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Oregon
Elinetrouwt
member
Honeymoon in Oregon
in Oregon
One of the first things we decided about our wedding was the honeymoon destination: we've been dreaming about visiting Oregon and Washington for quite some time... So I'm looking at you ladies for some help: where does a couple of Belgian newlyweds go for a great time? All we know is that we're going to Portland, but ideas for what to do there and elsewhere in Oregon (and Washington) are welcome!
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Re: Honeymoon in Oregon
One of my favorite viewpoints and natural areas is Yaquina Head. http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/yaquina/index.php The coast has a LOT of wonderful areas to go to.
Downtown Portland has a lot to look at and (as odd as it may sound) some of the best food carts in the entire US. Any kind of food you want, you can get. Then you can walk along the waterfront, use the MAX train to go to different places downtown, or find your way into the hills to the International Rose Test Garden. Portland is known as the Rose City, and during the summer has some of the most beautiful gardens in the northwest. http://www.rosegardenstore.org/thegardens.cfm
Just a few things to get you started!
I enjoy the natural beauty of the region. If I had a week or two to kill, I'd probably start in Portland and drive west to Astoria. I'd then spend a day or two driving down Highway 101 along the Oregon Coast, checking out the small coastal towns along the way. It is so unbelievably gorgeous, and very different. The northern Coast has more of the sandy beaches; the central and southern Coast is rockier, but the climate gets a lot warmer as you approach the California border.
I'd then want to cut inland and head to Crater Lake one day (I've never been, alas), and check out the deepest lake in the US. Maybe the next day take a jaunt up to Bend/Sisters, and then head back to the Willamette Valley and check out the wineries.
If I was looking for a more urban experience, I'd go from Portland up to Seattle and eat, drink, and be merry.
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You simply cannot go wrong with the OR coast! All spots along the way are wonderful and have something to offer. Except maybe Lincoln City beaches are crowded and traffic is terrible. The only real thing to do there is shopping. I refer to Lincoln City as the armpit of the coast. Newport is lovely and is about 15-20 min South of L.C. and hold much more entertainment with the Newport Aquarium, Hatfield Marine Science Center and the Rogue Brewery being all next door to one another.
The central and northern valley has a booming wine industry. Plenty of wineries to keep you busy. There is also (W of Salem) Silver Falls State Park with several waterfalls and a long hiking trail that even takes you behind the waterfall.
The Ashland Shakespeare Festival actually runs February through early November with its peak in the summer. They have announced their 2012 season already. http://www.osfashland.org/news/releases/article.aspx?id=156
Portland and its surrounding areas are great. We enjoy our brew, food, music and oddities. What do you expect from a city with "keep Portland weird" for it's catchphrase? Festivals are constantly happening on the waterfront. Several television shows are filmed here like Leverage and most recently NBC's Grimm which will be premiering in the fall. There is also a comedy short series called Portlandia. We are also home to some bands you may or may not have heard of like Everclear (earlier is better!), the Dandy Warhols, Pink Martini and the Decemberists. Now that I have gone WAY off topic.... There are plenty of gardens to visit like the Rose Test Garden, Chinese and Japanese gardens. We have a nice zoo as well. I highly recommend visiting several of the McMenamins establishments that are all over Oregon. Great food with lots of converted old/historic sites as well as new with lots of character. http://www.mcmenamins.com/
Columbia River Gorge is great for being outdoors. Multnomah Falls, hiking trails, and the river to play on. There is a lovely hotel right along the river that is gorgeous, but a bit pricey. http://columbiagorgehotel.com/
Mt. Hood is a nice little drive to get to and visit. You can ski/snowboard all year round. Timberline Lodge is absolutely beautiful. http://www.timberlinelodge.com/
Eastern OR is very dry, hot and brown. I don't like it much over there.
http://www.fivepinelodge.com/