Visiting WA, OR, N CA.

[elkbowkevin]

Just an FYI: Crater lake is often times fogged in under the rim in winter so you may not be able to see it. I too grew up in Klamath Falls.

I would definitely take a left to the coast at Yreka and check out the redwoods, then come up thru grants pass to roseburg and then up to Crater lake Via Hwy 38 diamond lake Hwy. Skip Eugene, it sucks! Lived in that area since 90. There is a smaller Cabelas here in Springfield right off I5, and a HUGE one off Interstate5 in Tigard area.

 

[elkbowkevin]

I think on the way up we will exit in Yakima and drive through Rainier.

I am not a fly fisherman, how would you suggest I go about fishing the Rouge? Spinners or spoons? We will be there July 14th. My friend fly fishes and last year when he was in Denver I used one of his rods and failed.

lots of fish in the river that time of year below dam to below shady cove. That is the best time of year till about October for summer steelhead. Any larger spinner or spoon would work, there are also some spring chinook in there but will be getting pretty black. A spotted thomas spoon and brass colored spinners in size 2-4 will be good. I would be using about 12-15 lb line in case you hook into a 'nook. WIll be ALOT of people boating, rafting, and "tubing" the river at that time of year too. It can be annoying but still they will move the fish around some.

 

[highside74]

Not a hike but Snoqualmie Falls is amazing to see in the winter and not far from Seattle.

Mt. Rainier is amazing at anytime of year. Paradise is less than 2 hours from Seattle and yo can rent snowshoes and go on a tour for not much money. They also have a sledding area.

 

[BroodBuster]

I think on the way up we will exit in Yakima and drive through Rainier.

I am not a fly fisherman, how would you suggest I go about fishing the Rouge? Spinners or spoons? We will be there July 14th. My friend fly fishes and last year when he was in Denver I used one of his rods and failed.

That will take you along the Naches and American rivers. Both are excellent fishing with big Dollies in the American. A small spinning reel and size 1-2 spinners is perfect. Not sure if you are planning to do any camping but if you are the Naches valley has tons of camping sites.

Just outside of Raineer NP you'll reach Chinook Pass. Dewey lake is an excellent day hike from there. Wildly popular but for good reason. Lots of wildlife. Bring your optics and find a good spot and you'll find something. Last time I was there it was very crowded and I still saw a bear. An hour later saw a bear hunter. He didn't stay and chat . But beware it may be the buggiest spot in the lower 48. Especially in July!

 

[69ChrisCraft]

If you want to wander off the beaten path my vote would be Usal beach in the Sinkyone Wilderness State Park of California. It's the jewel of the "Lost Coast" in my opinion and breathtaking doesn't begin to describe the views....from the 1000' sheer cliffs overlooking the Pacific to the "Enchanted" forest....the place is magical.

 

[Hunt'nFish]

Are you driving to Seattle or flying?
If driving to Seattle from Utah, there are some very cool sites going through Idaho and Oregon
via Ketchum, Stanley, McCall and into Oregon the back way via Council, Oxbow, Imnaha, and Joseph.
The Sawtooths (Redfish Lake), the Frank Church, Hells Canyon (at McGraw or Hat Point) and the Eagle Caps in Joseph are all pretty damn cool IMO.

The guys got the route from Seattle to SanFran pretty well covered.
Personally I've always liked the drive up the Santiam to Sisters & Bend to be about the most scenic enroute to Crater Lake. But the drive up through Oakridge on Hwy58 is faster and pretty too. I just like the view of all the big Mtn's going through Sisters; Threefinger Jack, Mnt Washinton, the Three Sisters. And the town of Sisters is a cute little tourist trap in itself. Pretty good burger & brew at Bronco Billy's to and lots of galleries to keep the better half entertained.

