2016 on Pacific Coast

[jeeps]

Silver State Falls sounds nice. We'll have our 10 year old granddaughter with us and she love beaches and swimming. Always wanted to see Mt. Hood too. Wife loves history and photograph and would be happy in either place. I just want to camp (as in wanna be retired but have 2-3 years left) so we are open to what the group (if we can get one together) wants to do.

[p]The ocean temps in OR never rise above around 60. Don't think this is a place to swim without a wetsuit. [/p][p]
[/p][p]For that matter, there be sharks. Whitey. The Landlord. Just sayin'.[/p][p]
[/p][p]Or, is this a granddaughter that you like ? Swimming in lakes like Timothy Lake (National Forest, dry camping, 12 month in advance if you want to book it) might be the ticket.[/p][p]
[/p][p]Mt. Hood is awesome, but all you really need is an hour to stroll the lodge, take brunch/lunch in the buffet, and you've done it all.[/p][p]
[/p][p]I've hiked in Silver Falls. Very nice. I've not camped there. A friend described it as the only campsite she seriously wondered if someone was going to need shooting. ymmv. It is actually southEAST of Portland. Somewhat northeast of Salem. Nestled in the foothills of the Cascades. Silverton is one of the earliest settlements in the state, and dates from before the Oregon Trail, when all the settlers came up through California (the more things change...)[/p][p]
[/p][p]There is (or was) a Frank Lloyd Wright built house over thataways, somewhere. I think it's still there. It was relocated here from wherever it was when it was built. [/p][p]
[/p][p]Don't forget that us locals don't have to travel the state with you on your way in/out. Checking out Pendleton or Bend or parts east is worth the effort. If you golf, this is your chance to play the courses in Bandon. The closest you can get to Scotland without a passport.[/p][p]
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Oops.  SE is right.  I don't get the part about shooting.....?  The Frank Lloyd Wright house is in the Oregon Gardens, which is nearby.....at least the one I know about.  

Another camping possibility is Crater Lake, but it's not very close to anything.  Bend is also a great area, but it's more in the drier part of the state.  Good fishing there.

It can get warm at the beach occasionally and IMO, it tops everything in the state for beauty.  I agree the ocean is cold for swimming, unless you're a kid.  For some reason they don't freeze in the water like we adults do.  (I was one of those kids once.). Have there been any shark sightings or attacks here?   IMO, the Seaside area has the most to see and do.  (Still on the coast.)  Golfing at Bandon requires mortgaging your house to pay for it, I've heard.  But the diehards seem to like it.  Don't bother with Lincoln City unless you're into casinos....blah.  Oh and there's Newport ....  Great seafood, shops, and sea lions.

[pinstriper]

Oh, apparently there was a camper or group of campers that was loud, unruly, intimidating, and eventually given free room and board courtesy of the county. I figure it was an isolated incident.

Crater Lake - very difficult to get in. The season is very short. I think the camping may also be dry camping only, but I'm not positive.

The thing I dislike about Seaside is - crowds, plus thundering herds of children run amok. Ft. Stevens is a great park for RV's.

Playing Bandon is a bucket list item for golfers. I've only played in the winter when the rates are far cheaper and the weather is frequently surprisingly mild. It is also frequently shockingly not mild at all.

Sea lions are vermin.

[jeeps]

[font size="3"]I'll bow to Pinstriper's expertise, except the part about sea lions.   Drawing the line there.     [/font]

[slipvain]

I go to Sunset Bay State Park near Charleston Oregon almost every year. Headed there in september actually, Best time for crabbing. I have stayed at others nearby and it is our favorite.

[leslie]

There might be a rally organized by Livin Lite next summer. If we are anywhere close, we want to go. However, in any event, we will be in the Pacific NW in July. My son and his family will be coordinating their summer schedule so that we can spend time together.

I hope we can still work out a meetup in Oregon.

[ammobob]

[quote timestamp="1439954287" author="@leslie" source="/post/14342/thread"]There might be a rally organized by Livin Lite next summer. If we are anywhere close, we want to go. However, in any event, we will be in the Pacific NW in July. My son and his family will be coordinating their summer schedule so that we can spend time together.

I hope we can still work out a meetup in Oregon.[/quote]We're still in if we can get it planned out. Guess we should setting on where and timing for those that have to plan ahead. Leslie once you get some dates in line let us know since you are the one with other family plans. Silver Falls state park looks very interesting with 10 water falls and a group RV site ($101 for first 10 RVs and $10 more for each additional RV) but the bigger complaint in the reviews was that the dump station was far away by the group site (hoping it's the group RV site) so water and electric hook-ups only with a dump station up to 3 miles away. $10 bucks a night for 10 of us is a deal. Once we finalize the dates we could see if we could try to lock in this site if enough of us want to participate.

another option is for one of our local camplite owners who wants to participate taking the lead for us out of state groups and picking the best spot they would take guest to and show off the wonders of their state. Just a thought.

let's figure out who's in, when we want to do this and what campground. I am ready.

