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Oregon Coast Road Trip Report

Started by TheHighwayMan3561, June 26, 2020, 04:25:35 PM

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TheHighwayMan3561

I took a six-day whirlwind tour from Minneapolis to Cannon Beach, Oregon and back. I left MSP on Saturday afternoon and drove to Rapid City using MN 60 and I-90. I had some holes to plug in my I-90 mileage in SD and WY between Rapid City and I-25 as well as within Sheridan. I also clinched I-190 in Rapid and visited the US 87 washout site between Sheridan and Buffalo.

Then I decided if I was planning to take 90 all the way to Washington to knock off three states I hadn't visited yet (WA, OR, ID), I might as well clinch it. So I shotgunned 90 across MT, ID, and WA. Then I decided again to take it a step further and just make it all the way to the ocean. I spent some time in Wallace, the infamous city where it took 35 years to finish I-90.

I left Seattle on I-5. Never again will I complain about Twin Cities traffic after 60 miles of headaches from I-90 to Olympia. I took I-5 to WA 4 at Kelso which I took west along the Columbia River to US 101, then dropped down into Oregon clinching the quizzical ALT US 101 shortcut. The US 101 bridge into Oregon is pretty awesome. I made it to Gearhart on the Oregon coast just in time for the last of the sunset. I stayed overnight in Astoria, came down to Cannon Beach long enough for a few photos, then headed west on US 26 to Portland.

The US 26 freeway is grossly underposted at 55. 26 in general was choked with traffic on the two-lane portion. I made the quick loop around on 405 and 5 to head east out of town on I-84, which was nice in the valley before it climbs out into the desert. I headed west on I-82 briefly and took US 395 north through the palouse to I-90 once again.
self-certified as the dumbest person on this board for 5 years running


thspfc

I've always wanted to visit the Pacific Northwest. Something about the way that nature blends in with bustling city life. Someday!

doorknob60

#2
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on June 26, 2020, 04:25:35 PM
The US 26 freeway is grossly underposted at 55. 26 in general was choked with traffic on the two-lane portion.

Agreed on the speed limit. And I often see police in the Hillsboro area. Though I think enforcement is pretty relaxed. Flow of traffic is usually 65-70, I usually park it at 69 if traffic is flowing and haven't had an issue, even with out of state plates. 64 would be safer and not too terrible. The problem is with the way Oregon's laws currently are, ODOT couldn't post it higher than 55 even if they wanted to, without legislative action. That said, I don't think they would raise it even if they could. At least this problem is mostly gone east of the Cascades now.

As for traffic, on the weekends in summer it can be really bad, weekends other times of the year it's a bit thick but still okay. But other days it can be wide open. I've driven it well over a dozen times and seen both sides of it. Many times I can maintain 65 over almost the whole thing. At least passing lanes are somewhat frequent.

Max Rockatansky

The Astoria-Megler Bridge is a looker, I took a crap ton of photos myself last year:

IMG_8674 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

The Sunset Highway while slow is also a looker approaching downtown through Tanner Creek Canyon:

0 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

Roadgeekteen

How was traveling so far during this pandemic like?
God-emperor of Alanland, king of all the goats and goat-like creatures

Current Interstate map I am making:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?hl=en&mid=1PEDVyNb1skhnkPkgXi8JMaaudM2zI-Y&ll=29.05778059819179%2C-82.48856825&z=5

TheHighwayMan3561

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 26, 2020, 06:49:21 PM
How was traveling so far during this pandemic like?

Depended on the state. The more conservative states (MT, SD, ND, ID) were mostly open. On the flip side, Oregon had shut down all the parks along I-84.
self-certified as the dumbest person on this board for 5 years running

kkt

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 26, 2020, 06:49:21 PM
How was traveling so far during this pandemic like?

Hotels, closed.  Campgrounds, closed.  Don't really feel like sleeping in my car at the edge of a road, certainly not if I'm going to be driving the next day.



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