Unoffical guide to all those traveling to the Oregon game. What to do/expect there.

[ATC_VOL]

I checked out the Valley River Center, the only thing that made me question that spot was it said limited parking. It's a mall it looks like?

 

[Volstylexx]

Thanks guys for the parking suggestions. Looking forward to seeing your city, university, and stadium.

 

[Duckweed]

Yes it is, VRC is also fairly close to the stadium, parking might be dicey if you show up at the last minute but should be fine early in the morning.

 

[PortlandDuck]

Great advice from the Oregon fans. I appreciate it and can't wait until we fly out Friday.

So much I would like to see experience that I wish we were staying for a week. We are only staying until Monday though. Hoping to hit theu coast for a quick view. Would love to see Redwoods but it seems those are too far south.

Like ATC Vol, we are driving down from Albany but not really sure where to park. ATC, are you parking downtown and taking that bus in? I might PM you for further info.

EDIT: Nevermind ATC, looks like Freak has PMs disabled due to spam right now.

out of curiosity what made you decide to stay in Albany?

 

[Gcrop]

I can send you an email if you'd like. We are going to take the bus. Looking at the downtown location, and a couple others.

Where in Albany are you staying?

Yea man, shoot me an email.

out of curiosity what made you decide to stay in Albany?

We are flying in late Friday night and didn't want to have to drive all of the way from Portland to Eugene the next morning. So we randomly picked Albany since it is halfway.

 

[SpeedyVOL]

Phoenix inn is good. The only bad thing about Eugene is that there is not enough good hotels to stay in. Valley River Inn is probably the best in Eugene.

The Mckenzie river is great for rafting. It's pretty tame compared to other rivers in Oregon, but still a great time. I haven't done the Mckenzie in a while, but it was extremely fun. Are you doing the half day or full day?

A half day.

 

[GoDucks349]

I checked out the Valley River Center, the only thing that made me question that spot was it said limited parking. It's a mall it looks like?

When coming down from Albany, I'd check out the LTD park and ride bus from the Symantec parking lot in Springfield. It's just off I-5 at the north end of Eugene making it easy on/easy off without going into the stadium traffic.

 

[GoDucks349]

How about Heron Lakes in PDX?

Heron Lakes is a good course, I've played it many times. Most people like the Blue course better, I like them both. Blue has more variety. Green is a Trent Jones layout with fairway traps at the corners of most of the doglegs.

The Blue is definitely fun.

 

[VegasVolChick]

I have none as I always stay at the laquinta. Right down the street.

That is where we are staying. Do you know if they will let us park there the day of the game if we are staying there Saturday night? We are staying in Portland Friday night and leaving early Saturday morning for Eugene.

 

[GoDucks349]

Flying into PDX.......... Usually planes land from the east.

Out the left side of the aircraft you will fly right by Mount Hood........ Beautiful view.

Out the right side of the aircraft you will have views of Mt Adams and Mt St. Helen. Also very nice views........ But Hood is closest and beautiful....

Mt St Helen elevation 8,366 feet -- formerly 9,677
Mt Adams elevation 12,280 feet
Mt Hood elevation 11,250 feet

 

[PortlandDuck]

Yea man, shoot me an email.

We are flying in late Friday night and didn't want to have to drive all of the way from Portland to Eugene the next morning. So we randomly picked Albany since it is halfway.

Makes sense. Just please don't base your visit off the city of Albany. It's the armpit of the Portland/Eugene I5 corridor.

 

[PortlandDuck]

Flying into PDX.......... Usually planes land from the east.

Out the left side of the aircraft you will fly right by Mount Hood........ Beautiful view.

Out the right side of the aircraft you will have views of Mt Adams and Mt St. Helen. Also very nice views........ But Hood is closest and beautiful....

Mt St Helen elevation 8,366 feet -- formerly 9,677
Mt Adams elevation 12,280 feet
Mt Hood elevation 11,250 feet

And I've summitted every one of those mountains. sorry for bragging hahaha

 

[GoDucks349]

Makes sense. Just please don't base your visit off the city of Albany. It's the armpit of the Portland/Eugene I5 corridor.

Hey....... I grew up there!!!!!!!!!!

