Can I get a recommendation?

[Rpatrick16]

Originally Posted by Caffeinated

You won't be swimming in the ocean in Oregon unless you have a full wetsuit, booties and hood. Most of the surfers here opt four a 5 mil torso with 4 mil for the extremities. Yeah, it's cold here.

Plus one on the OR state park campsites.

Mike

Ha! Thanks Mike...at 75 years old I don't plan on doing any surfing. But, I may put on my "Speedo" to give the girls a thrill!

[Rpatrick16]

Folks, I really want to thank you all for this wonderful input. Lot's of stuff to digest. Thanks so much!

Pat

[larryglarson]

They are all on my list too, I have been to all and can tell you they are really great. There are a lot of State Parks on the Oregon coast and many of them have a view of the Ocean. I hope over time you make them all and me too.

[PKI]

Ireland's RV park in Gold Beach. With a name like Pat, you have to give it a look. We still had miles to make, so we gave it a miss. Maybe someday? Pat

[Cyclist]

Originally Posted by Rpatrick16

There are four locations that I want to put on my lists of new quest and would appreciate any and all suggestions.

1. The Oregon Coast. I am looking for a campground that I can actually camp close (in sight) of the ocean and walking access to the beach. Not sure we will swim but you don't have to get wet to enjoy a visit to the ocean.
2. Moab and Canyonlands
3. Monument Valley
4. Santa Fe

My travel times include April thru early October.

Thanks in advance for taking the time to read my request and any comments or recommendations.

Pat

We have visited all four destinations over the past three years; you can't go wrong with any of the options.

We have stayed at four Oregon state parks along the coast, the only one I would not revisit is Devil's Lake in Lincoln City as it's prone to flooding and right in town. Harris Beach is wonderful and the California redwood grove just outside of Crescent City is an easy day visit. Carl G. Washburn S.P is lovely and remote with great beach access just across the highway. Bullards Beach in Bandon is also excellent.

Moab and Canyonlands are superb but may be difficult to find a campsite. One of our favourites is the Horsethief BLM site located just outside of Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point S.P. It's completely unserviced if this is an issue but it also means a high churn rate among campers so it's relatively easy to find a site. (https://www.campendium.com/horsethief-campground)

If going to the Moab area, you should also plan a visit to Capitol Reef N.P. which is relatively close by. The Fruita campground was first come- first served when we visited in May, 2015 and is unserviced (but with a water fill and dump station).

Canyon de Chelly was mentioned; an excellent stop. There is one hike down to the canyon floor (the White House Ruin Trail) which does not require a guide. The Cottonwood Campground run by Navajo Parks was mediocre when we were there this past April requiring some much needed maintenance.

If visiting Monument Valley, remember to check out Goosenecks S.P. about a half hour or so away from Monument Valley. It's unserviced with a vault toilet; if you have the nerve, you can camp right beside the drop off into the canyon below. If you do stay here, do the drive through the nearby Valley of Gods which is managed by the BLM (no charge). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_of_the_Gods

Santa Fe Skies is a very well run campground located on the outskirts of Santa Fe. A bit pricey but worth it (we stayed there this past April). If visiting Santa Fe, check out The Shed for superb local cuisine (be prepared for lots of chili). It's located right downtown about a block off the main plaza and has been in existence since the early 60's I believe. Museum Hill is also a great visit. The cafe served a wonderful chicken mole for lunch (I checked, it's still on the menu. (http://museumhill.net/explore.php)

Good luck

[leap-baby]

We usually spend a week in Santa Fe every year in September. It has cooled down by then and is beautiful. We like the Rancheros de Santa Fe Campground. It is situated in pinon-juniper wooded area on the Old Las Vegas Highway outside of town. It has both pull-through and back-in sites with full hookups. There are two restaurants not too far which are very good. Cafe Fina is fairly close, and you must try Harry's Roadhouse, a few miles down the road. The small community of El Dorado is not too far for gas and groceries. The Shed in Santa Fe is one of our favorite restaurants for traditional New Mexican food.

Be sure and check out the Saturday morning Farmer's Market at the Railyard. It's chile harvest season, so fresh chilies are abundant. Rancho de las Golondrinas is a living history museum about 15 miles southwest of town that is worth a visit. The High Road to Taos is a beautiful drive any time of year. The last two weekends of September you can catch the High Road Art Tour there. In Chimayo be sure to stop at the Santuario de Chimayo, a much photographed and historic church. Nearby is the the Rancho de Chimayo restaurant, renowned for its New Mexican cuisine. They won a James Beard award this year as an American Classic. You'll be more apt to catch fall colors late September, early October. There is so much to see and do there. Enjoy!

[Gneiss Guy]

I would also recommend the Oregon state parks. That stretch of coast is magnificent. The Moab area is delightful as well. In addition to Arches and Canyonlands N.P., my favorite is Dead Horse Point State Park. It might be hard to get a spot in, however. I expect an Airstream could get pretty hot in the day, however, so you might want to try Spring or Fall. Santa Fe is a neat place for a few days, but I don't know how long you would want to hang around.

