Chasing Waterfalls: A Scenic Route Through Oregon
If you’re anything like me, you’ve read a million blogs about what to do in Oregon. This article is the result of TONS of Oregon research and compiling the things that were actually worth it we went during our trip in late November.
If you’re worried about weather or snow, most of the days were actually in the 50’s, and with an AWD we were able to navigate the show (even when I accidentally plugged in Bald Mountain instead of the trailhead and Google tried to get us to drive to the top of the mountain. I’m embarrassed how long it took me to realize this error.)
My biggest advice is to download your maps, music, hikes, etc. because service is sparse throughout Oregon, even out of the mountains.
Also, I booked everything through Expedia including flights, rental car, and all hotels. I love their rewards program and the fact that everything lives in one place in their app! (side note, Expedia, Hotels.com, and VRBO all have the same rewards program now)
Without further ado, let’s dive in!
PDX —> Portland
Full transparency, we wanted to visit Portland a bit, but our goal was to get out and about in the state for our roadtrip so we only spent a total of a half day here roughly.
We rented a car through Thrifty at the Portland airport. Although the reviews seemed rough on Google, we had absolutely no issues. In fact, we had originally tried to rent a Chevy Cruz and the sweet woman at the desk (who we thought was just trying to upsell us) highly suggested the we upgrade to an AWD SUV. We ended up getting a Ford Explorer and it truly saved the trip. There’s NO WAY we would have been able to get around the state in a car.
Blue Star Donuts
One word — YUM! There are so many unique, sophisticated flavor options. We chose:
Blueberry Bourbon Basil
Raspberry Rosemary Old-Fashioned
Apple Brandy Crumble (V)
Pumpkin Spice Pecan Old-Fashioned
Although they were all incredible, the Blueberry Bourbon Basil and the Raspberry Rosemary Old-Fashioned were my favorite. We also saved them overnight and they were as delicious in the morning.
Voodoo Donuts was also on the lists we found, but we actually had those when we visit Austin in 2017.
Powell’s Bookstore
A must visit in Portland, we ended up coming here twice (once at the end of the trip for a bathroom break). Even if you severely overpacked and can’t shop (hi, it’s me), there is so much to look at and enjoy. It was rather busy, but not too overcrowded. Beyond books, there are also Portland and Oregon mementos available, a coffee shop, etc.
Portland —> Hood River
Multnomah Falls
This waterfall along the Columbia River Gorge was on every list, and for good reason. It was such an excellent introduction to what Oregon was going to offer us.
The best views are from the bottom, and then I suggest walking up the the bridge to experience that.
I don’t recommend hiking to the top of the waterfall. It was the only hike we regretted. There is barely a view and it’s a brutal climb.
Hood River
Let me start by saying Hood River is truly my favorite place we stayed the whole trip. It is the quintessential small town on the water, with a few new developments that make it feel like it has a touch of big city. This already on my list to go back to.
Where to Stay: Hood River Hotel
An easy choice, the Hood River Hotel is right on the main street of Hood River, and has all the charm of this little town. No detail is overlooked. Other than the charm and unique decor, they really think of all your comforts from home in what the offer. The lobby has a water refill station (which I love since we all carry our emotional support water bottles around now), coffee, a fireplace, and a little convenience store complete with snacks and local alcohol options to purchase. AND, they offer a space heater and box fan in the room. Fan sleepers, unite!
The staff was friendly and this hotel (like everything in Oregon) is dog-friendly.
64oz. Taphouse
While in Oregon, I was on the hunt for places that offered non-alcoholic options. I will say that I was shocked at the lack of options in general as it’s such a big beer state. 64oz. Taphouse did offer a non-alcoholic hazy IPA that allowed me to get my fix. It was a dim setting, very chill environment. They had a few snack options, and we got the pretzels. Nothing spectacular, but they hit the spot!
Freshie’s Bagels and Juice
So tasty and right across the street from our hotel, we ended up grabbing a bagel from here both mornings we were in town. We tried four different options and all were delicious. Bonus: there was a cute little pup outside both mornings to greet you.
STOKED Coffee
They have a special each day for a $4 latte. We went on a Monday, which was the cardamom vanilla latte. This was one of the best lattes we had in Oregon, and we had a LOT of coffee. We tried it both hot and iced, proving you can’t go wrong.
Hood River —> Mt. Hood
Next on our list was to see Mt. Hood. Unfortunately, on our first day it was super overcast and even snowing (which did make for a beautiful, yet kind of scary, drive.) Knowing we wouldn’t be able to see Mt. Hood, or much of anything, we still wanted to try to see all we could on the ground.
Trillium Lake
This was well worth the trip, and the views despite not being able to see the mountain. You can park and walk a little under 2 miles around the lake, which is beautiful! It was very snowy, but easy to walk and very flat.
It truly felt like we were in a snow globe!
Government Camp
Near Trillium Lake, we popped over to Government Camp to grab some lunch at Charlie’s Mountain Mountain View. Once again, there was no view because of the weather, but we got a little grub and headed back to Hood River.
