Columbia Gorge and Mount Hood Day Trip from Portland

Within an hour northeast of Portland, you can see incredible falls, gorges, mountains, and other natural wonder. You can have a fun long day-trip (early start with a late finish). If you split the itinerary to multiple days, you can have a leisurely pace and explore more trails. The best time to go is spring to fall.

Head over to the  Historic Columbia River highway, and stop along any point that is interesting to you. Here, you will find Columbia Gorge, which cuts through the Cascade Mountains by the Columbia River. There are many, so if you stop at every interesting spot, it will take you many days. If you go on a weekend, the crowds are nuts, and parking becomes a big issue. On busy weekends, it might take you an hour to pass by a just a couple of miles.


The Sandy River. The western boundary of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, where the Portland metro area ends and the byway begins.

Historic Downtown Troutdale.  You can skip this if you are into nature. From Troutdale (exit 17 on Interstate 84), the road follows the Sandy upstream, then winds uphill through Corbett to the next stop...

Portland Women’s Forum State Scenic Viewpoint.  Probably the best view of the river, better even than the Vista House. In fact, as this is at a higher elevation, you can actually see the Vista House from here.

Chanticleer Point. Alternatively, you can stop here instead of the Portland Women's Forum.  700 feet above the Columbia River, you can see incredible views overlooking the Columbia River, Washington State and the Oregon side of the gorge. Scenes in "Twilight" were filmed here.

Vista House at Crown Point. It's a major tourist stop at the Gorge. You can get great shots of the gorge and tributaries, as well as winding roads.  

Waterfall galore. In 8 miles you can pick one (if on a day trip) or all five significant falls: Latourell, Shepperd’s Dell, Bridal Veil, Wahkeena and the grandest, 620-foot Multnomah, one of the tallest waterfalls in the US. Many falls have viewing areas. If you have lots of time, you can hike trails that lead to more falls. If you don't, you can actually see some of the falls from the road. It's of course a poorer experience, but sometimes, you just need to hustle.

Latourell Falls is a slender cascade in W. Talbot State Park. A short paved path leads to the 249-foot fall. Hikers can continue along a moderate 2.4 mile loop that follows the Latourell Creek and crosses several wooden bridges before reaching the Upper Latourell Falls, a mossy two-tiered cascade.

Multnomah Falls. The best one, and also the most crowded. It has a visitor center staffed by volunteers, who can help you plan your itinerary. Consider donating by purchasing some items or just donating. You can also dine in cafe here. The falls can be seen from the road, and a short walk leads you to a viewing bridge of this spectacular falls. 

Horsetail Falls Trailhead. If you are up for a hike, you can go for a 4-mile loop that winds past five waterfalls: Horsetail Falls, Ponytail Falls, Oneonta Falls, Upper Oneonta Falls and Triple Falls. 

Bonneville Lock and Dam. A fun place for nerds (people who love learning) and a nice change from the nature buffet. Take exit 40, Bonneville Lock and Dam. Here you can see the lock, the fish farm, and the first of many dams on the Columbia. The visitor center closes the earliest, so if you are pressed for time, check this out first.

Head over to the lock which lets ships cross, and even see a moving bridge. Fun engineering things to see. Drive to the Visitors Center has underwater window where you can watch fish wriggling up the fish ladder to bypass the hydropower turbines. On your way out, stop by Sturgeon Viewing Center to spot Herman the Sturgeon (10 feet long, 425 pounds and more than 60 years old). They also have a salmon farm here. In season, you can watch the staff farming the fish.

Hood River. A town you can chill out in. It's the hotspot for kiteboarders and windsurfers. This town is also the gateway to the Mt. Hood Scenic Byway.

The Twin Tunnels Trail is a 5-mile section of the Historic Columbia Highway State Trail for cyclists and pedestrians (closed to motorized traffic). Scenic overlooks abound.

Side trip: Head east (this breaks the loop to Mt. Hood)

• Bridge of the Gods
• Mosier Twin Tunnels
• Rowena Crest Viewpoint
• Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum

Hood River Valley. Stop by local fruit stands to sample locally-grown cherries, berries, pears and apples. 

