Drinking our way through the Pacific Northwest, one city at a time.
For the Adventurer & Beer Lover.
1 week Oregon itinerary + best breweries in Oregon + best things to do in Oregon
Day 1: Night out in Portland
Day 2: Saddle Mountain - Seaside - Seaside Brewing
Day 3: Cannon Beach - Hug Point - Neahkahnie Mountain - Pelican Brewing - Rogue Farm
Day 4: Voodoo Doughnuts - Toketee Falls - Umpqua Hot Springs - Crater Lake State Park - Garfield Peak Hike
Day 5: Boat trip on Crater Lake - Best Breweries in Bend
Day 6: Smith Rock State Park - Alpaca Farm - Best Breweries in Bend
Day 7: Silver Falls State Park - Best Breweries in Portland
Day 8: Best Breweries in Portlan-
Our road trip in Oregon was filled with adventure, lots of beer and even more driving (rest assured the beer was enjoyed after the driving). The long hours in the car were well worth it since we wanted to get to all the top spots. Warning: our itinerary is jam packed, we don't plan for a lot of down time on our vacations and honestly 1 week in Oregon isn't enough, I’m sure this would be an ideal 2 week Oregon itinerary for most. There's a lot of information, probably too much, but this is my first post and I just kept writing...oops. Use the Day by Day guide ^ above ^ if you are only interested in certain destinations. Oregon is such a BEAUTIFUL state and we will definitely be back in the Pacific Wonderland.
With that said, let's get started!
Day 1: Night out in Portland
Depending on your arrival time, you could head straight to Seaside or spend a night in Portland. We arrived at PDX late in the evening and picked up our rental car so we could hit the road bright and early the next day. Our plan was to sleep and run so we got a hotel near the airport, nothing special, but it did the job.
Since this was our first night of our 1 week vacation in Oregon, we couldn't just go to bed (even though it was 11pm). We decided to check out NEPO 42 which was a short drive from our hotel. We were so impressed by their selection of craft beer and fell in love with Stormbreaker's Hop it, Don't Drop it Hazy IPA. And their FRIES! Trust me, get the fries.
Day 2: Saddle Mountain - Seaside - Seaside Brewing
Saddle Mountain Hike
Saddle Mountain is BEAUTIFUL, if you‘re heading to Seaside, Cannon Beach or Astoria, this is a don’t miss hike! It’s a 2 hour drive west of Portland and it’s the tallest mountain in Clatsop County. It’s elevation is 3,287 with an elevation gain of 1,900 from the start of the trailhead to the top. The trail is 5 miles round trip and took us 4 hours to complete, but we are constantly stopping to enjoy the views and to snap pics. Find more info here.
Travel Tip: Bring layers! We visited in September and were constantly putting layers on as often as we were taking them off. Towards the top, it was incredibly windy and cold.
Wear hiking shoes! I used to be the girl who always wore flip flops on hikes until I purchased actual hiking boots... game changer. I'm still all for Teva Sandals, but I'd still wear proper footwear for this hike.
Seaside, Oregon Coast
After 5 miles of pure Oregon beauty, head to the coastal town of Seaside or Cannon Beach (where Haystack Rock sits), both are coastal towns 10 mins apart from the other. We decided to stay in Seaside because of Ashore Hotel, how cute is this place?!
They are a sustainable, pet friendly hotel with free bikes to explore the town. Check out their "Specials" page, they offer packages to make your stay even better, heres a sampling of my favorites:
Bonfire Package
Romance Package
Beer Sampler Package
We went with the Bonfire Package! How amazing does that sound, beer + s'mores + warm fire + beautiful night on the beach?! What could go wrong? Well we didn't factor RAIN into the equation...But rain or shine, we still had our s'mores and beer on the beach and stayed until the last log burned and it was hilariously fun!
Travel Tip: Always be prepared for the rain and bring ponchos! The entire time we were being rained on the weather forecast was clear, 0% chance of rain...