Albany has always been an "industrial" town. You'll find a lot of titanium golf club heads made there. Honestly, it's a very average town in many ways. The only attraction is the Brass Ring Carousel. All of the pieces are hand carved by volunteers. Parade magazine did a piece on it earlier this summer. Historic Carousel & Museum, Albany Oregon

And finally, it's most definitely Oregon STATE territory. Lots of beavs there.

 

[Duckweed]

Makes sense. Just please don't base your visit off the city of Albany. It's the armpit of the Portland/Eugene I5 corridor.

It's not quite as bad as driving into Stockton on a hot day but it's close if the mill is running fresh pulp. lol:

 

[bigeasy]

This thread is making me highly regret not taking a vacation to go to the game. Great info! I wish more away teams had fans that would do something like this.

 

[Ducknation]

Do you recommend Newport as far as a good place to visit on the coast?

Definitely visit Newport. It is one of my favorite coastal cities in Oregon. Lots of tourist attractions down at the Bay front at Bay Boulevard. The town also has numerous beaches and a great aquarium. Check it out!:good!:

 

[chef3531]

Normally, I would completely agree with this recommendation, and things probably will change in the next week to ten days. At present, however, the Tioga Pass road is closed "from Crane Flat to 1.5 miles east of White Wolf. The only access to the Tuolumne Meadows area is via Highway 120 from near Lee Vining" (Maps - Yosemite National Park).

Very true, I need to check with one of my friends in the Park, she's a manager in the Valley and her husband works up in Tuolumne. Need to get the latest scoop from them on how the travel situation is in relation to the fire containment.

 

[chef3531]

Glenwood cafe....thanks. Great food.

I'm drawing a blank on the late-night place in Portland that does the animals with the aluminum foil for your left-overs. It's under the bridge coming into downtown from NE Sandy, it's kinda down on the left. Is it even still there? One of my classmates from culinary school has a catering business in Portland, I myself used to work at Portland's White House Bed and Breakfast up off of NE 22nd Portland's White House Bed and Breakfast - Portland - USA. Great memories from Portland, I need to get back up there.

 

[PortlandDuck]

Definitely visit Newport. It is one of my favorite coastal cities in Oregon. Lots of tourist attractions down at the Bay front at Bay Boulevard. The town also has numerous beaches and a great aquarium. Check it out!:good!:

Plenty of guides too, tuna/crabbing/salmon are all going now. Some of you may like to gamble. There's a casino in Lincoln city, not far from Newport.

The season is almost over there too so it shouldn't as much of a zoo as it can be, tourists wise.

 

[PortlandDuck]

Hey....... I grew up there!!!!!!!!!!

Albany has always been an "industrial" town. You'll find a lot of titanium golf club heads made there. Honestly, it's a very average town in many ways. The only attraction is the Brass Ring Carousel. All of the pieces are hand carved by volunteers. Parade magazine did a piece on it earlier this summer. Historic Carousel & Museum, Albany Oregon

And finally, it's most definitely Oregon STATE territory. Lots of beavs there.

Sorry, it was a much better place before meth tookover years back. I'll say that much. Every time I drive through you can still see how low rent it is though since that terrible affliction ran roughshod through the area.

 

[Volosaurus rex]

Very true, I need to check with one of my friends in the Park, she's a manager in the Valley and her husband works up in Tuolumne. Need to get the latest scoop from them on how the travel situation is in relation to the fire containment.

Good job. I'm sure that UT Dutchman will appreciate the inside info. As of this point in time, the same park alert remains in effect, according to the park website.

 

[UT_Dutchman]

I just looked again and Yosemite's website still indicates that the Tioga Pass road is closed "from Crane Flat to 1.5 miles east of White Wolf. The only access to the Tuolumne Meadows area is via Highway 120 from near Lee Vining" (Maps - Yosemite National Park). Hopefully, that will change by the time you get there. I don't know if this is specifically fire-related or not, but the western third of the Tioga Pass Rd. (120), which begins at Crane Flat, is presently closed.

This page (Current Conditions - Yosemite National Park) indicates, however, that this is a temporary closure and that all other park roads, except for nightly closures of the Hetch Hetchy Road, are open. Their phone number for current road conditions is: 209/372-0200 (press 1 then 1).

I'm glad to hear that you will be able to traverse the San Juan Skyway; you will truly savor the experience. In terms of rugged, majestic alpine scenery, that area even puts Rocky Mountain NP to shame. Will your schedule still permit you to take the Durango & Silverton Railroad (Home | Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Train)?

