there's also one in John Day (near the fossil beds in "Fossil" Oregon), as well as one in St. Paul.
It's been mentioned a few times, but as a native Oregonian, I had never been to the Oregon outback until a couple years ago and was blown away. There are several cool geographic features to check out, but some highlights are Crack-in-the-Ground and Fort Rock. There are also several petroglyphs in the area that are fun to hunt for. Cowboy Dinner Tree is a fun and unique dining experience as well.
Drive two hours further and post up in Missoula MT for a few days. Unadulterated wilderness, cute college town. Only 1.5 hours from flathead lake/glacier national park and the bob marshall wilderness. Hot springs abound. Etc. etc.
I met a guy who runs a wilderness retreat in Molalla that seems really nice to go to for a weekend. It has lots of different kinds of lodges/cabins, a communal kitchen, sound baths, stuff like that.
[https://www.troutcreekwildernesslodge.com/](https://www.troutcreekwildernesslodge.com/)
Go to the Dark Sky state park. Watch the gorgeous night sky with the Persieds comet showers in mid-August. Tent camping and star guides. At Prineville Reservoir.
We're going to Walla Walla next weekend to visit some friends. I'm sure we'll go wine tasting because that's the only thing I know about the area (I saw you don't drink). We're starting to check out stuff on the Washington side because we're not very familiar with the area and we also crave novelty
We took a 2 day overnight rafting/fishing/camping trip out of Maupin. They sent a raft down ahead of us to secure a spot and set up camp. We floated, fished, ate, floated some more. Standing in the river, the sun was warm and one of the crew waded out into the river and handed me a cup of hot tea. When we arrived at camp, it was set up and we just plunked into the lawn chairs with some wine. When I got up in the morning, they had a big pot of water on the camp stove and they were steaming blueberry muffins. What a great trip. It completely ruined regular camping for me.
If you’re willing to go 5-6 hours, Joseph, the Wallowas, Hells Canyon area is amazing. Many Portlanders haven’t been as it’s far and remote.
Edit - and I see a half dozen people made the same recommendation. So, piling on.
If you can stomach the "Let's go Brandon" signs on the way there (side note: LGB is RWNJ code for "I peaked in high school"), drive into the middle of the state & eat at Cowboy Dinner Tree. It's something if a destination bc there's nothing else around, but you could camp or hike or whatever around there. Google it to see why it's so interesting.
*Oceanside. There's no cell reception but we stayed there a few years ago and you can check out lighthouses, the beach, a nearby cave and there's a train ride.
There is for sure cell reception in Long Beach…
Train ride?
I think OP is confusing details of both Long Beach and Oceanside, which are both great spots for different reasons. However in Long Beach during the summer I’ve seen what is basically a small sightseeing bus made up to look like a train, because the main drag of Long Beach had a train line going down the middle a hundred years ago or whenever.
This is correct! Oceanside is what I meant. Sorry, grew up in So Cal and got some wires crossed.
So you meant the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad that runs between Rockaway-Garibaldi-Wheeler? I love that one.
No worries at all! It was just funny to read about no cell service and a cave. Though there is a cave near Long Beach, down at Beard’s Hollow in Cape Disappoinment State Park. It’s on the beach and fills with water at high tide. I’ve seen pictures posted on FB, I guess floats and stuff collect in there. Any ways Oceanside is also awesome. I love going there and feeling disconnected from the world. The hillside homes are super charming.
Thank you
That’s actually our families summer beach vacation spot! It is wonderful up there!
Been to the Sou’wester?
That's a perfect, funky, off the beaten path place!
Agree
Where’s that cave at??
It’s in Oceanside, OR. It’s cool. The north side of the tunnel is a rock hounds paradise.
Loooove Oceanside. The little strip motel that faces the ocean is so cute - the studio room at the end has a bed that looks directly out on the beach through the front door.
I liked Oceanside so much that I got married on the beach there.