With our package we got 2 Fort George IPAs (from Astoria), so good! We loved them so much we bought a 4 pack to bring home as well as their limited release 3 way IPA, which is a yearly collaboration they do with 2 other breweries. The 2 breweries change every year, the 2018 version they collabed with Modern Times and Holy Mountain.
"The goal (of 3 Way IPA) is to come together, exchange knowledge, forge lasting friendships, and along the way create an IPA that everyone is excited to drink." - Fort George
Other things to do in Seaside
Shop along Broadway St - they even have their own Alpaca Store
Visit the Carousel Mall (and RIDE the carousel, wake up that inner child within you, yes I did this).
Fly a kite or chase birds on Seaside Beach, one of the softest beaches to dig your toes in the sand.
Have dinner and drinks at Seaside Brewing. It's a cool space and the Fish Tacos are a must!
For more ideas check out SeasideOr.
Day 3: Cannon Beach - Hug Point - Neahkahnie Mountain - Pelican Brewing - Rogue Farms
Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach
This is the busiest day, if you have more time I'd recommend staying another night or 3 in Seaside, but we had to hit the road to make it to our 4pm tour at Rogue Farms Chatoe.
Oregon's coast is truly beautiful and so different that the rest of Oregon, be sure to load up on seafood before you head inland.
First stop of the day, Haystack Rock on Cannon Beach and in true Oregon Coastal Town fashion, it rained (even though there wasn't rain in the forecast). But DON'T let the rain stop you! We got our ponchos on and trekked down the stairs to the beach and low and behold we had the beach to ourselves! Haystack Rock is truly remarkable and if you're really lucky and visiting between April - July, you'll be able to meet a Tufted Puffin <insert emoji with heart eyes>. Be sure to chat with one of the people in a red jacket, they are apart of the Haystack Rock Awareness Program and they are full of knowledge about the ecosystem that they help to preserve. And by the time we left, the clouds had rolled out, absolutely beautiful!
Hug Point
Just South of Cannon Beach, make a pitstop at Hug Point for the caves and a small waterfall along the beach. From the parking lot, walk down to the beach and take a right (North). Be sure to check the tide before you go.
Neahkahnie Mountain South Hike
Next up, hike Neahkahnie Mountain in Oswald State Park, we did the Hike from the South which is said to be easier. Unfortunately with the weather, we couldn't see the views of the ocean at the summit, but the fog made for some great pictures along the trail. The hike is all wooded until you hit the summit and the summit isn't easily recognizable, basically when you get to the clearing there is a rocky mountain that you have to carefully maneuver up, if you choose to. Other than that the hike is pretty easy. The trail is 3 miles round trip and took us 2 hours to complete, the trail keeps going past the summit so it's important to look for the clearing or you could be adding a few extra miles to your hike.
Pelican Brewing, Pacific City
After all the exploring, you'll want to have a nice lunch and ice cold beer. You might want to make that stop in town, but trust me...drive the extra hour to Pelican Brewing in Pacific City. You will not be disappointed! This has to be the best brewery with a view! And the food was delicious, I got the Fish Tacos (again) and Jake got the Tri-Tip Sandwhich...Yum! And then there was beer...How could I pass this flight up? Our favorites were the Mosaic Single Hop and Beermosa. I could have sat here all day, but we had a very important stop before our day was done.
Rogue Farms Chatoe
I surprised Jake with a private tour I arranged at Rogue Farms Chatoe just in time for their Hop Harvest! Rogue Farms Chatoe is in Independence and home to their hop fields. They grow 10 varieties of hops, two varieties of malting barley, rye, pumpkins, marionberries, jalepenos and honey! Our guide was so knowledgable and we got to see the whole process, from the trucks hauling in heaping loads of hops to the cones being removed to the drying, cooling and baling stage. If only we could jump into the pile of hops, that's what dreams are made of.
