what to see in Oregon

[camperkilgore]

We live in Florida and have made 4 trips out west, but we have not been to Oregon or Washington.

Can you folks steer us to the best places out there to visit, considering that we favor wildlife and scenery. We've been to all the major things in Montana, The Dakotas, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona, and wondering if Oregon and Washington would be worth going the extra distance.

Traveling in a 32 foot fiver so we will be limited to rv parks with big enough spaces.
Thanks
Carol & Tom

[FirstTracks]

camperkilgore wrote:
We live in Florida and have made 4 trips out west, but we have not been to Oregon or Washington.

Can you folks steer us to the best places out there to visit, considering that we favor wildlife and scenery. We've been to all the major things in Montana, The Dakotas, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona, and wondering if Oregon and Washington would be worth going the extra distance.

Traveling in a 32 foot fiver so we will be limited to rv parks with big enough spaces.
Thanks
Carol & Tom

We loved our trip through Oregon. The whole coast is spectacular, but spend some time at Oregon Dunes NRA. The town of Bend absolutely rocks and is the gateway to recreation in the central Oregon Cascades, including Mount Bachelor and the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway.

Enjoy!

[Veebyes]

The Columbia River Maritime Museum. Actually it is more of a USCG museum than Columbia River. Very interesting place for any boater.

[badsix]

J herb wrote:

Route 66 Traveler wrote:
My only complaint about visiting Oregon is that you are not allowed to pump your own fuel at gas stations. The attendants aren't the brightest bulbs in the string and they could care less about your vehicle. I have had them overfill my tank many times with gas running down the side of my truck, gotten yelled at because I opened the fuel door, had them pump the higher cost premium fuel claiming that's what I requested, and the list goes on. It's a stupid law you have to deal with in Oregon...hate it!

Their gun laws are another problem, but that's another story. They do have nice scenery......

I have lived in Oregon since 1965 and never had any problems at the gas station that you have and we can carry our guns open and loaded with out a permit and I have ccw license ! what more do you want!!

You can go to Ca. and pump your own gas and pay more and you have to lock up your gun while driving in Ca. and pay more to camp.

I also have bought gas here in Oregon for over 50 years and never had any issues like that. also when you buy gas here on the coast in the winter during a rain storm when the rain and hail is blowing 30 - 40 mph sideways you really appreciate the pump jockeys they do a great job.
Jay D.

[2gypsies1]

camperkilgore wrote:

T18skyguy wrote:

Lwiddis wrote:
Crater Lake is a favorite of mine but the coast in general is beautiful. Crossing the Columbia at Astoria...scares some such as the DW but I love it!

It's best to avoid Crater lake and the mountains before the middle of July, and to be extra safe go in August. Mosquito's eat you alive in May and June. Learned that lesson the hard way.

Oh ****, we leave florida to go out west to get away from mosquitoes. 😞

We weren't bothered with mosquitoes while touring inside the park. They are very bad on the north side at the Diamond Lake area. One year we were volunteering at the fish hatchery from May - July on 62 just outside the park and had no mosquito issues.

For Crater Lake we stayed at Joseph Stewart State Recreation Area nearby on the southwest side and a pleasant short drive to the park. Large sites and very pleasant. Another place to stay is southeast at Chiloquin on 97 - Collier Memorial State Park.

If you go May or June snow drifts will be your problem if you want to do any hiking. The roads will be cleared though for driving around the lake.

[camperkilgore]

GON2SKI wrote:
Wallowa SP is one of our favorites and the deer are quite friendly!

Thanks for the photo. Can hardly wait to go out there. Wanted some wildlife videos, but that one don't look too wild.

[camperkilgore]

T18skyguy wrote:

Lwiddis wrote:
Crater Lake is a favorite of mine but the coast in general is beautiful. Crossing the Columbia at Astoria...scares some such as the DW but I love it!

It's best to avoid Crater lake and the mountains before the middle of July, and to be extra safe go in August. Mosquito's eat you alive in May and June. Learned that lesson the hard way.

Oh ****, we leave florida to go out west to get away from mosquitoes. 😞

[GON2SKI]

Wallowa SP is one of our favorites and the deer are quite friendly!

[T18skyguy]

Lwiddis wrote:
Crater Lake is a favorite of mine but the coast in general is beautiful. Crossing the Columbia at Astoria...scares some such as the DW but I love it!

