<p>My reaction is: fly into Walla Walla (or maybe someplace in Idaho? or Spokane? where you could fly direct from Detroit?), rent car there, drive to Pendleton, then drive to PDX/Cannon Beach (it’s about 1.5 hours from PDX to Cannon Beach), return car at PDX. </p>
<p>I connect in Seattle a lot and it really isn’t difficult. There are electric carts within the Seattle airport. They treat everyone pretty well. When I was using a cane for a while, I had trouble persuading them I <em>didn’t</em> need a ride.</p>
<p>We spent 10 days in Oregon last summer and loved it so much I want to go back this summer. Something I haven’t seen mentioned so far is Crater Lake. We didn’t go there, but it’s supposed to be spectacular. We drove from Portland to Asoria the first night. There’s a cool bridge there that links OR and WA. Then we drove along the coast, did a great hike along the way, and stayed in Newport, I think. I loved Cannon Beach. if you can time it so it’s low tide when you get there it’s amazing. Seaside seems to be where lots of families stay, but we didn’t visit there. The Columbia River Gorge area is spectacular, especially if you like waterfalls. Columbia Gorge is the windsurfing capital of the world, and it was fun to watch everyone. i think The Columbia Gorge Hotel has some unique rooms that might work for families. Our last couple of days we stayed in Portland. They have great shopping and no sales tax. There’s some kind of Saturday market they say not to miss, but we did miss it. We went to Mount Hood, and to the Timberline lodge. That’s all I can think of and I don’t want to time out…</p>
<p>We also liked Crater Lake and Mt. Ranier when we were in the Oregon/Seattle area, as well as Pike Market. We went crabbing in a boat in a small town in Oregon, Reedsport, as well–caught a LOT of crabs and had a great time. Tour of Underground Seattle was interesting as well. Didn’t like Mono Lake as much. Did think the Oregon Coast was pretty, but nothing like our Hawaii beaches–very cold for us when we visited in the winter. There is a lot of lovely coastline along Oregon and Northern CA. Didn’t see as much of it in WA, but did go to a huge and gorgeous park there as well as Space Needle.</p>
<p>We spent a week in Depoe Bay and then a week near Mount Hood. We loved both weeks. Depoe Bay has a neat whale-watching boat - it was the highlight of the fortnight for all of us! We had some neat hikes in both places.</p>
<p>I would watch the airfare midweek - sometimes the fares drop then - at least you know what the current rate is so you can gauge it and snag a good deal when you see one… though I think airfare has skyrocketed in the last six months or so :(</p>
<p>And depending on where in Oregon you drive, there’s Smith Rock State Park, which is notable for it’s hiking, views, and rock climbing. If you don’t climb, you’ll have some great views of those who do. Be aware-it gets VERY hot there in the summer. Just hiking I got the only case of heat exhaustion I’ve ever had. It’s just outside of Bend, OR, a nice little town. [Oregon</a> State Parks and Recreation: Rates](<a href=“http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_51.php]Oregon”>Smith Rock State Park - Oregon State Parks)</p>
<p>I agree with the others that Powell’s Books is a MUST-you could easily spend an entire day there. And Seattle’s not that bad-there’s the usual touristy places like Pike Place, the Space Needle, etc. and you can easily park and take public transportation to it all-we have a light rail, monorail, buses, ferries and even Duck Boat tours. My trip out here was one of the reasons I moved here. I hope you have as good a time.</p>
<p>I love your suggestions - thanks so much for your input! I’ll have to pass on the caves though and the Rock climbing - I get claustrophobic and have a fear of heights!!</p>
<p>She did also mention Boise as a possible fly in. I’m not used to renting cars - does it matter in terms of fees if you rent at one airport and drop off at another?? And I’d probably pay more for two one way tickets (Detroit to Boise and then Portland to Detroit) wouldn’t I???</p>
<p>We took a vacation in Oregon last summer and found that renting cars at PDX was much more expensive than renting at a non-airport location. We ended up taking the train downtown and then picking up our rental there. It was much, much cheaper.</p>
<p>Rentals vary by location, so it could end up being more expensive doing the pick up in one city and the drop off elsewhere. And sometimes renting at the airport is more costly, but not always. The same with one-way tickets. You’ll need to check the prices through the various travel websites to see.</p>
<p>And don’t think that all of Smith Rock State Park is rock climbing, there is some perfectly good, ground-level hiking to be had, right from the parking lot. Even from there the views are spectacular. <em>I</em> didn’t go rock climbing-I just enjoyed watching those crazy folks!</p>
<p>Flying into ay of the smaller towns is probably going to be more expensive and require a long long drive back to car rental place or extra fees to return elsewhere. When D was in college in WallaWalla we always flew in and out of Portland. I think there are only three flight per day into WW, all from Seattle.
If you are a Costco member look at car rentals on their site. We have always saved $ through them. For rentals not at the airport, the MAXX train gives you options, go to hotel and get car there? Topp Pot donuts is back into the city from the airport…maybe save for the end of the trip?
