Heading to Bend & Portland in May | FerrariChat

Heading to Bend & Portland in May

Discussion in 'Northwest' started by Schatten, Mar 28, 2014.

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  1. Schatten

    Schatten F1 World Champ
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    Apr 3, 2001
    11,237
    Austin, TX
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    Randy
    My gf and I will be venturing up to Bend, OR for a wedding mid May (14-21st). We'll head back to Portland to see the sights Sunday-mid-Wednesday. Not long enough I'm sure. Any must see places? We dig the outdoors, parks, and breweries.

    Will be renting a car since the Fchat F50 isn't available at the moment. If you have suggestions, or even a beater vehicle we can rent for a week, hit me up. Same goes for a few nights in Portland. As for Bend, we'll probably find something on airbnb this weekend and nail that down.
     
  2. Jonny Law

    Jonny Law F1 Rookie
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    May 6, 2008
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    Over yonder.
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    Multnomah Falls, Mt St Helens, a day trip to the coast would be fun.

    Lots of breweries in the Portland area, Widmer Brothers Brewing Company, Rock Bottom, etc...

    Depending on your level of adventure would determine your route to from Bend to Portland.
     
  3. Schatten

    Schatten F1 World Champ
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    Apr 3, 2001
    11,237
    Austin, TX
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    Randy
    I was thinking about Columbia River Gorge on the way back up to Portland on Sunday. Time dependent of course. We'll try to pack in as much as we can in little time.
     
  4. Scotty

    Scotty F1 Veteran
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    Oct 31, 2003
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    Bend has a plethora of great breweries. Also a distillery. That time in May can be little dicey weather wise, with the Bend area likely being nicer than the PDX area. There are a host of nice hikes close outside of Bend, as well as great mountain bike trails (with rental bikes available). Tumalo falls is probably one of the easiest/closest to Bend. The Deschutes river trail is even easier, even closer, and still very nice. There are more spectacular trails, but likely inaccessible because of snow. If you rock climb, Smith Rocks is excellent--and there are some nice hikes there even if you don't climb (and it is on your way between Bend and PDX, depending on which route you take). If you have some more specific questions, post them up. I have a second home in Sisters (about 20 miles from Bend) and have done a ton of outdoor things in the area. I could fill you in on PDX as well, but others will chime in.
     
  5. Schatten

    Schatten F1 World Champ
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    Apr 3, 2001
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    Austin, TX
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    Randy
    We don't climb, but gf's brother and his gf do quite a bit. They will be spending their spare minutes at Smith Rocks. If there are trails nearby, we can certainly join them and just hike around the area.

    We'll hit Deschutes and Thursday evening is a general get together at Crux Fermentation Project. We're still ironing out details.
     
  6. Scotty

    Scotty F1 Veteran
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    Oct 31, 2003
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    There is a great hike "around" Smith Rocks. If you go with them, they can climb while you walk around. Hike is not technical but not good for those who are bothered by heights. Deschutes Brewery is a pretty solid place to eat, as well.
     
  7. Mr. V

    Mr. V Formula 3

    Oct 23, 2004
    1,247
    Portland, Oregon
    At the eastern end of the gorge, where the land dries out and becomes parched, is a cool museum: Maryhill. Worth googling / seeing.

    If you gamble, check out Spirit Mtn. casino, and my favorite, Chinook Winds casino on the Oregon coast.

    You should consider driving the Oregon coast: for a leisurely all day trip head west on Hwy 26 out of Portland to Seaside / Cannon Beach, then south along the coast on Hwy 101 to Florence, then head east to I-5 and then north back to Portland.

    Check out the Rose Gardens near the Portland zoo, should be pretty that time of year.
     
  8. M Baker

    M Baker Formula Junior

    Apr 9, 2010
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    Redmond, WA
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    Mark
  9. Korntera

    Korntera Karting

    Sep 19, 2012
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    Happy Valley/Bend OR
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    It's called the Misery Ridge trail, but it's not as bad as it sounds! It goes over the top and then can go back down and around. If you head over highway 26 which it sounds like you are not, you could go to historic Timberline lodge. The Deschutes(the river not the brewery) has some great rafting out of Maupin if you like that. You can go Bend to Maupin then to the Gorge and into Portland since the rafting trip only takes about 4 hours.
     
  10. synchro

    synchro F1 Veteran

    Feb 14, 2005
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    Second on the Falls suggestion
    Multnomah Falls is a Must | Oregon
     
  11. Jonny Law

    Jonny Law F1 Rookie
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    May 6, 2008
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    Make you way from Bend to the Dalles, cross over and take SR14 back.
     
  12. rushdriven

    rushdriven Formula 3

    Jul 1, 2004
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    We travel Bend, OR at least once a year, usually for Thanksgiving. Last year we stayed at the Oxford Hotel - Our Luxury Boutique Hotel In Bend, Oregon - The Oxford Hotel Bend. I highly recommend the hotel. It is downtown and there is a terrific coffee shop across the street. Deschutes Brewery is headquartered in Bend. They offer a great tour and free samples. They also have a Brew Pub with great food downtown within walking distance from the hotel.

    The drive to Bend is gorgeous. Just be careful to not exceed 100 mph as I've read they impound vehicles if caught at or above that speed.
     
  13. donv

    donv Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Jan 5, 2002
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    I second the Oxford Hotel-- I've stayed there several times, and always found it very pleasant. Downtown Bend is pretty nice.
     
  14. Schatten

    Schatten F1 World Champ
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    Apr 3, 2001
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    Austin, TX
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    Thank you for the suggestions on hotels. We need a bit of flex space, in case parts of the gf's family decides to stay with us. We are booked at this rental house for a few days: The Red House - Vacation Rental
     
  15. 2000 456M

    2000 456M F1 World Champ

    Sep 29, 2007
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    Portland, OR
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    Allan
    IMO, Multnomah falls is just okay; it's tall but that's about it. Across from Bonneville Dam, which you should tour and watch the huge salmon and steelhead swim up the ladder, is a beautiful easy one mile hike to Walclalla Falls. Much more satisfying, just no restaurant and gift shop. If you're up for an easy but longer hike, Ramona Falls, which is considered one of the most beautiful in the world.
     
  16. Mr. V

    Mr. V Formula 3

    Oct 23, 2004
    1,247
    Portland, Oregon
    A couple of other suggestions.

    En route to Portland from Bend, assuming you head north out of Bend: drive up the access road to Timberline Lodge at Mt. Hood. Good dining available in the dining room, and the lodge is quite rustic (used as much of the setting for "The Shining." Good view from the top of the chairlift also.

    Another option is to visit McMenamin's flagship property, Edgefield, east of Portland. Unique, and much to walk around and see: they turned the old Poor Farm into a quasi-hippy resort with a "Keep Portland Weird" vibe.

    Finally, if time permits, head into the forest and take a brief hike to Bagby Hot Springs. You can soak, au natural, in a community hot tub using heated spring water, or soak in private tubs hewn of solid logs.
     

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