Don't stay in hotels very often in PDX, but am familiar with the Nines, the Ace, the Kimpton properties etc. Have a friend who is planning a drive from BC down to Southern California later in the Spring and is looking for recommendations for higher end hotels that are good places to stay while driving his 599. I've got good suggestions for him covering most of California, but have no idea what to tell him for PDX. Most of the nicer hotels downtown don't seem to have on site parking, or a courtyard where you can self-park your car and tip the valet to keep an eye on it. He's not a member here, but any advice would be welcome and I will pass it along. Thanks.
Is staying in downtown a requirement? The Heathman, which is my favorite downtown hotel, has a garage and you could self-park there. It's pretty tight, though-- I don't think I've ever had any of my Ferraris in there. The Allison, in Newburg, has gotten good reviews, but of course it's 45 minutes out of town.
Hmmm, I don't know if downtown is a requirement. He and his girlfriend just moved their primary residence to Vancouver (BC) from Asia, and are making the road trip to see friends and family down here in California. They are huge foodies, and the plan is to take plenty of time along the way to find some good driving roads and scenery; and it's a priority to hit as many great restaurants as possible. I just figured that downtown was the logical place in PDX if they are looking for fine dining options. Will pass along your suggestion for the Allison. Thanks.
McMinnville and Newburg are in the heart of Oregon's wine country-- and have great driving roads. If that's what they are looking for, it would be a great stop. I like the Hotel Oregon in McMinnville as well, although it might be a bit downscale. There is parking on the street-- as you can see. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Jake's Famous Crawfish for the best seafood in Portland. I miss it already. Ask for Vickie, Keith, or Langdon for a server and tell them Brock sent you.
Nice 365! The Allison looks good. Not sure about the Hotel Oregon, my buddy would probably love it but his girlfriend is... how do I say it nicely? Kind of high maintenance? So far I think they're stopping at Meadowood in Napa to do the French Laundry and wine tasting stuff; skipping SF since they've been there plenty of times; CordeValle or the Ritz in Half Moon Bay; one of the places in Pebble Beach; Post Ranch/Ventana and Bacara/Four Seasons Biltmore. Somehow I'm not sure the Hotel Oregon fits on that list! I may have to check it out the next time I am up there though. And Brock, thanks I will tell him to use your name if they go there. I've been to Jake's, will use your name the next time I am there and see what happens though. ;-)
Maybe if you ask really nicely I will also tell you the name of the sous chef who always cooks my table up something not on the menu that she creates... Seriously...that place is my favorite place in the whole wide world to eat. I can't wait to get back home to eat...
+1. Worrying about the car will only ruine what sounds like a wonderful trip. A recommendation to them for their trip south, The Oyster Bar on Chuckanut Drive located just south of Bellingham ( http://theoysterbaronchuckanutdrive.com/ ). Great road, great scenery and great food.
Skamania Lodge is another great place, but it might be a bit out of the way for a north-south trip. Are they staying at the Benbow Inn in northern California? That was always a favorite stop of mine on the Portland - San Francisco drive, but I haven't been there in years.
Gentlemen, Thanks for all the feedback/advice. Passed it all on, looks like the Allison will be their stopping point for a few days in wine country, and if they want to dine downtown and are concerned about parking, they will just get a limo. Cheers.
If they want to go to downtown Portland for dinner, parking on the street is no problem. They might also want to try some of the places in McMinnville or Dundee, though.
Then again, if he's willing to drive to Newburg, he could go a bit further towards the Oregon coast and spend the night (or just some time) at Spirit Mountain Casino. I don't know what their "best" suites are like, though. Valet parking is available, and no doubt they'll fawn over the car. It is Oregon's number one tourist attraction, having eclipsed Multnomah Falls.
They might consider staying in Cannon Beach. Restaurants: Newmans at 998, EVOO (stands for "extra virgin olive oil" and has complex prix fixe dinners; need to call ahead), Le Bistro. Hotels: The only 5-star that comes to mind is the Stephanie Inn. (Donv may know others). Cannon Beach is a pretty good town for a "high maintenance" woman (art galleries, pricey boutiques). For an all-inclusive resort with a Carmel/Big Sur feel, there's Salishan in Gleneden Beach. BTW, if they'll be in Napa, Auberge du Soleil, is a pretty nice place to cadge a meal.
Based on the posts in this thread, I'm guessing the Stephanie Inn is the only place on the north Oregon coast which would meet their standards. Cannon Beach does have some very nice restaurants-- I think Allan mentioned the best ones. The drive south is spectacular, until you hit Rockaway-- from there it's pretty boring and congested. I haven't been to Salishan in years-- is it still nice?
Just remembered that the Annual Ferrari Fest in Cannon Beach is around then. Might be a good time to come through. I agree about the coast south of Rockaway, although there are a few sights worth seeing. As for Salishan, I haven't been there in 5+ years myself, so I don't know how it's kept up.
They are still figuring out the dates. I think their only parameter is that they need to be in LA by late May for a wedding. I think he wants to get it all planned/booked by the end of the month. Stephanie Inn looks interesting. If you were staying at the Allison and wanted to take a drive to the coast and spend the night in Cannon Beach, what driving roads/route would you guys recommend? It doesn't look like there are enough places to stay/eat for them to drive all the way down the coast from PDX to CA. They'll be on PCH for most of the Bay Area to Morro Bay stretch but all the way down the Oregon coast as well is probably a bit much.
Agreed. They can head east from Newport and get back to I-5 via US 20 in about an hour and ten minutes. All the routes over the coastal range are through national forests filled with S-curves. Tidal Raves, a great little restaurant with a spectacular view of boiling surf is a few minutes north of Newport in a town called Depoe Bay, and a good lunch stop.
You don't want to drive all the way down the Oregon coast to California-- I've done it (once) and I wouldn't do it again. If I were planning a trip, I would go from the Allison to Newport and stay at Salishan (although I haven't stayed there in a while, so you might check it out on the internet first), and then cut back from Newport to I-5. If you want to move over to 101, there is a cut over around Grant's Pass (I believe) which is pretty nice, and then you go down 101 and through the redwoods, etc. If they are interested in driving down the coast, I have heard great things about the Tu Tu Tun Lodge, but I've never stayed there myself: http://www.tututun.com/
My wife and I drove to Mendocino through the Redwoods and the coastal roads last August via Grants Pass and came home via Bandon. Bottom line was that we found it more grueling than we would have liked. I would recommend interspersing the scenic coastal stretches with several hundred miles of interstate to cut down on the exhaustion factor.
Tu Tu Tun is terrific. Wife and I stayed there on a trip up the coast from Monterey. Nice place, decent food and wine. There are some really interesting places along the coast that are off the beaten track. There are some excellent inns and dining that will surprise you. There was a place north of San Fran that we stayed and had an incredible dinner. Great road to get to it. If I can think of the name, I will post it later. Some stretches of the coastal drive are sublime, some are just stupid. But overall, it is a trip worth doing if you've never done it before.