I always loved Rogue beers, but after our visit we both have a new found appreciation for this brewery, they're the only Farmer-Brewer-Distiller-Cooper in the world today and they aren't afraid of taking risks and giving back which is how it all started 30 years ago. I highly recommend visiting the Rogue Farms Chatoe anytime of the year, but if you're in the area between the end of August through the end of September, schedule a tour during their Hop Harvest!
"Dare, Risk, Dream are sacred words to us," Rogue co-founder, Jack Joyce
Day 4: Eugene - Crater Lake State Park - Garfield Peak Hike
Voodoo Doughnuts in Eugene
Eugene is home to the University of Oregon and on the Southern end of the Willamette Valley aka Wine Country of Oregon as well as a slew of breweries...are you thinking"maybe I should make my 1 week in Oregon, 2 weeks in Oregon?"...yes good idea! Because we did too.
Little known secret to out of staters to Oregon, Voodoo Doughnuts is not only in Portland!! We found this out from the gas station attendant and we knew we couldn't drive to Crater Lake without a heavy dose of sugar! I've never seen Jake's inner child shine as bright as our visit to the infamous doughnut shop.
After you've indulged in a few doughnuts or maybe eating and driving is more your thing...head to Crater Lake State Park. But there are a few pit stops on the way.
Toketee Falls and Umpqua Hot Springs
Toketee Falls might be the most picturesque waterfall that I've ever seen (I told someone that grew up in Oregon and he looked shocked, we didn't make it to Multnomah Falls, but this one is stunning). And the drive to get there is beautiful as well and on the way to Crater Lake, so why not make a pit stop. It's a quick .8 mile round trip hike from the parking lot, there are ways to get closer to it, but we stuck with the trail.
Just past Toketee Falls is Umpqua Hot Springs. You do have to pay $5 for parking at the Hot Springs, but I'm not sure who is really monitoring it. We decided to check them out without any intention of getting in based on some of the reviews of it being a busy place. The surroundings are absolutely beautiful and there are multiple hot springs to choose from. We were lucky enough to grab one right away that we soaked our feet in, but we didn't stay long as more people arrived in their bathing suits. The trail is short, but there is a VERY steep hill to conquer, coming down was the worst, definitely not advised for all.
Crater Lake
Crater Lake is located on the crest of the Cascade Mountain range. It lies inside a caldera, a volcanic basin, created when the 12,000 foot high Mount Mazama erupted 7,700 years ago. The snow melt feeds the lake with crystal clear water and it's the deepest lake in the US and the 7th deepest in the world.
Basically it's breathtakingly beautiful and a must if you're in Oregon. It's a hike, 4.5 hours South of Portland, but it's 100% worth it and the price. Good or bad, there's only 1 hotel to stay near Crater Lake National Park and that's the historic Crater Lake Lodge or if you're ok driving 30-45 mins outside of the park there are other hotel options. We decided to treat ourselves and we stayed in the gorgeous lodge with a lake view <insert hand clap>.
Travel Tip: Crater Lake Lodge opens up their booking dates 1 year in advance, because the lodge is limited with only 71 guest rooms, they will go fast. However, we were able to book our room 1 month before our stay, maybe too close for comfort, but if you are checking the site everyday, your date will likely open up, but think fast because it's there and gone in minutes.
Garfield Peak Hike - Crater Lake
While in Crater Lake National Park, there are so many hikes to tackle. We wanted a hike with the best view of Crater Lake so the concierge recommended Garfield Peak. The trailhead starts right outside of Crater Lake Lodge's doors to the right. It's 3.4 miles out and back with an elevation gain of 1,069, the summit is 8,060 feet above sea level. And the viewwws were absolutely breathtaking, you will definitely get rewarded at the top! And don't forget a celebration beer to enjoy at the summit, something we learned from our guide at Rogue.
After the hike, relax at the lodge. Grab a seat and a drink on one of the rocking chairs looking out to the majestic blue waters and sheer cliff walls. Watch the sunset as you take in the beauty that surrounds you. And then head in for dinner in their Dining Room.
Travel Tip: Crater Lake Lodge is 7,000 ft high in elevation aka it's COLD. We weren't prepared for this and wish we brought a packable puffer jacket and gloves.