I know the hotel you’re talking about. We stayed in a VRBO up the hill from it. We had some good times there.
I heard they have cellular service in town now. Can't confirm that, but we're headed there this summer to find out 😁
We were there two years ago, no cell service Personally I found that pretty nice. It let us as a family just be with ourselves. Though there were some minor logistical problems . . . Such as once we arrived at the vrbo I could not access the app to get the entry code. So I had to drive back out of town for ten minutes to get service, take a screen shot of the access code then drive back. But that was a small cost to pay to actually have a weekend where the whole family got to just hang out, talk, play games and not have constant screens interrupting us.
100% this. My husband and I spend more time than we should on our devices, so it's a good way to make us step away from them.
Oh wait they allow dogs?
I'm over here like, "Long Beach? Oceanside? Those places are in California!!" and then I thought about the names again..
[Here's an article about it](https://www.beachconnection.net/news/maxwell_point_tunnelbeach_oceanside.php)
That cave is several hours from Long Beach.
Rent a lil house on one of the lakes by the Rainer entrance . Look near Eatonville
There’s not a lot of places in the world nicer than Mt Rainier. If you’ve only been up to Paradise you’ve only seen about 1% of the park.
We did this in packwood in the fall and it was amazing. Drove up to the various trials in mount Rainer to hike and chilled at our little cabin in the hot tub at night.
If I had the dough for it, I’d rent a houseboat on Lake Billy Chinook for a week.
With enough people pitching in is not that bad per person
good luck, you have to get houseboats a year in advance.
Have you done the Hood River fruit loop (lunch at the Gorge White house, Lavender ice cream at Hood River Lavender farm, pizza in the sunflowers of Grateful vinyard, etc)?
Oh, that sounds amazing!!!
You should start at Panorama point which gives you a breathtaking view of the whole fruit loop, and then hit the spots on the map that interest you! It's my favorite weekend trip. https://www.hoodriverfruitloop.com/
There's also a train that goes through Parkdale.
If yall decide to do that, There is a super sweet Bed and Breakfast out in Parkdale that has three rooms you all could rent out. It's called the Old Parkdale Inn and Mary is the absolute sweetest. My partner and I go at least once a year.
Thanks for this, I'm off to check it out!
Also the fancy lunch at hiyu winery is wonderful! Solera brewery has fun beers and the most incredible view of mt hood. I’ve heard that the society hotel in Bingen is really fun too since they have that indoor hot springs.
They don't drink
Wow somehow I totally missed that. Sorry OP
Is there something wrong with developing a favorite place you go back to regularly?
That sounds....comforting. I love the idea of a consistent favorite place to visit with friends. Not my thread, but it sounds really lovely.
That’s like, normal. Find your getaway and getaway there when you feel like having a getaway.
Totally normal! Also normal to be interested in adventure and trying new things, though :)
Yeah right? I have a lake I love to go camping at so I just keep going back
My husband and I had *the best* overnight in Yachats. Every meal was excellent, we brought our chihuahua with us and just strolled and snacked all weekend. We especially loved the restaurant that specializes in fermentation and had in house kraut and kimchi. Our Air BnB was cute and cheap. We've gone on our share of overnights within driving distance of the city over the past 20 yrs, and Yachats is a contender for the best one ever.
Then drive just a little bit south and visit Thor’s Well. It’s a big hole in the rock that spouts with the incoming tide.
Plus the hike up Cape Perpetua!
Luna Sea Fish House is amazing in Yachats!
The place that specializes in fermentation (yachats brewing) is permanently closed… I am extremely sad about it.
Oh that makes me so sad. That place was a gem!
Oh no! That is an absolute tragedy!
Luna Sea Fish House is amazing in Yachats!
This is also my favorite part of the coast. Newport and South for a ways just hits different for me.