The hotel in Canon Beach looks lovely. We haven’t stayed there. It’s not easy walking distance to the center of town and main restaurant/shopping area, if that matters. They do have a couple of municipal free parking lots in the center of town but they can fill up on weekends. Be sure to drive up to Ecola State Park and take pictures back down at the beach and the lighthouse offshore</p>
<p>You are going to have a great trip! It’s tempting to try to cram too much in because there’s so much to see and do, but you don’t want it to all be a blur. </p>
<p>There are lots of hotel choices at the Portland airport and most of them are pretty much what you’d find anywhere in the country. We’ve stayed there many times when attending the kids’ sporting events in the Portland area. Aloft, Sheraton and Embassy Suites are all nice, but you can just check out prices and pick whatever works for you. Many major hotel chains are represented.</p>
<p>Voodoo Donuts is great, but sometimes you have to wait in line a long time. Powell’s is simply awesome. We could spend all day there. Make sure you go to the main store, Powell’s City of Books on Burnside. It’s huge (they have maps in the store and there’s a great app for finding your way around) so have a time and place to meet up or you’ll never find each other!</p>
<p>The drive to Pendleton from Portland is very pretty, as others have said. The waterfalls are especially beautiful, but you’ll have to detour from the highway to see them. Mt. Hood is also very impressive.</p>
<p>Cannon Beach is our favorite coastal town. It’s charming and there’s lots to do. We’ve stayed many times at the Surfsand Resort and we love The Lazy Susan Caf</p>
<p>So that was my next question - if Cannon Beach had a small town atmosphere (shops, restaurants) in addition to the beach to enjoy…sounds like yes? </p>
<p>Is the town near the water/beaches - you mention a walk to town being kind of far???</p>
<p>I love the thought of “cowboy country, city and coast”. Perfect. :)</p>
<p>The Inn at Cannon Beach is about a mile south of the ‘main drag’ of town with all the shops & restaurants. Maybe you want to look for something closer to town.</p>
<p>Sorry so long in getting back to you abasket! Cannon Beach does have a small-town feel and it is basically on the beach. The main street is one block from the ocean. We usually walk into town from the hotel we stay at near Haystack Rock (Surfsand Resort). It’s less than a half mile walk from there. The Inn at Cannon Beach is about 1.5 miles south of the main part of town, but the beach is nice all along this area. Still walkable, but a bit farther. You can always drive into town anyway!</p>
<p>I haven’t acted on making a reservation yet - I REALLY need to do this - quite sure Cannon Beach is going to be our hang out spot for a couple of days. </p>
<p>Thanks Pac for the explanation of town/beach distance - that is great to know.</p>
<p>If you Haven’t decided where to stay in Cannon Beach, I recommend you look at a map (i don’t know how to do it, but I guess with Google you can just pull up a place and it will show where all the hotels are) and figure out what hotels are close to Haystack Rock. That seemed to be the center of the town. I also suggest you book hotels early, to get the best rates. As long as you can cancel up to a couple of days before you are scheduled to arrive, you can always change your mind. I suggest you do the same with rental car. They seem to go up in price as the date gets closer. I hope you have a wonderful time.</p>
<p>I have never taken this trip, but I thought I would mention that we flew into Spokane for a Montana visit. We flew Southwest, and found that tickets for the two of us were hundreds cheaper flying from St. Louis than flying from Chicago. So, since we have relatives we can visit in St. Louis, we drove there, then flew. It may drive you crazy, but checking different airports can pay.</p>
<p>If I were going there I would want to see the tall Redwoods. Are they quite far from Pendleton?</p>
<p>We took a trip from Seattle to Portland and actually up into BC as well 2 years ago. We even made it to Forks, Wa! I would be happy to answer any specific questions you may have. We had a wonderful time.</p>
<p>Looking at your itinerary. Are you planning to drive from Pendleton to Cannon Beach after the wedding? I would do this in the day light the following day as it’s a long drive. </p>
<p>I can’t recall what month you’re coming out, but if it’s July or August, you can do the fruit loop on the way back through the Gorge :[Hood</a> River County Fruit Loop: Home Page](<a href=“http://www.hoodriverfruitloop.com/index.html]Hood”>http://www.hoodriverfruitloop.com/index.html)
Our favorite stop is the Alpaca Farm and yarn store. They have babies that time of year!</p>
<p>The wedding is Saturday evening - we will drive to the coast Sunday morning. </p>
<p>Anymore recommendations for small coastal towns?? I let a good deal at Cannon Beach get away from me and I could kick myself. I just don’t want to spend a fortune . Need to start making some lists and weigh the options.</p>
<p>I will also be in that area mid-June! H and I are taking a trip to celebrate our 30th, and we plan to fly to Portland - stay a couple nights - drive to Cannon Beach for a couple nights - and drive to (or take the train to) Seattle for a couple nights. This thread has been very helpful!</p>