Mount Hood. In the southeast flank, notice changes from the dry eastside Cascades featuring ponderosa pine forests, to the lush westside forests of douglas fir, cedar and hemlock. 

Oregon Trail.

Timberline Lodge. Views of snow-capped Mount Hood and the surrounding Cascades. This is the Lodge in "The Shining". 

Head back to Portland

Resources used for some details in this article:

http://traveloregon.com/trip-ideas/scenic-byways/the-historic-columbia-river-highway/

http://www.ecotours-of-oregon.com/gorge.htm

(Guided tour of the loop. I haven't joined them, but they have a good itinerary)

AAA

Scenic Road Trip from Phoenix to Sedona to Flagstaff to Monument Valley or the Grand Canyon

This article is a planned route. I had not taken it myself. Yet.

From Phoenix to Sedona

•  Take Highway 17 to Verde Valley, where you could visit two significant Sinagua ruins along the way: Montezuma Castle National Monument, which is a five-story cliff fortress and the Tuzigoot National Monument, which overlooks Verde River. Watch signs and exit off 17. The monuments are a few miles from the freeway, but worth the detour, if you are interested in native American sites.
• If you want to spend a day in this area, you can also explore Jerome State Historic Park, which preserves an old mining town, and you can picnic in Dead Horse Ranch State Park, which has a river.
• Continue to 89 A, one of the prettiest roads in the US, where you see many interesting red rock formations, such as Bell Rock and Castle Rock. 
• Before reaching the town proper of Sedona, you'll pass by a beautiful Catholic church, Chapel of the Holy Cross, that was built right into the cliffs. It's maybe 5 minutes from the road by car and it's not big, but you can see it on the right side of the word. It's worth taking a short trip. Right beside it is an amazing mansion with a beautiful garden with a manmade waterfall and creek. The owner does not care a didley squat that s/he is in the middle of a desert and there's a drought.
• Sedona itself is worth a stay. It's a fun town with lots of things to see, if you head to 89 south when the road forks (south and north), you can head over to Red Rock Canyon State Park (off 89A). On your way there, you'll see breath-taking views of Cathedral Rock.

From Sedona to Flagstaff

• Head back north on 89 into Oak Creek Canyon, a beautiful drive. If you have ea day, you can take a swimming break in Slide Rock.
• Continue towards Flagstaff, though it's fun to stop in some of the state parks for a hike. In Arizona, every state park seems to charge money, so if you are going to a lot, it might be worth getting a pass. 

Flagstaff

• Three days is a good time to spend here.
• Go to Historic Downtown and walk along Route 66.
• Museum of Northern Arizona, Lowell Observatory, Arboretum

Flagstaff to Canyon de Chelley

• Pass by Sunset Crater National Monument, where you can hike a 900-year old cinder field and then swing by a 100-room Pueblo in Wupatki National Monument.
• If you are still up for historic sites, drive 11 miles east of Flagstaff for Walnut Canyon National Monument, which has 25 cliff-dwelling rooms. And farther east off I40, you can check out the world's best preserved Meteor Crater.   
• Stay on Route 264 (Hopi tribal land) then take 191 to Canyon de Chelly National Monument, which has dramatic red canyons and green canyon floor. You'll need Hopi guides to hike here, I heard. 

Canyon de Chelley to Monument Valley (East of Flagstaff)

• Continue up 89, and visit the Antelope Canyon, one of photographers' favorite spots. You need to hire a guide.
• Take 160 through Tuba City and check out Monument Valley, the setting for many Western films. You can drive the 17-mile loop or hire a Navajo guide. 

Monument Valley to the Grand Canyon

• Head west and check out the Vermillion Cliffs. 
• And to Grand Canyon....
• If you want to skip all the other stuff and just head to the Grand Canyon from Flagstaff, you can take 180 to Route 64 into Tusayan and stop at the National Geographic Visitor Center and IMAX.
• If you want to take an old timey train, head to Williams and take the Grand Canyon Railway.

Heading back

• Remain on Route 64 to enjoy more canyon vistas and explore Peublo Indian life in Tusayan Ruin and Museum.
• 
  

Beautiful Drive and a Breathtaking View of the Bay Area

For a day trip from San Francisco, cross the Golden Gate Bridge and climb the curvaceous road to the top of Mt. Tam. Along the way, you pass by many great hiking trails (including Muir Woods) and vista points.