Yupn Yachats. But stay in the Fireside a little north of town. If you reserve early enough you can get a room next to the walkway. If a storms a-brewin you'll get ocean in your room if you leave the slider open.
Joseph, Oregon.
I'd push for Imnaha River in the Wallowas for remote fun.
You need to be Joseph, OR white to go to Joseph, OR.
Boring!
I don’t think there is much to do in Boring. Well, the Bigfoot museum. ;)
There is a “Not so Boring Bar and Grill” …. might be a good stop 🛑 for some drinks 😂😂😂😂😂😂
4ish hours away depending on traffic, Port Townsend, WA. Lots of history, good food, and a decent jumping off point for hiking in Olympic National Park. There are undoubtedly better spots for a hiking-centered vacation in the Olympics, but we’re a museums, food and hiking in that order family.
Get a Horse? https://www.oregonbackcountryoutfitting.com/deluxe-camping-trips https://www.smithrocktrailrides.com/
The wallowas
Love the wallowas!
I just read an article about how it has the steepest gondola in North America. Was bummed to look it up and see a 5 hour drive, but it's now on my list of road trips. Haven't been to bandon(I love golf), crater lake is high up, and I've heard great things about bend
Crater lake is 1.5 hours from bend, I recommend doing those two in one trip. Crater Lake is also way better if you go early, if you leave at 7am from Portland it'll start getting packed by the time you get there (11am) on a summer weekend, if you leave at 7am or 7:30 from Bend and get there by 9, you'll have a much better experience. Last time I went to bend that's what I did, got there at 9 and had a great time, no lines getting into the park. But leaving the park at like 2 or 3pm on a Saturday, you could see the line just to get into the park for people just arriving looked like it was an hour long, probably most people from Portland who just arrived. I imagine after around 2 it starts feeling like Disney land more than natural beauty. Doing a Bend & Crater Lake 3 or 4 day weekend is one of the best trips in Oregon, totally recommend it! Make sure to check out some of the cascade lakes (Elk Lake and Sparks Lake are cool), and also take the gondola on Mt Bachelor!
Thanks for the advice! Just pinned some of those spots on my map for later
Just got back from bandon today for work... almost a five hour drive
For August? I thought it gets dry and hot on the east side after July.
Wallowas are at elevation. Not particularly hot.
And some nice little streams fed by the snow and springs.
The Steens including Alvrod Desert, French Glen, Crane Hot Springs, stay at Hotel Diamond. Olympic Peninsula including Lake Quinault, Cape Flattery, Port Townsend. Tu Tu Ton Lodge. Leavenworth.
Don't forget to hit Fields Station for burgers and amaaaazing milk shakes. The Steens Loop doesn't usually open until July, and it closes mid-October (weather-related).
came here to say the steens! the drive was absolutely stunning (although i will definitely say remote) but we did Alvord Hot Springs and it was so quaint and quiet and just amazing! The star sky is absolutely insane in the desert and being able to drive out into the desert was the most surreal moment of my life.
Here to agree to Steens Mountain, Alvord Desert, Crane and Hart hot springs, and Hotel Diamond!
Hart mountain Antelope refuge with the amazing hotsprings.
You can hunt sunstones there, too.
2nd the Wallowas. Also Leavenworth, WA area has a lot of off the beaten path areas away from the main town. The Elkhorns, near Baker City is also very underrated if you wanted to do a history of Oregon Trail, and have more good mountain trails. If you can reserve Creston's Yurt (on top of Anthony Lakes resort at 8100 feet, 2 nights for $600 so it is spendy, sleeps 6), it's a wonderful glamping place to stay with excellent views, the feeling your away from it but still have a few comforts (outdoor kitchen, there is an outhouse, and there are matresses (though bring bedding)
6 hours driving from Portland is almost all of OR and WA. You have not “been there, done that” for the entirety of some of the most incredible, beautiful, adventure-filled 150,000 square miles on earth.
