The Ultimate 7 Day Oregon Road Trip Itinerary
Given these unprecedented times, the U.S. passport doesn’t hold the same value it once did. Many countries are not accepting Americans due to Covid-19 which has pretty much left us no choice but to explore our own backyard and travel domestically. Oregon has always been on my list but international travel always trumped domestic travel over the years. So with no other options available, I figured there was no better time to explore this highly sought out state via a 7 day road trip. After visiting Oregon, I could kick myself for putting it off for as long as I did. Check out my amazing itinerary below:
Portland: I spent 3 days in Portland which is typically a long time to spend in a city for someone like me (I prefer small towns over big cities). But I thought it was the perfect amount of time to take it all in. I visited some amazing restaurants and caught some great visuals (art murals). A visit to Portland is not complete without tasting some of the amazing donuts from Voodoo, Pips and Blue Star. I went to all three places and tried their donuts to see who was the “winner”. Although I can see why one would love any of them, my personal favorite was Pips Original Donuts. Some of my favorite places to eat in Portland were:
Olive or Twist (Black owned bar)
Deadstock Coffee (Black Owned Coffee Shop)
Trap Kitchen (Black owned food truck)
PDX Sliders (Amazing burgers)
Green Muse (Black down Dispensary)
Two Wrongs (Bar/Lounge with good drinks and music)
Also be sure to visit the famous White Stag sign and take you best shots for Instagram.
Astoria: Just under 2 hours from Portland and along the coast of Oregon, I fell in love with this small town. With breweries, great food, and views of the Columbia River, there was nothing about Astoria that I didn’t adore. I stayed at Norblad hotel which is the perfect place to lodge due to it being very affordable and close to every thing. For those of you that are 30 and older, I recommend stopping in the Oregon film museum ($7 to enter) to see some memorabilia from some of your favorite childhood movies like The Goonies, Free Willy, and Kindergarten Cop that were all filmed in Oregon.
Additionally if you’re a fan of The Goonies, you can also see the original house from the film right in Astoria. Please be aware that it is a private home and you should respect the owners property by not getting too close to the house for your photos and also by not staying too long. Imagine if countless people came in front of your house to take photos all day with no regard. Also if you visit Astoria, please be sure to check out the Silver Salmon Grill, Buoy Beer Co. and Surf 2 Soul food truck. All 3 have delicious food and drinks.
Cannon Beach: For someone like me who has high standards for beaches, I was not expecting to be blown away by this one mainly because it’s in the U.S. Seeing giant rock formations in such blue water instantly reminded me of those in Thailand. The beach is just 40 minutes from Astoria and free to enter. You’ll see people surfing, walking their dogs and riding two wheelers.
Later in the day I drove to Fort Stevens State Park to the beach of the Peter Iredale Shipwreck. If you plan to actually see the shipwreck please be sure to confirm the times for low tide because this is the only way you can actually walk up to it. I visited in the month of August and low tide was 6:45pm. This beach is also amazing to watch the sunset.
Eugene: The perfect town for foodies and young folk. There are lots of breweries and restaurants in this area so be prepared to eat. Check out Glenwood for breakfast. I only spent one night in Eugene which isn’t much time at all. It’s also a 3 hour drive from Astoria. So if you have more time, please visit more restaurants in the area.
Crater Lake: This would make a perfect day trip from either Eugene which is 2.5 hours or you can take the longer journey from Portland which is about 4 hours. Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States at 1,953 feet deep with stark blue water. The cost of entry is $30 per personal vehicle (so if 2 people are in your car that is $15 each and $10 each if 3 people are in your car). There are hiking trails as well as cliffs to jump into the lake when the weather permits. The lake is very large so there is plenty of room for social distancing.
Painted Hills: One of the most visited sites in all of Oregon because of its stunning color schemes. Depending on the time of day, weather and season you visit, you will see different colors. The Painted Hills are a rather small site that can be seen in less than 30 minutes. There is no real hiking involved on the trail and it is free to enter. Make sure you walk along the marked path to avoid running into others. The Painted Hills are completely free to enter. This was the last stop on my Oregon road trip before taking the 3 hour drive back to Portland.
In conclusion, now that we are in a post Covid travel era, Oregon is the perfect place where one an travel freely and safely. There are lots of outdoor activities which make it easy to practice social distancing as well other indoor activities that are taking extreme precautions to keep people safe such as monitoring the amount of people inside at one time. Be sure to wash your hands frequently and wear a mask when necessary.
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