Day 5: Boat trip on Crater Lake - Best Breweries in Bend
Boat Ride on Crater Lake
The next day, we had reservations for a Boat Cruise on Crater Lake, it sounded like such a great idea when I booked our room, but didn't realize how cold it was going to be. I literally layered on everything that I packed and was still cold, but it was such a fun experience and that's where we learned so much about this wonder of the world!
In order to get to the boat launch you have to hike 1 mile on the Cleetwood Cove Trail, it's a 700 feet elevation change and one of the park's steepest trails. It's really not that bad, i would rate it moderate because of the short distance. Look out for the wild squirrels that look like chipmunks, they are quite friendly and cute.
We did the standard lake cruise, it's a 2 hour trip around the perimeter of the lake. The view from the lake is a completely different perspective versus up on the rim. A park ranger is on board explaining all the sites, history and geology of the dormant volcano. We learned that Crater Lake is on the list of volcanoes most likely to erupt, that was reassuring as we still had an hour left of our tour.
Travel Tip: Order a free Travel Map before you go from Travel Oregon. There were so many times that we didn't have service on our road trip, better to be safe than sorry!
Bend
Bend, Oregon has been dubbed the outdoor playground of the West. Check out Visit Bend for a plethora of things to do in Bend. It is also a mecca of Craft Breweries and we've got your covered on what the Best Breweries in Bend are.
But first, where to stay in Bend. If you love craft beer and quirky things, stay at McMenamin's Old St. Francis School in downtown, why the strange name? They transformed an old 1936 Catholic School into a hotel and that's not even the quirkiest of things. They have 2 buildings with secret rooms that are hidden in the walls and a speakeasy called the "Broom Closet" that you first need to find and then figure out how to get inside. There's a Movie Theatre, Brewery and my favorite the Soaking Pool. The Soaking Pool is basically a giant hot tub surrounded by turquoise tiles, stained glass windows and an open air ceiling. Grab a beer at the bar and relax in the soft, buoyant waters.
Now let's talk beer!
Best Breweries in Bend
Our list of Best Breweries in Bend are only based on our 1 time experience, we were't able to hit all the spots nor did we try all their beers. Here's our rundown:
A Bend must. G. Love's Special Sauce IPA is my jam. This beer is an actual collaboration with G. Love, he wanted a danky hop bomb so it's packed with 5 lbs of hops per barrel. Using Mosaic, Idaho 7, Mandarina Bavaria, Centennial, Columbus, and El Dorado hops, G. Love’s Special Sauce IPA rings it at 7% and 70 IBUs.
The atmosphere was one of our favorites and the food was on point. We got the General Tso Fried Cauliflower (amazing) and the Pub Nachos with Pulled Pork...maybe the best Fried Cauliflower and Nachos I've ever had. Our beer of choice was the Viscious Mosquito IPA (how could I resist, we live MN where mosquitos are the state bird.) It's a West Coast style with Northwest hops. From Sunriver themselves "This hop attack is coming at you like the vicious mosquitos at our nearby Cascade Mountains." Also 7% and 70 IBUs. Their D'Bomb Amarillo Fresh Hop IPA was Bomb as well and uses over 100 lbs of fresh and local Amarillo hops. Clocking in at 6.5% and 60 IBUs.
3. Bend Brewing
Had our favorite outdoor space along Deschutes River. We had the Elk Lake IPA and Tropic Pines, both solid beers.
Had my favorite sour on tap, Sexy Girlfriend a Mango and Passion Fruit Kettle Sour..mmmm. Jake had the Hazy-E and you guessed it, a NEIPA with notes of Pineapple, Citrus and Papaya. Both so delicious.