Heck you can spent a week around Bend and never see all the cool sites.
Like Mt Bachelor, the Lakes Loop Rd, the trail along the west side of the Deschutes River through the lava flows, and the High Desert Museum.
Yep, Oregon is pretty easy on the eyes.
Hunt'nFish


PS: When at Crater Lake, take in lunch at the Rim Village Café. Awesome burger, very fair prices ($10 burger), and their Marionberry salad dressing is to die for. I like to even put it on my burgers. Excellent service to, very pleased.

 

[MuleyFever]

Wow, there is a lot of great stuff here. The Marionberry salad sounds right up my alley. I don't know if we will have much time in ID. Want to get up there and the detour through Rainer sounds like the way we will kill the couple extra hours we will have. Not sure yet on the route from Seattle to Crater. My friend and his wife are going with us for that leg of our trip and my friends wife wants to drive down the coast some.

We are driving up from Utah, going to leave on a Thursday afternoon and stay a night in Boise. Wife wants to check out the area. We are looking for another move in 2-3 years, maybe ID or CO. I do have a feeling we may really like the North West though so who knows.

 

[boom]

I'm just gonna say it; Salt and Straw (in Portland) had the best damn vanilla malt shake I have ever had in my meager existence on this green planet. Ever! Might put some of those calories back from your jaunt around the crater.

 

[ORROSS334]

Once you hit Portland I would hit I84 and head towards Hood River and the Dalles. Tons of falls and short hikes.Then head south towards Maupin. You can take a right a t Tygh Valley and head down to White River State Park. Great picnic area/falls. Then head down to Sherars Bridge. Head down the river access road to Maupin and hang a left towards Bend. Plenty of fishing, sight seeing and the beauty of the high desert. Stop in Bend and I will buy you a beer!!! From Bend head south on 97 to Crater Lake. Then through Prospect, Shady Cove and the Rogue River. Great fishing and beautiful scenery. Lots of country to see and should be good weather. You can wet a fly on the Deschutes and the Rogue and you can wet your whistle on one of the 20+ microbreweries in Bend alone... Safe travels and have an adventure.

 

[BOW1144]

So we booked a house a bit north of Shady Cove. Is there good fishing on the Rouge River?

Man my old stompin ground! yes fishing is excellent. If your not a Fly fisherman I would fish the river just below the fish hatchery. I would bounce a beadheaded stone fly nymph with a strike indicator. If you fly fish go above the fish hatchery, its one of my favorite spots to fish. The Salmon fly hatch might be winding down by them, but you should still be able to catch them on a salmon fly in the evenings. Good luck!

 

[MuleyFever]

I don't think 3 days will be enough. Really excited to fish though.

 

[William Munny]

You could spend a month exploring the area between Seattle and San Francisco and not get bored. The route some guys laid out is solid. Someone mentioned point Reyes. If you stop there, and you or your lady are into oysters, they have a couple spots where they pull them right out of the water, prep them, and put them on your plate.

While in SF, depending on your goal, you can go a lot of different ways, not sure if you've been here before. Sightsee, food, outdoorsy stuff, things that make wives happy, etc. Let me know what you are interested in and how long you are in town and I can throw together some suggestions.

Also, have a jacket and jeans ready to go. Fog usually comes in by then, and summer is our second coldest season.

 

[MuleyFever]

I have been in SF before site seeing. I don't think we will be staying there as my wife wants to head straight to Big Sur from Oregon. I am trying to talk her into stopping in SF and then heading back to Utah from there through Tahoe. That would allow more stops in N CA. She is obsessed with seeing Big Sur though for some reason.

 

[William Munny]

Big Sur is pretty amazing, but I would save that for a Big Sur, Yosemite, and southern cal combo trip. If I had a vote,I would go with Tahoe. Mark Twain called it the single most beautiful point on earth. Pretty bold statement, but you get why he said it when you are standing there. If you hit crater lake and Tahoe in one trip, I'd chalk that up as a win.

 

[MuleyFever]

So, landed in Seattle yesterday. The detour to Rainier was worth it. Rainier is incredible.

Heading to Shady Cove Tuesday. Got some good suggestions on fishing the Rouge. Was wondering if anyone can tell me if the fishing is good at the moment?