[LBelle]

All of the comments re OSP's is right on! A couple of favorites are Carl Washburne (near the very scenic Cape Heceta lighthouse), Southbeach which is near the town of Newport (a bit touristy but lots to see and do) and Fort Stevens (at the northern border...adjoining the magnificent Columbia River and near the town of Astoria) and then just across the Columbia is Cape Disappointment SP - it is in Washington but the best of the lot. It seems you are a biker, as we are, and there is a fantastic eight mile trail along the beach just north of Cape Disappointment. It and Ft Stevens also have a great deal of maritime history and Lewis & Clark stuff!

[USAtraveler]

If you go to Ft. Stevens, Don't miss the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria. Lotsa history on "crossing the bar" of the Columbia and great exhibits, especially re the US Coast Guard.

[Rgentum]

"All of the comments re OSP's is right on! A couple of favorites are Carl Washburne (near the very scenic Cape Heceta lighthouse), Southbeach which is near the town of Newport (a bit touristy but lots to see and do) and Fort Stevens (at the northern border...adjoining the magnificent Columbia River and near the town of Astoria) and then just across the Columbia is Cape Disappointment SP - it is in Washington but the best of the lot. It seems you are a biker, as we are, and there is a fantastic eight mile trail along the beach just north of Cape Disappointment. It and Ft Stevens also have a great deal of maritime history and Lewis & Clark stuff!"

I've stayed at both Southbeach (just across the bridge at the south end of Newport) and Ft. Stevens (at the NW tip of Oregon, west of Astoria); Both are great state parks, but neither has an ocean view & both are a significant walk from the shore, across sand dunes. A very popular park 15 minutes north of Newport is Beverly Beach SP, again, without a view of the ocean from the park sites but much less of a walk to the beach. I was at Ft Stevens a couple of weeks ago & talked with one of the Rangers, who told me that virtually all of the park's some 200 sites are filled during the summer by reservations, & I don't think this circumstance is rare for OR parks on the coast during the summer. I was at Harris Beach during Labor Day weekend & got the very last of its some 150 sites by reservation at least several weeks before then. Be forewarned: sites at these parks fill up quickly, typically long before the actual time you are there. Some parks have "non-reservation" sites, which open around noon on each day, but don't count on them.

Be aware that the two vacation spots on the northern OR coast are both not much more than an hour away from Portland: Seaside/Cannon Beach NW of Portland & Lincoln City SW of Portland. Consequently, during the summer both of these areas have heavy traffic. I was in Lincoln City just a few weeks ago & spoke extensively with the manager at the local Native American casino's RV park, who, among other things, told me that during last summer, it took over an hour to drive from one end to the other of Lincoln City on Hwy 101, a distance of all or maybe 10 miles. This is one of the many reasons that I prefer the southern OR beaches, which tend to be sunnier, warmer, & less trafficked. Besides Harris Beach, in Brookings, Bullards Beach, in Gold Beach, is nice. I've also had great times in the parks around Charleston, around the breakwater of Coos Bay & around 15 minutes west of the city of Coos Bay, Sunset Bay State Park & Bastendorf Beach County Park (where the OR unit of WBCCI holds an annual rally). Bandon, perhaps half an hour south of Coos Bay, is worth visiting, especially if you're a golfer: Bandon Dunes is a major, major golf course (like Pebble Beach, around Carmel, CA). Another great OR State Park is Nehalem Bay SP, around half an hour north of Tillamook (& the Tillamook Cheese factory, a very popular tourist site), where the WBCCI also holds another annual rally. Again, a great camp site but without a view of the ocean, although it's a short walk over the sand dunes.

The OR beaches are free, public (thanks to ex-governor Oswald West, who established Oregon's beach highway law, proclaiming the entire Pacific coastline to the high tide line to be a public highway, thus preserving scenery and beach access for future generations), & spectacular, although remember that OR, like WA, is in the NW --- it's not for no reason that WA is called "The Evergreen State" ---, so even in the summer, the beaches occasionally can be cold & rainy. I was at Tokeland, WA, south of Aberdeen, this past weekend at an WA WBCCI rally & we had occasional bursts of sunny skies, but it was predominantly rainy & in the high 40s & low 50s, pretty typical for late October/November on the coast.

[tvketchum]

If Moab is in the plan, you are near Best Friends Animal Rescue sanctuary in Kanab. Tours are very interesting and informative, the dogs and cats are in great need of caring contact. I cannot assume responsibility for those who adopt a cute traveling companion.....


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Tom

[Caffeinated]

I'd like to pgive a slightly different view of OR Southbeach State park. While it's true that it's a bit of a hike to the water, and there is no ocean view, it is close to Newport. Newport does have the typical tourist t- shirt shops, but it also has wonderful art galleries, and fantastic restaurants at all price ranges. There is a hole in the wall run down looking fish market on the S end of the Newport bridge where you can get the best fresh halibut fish and chips served on paper plates. The Rogue brewery/distillery/pub is close and offers daily tours and tastes from both the brewery and the distillery. The distillery has its own cooperage for making the oak aging barrels and it's fascinating to see the 100 yr old European machines they use for this process. Old town Newport is a working fishing port and fresh fish, Oregon history, and local art are abundant. Sometimes it worth looking past the surface of things.

Mike

PS, at Beverly Beach, the B loop does have ocean views. But you need to book far in advance to get them, either 9 months or six, I forget which.

[MontyV]

go to cape blanco. really nice state park. walking paths to the lighthouse and beach. beautiful.