We love Deschutes beer, but we were underwhelmed with the tap room. Yes it's the original brewery location that opened in 1988, maybe our expectations were too high. PS if you're not from Oregon, Oregen breweries are quite different than in Minnesota. All breweries in Oregon serve food and not just pub food, some have really unique and creative menus, this can make for a different experience than just a place to hang out, but can be a life saver too and very convenient for out of towners. The other thing that I still don't understand is there are so many locations! For example, Deschutes has 6 locations and they aren't the only ones, it seems like most breweries have multiple locations? Is it just me or does having just 1 location make it more special? Maybe I'm wrong...
Had the best mural inside their taproom and a pretty cool patio in the back of the brewery. We got a flight, nothing stood out as a favorite, all good brews though.
Had a great inside / outside vibe. We got a flight here too and our favorite that's not on tap anymore was their hazy ipa, according to the beertender it wasn't great, but it was our favorite.
We hit up the 7th St Brewhouse location in Redmond, but there is another location in Bend. The Brewhouse had a dive bar feel. We both got the Elk Camp, a hazy, juicy dry hopped IPA. We stopped over lunch and the pizza was phenomenal.
With 2 nights in Bend, hitting all these breweries is possible with the route below.
Night 1: Bend Brewing > Silver Moon Brewing > Deschutes Brewing > McMenamin's Old St. Francis School
Night 2: Crux Fermentation Project > Immersion Brewing > GoodLife Brewing > Sunriver Brewing
Day 6: Smith Rock State Park - Alpaca Farm
Smith Rock State Park
Start the day off with a hike or rock climb in picturesque Smith Rock State Park. The huge rock formation is made out of compressed volcanic ash formed 30 million years ago. For the best views of Smith Rock State Park start out on Misery Ridge Trail, don't let the name scare you, just take it slow and you'll be at the 3,360 foot summit in no time. The trail up is less than 1 mile, but to get the full experience of Smith Rock State Park, finish the loop down the back past Monkey Face along a series of switchbacks until you get to the floor. Follow the river along the trail and look up for rock climbers and awww at their talent. The total loop in 3.7 miles. There's a $5 park entrance fee per vehicle, worth every penny.
On our way to Smith Rock State Park we passed an Alpaca Farm, if you know me these fuzzy little long necked creatures are my absolute favorite. So obviously we had to stop. We picked up a $3 bag of food from their cute shop and roamed Crescent Moon Ranch.
Day 7 & 8: Silver Falls State Park - Best Breweries in Portland
Silver Falls State Park
On the way back to Portland stop at Silver Falls State Park aka the Trail of 10 Waterfalls. There are different routes, but for the full experience tackle the 7.2 loop, we started at the South end. The hike is rated moderate, but there is only 1 challenging area up a flight of steep stairs past the North Falls. I would rate this hike easy compared to the other hikes I've listed. We finished the loop in 3 hours, we went fast so plan for 3-4 hours here. Our favorites were North and South falls since you get to walk behind the waterfall, how cool. There's a $5 park fee per vehicle.
After you're waterfalled out, head to Portland, which is a little over an hour drive, but first where to stay in Portland.
Portland - Airstream
Portland has a lot of different neighborhoods and it's honestly a little confusing on where the best area to stay in Portland is. I'm sure there are so many great spots, I mean it's Portland. But you need to stay at the Silver Sequoia Under the Stars & Moon. Airstream + Portland = Perfection. In the heart of Buckman in between Hawthorne and Belmont, it's the prime location to a ton of great Portland breweries. The Silver Sequoia Airstream is located on the driveway of the owner's house. It's surprisingly spacious inside, theres a kitchenette with a mini fridge and stove top, the owners have a full carafe of ice cold charcoal filtered water + milk or milk alternative for your morning drip coffee. The bathroom has a tub and compost toilet, these guys are sustainable AF. Their attention to detail and design is on point and to top it all off, they are great hosts! Our eyes were bigger than our luggage and we bought way too much BEER to bring home, they so kindly got a scale from their neighbors so we didn't have to deal with the embarrassing and stressful reorganization at the airport check in desk.