[leslie]

I would like to suggest a time frame of mid-July to the end of July for a meetup. While I love the idea of a brewfest, the idea of standing in line in hot weather with a big crowd sounds like not so much fun.

Those of us who do not live in the area could go online to do research, but since there are LL folks who are familiar with the best campgrounds, I am hoping they can do the heavy lifting with regard to choosing a spot.

So, who can join in and where should we do the deed?

[jeeps]

[font size="3"]My top suggestion would be Ft. Stevens State Park, just south of Astoria, at the NW tip of Oregon.  Tons to do and see within a few miles of it ..... but I know very little about how difficult it is to reserve sites because it is a popular campground.  Groups sites are extremely difficult to get.  We camped there one night recently, which we reserved a week or two prior, but it wasn't a weekend. And it was the last site available.  You'd want to get your reservations in as early as possible.  There's also a KOA close by.  Again, the weather can be iffy on the coast, but worth it regardless, and July is as good a bet as any.  I think if you get one trip to Oregon, the coast is a must see. 

The heavy-duty-gorgeous BEST coastal scenery starts a little south of Ft. Stevens, IMO, but not far. 

We're not beer drinkers, so I can't suggest anything there.

Also, I don't know our schedule next summer, so don't know if we can attend.[/font]

[pinstriper]

Ft. Stevens is the most heavily used park in the state park system. For a reason. Very kid friendly. Lots of easy walking and biking trails. Fresh and salt water fishing. Historical significance (coastal artillery through WWII, and of course Louis and Clark). Touristy city nearby. Portlanders go to the coast to escape the inland heat.

If you make you arrangements back in March, you should be able to take your pick of campsite and getting a number of sites next to each other should be pretty easy, though there might be one or two aliens in the middle of a pack.

[leslie]

Mid-July to the end of July was my first thought, but we could also work it out to possibly the middle of August. What we are thinking is to visit with our son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter, then go exploring in Olympic National Park, and then have another visit with our son's family before we head back east. It should be easy to work out a weekend in northern Oregon.

[jeeps]

[quote source="/post/14533/thread" timestamp="1440449258" author="@leslie"]Mid-July to the end of July was my first thought, but we could also work it out to possibly the middle of August. What we are thinking is to visit with our son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter, then go exploring in Olympic National Park, and then have another visit with our son's family before we head back east. It should be easy to work out a weekend in northern Oregon.[/quote]Ft. Stevens would work in well with a trip up to the Olympic Nat'l Park, since it's right at the tip top of the state.  We just did that trip a couple of weeks ago (although not with our trailer) .... a night at Ft. Stevens, then up to visit Cape Disappointment in WA, then up to Quinault Lake (gorgeous! ... check out the lodge) and Crescent Lake (also gorgeous!!).  If you're a Twilight fan, it'll take you right through Forks.   Then up to Port Angeles -- from there we headed south but you might consider leaving the trailer for a day and ferrying up to Victoria BC (you can do it on foot) for a visit (one of my favorite places!) then pop over to the San Juan Islands ...... I could go on and on.  

And if you happen to take the ferry from Kingston WA to Edmonds WA, you must try the little crepe shop (on the Kingston dock) .... YUM!  

Better budget a lot of time up here ..... there is a LOT to see!

[jeeps]

...... and hopefully we'll get a little more rain next year so we don't all go up in flames.  

[leslie]

We are chasing 70 degrees with our RV. We had pretty good luck this summer. I would vote for the campground that will be most likely to be cool, which seems to be on the coast then. Ft. Stevens sounds like it is on the coast and north. Ammobob, nothing is carved in stone yet. What do you think?

[leslie]

...... and hopefully we'll get a little more rain next year so we don't all go up in flames.  

My son sent me a picture from Seattle showing air pollution from the fires in Washington. Not good.

[ammobob]

[quote source="/post/14549/thread" timestamp="1440479582" author="@leslie"]We are chasing 70 degrees with our RV. We had pretty good luck this summer. I would vote for the campground that will be most likely to be cool, which seems to be on the coast then. Ft. Stevens sounds like it is on the coast and north. Ammobob, nothing is carved in stone yet. What do you think?

[/quote]I am open to whatever we all want to do. Ft. Stevens sounds like a great area with plenty to do? I would think we should set the place and then figure our when. Let's say it's Ft. Stevens, lock that down and pick a week in June/July so we can firm up that date and go from there. Don't know how far out they will let you make reservations but if we can get these 2 things settled I'd make mine in September. Just checked their website and they will make reservations 9 months out. $32 for full hook-ups.

As grandparents raising a granddaughter June and July are going to be the best month for us since she will be 11 years old and starting 6th grade next year mid August. We are in Death Valley for a week in April during her spring break and northern CA during Memorial Day and Independence Day weekends but other than that have no real plans for the summer.

I don't hear a lot of buy-in to this though I understand we are talking a year out so, sure hope by March we have some additional LL campers who want to be part of this since most of us on the West coast will not make the shindig LL is putting on in Indiana. I'll bring plenty of Beer and the Dutch Oven so let's do this thing


http://www.oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=main.loadFile&load=_siteFiles/publications/37058_ft_stevens100846.pdf