Summer trip planning - 2017 - PNW

[bigriver]

The Columbia River Gorge is amazing. pretty much a "must see" if your going anywhere near. A beautiful 2.5 hr drive north from Bend gets you over the shoulder of Mt. Hood and into the Hood River Valley situated right between Mt. Hood in Or. and Mt Adams in Wa. Camping and hiking opportunities are everywhere. If you come down river - west - from Hood River on highway 14 on the Wa. side, you'll get to Stevenson (1/2 hr.) and a main entering point into the Gifford Pinchot NF. That leads you north to Mt. St Helens (2 hrs) and on to Mt. Ranier (2 ish hrs more). If you head north from Hood River you'll get to Trout Lake and Mt. Adams within 45 min. You really can't go wrong up here. We live right in the middle of all that and, if we are around, would love to meet up. Feel free to PM if that sounds good to you. Have a fantastic trip.
Joe

[BVerhulst]

Originally Posted by bigriver

The Columbia River Gorge is amazing.

Agreed. Stop at every. waterfall.

[bongcrosby]

for those who don't know, vets with a disability rating and active duty military get 10 free days camping in a 30 day period. Check it:

Special Access Pass for Veterans with Disabilities & Refunds for Active Duty Military On Leave - Oregon State Parks and Recreation

I got mine and will spend the next two weeks surfing my brains out on the Oregon coast.

Lots of good info in other posts.

If you're into a surf lesson, Otter Beach near Depoe Bay on the coast has super friendly beginner surf. Check out Ossies Surf Shop for rentals and lessons if you're interested. Really good people there.

Not sure if it's been mentioned but Bruneau Dunes in southern Idaho south of Boise and near Mountain Home is a fun spot to hang out for half a day and there's a campground right there.

The Owyhee Uplands Backcountry Byway is a great way to get across the southern desert of Idaho and Oregon. The Steens like others have mentioned. The Painted Desert in Oregon. If you're into hot springs, get the "Hot Springs of the Pacific Northwest" guidebook. Stanley, ID is worth a visit, maybe on your way back east.

We had a big snow year this year so many of the backcountry roads at elevation may still be impassable. Before you go wandering off into the mountains, you check with local agencies to make sure the roads are passable.

Enjoy. So much to see and do.

[86Scotty]

Smoothest trip from home to Colorado Springs I've ever had. I really miss my SMB but there's no better way for 4 to travel across the country than a small MH. We made every meal and slept great at a rest stop outside STL. 9.5 mpg the whole way, about what my SMB got but I can drive the RV comfortably at 75. My SMB never was comfortable on the highway above 65 or 70 max. Tomorrow we're headed for Big Cottonwood Canyon outside SLC.

I recently switched to 235/85 Toyo AT's and lifted the rear so I'm 3.75" higher in the rear and about 2" up front. I expected speed and stability to change a little but no change, all good. We'll see how she does on Forest and secondary roads stat!


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[larrie]

Sounds like a good start to your trip. Hope the rest goes as smoothly.

[rockbender]

Originally Posted by 86Scotty

...Smoothest trip from home to Colorado Springs I've ever had... RV comfortably at 75.
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Sweet! Sometimes it's all about 'the journey', but sometimes you just need to get the miles done with. Setting the cruise at 75 makes it happen, and the premium paid in fuel consumption is small compared to the savings in time on the road.

We had a textbook Central Oregon season transition day today... skied some fantastic spring conditions on Mt Bachelor's last day of the season (until they reopen for July 4!) and then came back to town to paddle on the Deschutes River with the temps in the 80's. It will be a little cooler when you roll in, but still plenty of good times to be had.

[shenrie]

Hey eric thanks for stopping by and looking me up today. Was great meeting you and your family today. It's always nice putting a face to the screen name. Hopefully you and the fam enjoy the spot we recommend for the evening. Wish we could have joined you. Hopefully next time.

[86Scotty]

Thanks again Shenrie, we had a great spot all to ourselves. Tonight we're in a State Park in Bend and the big miles are over. only $700 in fuel so far.... but tonight is the first dime we've spent on lodging so no worries.

We took 26 across Oregon today which is between 20 and 84. It goes right through the Blue? Mountains and the Malheur NF. Phenomenal drive. Highly recommended.

Now it's time to slow down and do the miles on our feet starting in the morning. The weather here is phenomenal.

The only casualty so far is a phone screen. I dropped my iPhone on gravel last night and shattered it. This too shall pass..........

[ranchero]

Following Scotty. We'll be headed that direction in a month or so...

[Otter]

Originally Posted by 86Scotty

We took 26 across Oregon today which is between 20 and 84. It goes right through the Blue? Mountains and the Malheur NF. Phenomenal drive. Highly recommended.

Now it's time to slow down and do the miles on our feet starting in the morning. The weather here is phenomenal.

The only casualty so far is a phone screen.

Sorry to hear about your phone!

26 goes through the Cascade mountain range. It's a beauty, with desert and mountains and a quicker way to get to Oregon's west side, but I like 20 to 22, especially in the summer. It keeps you in the mountains longer and lots of water to see.

You go through the Blue Mountains up on I84 between LaGrande and Pendleton. Love the canyons up there, too.

Enjoy the rest of your trip! We ordered this nice weather up special for ya.

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