In a couple of years, I am sort of thinking of a trip, on the Coast Starlight, to Portland. Then, a trip to Canon Beach, Oregon, by some means.
I see a few options, for such a trip, on the internet. I think there is some sort of Amtrak bus connector which goes from Portland to Canon Beach, but I can't find much information after surfing around.
Any advice on the best way to get from Portland to Canon Beach, other than a rental car?
Richard
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Richard, a check of the website shows a "safe" (3hr) bus connection PDX-CBO in both directions with 11 and 14.
But still, by the time you waited for the bus, you'd be there in a rented auto - even the usual 4 cylinder egg beater the major outlets serve up.
Posted by yukon11 (Member # 2997) on :
I agree, I don't want to wait 3 hrs.
I see there is an Enterprise car rental in nearby Hillsboro. Maybe I will get a motel in Hillsboro then take an Enterprise rental car the next morning to Canon Beach. It will give me a chance to return via Tillamook and go on their cheese factory tour. Also, I hear their ice cream parlor is really good.
The last car I rented was a cheap Honda. I know Honda makes good cars, but this one really was an egg beater. Or, as my dad used to say, a sophisticated lawn mower, with many miles on it.
Richard
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Richard, if Enterprise is your rental company of choice (to me they are where the insurance company sends me when someone else does a "tap tap" on my buggy), they have an outlet on Pine Street in Portland, which looks like "Mr. Shank and Miss Mare" can get you there from the train station.
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
Richard, on our trip last year we made a similar excursion. We took I-5 from California, spent the night in Dunsmuir, then left the Interstate in southern Oregon and headed to the coast near Coos Bay, Spent the night in the nice small town of Bandon (reasonable price for oceanfront room) then followed the coast to Canon Beach for two nights, then on to Seattle via Astoria and Fort Clatsop.
It was a great trip and we turned in our rental near the Seattle station. We had plenty of Tillamook cheese for our EB trip. Certainly something similar would work from Santa Rosa with a return on the CS. Or you could take the train to Portland to rent a car and return it in Seattle for the CS return. We wanted to stay in Canon Beach because a good friend owned a bar there many years ago after college and loved it. It was a nice town but totally gentrified from his days there.
Posted by yukon11 (Member # 2997) on :
Mr. Norman:
I thought of the downtown Enterprise car rental on Pine. However, I don't like driving in big cities where I am not familiar with the streets.
If I take a taxi to a motel in Hillsboro, the Enterprise will not be far away. Also, it is near highway 26, which is what I would take to Canon Beach.
Mr. Palmland:
When you stayed in Dunsmuir did you, by chance, stay at the "Railroad Park Resort"? I've always wanted to do that.
Note the Wells Fargo & Co. car. Right after that slide is a really neat looking bar car. What is that?
Dunsmuir is another possible excursion, except the CS gets into Dunsmuir at 4:56 AM, which would require quite a wait before check in. On the return, 12:35 AM.
Richard
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
It certainly appears that every major brand is in or about Hillsboro, as well as this independent "Boutique" (unless no choice, I only stay at majors; "the best surprise is no surprise"). It further appears that you could get to that "Boutique" using the MAX Blue Line to 231 St.
Posted by TwinStarRocket (Member # 2142) on :
As GBN points out, MAX Light Rail Blue Line runs from downtown PDX to Hillsboro. There is a Hillsboro Airport MAX station, where you would find Hertz and Avis in the "terminal" (also a Comfort Inn if you aren't picky). From there you are only a couple of miles from where US26 becomes the "open road".
I rented a car in downtown PDX once, and headed south on I5. I wouldn't do it again. After 2 days in relaxed mode on the Empire Builder, it was hard to switch gears to busy traffic in a new city behind the wheel of an unfamiliar car.
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
Richard, finally got around to looking at my Dunsmuir photos. Yes, we did stay at the RR Park resort and enjoyed it. Our caboose was very well done and looked as though it was recently refurbished. Definitely recommend it and the small town of Dunsmuir. Unfortunately we were there early in the week and the restaurant/bar wasn't open. Did have a quick breakfast there.
From our photos you can see it is still an active railroad town with UP crew haulers parked at the station. The turntable looks active and some MofW equipment was parked nearby. For dinner we headed into town and enjoyed a really good meal at the laid back cafe called YAKS. Next morning we stopped for more coffee at the the nearby appropriately named town of Mt. Shasta as shown in the photo.
Posted by yukon11 (Member # 2997) on :
Great pictures, Mr. Palmland. I especially like the photo, above, of downtown Mr. Shasta.
I've got to get up to the Railroad Park Resort. Looks like a lot of fun. Did you, by chance, have a look at the railroad museum in the Dunsmuir station? I hear it isn't open on a daily business. Still, as you say, a lot of railroad activity. A change area for RR crews out of Klamath Falls and Roseville. There has been a push for a daylight passenger train, out of Sacramento, so that Dunsmuir arrival and departure times could be more convenient.
If you are in the town of Mt. Shasta, again, there is a great restaurant on the downtown strip, called Lily's. Mt. Shasta is a fun little town. A lot to do, also, on Shasta Lake. Good for houseboat rentals.
Another very interesting town, in the area, is McCloud, Calif. We ventured there, a few years ago, to take the McCloud dinner train. Unfortunabely, I don't think the train still runs. McCloud is a very interesting little hamlet. Lots of waterfalls along the McCloud river.