Tamanawas Fall Trailhead
Along the way back to our hotel, we made the decision to stop at one of the many trailheads along the route. We pulled into the parking lot and set out on the journey. You’re following a creek most of the time and we were there at the end of November, so it was scenic and snowy. While not difficult to walk, there were some snowy, icy, and rocky areas that may not be the easiest for everyone to climb. This hike was WELL worth it as the waterfall was STUNNING. You can get just about as close as you want to the waterfall. We passed a few people on the trail, including a couple pups. There are a few spots where it’s single lane, so you have to really get to the side for someone else to pass. There is a restroom near the parking as well.
Timberline Lodge
We didn’t stay here, but we knew it would have amazing views of Mt. Hood because it’s at the foot. So we made the treacherous drive up to get some photos. There is free parking and you can walk right up, around, and in the lodge. Highly recommend this stop if you can make it up the hill and back down safely in your vehicle.
Mt. Hood —> Bend
I had heard SO MUCH about Bend before arriving. And this is obviously a personal opinion, but we were underwhelmed. It feels like so much more of a busy suburb than what we anticipated.
However, once we got to exploring Old Bend, we appreciated the charm a little more.
Where to Stay: Campfire Hotel
The Campfire Hotel is the sister property to the Hood River Hotel. All of the hotels in Bend are motels, and this one comes complete with a fire pit and a heated pool and hot tub.
Smith Rock State Park
About 30 minutes from Bend, you’ll find this park that looks like it should be in Arizona. We decided to take on the Misery Ridge Trail (which has several warnings for being extremely difficult) and it absolutely lives up to its name. However, it comes with some amazing views if you can make it. We chose to do the Misery Ridge and River Trail. We decided to start by going left, where you walk a bit of the river first. The reason we liked this route is you’ll go up dirt switchbacks and down stairs, rather than trying to walk/not slide down the dirt. This hike kicked my butt!
McKay Cottage
This has been voted the best breakfast in Bend since 2010 and for good reason. We loved every single thing about this meal. The vanilla and chai lattes were our favorite of the whole trip, every ingredient was fresh, plenty of food for the cost, great service. All around 10/10. You’ll like run into a wait during busy times, but it’s worth it!
Tumalo Falls
Although the road to get to the trail is closed seeming November - April, you can still park outside of the gate and make the 5 mile round trip to visit the falls. We had the time, so decided to take it on! You’ll walk a road the whole time and when we went at the end of November, it was pretty snowy and icy, but manageable with hiking boots. The falls are beautiful and totally worth the trek! We passed lots of people making the attempt, and some even with pups.
Terwillinger Hot Spring
Consistently listed as one of the most instagrammable hot springs in Oregon, this was about an hour and a half away from Bend.
There is a parking lot with a bathroom. Keep in mind you'll need to walk about 10 minutes to get to the springs, and it was a bit muddy.
You'll check in at the pay station. They'll ask for a name, your vehicle, and they'l give you a 2-hour time window when you need to check out. When you leave, check back in at the pay station so they can mark you off the list. It's $10 per person (cash only I think). We were warned about the possibility nudity. Everyone had suits on when we went, and there were even some kids there.
There is a changing area near the springs too if you want to change out of the wet suit before the walk back!
Bend —> Crater Lake National Park
We couldn’t go to Oregon without visiting Crater Lake! A few of the areas were closed due to the season, but you could drive up to Rim Village to park and walk around some of it to see it and take pictures. There’s a cafe, gift shop, and bathroom there as well.
Crater Lake —> Oregon Coast
Our final stretch was spending a couple days driving the Oregon coast. We started pretty much in Klamath Falls as we stayed near there the night before, and drove straight west to start at the southern tip. There were several notable spots that we made:
Harris Beach State Park: Stunning views, walkable beach, bathroom, lots of rocks to climb.
Sunset Bay State Park: We made a pit stop here to eat some Thanksgiving dinner in the back of our SUV. Scenic views, lots of folks around.
Lighthouse and Sealion Beach Vantage Point: We stopped here to watch the sunset and got way more than that with all the sea lions being on the beach. This is a great place to pull over and see them. You can’t access the beach.
Bandon, Yachats, and Florence were the other picturesque towns to stop on the coast, although we drove through on Thanksgiving so there was nothing open. If I had to choose an area to stay again, it would hands down be Yachats.
Thor’s Well & Spouting Horn: A spot well-worth a quick stop to see these sights. I’d skip the Devil’s Churn.
Depoe Bay: If you’ll see whales anywhere in Oregon, this is it! Although we didn’t see whales, there were some sea lions floating around.
Where to Stay: Tillicum Beach Motel
This adorable motel was where we stayed on the night of Thanksgiving, it’s about halfway up of the coast. The gentleman working at the cozy front desk gave us and upgrade to an ocean view. The room was amazing that gave me all the feelings of being at my grandma’s in Florida.
Final Stop: Portland —> PDX
We finished our roadtrip in Portland, where we spend a few hours seeing some things we didn’t get to the first time.
Washington Park
This park is STUNNING! So much to walk around and see for free, clean bathrooms, tons of trails, great views of Portland from above.
1927 S’mores Company
Watch someone make a handmade s’more with a blowtorch. A delicious treat!
Quality Bar
Always on the hunt for a good bar, we stopped here and loved the non-alcoholic beer options as well as the CBD water. They also sell pizza by the slice! Great vibes.
Overall, this was the most amazing roadtrip and I could not recomend Oregon more, even in November!
