Suggestions for overnight stops off the 5 no. CA

[TheOBB]

We will be heading north to Idaho, and would like any suggestions for places to stay for one night stops. Some of the places off freeway look pretty bad. Would love any suggestions. Red Bluff, Lake Shasta, and on up through Oregon. Would probably cut across in Portland and follow the Columbia Gorge, then on up through Kennewick to Spokane. Thanks, Rookies from So. Cal

[lewster]

OBB,

If you're going down I-84 thru the Gorge, stop at either Viento State Park or Memaloose State Park. They are both on the Columbia, about 15 miles east or west of Hood River, and have great views of the river and the surrounding area. If my house in Hood River wasn't under contract, you could stay there as it has full hook-ups.....50 amp, water, septic...even phone and satellite!!!

The ride down I-84 on the Oregon side, or if you prefer 2-lanes and a slower pace, take the Washington side. Both offer tremendous views of the Gorge scenery.

[lewster]

Also, If you have some time on your hands, get off I-5 around Ashland and detour to Crater Lake. If you have never been there....I HIGHLY recommend it. Looks just like the post cards!!!! You can then head North on US 97 thru Bend and hit I-84 in either Hood River going right past the base of Mount Hood, The Dalles heading straight north, or Biggs Junction if you want to end up further west.

Any of these interior routes are quite a lovely ride!!!!

[joewinfield]

Lew is right on. Crater Lake is worth any side delay but it's pretty convenient to I5. One beautiful site. joe

[wkerfoot]

Originally Posted by lewster

Also, If you have some time on your hands, get off I-5 around Ashland and detour to Crater Lake. If you have never been there....I HIGHLY recommend it. Looks just like the post cards!!!! You can then head North on US 97 thru Bend and hit I-84 in either Hood River going right past the base of Mount Hood, The Dalles heading straight north, or Biggs Junction if you want to end up further west.

Any of these interior routes are quite a lovely ride!!!!

The new TrailerLife has an article on Highway 97 from Weed, CA to Anchorage, AK. It shows many places to stop.

Also three articles on Airstream and a mention of the Vintage Airstream Club.

Bill

[coastal me]

I think guy99 has courtesy parking North of Mt. Shasta, and Jordandvm has courtesy parking West of Corvallis. I like the Red Bluff RV Park, I want quiet -no freeway noise!, and easy access to Hwy 5 and back. redbluffrvpark.com
also, the Army corps of engineers campground out of Cottage Grove is nice and easy access. Schwartz Park has nice, free hot showers. You would need to check and see if it is open when you drive by. It is 5 miles East of Hwy. 5.

[CanoeStream]

Check any specific Corps of Engineers campground before you get out on a limb. Due to budget issues they have closed camping for 2006 at quite a few campgrounds nationwide.

[guy99]

We have courtesy parking in Dunsmuir, seven miles south of Mount Shasta. W/E/D. View of the Mountain and a Trout Stream in the back yard. PM me and we can work out the details.

[3Ms75Argosy]

is the name of the place we've stayed for the past two summers in Weed (just uhh, I think north of Shasta). Only RV place there. There's a great "Family Pancake House" with awesome pancakes right across the street. The lots are clean, pull throughs. Price is right, and it's right off the freeway.

Guy99 - gosh, I should have looked you guys up last summer. If we do our CA trip this year, we'll check you out. Always nice to talk aluminum.
Marc

[guy99]

Marc,
Please do stop in. We've been a little disappointed that we haven't yet had any "courtesy parkers". We're in a beautiful spot and just off I5 so thought we'd have some takers.

Consider this an advertisement. My profile picture is taken from the courtesy parking spot (although the snow is gone, except of course for the Mountain).

[myoung]

Tom Stienstra has a nice series of books on camping in the west. His web site is http://www.tomstienstra.com/. The book "West Coast RV Camping" covering Washington, Oregon, and California is probably the most relevant for your purposes. It's been helpful to us.

[Condoluminum]

I wish we'd known of Guy99's offer coming home last summer from loop up CA and OR Coast past Newport and back down I-5. We stayed in RV Park adjacent to I-5 in Redding and heard trucks most of the night...

If you make it across the border, and want to avoid the freeway-adjacent places in Medford/Ashland (including Shakespeare Festival) there is a great campground 5 miles west of I-5 in Roseburg, called Twin Rivers Park. It is along the Upmqua River, adjacent to a county park, and very quiet and tree-shaded. It gets very busy during Roseburg Graffitti Week car events in early July, but is otherwise very easy to get to...

John McG

[TheOBB]

Originally Posted by myoung

Tom Stienstra has a nice series of books on camping in the west. His web site is http://www.tomstienstra.com/. The book "West Coast RV Camping" covering Washington, Oregon, and California is probably the most relevant for your purposes. It's been helpful to us.

Tom's book was of immense help. We are now in Great Falls, MT and wish we had a book like his. We're in a dive of a place on the 4th of July. Rick's RV......well we have internet hookup. The freeway noise is louder than the fireworks show going off from every angle of our toaster.

Thanks for your good and helpful reply.

The OBB

[TheOBB]

Originally Posted by rvlover

Lew is right on. Crater Lake is worth any side delay but it's pretty convenient to I5. One beautiful site. joe

Crater Lake was well worth the drive. We loved it. Thanks for the tip.

The OBB