Best Breweries in Portland
So what are the Best Breweries in Portland? Well I don't know if you've heard, but there are 84 breweries in the Portland Metro and with only 2 days, there is no way we could visit them all. But I can share with you what Portland breweries we visited and who the 'must visit breweries' are from our experience. Here's our rundown:
If you only have time for 1 brewery in Portland, make it Great Notions! That is, if you like delicious IPAs, Hazy IPAs and Sours...these guys will blow your socks off! Because everything on their tap list looked amazing, we started with a flight and everything was as amazing as it sounded, seriously. If we had to pick favorites, I love it when you call me Big Papaya, a fruited sour that tasted like Hawaii and Ripe IPA, a hazy IPA were our top 2. We could have sat on their patio sipping their brews all night, but because we wanted to hit a few other places we walked away with 2 GIANT crowlers (32 oz) of Juice Box and Wiggle. Unfortunately, Juice Box broke in transit and was leaking all over baggage pick up, we did manage to save 1/4 of it. If you're from Portland and want to be pen pals with us, hit us up! Note: this is not in walking distance from the Airstream.
Yes, I know Modern Times is originally from CA, but their Portland location is all kinds of quirky and we love quirk! The showstopper is the giant Randy Savage Macho Man pinata hanging from the ceiling and then there's the disk bar, to think that some people may not know what these are is depressing. Their decor is a standout, and their beer selection is a definite knock out. You really can't go wrong here. If you like sours, their Fruitlands is a Tropical Gose made with Passionfruit and Guava, so good! And their Space Ways is a Juicy Hazy IPA made with Nelson, Motueka and Simcoe hops...mmmm.
Their Eastside Pub and Pilot Brewery pours 36 legendary and limited-release Rogue brews in addition to 19 taps -- the original 19. I can imagine that they're tapping something new, constantly and that's our type of brewery. I loved the Combat Wombat. From Rogue themselves "(it's a) weird & wonderful fusion of hazy IPA and sour ale brewed with grapefruit and blood orange, then dry-hopped with Australian hops." it may sound a little strange, but it marries my 2 favorite beers, IPAs and Sours into something amazingly delicious. To top it off, they have an awesome space and outdoor, dog friendly patio.
We love the combination of the outdoors and beer and that's what these guys are all about. Their brewery is a celebration of life in the Pacific Northwest and after our week in Oregon, we can raise a glass to that. They have some solid IPAs and their S'more Stout is perfect outside next to the fire. Check to see if Pablano Pepper is there and save an appetite if they are, their burritos are perfecto.
Breakside is a short drive from Great Notions, all the other breweries I've listed are in walking distance of the Silver Sequoia. We first fell in love with Breakside Brewery in Seaside when we bought a bottle of their Tall Guy IPA, made with Mango, Guave and Citrus peel. Their taproom has a great vibe and outdoor patio, a great stop.
They say it best "Cascade Brewing is a pioneer of the NW style sour beer movement. We are, by nature, the definition of artisanal brewing: we're not bound by stylistic guidelines, just our own imagination and the ingredients we can access." Since I love Sours, I loved this place. Jake isn't as fond of tart-sours as I am so I got some short pours of 3 and they were all tart-astic!
Had a great indoor space, where I schooled Jake in cards ;)
I might have been served the wrong beer, but they were wrapping up with a Hop Fest with live music and specials, which looked like a good time.
Not a brewery, but they do have quite a few beers on tap. They have a great local and national beer selection. This is one of the reasons we needed a scale to weigh our bags...
If we could have added 2 more breweries to our list we would have visited Stormbreaker & Ex Novo. Honestly, there are so many choices and I'm sure we missed some great ones. But we had an awesome time brewery hopping in Portland. This is our recommended route for your 2 days in Portland.
Night 1: Modern Times > Rogue > Cascade Brewing > Base Camp > The Growler Guys are also in the area, but we didn't get a chance to visit
Night 2: Great Notions > Breakside > Stormbreaker > Ex Novo
If you made it this far, thank you for reading my first post! I have so much to learn! I'd love to hear your feedback and comments. Cheers, Prost, Salud, Cin Cin!
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