It's best to avoid Crater lake and the mountains before the middle of July, and to be extra safe go in August. Mosquito's eat you alive in May and June. Learned that lesson the hard way.

[camperkilgore]

centerline wrote:
I will have to agree with the others, except for the oregon caves... they rank right up near the top as far as caves in oregon go, but there are a lot of other cave systems in other states between here and florida that far surpass the oregon caves....

but if you do make it down that way, the sequoia/redwood forest of california and oregon is something you wont see the likes of anywhere else in the world..
those trees are impressive even to someone who has grown up in big timber country!

there is a lot of things to see in oregon, but most of them require you to get off the beaten path. and what all you see depends on the time you have spend, as the state is diverse in every aspect of its existence.

and like DE Bishop said, if you have a week or more to sit and listen, a few of us could probably fill you in on the very best spots to see, and where to go to see it where its not so crowded....

but, if you were to ask where to go to see something specific that you are interested in, like wildlife or lakes or mountains ect, we could give you a list...

oregon doesnt have a lot of restrictions on guns, and as for an out of state person entering oregon with a firearm, you NEED to understand what oregon considers "concealed" and NOT do that....because your non oregon ccw permit is worthless here.

but on the bright side, there are no laws prohibiting a law abiding out-of-stater from possessing a firearm in oregon, with the exception of anyone who has ever been convicted of a felony, or someone who has been released from prison within the last 15 years, regardless of where the felony or prison was located..
just understand the rules and act accordingly...

Thank you much,
If it's alright with you we might pm you at a later date for more info regarding the less crowded and out of the way spots. We have gotten a belly full of the crowded places in other states. Bumper to bumper sightseeing is for the birds.

Would also appreciate info regarding carrying, because I rely on myself for protection due to law enforcement scarcity in a lot of places. You never know where you might get stranded due to mechanical failure. But that info I will get in a pm, because I don't want this excellent thread to get closed before getting as much info on the area as possible.
Thanks again,
Tom & Carol

[centerline]

I will have to agree with the others, except for the oregon caves... they rank right up near the top as far as caves in oregon go, but there are a lot of other cave systems in other states between here and florida that far surpass the oregon caves....

but if you do make it down that way, the sequoia/redwood forest of california and oregon is something you wont see the likes of anywhere else in the world..
those trees are impressive even to someone who has grown up in big timber country!

there is a lot of things to see in oregon, but most of them require you to get off the beaten path. and what all you see depends on the time you have spend, as the state is diverse in every aspect of its existence.

and like DE Bishop said, if you have a week or more to sit and listen, a few of us could probably fill you in on the very best spots to see, and where to go to see it where its not so crowded....

but, if you were to ask where to go to see something specific that you are interested in, like wildlife or lakes or mountains ect, we could give you a list...

oregon doesnt have a lot of restrictions on guns, and as for an out of state person entering oregon with a firearm, you NEED to understand what oregon considers "concealed" and NOT do that....because your non oregon ccw permit is worthless here.

but on the bright side, there are no laws prohibiting a law abiding out-of-stater from possessing a firearm in oregon, with the exception of anyone who has ever been convicted of a felony, or someone who has been released from prison within the last 15 years, regardless of where the felony or prison was located..
just understand the rules and act accordingly...

[Pangaea_Ron]

66: Thank you

[Route_66_Travel]

You can read the Oregon laws here, Oregon does not recognize any out of State permits. http://www.handgunlaw.us/states/oregon.pdf

Time to get back on topic...my favorite place to camp was Lake of the Woods outside of Klamath Falls. Great fishing! Haven't been there in years, but it's still a fond memory.

[J_herb]

Route 66 Traveler wrote:

J herb wrote:

...and we can carry our guns open and loaded with out a permit and I have ccw license ! what more do you want!!

That's great for you, but Oregon doesn't recognize my Arizona or Nevada permit, so I am basically left defenseless in your great State, just like California.

Nevada doesen't recognize my permit and I believe that Az. is a CCW without a permit! is that so and I will check to see if an out of state person can carry open and loaded in and out of your car. ( don't want you to be defenseless ) I think that if you get a Utah CCW permit it's
good for Oregon and a lot more States.

[Route_66_Travel]

J herb wrote:

...and we can carry our guns open and loaded with out a permit and I have ccw license ! what more do you want!!

That's great for you, but Oregon doesn't recognize my Arizona or Nevada permit, so I am basically left defenseless in your great State, just like California.