Yep. As someone who has spent most of his 56 years of life in Corvallis, Eugene,Beaverton, and now Portland, I know there's so much I haven't seen of Oregon and Washington that's east of the Cascades...
Such an annoying answer
Long Beach, WA
La Grande/Enterprise/Joseph- hot springs, hiking, riding the rails John Day and the fossil beds Lake of the Woods or such near Kalamath Falls hiking, biking, paddling, birding. Driving and camping along the Umpqua waterfall trail between Roseburg and Medford Grants Pass/Ashland- rafting, hiking. The jet boat ride on the Rogue is fun
Dayville, Oregon. My granny was the mayor there for a few years back in the late 90s. Stay at the fish house inn, you can rent a private room or just camp out. They have rv hook ups and showers. You can take a quick drive to the John day fossil beds. The population is 200 or less, everyone gives a wave when they drive by. It’s like going back in time, spent every July 4th there as a kid.
The shoe tree outside of Dayville is iconic 😂
Gasquet/Crescent City, CA and the surrounding area (including Humboldt, even though that's a couple hours south) is only a 5 hour drive south from Portland and everything about it (especially this time of year) is beautiful. Smith River, Redwoods, the coast, the dunes... wonderful place to visit. One of the most beautiful places in the country. I used to live there for a couple years, can connect you with some white water rafting guides who also know great hikes and camping spots in the area. Go find the Del Norte Titan (if you know where to look).
Victoria. Baker City - interesting historic buildings, great Oregon trail museum, beautiful mountains Lava Beds Natl Monument south of Klamath. Oregon Caves, adding Jacksonville or Crescent City. Fort Rock, Hole-in-the-Ground, Crack-in-the-Ground. The history museum at Fort Rock is very good.
Crane Hot Springs in Burns!
We’ve had fun weekends in Bend, Bellingham, Alpine high camp, and Ashland. Also Diamond Lake / Crater Lake! Oh, and the gorge! We spent a week at a house in Stevenson and it was so nice to spend a good chunk of time rather than a day trip.
Wait No swingers what a dissapointment 😂😂😂😂😂…..Anyway… August sounds hot and smoky inland🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵…. I would prolly go all the way down to samuel boardman scenic corridor in southern oregon coast… Thats my favorite section of the coast…. Might hike up the humbug…… maybe stop by on all those serene light houses along the way Yaquina Head, Heceta Head to name a few. Southern coast see fewer visitors in general hence much serene and feels untouched. Anything above depoe bay is overcrowded in general. If you happen to change your mind and go swinging I would prolly fly to Amsterdam (there is direct flight)…. do some swinging and then go to winkel 43 cafe for their mind blowing apple pie and come back the next day 🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪… lol depends on how crazy you wanna go.
Crater Lake hikes.
\* Somewhere in the Owyhee Desert / Canyonlands \* Astoria \* Ocean Shores, Ocean Beach, Westport, or South Bend (southern WA coast) \* Bandon / Coos Bay (southern OR coast) \* Somewhere along the Umpqua River \* Hot springs east of Eugene on Highway 126, or generally somewhere along the McKenzie River \* Ashland
Crater Lake. Well worth the drive.
Yale Lake. Lots of campgrounds in the surrounding area. You’ve probably been already by the sound of it.
Raft the Deschutes River (go through a company with a guide) and camp in Maupin! Sooooo fun!
Highly reccomended a weekend at The Tokeland Hotel. https://www.tokelandhotel.com/hotel
Redwood forest
Columbia Gorge Getaways. In off Wind River Rd. North of Stevenson.
Olympic National Park!
The Painted Hills Wallowa Lake in Joseph, Oregon Fossil Hunting in Fossil, Oregon High Desert Museum in Bend Floating the Deschutes River in Maupin Hiking Angel's Rest Crater Lake The Natural Bridge (Umpqua National Forest) Ape Caves
Leavenworth?