If you go during regular hours, you can drop by the Visitor Center and then go around the beautifuVerna Dunshee Trail. Parking is $8.

N37 55.645 W122 34.761

Getting good rates for lodging in the US

Here are a few tips to getting better rates than the published ones:

• Be a member of AAA to get good rates (often similar to AARP rates).
• Check the rates online, because sometimes there are promos (with AAA or online rates) that the front desk doesn't tell you about. For example, you might be able to get some discount coupons towards lunch.
• Ask for the "lowest available rates," not the "best available rates." They sound the same to us, but they do split hairs and give you different rates.
• Be nice to the hotel staff. (There are front desk equivalents to spitting at your food.)

Group lodging

If you are traveling with a few other people, you might get better deals by renting an entire house or a section of a house. There are sites like VRBO and Vacation Home Rentals. 

Alternative lodgings

Well, there's the usual youth hostel, but if you're not up for cramming with other people, some hostels have "upgrade" versions where you can rent a private room (and a shared a bathroom). 

Or you can try AirBnB, which lists rooms that are being rented out by home owners. It can be fantastic for very expensive places like San Francisco. Read the reviews before you book. The rooms can be a private in-law/studio, a bedroom, or just a sofa to crash in. In general, you have access to the kitchen (verify with the owner), so you can keep your travel costs down by dining in. 

If you are traveling on your own and you have concerns about safety, perhaps consider the mainstream hotel route. 

Cross country skiing

Rental and costs:
http://www.royalgorge.com/Rates.html

Lodging:
http://www.therainbowlodge.com/

Paddleboarding in Santa Cruz

SUP Shack is a family-run paddleboard rental in the Santa Cruz harbor. It's owned by Trudie Ransom, who rents the boards for $25 for 2 hours. They have carbon fiber paddles, which is great.

The lessons are run by an Australian bloke named Jay who doesn't take particular attention to his charges. We were all over the place and he didn't keep us together. But this doesn't matter if you are just renting anyway.

The best time to come is the morning, because it gets really busy around noon, and parking becomes hard, especially in the summer. If you park in the lot, it's $1 per hour starting at 11 pm. You can do street parking—if you can find it—but permit is required from April to September

2214 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Mobile: 831.428.2378
Store: 831.464.7467
trudieATsupshacksantacruz.com

Things to see and do in Palm Springs

Winter-time temperature of 70 degrees makes Palm Spring attractive to residents of snow-covered or rain-soaked areas. So when you come visit, check out the following:

• Andreas Canyon - Easy hike with lush oasis and California fan palms.
• Indian Canyons - Complex canyon with trails and picnic spots.
• North of town - See 5 ecological zones in 10 minutes, largest rotating aerial tramcar. 54 miles of trails. If it snows, you can cross-country ski or snowshoe. 
• Palm Spring Art Museum (PSAM) in downtown - free on 2nd Sunday of the month and 4-8 pm on Thurs. Mostly western landscapes and contemporary art.
• Palm Springs International Film Festival in January - Best foreign films and documentaries. Get to the box office hours before any screening for last-minute rush tickest for single show. OR get the pass. 
• Sunnyland - 200-acre residence of publishing titan, Walter Annenberg in Rancho Mirage. Desert garden, Rodin and Giacometti scuptures, and other art collections. Scheduled to open in March.
• Tahquitz Canyon - 60-foot waterfall is short strall from downtown. 
• Uptown district - Check out shops and galleries with retro furnitures. 
• Villagefest - A block from the PSAM. On Thursday evening, the downtown street scente turns into pop-up market/block party. try the half-dozen varieties of locally grown dates and local farm produce.
  

Places to eat:

• Koffi - Organic Peruvian iced coffee and flaky pastry. 
• Cheeky's= Try the custard cheesy scrambled eggs or the 5-styles of bacon.
• King's Highway
• Le Vallauris - Fancypants. Great place to watch desert sunset.

Places to stay:

• AAA discount in Hyatt GRand Champions Resort in Indian Wells (from $100)

Source: This article was condensed from AAA Via magazine Nov+Dec 2011 issue