Portland

Eating -Love the food trucks. Everyone needs to go to Voodoo Donuts at least once even though the donuts themselves are not as great as hyped. But they are fun and interesting.

Favorite things to do - I can spend days in Powell Books. The maritime museum. Staying at the the Crystal Hotel in the Pearl district. Easy walk to everywhere. Unique boutique hotel at a much lower price than surrounding hotels. Day trips to anywhere along the Columbia River Gorge. Multnomah Falls is a must do. Oregon Zoo is a really nice zoo.

Live in California (northern )

Favorite area for a getaway day is the Monterey Bay area for for me. Whale watching or for something less oceany a wildlife tour of the Elkhorn Slough. The aquarium is awesome. If you have littles don't miss the Dennis the Menace Park.

But for a tourist, of course a day in San Francisco is a must. Check out the Presidio and visit the giant redwoods in John Muir Park. DD just did Fort Funston, John Muir Woods and the Presidio in a day with an out of town friend.

Don't miss a visit to Santa Cruz with the boardwalk. and the one of the best old fashioned wooden roller coasters in the world.

If you come via LA just take the coast up to San Francisco. Stop at all the beach towns and sights along the way.

Hi, just an fyi, Los Angeles to Portland is almost 1,000 miles away. Grants Pass, which is only about 40 miles into Oregon from California, took about 11 and a half hours. Portland is further up from there. We drove, but stopped in San Francisco for a couple days.

LA has 10+ million people in its metropolitan area, and 4 million within the city limits itself. Anyone who offers what their "favorite" restaurant is, isn't doing you any favors. There is every kind of food known on earth with restaurants having any kind of environment possible for restaurants. There's plenty of info available on where to eat as well as on what to see and do and I recommend you do your own legwork, based on whereabouts you're staying or visiting.

I agree in general with watchme with the following additions - the Mendocino coast area north of SF is as nice a part of the Pacific coast as you will find. Don't miss the Wine Country if you're passing through, easily worth spending a few days to eat and drink.

And the following subtractions;

California Highway 1, the coast road that you would take into Big Sur and Monterey from the south, that she recommends, is currently closed so as to prevent taking that route. There was a major mudslide last year for which cleanup is expected to last until the Fall sometime. You can get to San Simeon (Hearst Castle) from the South, and Big Sur from the north (Monterey/Carmel). The closed section is in-between.

To me, Portland is overrated. Voodoo Donuts is famous for being famous. It's fare is nothing special, I wouldn't waste any time going there. I like San Francisco much more. In Oregon, my favorite spots are the Columbia Gorge (yes, near Portland, and it includes the Falls) and Crater Lake at the south end of the state.

I understood the OP to say they were planning a trip to California or Oregon. Not doing both.

Oh, I can see that now..... in the words of the great Gilda Radnor.....'never mind'.......lol.

If you go to Portland the zoo is next to the rose garden but up the hill from both is the Japanese Garden. Depending on time of year there are many pink leafed Japanese trees that are seedlings from a time that the garden was not as well maintained as it is now. They generally stay pink until early June gradually becoming green. If you like gardening just south along I5 are many nurseries plant growers. Although it does not have as many nurseries on it the Oregon Association of Nurseries offers a guide to member nurseries and some botanic gardens in the area. A 27 inch suitcase can hold 40 2 inch pots if packed carefully. If you have a problem with heights and wish to see the ocean drive South to Eugene then west to the coast. 101 hugs the ocean. Drive up to Astoria then back to Portland.

The "pink leaf Japanese trees" are presumably Japanese maples.

In addition to all the other web sites (and certain magazines) that will have talk about it Sunset Publishing has been writing about Oregon and California attractions for many years.

Except for right at the beach California in summer of course means hot and dry, with a severe drought having been in effect in later years. And with terrible forest fires being associated with these (hence the aforementioned mud slide). Other parts of the western States have also been getting hammered by an increase in frequency and severity of fires. So choose your destination and stops based on current information about existing conditions. In addition to what your unstated personal preferences might be regarding types of food and other amusements.

Thanks for correcting that. I forget that this is not a plant site.

"Except for right at the beach California in summer of course means hot and dry"

Not only right at the beach has comfortable temps, it's true of coastal plains too. But note that the OP said "If we go to California, we will drive there because LA is only about 6 hours away". That suggests she lives in Arizona or (less likely) Nevada or southwestern Utah. In which case, even most of inland California will be cooler than where she lives.

Drought years or no (and it mostly ended last year), it doesn't rain in the summer except for the odd thunderstorm in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Another nice region to visit, including Yosemite and Lake Tahoe.

For LA, what are your interests? Natural areas like national parks, museums, beaches, deserts, mountains? It's a big state, a long skinny state so to say you are coming to CA is a big order unless you are staying a month!! I would recommend not coming to So. CA after July. July can even be warm, but after that, it can be quite hot and not much fun to be out and about. There are thousands of restaurants just in LA, so if you decide on a general area, then restaurant suggestions can be made.