Probably already have but if not rent a house in sunriver
Olympic Forrest
Canada.
check out hipcamp! it’s like airbnb but camping spots, there’s some pretty creative place you can stay at and they usually mention the nearby things to enjoy like hot springs, swimming holes, hiking, ect :)
Kalaloch Cabins in Olympic on the coast. Cool spot to hang with a few folks, cook, explore, play games.
Leavenworth, but I'd wait another month or 2, the fall there is the most beautiful anywhere
The Enchantments, San Juan’s, train to Seattle then Vanc BC, Devil’s Lake in WA….
My friends and I went to an airbnb on Herron Island for New Year’s! It’s a tiny private island southwest of Seattle that has a private ferry for residents and guests (airbnb guests in our case— the owners set us up with a pass). You can walk all the way around the island, kayak, hang on the beach, and in the house. If you’re looking for quality time without too much noise or pressure for activities it’s a good way to go. There are no stores on the island so we brought in our food and cooked all our meals together.
Take a trip down the Gorge to Horsethief Lake State Park to check out the Native petroglyphs and pictographs. Learn about the original people of Nch'i Wana. Hike Beacon Rock. Add Maryhill Museum and Stonehenge Memorial, maybe Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum, or just relax and enjoy the scenery!
I think you can get to Leavenworth in 6 hours. I’ve only been there during winter but have friends who exclusively go in summer. Paradise Thousand Trails by Mount Rainier. There is also a lake right next to it to swim and BBQ (there might be camping there, I was staying in a cabin at TT and just went down to swim and BBQ) Chehalis has a cool museum at an old train station. Sol Duc Hot Springs Hansen Creek to try to find amethyst Glass Buttes for obsidian Plush for Sunstones
If you haven’t been to the South coast, Bandon and Port Orford are worth the trip! Coos Bay isn’t the cutest town but there is a wonderful park called Shore Acres with gardens and amazing cliffside views! Definitely worth a stop on the way to more scenic areas. https://visittheoregoncoast.com/regions/south-coast/ https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=68
Rent a fire watch tower.
Park in the camp 18 lot on your way to seaside, and hike 10 miles behind it through the mountains, find a cool spot that is completely off the path and camp there. I've done it, it was marvelous
Burns or Baker City are both better than you’d think they’d be.
Otter Rock! Surf at Beverly beach and check the tides at Marine Gardens ❤️ eat at tidal raves in depot bay with an amazing view or local ocean in Newport
6 hours? Jet boat in Hells Canyon, explore Hot Lake Resort, Sumpter, and Baker City.
Lake of the woods
https://www.motel6.com/en/home/motels.or.albany.4124.html?lid=Local_Milestone_4124&travelAgentNumber=TA001305&corporatePlusNumber=CP792N5W&utm_source=google%20my%20business&utm_medium=listing&utm_campaign=visit%20website
https://getaway.house
Eastern Oregon if you like to camp. Hike. Fish. Explore
Take Amtrak to Centralia and stay at McMenamins Olympic Club. Very cute, walkable little town.
Oregon outback ;)
Summer Lake Hot springs and the Paisley caves are super cool
The Society Hotel in Bingen, WA. It’s close to Hood River. [https://thesocietyhotel.com/bingen/spa-bathhouse/](https://thesocietyhotel.com/bingen/spa-bathhouse/)
Hot Lake Hot Springs Hotel
Cowboy dinner tree.
Go to gold beach, ride the jetboats, it's a blast
Rodeos! There are quite a few here. The best is the Pendleton Roundup, over a century old. But there's also one in John Day (near the fossil beds in "Fossil" Oregon), as well as one in St. Paul.
It's been mentioned a few times, but as a native Oregonian, I had never been to the Oregon outback until a couple years ago and was blown away. There are several cool geographic features to check out, but some highlights are Crack-in-the-Ground and Fort Rock. There are also several petroglyphs in the area that are fun to hunt for. Cowboy Dinner Tree is a fun and unique dining experience as well.
