Best Five Day Trips from Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon is a popular place to shop, attend conferences, sight see, and enjoy the lovely Pacific Northwest. To make the most of your visit to Portland, plan plenty of time to rent a car and experience the history, natural beauty, take a hike, practice your golf and experience a mystery.

Visit Oregon History in Astoria, Portland's Quaint Old Houses, Seaport and Fort Stevens

In 1805-6, Lewis and Clark camped at the mouth of the Columbia River and famous fur trader John Jacob Astor built For Astoria in 1811. The trip to Astoria takes about 2 hours, follow highway 30 East along the Columbia River. Although there's a Maritime Museum, and Lookout downtown Astoria, the walk through nearby Warrenton's Fort Steven which guarded the mouth of the Columbia between the Civil War and World War II offers scenic history. A walk down to the shore is a good place to stretch your legs and hear the ocean. Find a busy seafood restaurant on the waterfront for terrific food.

Drive East Along the Columbia National Scenic Area to Witness Oregon's Natural Beauty

Start early because there are many, many places to stop. Follow Highway 30 West along the Columbia River, stopping at Bonneville dam, the state parks, and the fish hatcheries. Take the spur road up to the Multnomah National Forest Bridal Veil Trail where one can see many waterfalls and visit a shrine.

Cheese Please and Fly boy Heaven on a Drive on Hwy 8 and 6 to Tillamook

Tillamook has a huge old World War I era building used to build dirigibles and which now contains numerous old airplanes, airplane engines, War memorabilia, and cool facts. You can choose to eat in the fifties style diner or save it all for a visit to the Tillamook Cheese Factory that is well worth the time spent. Visitors walk along glassed in corridors above the cheese making operations and can see every stage of cheese making and at the end, you can sample Tillamook ice cream cones that are huge.

Go Fly a Kite at Long Beach, WA by Crossing the Columbia River and Heading East

Long beach has a huge long beach and is very popular with kite flyers. For birders, the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge is one of the prime spots to see shorebirds during spring migration or to take a hike. Take WA Highway 4 to Highway 101.

Combine Several of these on a Beach Hopper Trip or Make it a Long Three Day Weekend

Drive Hwy 26 to Cannon Beach where they have Oceanside love nests and picturesque rock outcroppings, then follow highway 101 south hitting 6-7 cool State Parks with access to the beach in many cases. When you hit highway 18, it might be time to head back to Portland, if you don't give it all up and turn into a freelance photographer writer that drifts from beach to beach.