Again, you may experience fairly good fall color in the Aspen/Ashcroft/Maroon Bells area. I presume that you have done so in previous visits, but be sure to take the Maroon Creek Road to Maroon Lake; that is the signature view which appears so frequently in photographs.

Feel free to post any additional questions that you may have up to your departure. If there is anything that I love more than Big Orange football, it is traveling in the Rocky Mountain West, particularly in the fall, when the tourists are gone, the weather is cool and crisp, the elk are bugling in the canyons and, if you are supremely fortunate, the peaks have received a fresh dusting of snow.

I want a complete report of your trip when you return.

We do plan on going on one of the narrow gauge RR. The last time i was at the maroon bells was in the summer a few years back, so looking forward to seeing it with hopefully a little gold. I will have more questions most likely and your help is very much apprecited. I will make sure you get a full rundown, we are planning on watching the uf game in denver at uptowns tavern on 9/21.

 

[UT_Dutchman]

Yes, thanks V rex and chef, the rim fire may throw a curveball into our plan. I'm going to have to sit down and search a map for an alternate route.

 

[Volosaurus rex]

UT Dutchman, here are a few thoughts on re-routing the leg of your trip through the Sierras, if necessary:

(1) If your main objective in visiting Yosemite is the cluster of features in Yosemite Valley, access to that area does not appear to be impacted. If the aforementioned portion of the Tioga Pass Road remains closed, you will, of course, be unable to traverse the high Sierra within Yosemite, at least not from west to east. This probably would require you to skirt the northern portion of the park via CA-108E, which eventually intersects with US 395, a north-south route that borders the eastern side of the Sierras.

(2) If you are particularly interested in seeing the giant sequoia, they are more numerous in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Keep in mind that, although they are both sequoias, there is a distinct difference between the coastal redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens), the tallest trees on earth, and the giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum), which are found in a narrow band on the western slope of the Sierras; the latter species consists of the most massive trees on earth, excluding certain aspen groves which are genetically cloned from founder organisms and may cover thousands of acres.

(3) A point of trivia, should you decide to re-route your trip to Sequoia NP: “Tharp’s Log” is a downed sequoia that was closed off on one end and used by Hale Tharp, the first non-Native American to see the Giant Forest, as a home. There is a massive fire scar, if memory serves me correctly, that hollowed out a significant portion of the tree. Tharp simply closed off the open end of the tree, built a chimney there and even brought his pack horses(s) inside in bad weather. See Tharp's Log, Sequoia National Park - 8/18/11 - YouTube.

(4) Should you wind up in Sequoia National Park, do not neglect the stretch of US 395 which parallels the eastern boundary of the park. From Lone Pine, you can take the Whitney Portal Road, which provides access to the Alabama Hills and the trailhead for Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the lower 48. See Great Drives - California's Highway 395 - the Owens Valley and Mount Whitney - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

(5) 42 miles north of Lone Pine, via US 395, is Big Pine, which is a jumping-off point for the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. From Big Pine, “turn east onto State Hwy 168 just north of Big Pine. Follow Hwy 168 east 13 miles to White Mountain Road. Turn left (north) and drive 10 miles to the Schulman Grove Visitor Center. The Bristlecone pines can be viewed from the parking area of the visitor center and along three nature trails” (see Inyo National Forest - Special Places).


Notes pertaining to the White Mountain Road:

(A) This road will take you above 10,000 feet, so dress accordingly.

(B) The Methuselah Grove in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is the location of the "Methuselah," which is believed to be the oldest living tree on earth.

(C) "At 4,841 years old, this ancient bristlecone pine is the oldest known non-clonal organism on Earth. . . Methuselah's exact location is kept a close secret in order to protect it from the public. (An older specimen named Prometheus, which was about 4,900 years old, was cut down by a researcher in 1964 with the U.S. Forest Service's permission)."

(D) For a representative photo of this tree, see The world's 10 oldest living trees: Methuselah | MNN - Mother Nature Network.

 

[PortlandDuck]

That is where we are staying. Do you know if they will let us park there the day of the game if we are staying there Saturday night? We are staying in Portland Friday night and leaving early Saturday morning for Eugene.

I'm not positive but I bet $ talks. I'd rather get drunk there and not worry about having to move my car after the game. They'll also let you tailgate in the lot if they do.

That's a pretty convenient place to stay.