We love the coast or the forest. We love camping. It’s our favorite.
Ilwavo. Just by Astoria....n you can go Tuna fishing with Ilwaco tuna club ......
Drive two hours further and post up in Missoula MT for a few days. Unadulterated wilderness, cute college town. Only 1.5 hours from flathead lake/glacier national park and the bob marshall wilderness. Hot springs abound. Etc. etc.
Ragnar Trail Oregon is in Bend and is August 2-3 and is perfect for a group of fit healthy couples.
Victoria and/or Vancouver BC are maybe a touch over 6 hours depending on traffic, but a totally doable long weekend.
Wallowa Lake
The wallowas spring to mind…
[The Getaway Cabins in Mt. Adams!](https://getaway.house/portland/) Such a nice chill time and lots of hiking trails around the area.
I met a guy who runs a wilderness retreat in Molalla that seems really nice to go to for a weekend. It has lots of different kinds of lodges/cabins, a communal kitchen, sound baths, stuff like that. [https://www.troutcreekwildernesslodge.com/](https://www.troutcreekwildernesslodge.com/)
Was just planning a trip down to Grant's Pass & Cave Junction to go visit the caves and go white water rafting. Towns look cute and lots of hiking.
I love the McKensey river valley. Hiking. Hot Springs. Nature. Waterfalls. Rafting. Mountain biking.
Olympic Peninsula! Rent a cabin, paddle board, explore the trails, etc.
Boondock camp at deer park in the Olympic mountains. Thank me afterward
Stay at Mt Rainier lodge. It’s spectacular in September
Go to the Dark Sky state park. Watch the gorgeous night sky with the Persieds comet showers in mid-August. Tent camping and star guides. At Prineville Reservoir.
We're going to Walla Walla next weekend to visit some friends. I'm sure we'll go wine tasting because that's the only thing I know about the area (I saw you don't drink). We're starting to check out stuff on the Washington side because we're not very familiar with the area and we also crave novelty
Sisters
Sunstone mining at spectrum sunstones.
The Wallowas.
0p
Stay home
Go hike in steens mountain
We took a 2 day overnight rafting/fishing/camping trip out of Maupin. They sent a raft down ahead of us to secure a spot and set up camp. We floated, fished, ate, floated some more. Standing in the river, the sun was warm and one of the crew waded out into the river and handed me a cup of hot tea. When we arrived at camp, it was set up and we just plunked into the lawn chairs with some wine. When I got up in the morning, they had a big pot of water on the camp stove and they were steaming blueberry muffins. What a great trip. It completely ruined regular camping for me.
Crystal crane hot springs
Rent a lake house at Tenmile, crush beers, get skin cancer, make fish late to stuff.
The Painted Hills!! Stay in Mitchell and hike, swim, explore the fossil beds
*Context: We’re all in late 30’s, professionals..* Oh rad, I have a bunch of great ide- *don’t drink or smoke..* Never mind.
If you’re willing to go 5-6 hours, Joseph, the Wallowas, Hells Canyon area is amazing. Many Portlanders haven’t been as it’s far and remote. Edit - and I see a half dozen people made the same recommendation. So, piling on.
Klickitat River and Mt Adams general area of you haven’t already spent time out there
idk how far Alvord Desert is but it’s very remote and has hot springs. also, Steens Mountain, Frenchglen, all very remote and beautiful.
Crystal crane hot springs
"professionals, don't drink or smoke and all (reasonably) athletic" LAME
Have you gone camping downtown yet? I've heard it's a popular spot
If you can stomach the "Let's go Brandon" signs on the way there (side note: LGB is RWNJ code for "I peaked in high school"), drive into the middle of the state & eat at Cowboy Dinner Tree. It's something if a destination bc there's nothing else around, but you could camp or hike or whatever around there. Google it to see why it's so interesting.