Planning an upcoming day trip

[Sd_fan2119]

Hey everyone,
so I decided to cash in some of my PTO this weekend and was planning on doing a long day trip. I'm planning on leaving early, probably around 7:00 am, and will most likely be going by myself (which is why I wanted to make the trip in one day). I had a few ideas of where I would like to check out and I'd like to hear some opinions as far as what the scenery has to offer.

(I'll be starting near 185th and TV Highway in Aloha)

Option 1: Take 217 and I-5 down to Roseburg, then OR-138 to Crater Lake, then come back via US-97, OR-58 and I-5
(515 miles, Google says 9 hrs total)

Option 2: Take 217 and I-5 down to Eugene, go east on OR-126 then OR-242 (McKenzie Pass) to Sisters, then come back via US-20/OR-22 over Santiam Pass and through Stayton/Salem to I-5
(355 miles, Google estimates 6 hrs, 38 min)

The first one is quite a long trip for one day, and I have been to Crater Lake before, but I've never been on OR-138 between Roseburg-Crater Lake and heard it has some amazing scenery so I'm wondering if it's worth the extra 160 miles. I've also been on the McKenzie Pass Hwy (OR-242) but only once and it was back in 2004 so don't remember a whole lot about the scenery and didn't get any pictures.

Let me know what you think, or any other suggestions of good scenic day trips would be appreciated. Thanks!

[xonhulu]

I hope you're not out there today.  I just saw a Weather Service Severe Thunderstorm warning for eastern Marion/Linn Counties.  That would include OR 22 and US 20.  High winds, golf-ball size hail.  Ironically I was just at Marion Forks a couple hours ago eating lunch -- looks like I got out just in time!

Option 1 is a long day trip, and you'd really be short-changing a lot of interesting places with your limited time.  But I'd call that the more interesting of your two trips.  Be warned, though: you'll probably have a decent delay at the Salt Creek Tunnel on OR 58 due to the construction there.

Weather permitting, your Option 2 is the more reasonable day trip.  OR 242 is a great drive, and Sisters is a quaint little town.  However, there will probably be a lot of returning weekend traffic on OR 22, so that will be annoying, as there aren't a lot of passing opportunities along there.

Whatever you decide, enjoy the trip!

[Sd_fan2119]

Thanks for all the info! I actually haven't gone yet, but I think I'm going to opt for a little shorter trip. My brother and I are actually planning on doing the Tamolitch/Blue Pool hike in the next few weeks so I think we'll end up hitting the Mckenzie Pass Highway then. Seeing crater lake again would be nice, but that would be a bit of a drive for one day, and I totally forgot about the tunnel construction. Since it's a little closer to the area and it's a stretch of highway I've never been on, I was thinking of taking Cornelius Pass Rd. in Hillsboro to US-30, then head west on 30 then south on OR-47, go through Vernonia and back via US-26 (125 mi, Google estimates 3 hours). I'd probably make a longer trip if I was going with someone but unfortunately pretty much all my friends are working.

[xonhulu]

Thanks for all the info! I actually haven't gone yet, but I think I'm going to opt for a little shorter trip. My brother and I are actually planning on doing the Tamolitch/Blue Pool hike in the next few weeks so I think we'll end up hitting the Mckenzie Pass Highway then. Seeing crater lake again would be nice, but that would be a bit of a drive for one day, and I totally forgot about the tunnel construction. Since it's a little closer to the area and it's a stretch of highway I've never been on, I was thinking of taking Cornelius Pass Rd. in Hillsboro to US-30, then head west on 30 then south on OR-47, go through Vernonia and back via US-26 (125 mi, Google estimates 3 hours). I'd probably make a longer trip if I was going with someone but unfortunately pretty much all my friends are working.

That's a hike (Tamolitch/Blue Pool) I'd like to get in sometime.  I did hike the nearby loop around Koosah and Sahale Falls 2 years ago.  A couple nice short hikes on the McKenzie Pass Highway are Proxy Falls and Linnton Lake, if you've never done those, plus some up near the pass I've yet to attempt.

Your 30/47/26 loop is a nice relaxed trip.  Only warning is the stretch of OR 47 south of Clatskanie is curvy.  There's a nice trail network at Stub Stewart State Park if you want to stretch your legs (but I think there's a day-use fee), and there's a pretty cool old trestle you can walk over outside of Buxton (part of the Banks-Vernonia State Trail, a Rails-to-Trails conversion).  Otherwise, not a lot of singular attractions along there to point out, so just enjoy the drive!

[Sd_fan2119]

Well the long weekend is over and I got 2 nice trips in. First did the US-30/OR-47/US-26 loop...the north end of OR-47 was definitely slow-going, but not nearly as bad as yesterday's trek on OR-242 going up to the Dee Wright Observatory! Seriously the most 20 and 15 mph turns I've ever seen in a span of 20 miles...we actually went the quicker way to the Blue Pool trailhead according to Google, down I-5 to Salem, east on 22 and about 10 miles past the junction on 126 past the Santiam Junction. The pool itself was pretty awesome, wish we would have had more time to find the trail to actually walk down next to the pool, we were on a 100 ft. cliff above it and wanted to get back so we could see the observatory and lava flows. We continued west (actually south) on 126 and hit 242, then headed back after checking out the observatory (able to see most of the surrounding mountains except for a few blocked by the haze in the distance). Overall a nice 360-mile day trip, and averaged 37.5 mpg in my 2003 Civic, thanks to high elevation!