Welcome to the Big Ten!

[JIDuck97]

Should be a fun time! Did you visit Autzen the last time we played?

I have only seen us play Oregon in East Lansing (2015) and in possibly the worst game ever in the Redbox Bowl (2018).

Oregon is one of 6 states I have yet to get to, so we are planning on exploring the state for 10 days, and are just using the game as an excuse to get out there.

As an Oregon fan that attended that Redbox Bowl, we may have won but did anyone really win?

[alxtw]

You have a day on the west coast, you have to go to the Oregon coast, it only an hour away and great sights and eats!

So far the trip is:

Silver Falls State Park - Reasonably close to Eugene and a good day trip to hike around and see the many waterfalls. The nearby town of Silverton is a 'Norman Rockwell' postcard of a town and would make a great lunch stop.

Eugene

Coast - Eugene to Florence (check out the dunes) then north up the coast to Waldport (very scenic). Yachats is a great little coast town for a lunch stop and Tillicum Beach, Beachside, and Wakonda Beach are all great for a stroll. Back to Eugene through Corvalis (the western headquarters of the PAC 2) or continue north to Astoria?

Redwood National Park (CA)

Crater Lake National Park - Definitely a spectacular & unique bucket list type of place, but a bit isolated, though it could be a longer route to Bend.

Bend - An Outdoor Recreation, food & beer Mecca! Lots of tourist type options, but Tumalo falls could be a replacement for Silver Falls (not the same) and Newberry Crater is kinda like a poor man's Crater Lake (with 2 lakes in the crater). I would also encourage a drive east across the desert (about an hour) to Pine Mountain. Big desert & mountain views.

Mt. Hood & Columbia River Gorge - Many options here, but Astoria to Hood River (through Portland) could be a route to Bend. Multnomah Falls and lunch in Hood River.

Let me know if I am missing anything that I shouldn't miss.

Pre game, just explore and enjoy Eugene. Get out and walk on the river trail to stretch your legs, food, beer, etc...

Being that Michigan is in many ways similar to Oregon in it's outdoor beauty, I would suggest giving some focus to the things that Oregon has that Michigan doesn't, namely the coast, the mountains, the Gorge, and the desert.

See my notes to your trip list above. If anything strikes your fancy I or someone else can fill in more details.

Newberg- if you're into wine, specifically pinot noir. A plethora of vineyards around that surrounding area and its a very short drive, 30-60 mins from Portland.

Hood River- I see its already on your list. There are some great local breweries there, on both the Oregon and Washington sides, with good food. Lovely scenic small town vibe.

[pezsez1]

Two more things:

Portland - I noticed the city itself isn't on your list. Powell's Bookstore is a huge local landmark and well-known tourist attraction in the Pacific Northwest. The RingSide Steakhouse is pricey but amazing. Papa Haydn (there's one downtown and one near town) serves the best dessert you'll ever have. Portland also has a huge, long-running and well-attended Saturday market down by the waterfront. Don't be scared by whatever you see in headlines, the "tourist" areas of Portland are all remarkably normal (and honestly a bit dull) compared to other cities. I've spent most of my life here and have never hesitated (or regretted) hanging out downtown with friends and family. Definitely wouldn't recommend hanging out near the train station though.

Mt. Hood - If you're going over Mt. Hood then you'll drive right by the Mt. Hood Brewing Company on Highway 26 in Government Camp. They have a small menu but really good food and their beers (brewed in house) are amazing. Definitely my favorite overall lineup of brews.

Also, definitely drive up to the Timberline Lodge, which is just six miles off the highway from Government Camp. Ignore the newer day lodge (for skiing) and focus on the historic old lodge. You will recognize it immediately if you've ever seen The Shining. (Only the lodge's exterior was used in the film... the interior shots of The Overlook Hotel are someplace else.) At the very least you can enjoy some fantastic views of the mountain, and the old lodge also has a bar and a nice (but somewhat overpriced) restaurant.

[UOducksTK1]

From someone who has lived his entire life in the Portland metropolitan , avoid anything in downtown Portland.

Your current itinerary sounds pretty great.

[pezsez1]

From someone who has lived his entire life in the Portland metropolitan , avoid anything in downtown Portland.

I've spent most of my life here... born and raised here, and the past 10 years here... and while your itinerary does look fantastic, it would be a shame to come all the way across the country and not even spend an afternoon downtown. I promise on my honor as a Duck that you'll enjoy yourself and be just fine.

[Sparty]

Thanks all for the advice on Eugene and Oregon! Please keep it coming, I still have a couple of months to finalize everything.

[StevensTechU]

You have a day on the west coast, you have to go to the Oregon coast, it only an hour away and great sights and eats!

So far the trip is:

Silver Falls State Park
Eugene
Coast
Redwood National Park (CA)
Crater Lake National Park
Bend
Mt. Hood
Columbia River Gorge

Let me know if I am missing anything that I shouldn't miss.

There are plenty of particulars to work out, but your list is great. Stick with it.

[Alan]

You have a day on the west coast, you have to go to the Oregon coast, it only an hour away and great sights and eats!

So far the trip is:

Silver Falls State Park
Eugene
Coast
Redwood National Park (CA)
Crater Lake National Park
Bend
Mt. Hood
Columbia River Gorge

Let me know if I am missing anything that I shouldn't miss.

There are plenty of particulars to work out, but your list is great. Stick with it.

Probably goes without saying but you may want to google the distance and travel time to some of your destination wishes. Some are two to three hours one way of driving time….. redwoods maybe five hours one way.

[OregonFan4Life]

You have a day on the west coast, you have to go to the Oregon coast, it only an hour away and great sights and eats!

So far the trip is:

Silver Falls State Park
Eugene
Coast
Redwood National Park (CA)
Crater Lake National Park
Bend
Mt. Hood
Columbia River Gorge

Let me know if I am missing anything that I shouldn't miss.

Another good location is Tamolitch falls, also called blue pool. It can be very crowded but by the time you’re in Eugene it should slow down. It’s about an hour drive from Eugene and short hike that I don’t think is much more than a mile, if I remember correctly.

[nogerO]

Stay away from Portland!!! Family traveled back to Oregon and had the misfortune to have to go into Portland. I'll never go back to that cess pool.

[pezsez1]

You guys.

The Portland hate is almost funny at this point. I get dinner with family in Portland fairly often (and some of us work down there) and we seriously don't understand the fuss. We always joke about "braving the anarchist hellscape" while strolling to our show, restaurant, etc.

Seriously, don't let a COVID-era narrative get in the way of a cool stop on your road trip. That's all I'll say on the topic -- don't want this to turn into a proxy political battle as things on this board often do.

[pezsez1]

Another fun thing to check out that may not be far off your path -- the little ghost town of Shaniko.

https://sos.oregon.gov/archives/exhibit ... aniko.aspx

[TheDrake]

Stay away from Portland!!! Family traveled back to Oregon and had the misfortune to have to go into Portland. I'll never go back to that cess pool.

You probably won't be missed!

[UOducksTK1]

I go to at least one road game every year and Stillwater and Lansing are on my list for 2026. So I'll to reach out to you in a couple years when the time comes.

[alxtw]

Just like every metro area in the US, there are very lovely spots but also pockets of dangerous and/or unpleasant streets.