Disneyland.

Best food: Churros at Disneyland

--Penny the perpetual child

As for restaurants... We've only eaten there once, because we've only been to Portland once, but we loved the Portland City Grill. It's on the 30th floor of a bank building, so the view is wonderful, and our dinner was great.

What ages will be traveling? Will you have a car, are you open to day trips?

Be aware, there is a large car race scheduled for Labor Day Weekend at Portland International Raceway. Hotels towards the north might fill up.

I've only been to Portland once, for a week, about 10 years ago -- but I adored it! We stayed in a VBRO loft apartment downtown. The Pearl District is so walkable -- so many small shops and eating places. The Rose Garden and the Japanese Garden were beautiful, even though it was late summer, past the peak rose season. I also remember walking along the river, across several bridges. Powell's Books is a must if you have any booklovers with you. I found books there that I still love, that I've never seen anywhere else in person or on-line.

There's so much food, there's no reason to EVER eat in any chains. Oh, on our last day we stumbled across a Saturday Farmer's Market -- most beautiful veggies, flowers, roasting peppers, musicians, food stalls -- could have spent all day there. Lots of fruits and berries from the local area too.

As much as I enjoyed Portland, I loved the side trips we took. The Columbia River is so beautiful -- try to drive all the way up to The Dalles, where the landscape changes from lush green trees to warm dry grasses (fascinating to east-coasters like me). Stop by the Bonneville Power Station visitor center. Mt Hood is close. Mt St Helens is do-able and is like nothing else I've ever seen. And I'll second Elmer's recommendation of Crater Lake, if you can possibly venture that far. I've seen many beautiful places but I'd rate Crater Lake number one of all, no real contest.

We drove a few days down the Oregon coast -- can't go wrong with anything there. Redwoods aren't too far away at the top of California (Fern Gully there was cool, too).

Thanks!

Elmer J Fudd, yes you guessed it! I live in Arizona.

What I would probably do is drive to LA, stay there for 3-4 nights, go to the beach and then to the Redwoods. I'm not sure how far the Redwoods are from LA, so we might camp or something.

All the advice of Portland makes me want to go there even more!

My kids are 12 and 15. They really want to escape the 120 degree weather in June, so I thought it would be fun going to California for a few days to cool off. Because by the beach it will probably only be 90?

It would be fun to hike in Oregon!

Basil, in southern California along the coastal cities, June is quite mild, and it can be cloudy and cool. We call it "June gloom." So I don't think heat would be a problem, though one never knows. Disneyland (inland and warmer) is good for entertaining everyone. I don't think of the food at Disneyland to be anything great, though we found a nice restaurant there. The name escapes me.. The Long Beach Aquarium is great and relatively new. I would consider the La Brea Tar Pits too.

What are your interests? There is so much to do in the LA area. Are you interested in art, gardens, history, museums, cars, the beach, things for the kids?

Redwoods are pretty far from LA. Santa Cruz has some redwoods, that is probably the closest to LA. Hearst Castle near Cambria is fascinating.

Thanks everyone!

Hoovb, I'm mostly interested in food, hiking (which would be more near the Redwoods) maybe car shows. For my 12 year old we were thinking of going to the Lego store about 20 minutes from LA.

Im not sure my kids would like Disney, so we where thinking of chilling by the beach and eating food for a day. Then go to a park.

Im not sure if we will go in June, we might go earlier.

There is a Lego store at Downtown Disney plus Legoland in Carlsbad, California, just a short drive north on the 5 from San Diego. After reading some of your desired activities, I think you might really enjoy San Diego and some of the coastal towns north of there rather than Los Angeles. You have the San Diego zoo, Balboa Park, Sea World, the aforementioned Legoland, the Air and Space Museum, the San Diego Automotive Museum and lots of hiking possibilities (HIKING). The climate is mild. In fact, it can be chilly in May and June. Many of the listed activities are in relatively close proximity to one another, so you wouldn't spend all of your time in a car travelling.

May and June are cool by the coast, even in SoCal. You could chill by the beach near LA in Manhattan/Hermosa/Redondo Beach, or check out the OC in Huntington. If you want to head north immediately, you could start around Ventura...how much time are you planning to spend?

If you are an amateur geologist or a rock Hound, there are things to do in Oregon; If not, then photo scenics are the next best thing. I agree with others: The Columbia gorge east of Portland is good. There are several water falls by the roadside. Multnoma Falls is a must.

Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens and Crater Lake offer scenic photo opportunities as does parts of the Oregon Pacific coast.

The most habitable part of Oregon is the strip west of the Cascade mountains. Most of the colleges and cities are in this strip. The land east of the Cascades is at higher elevation and in late summer is semi-desert. The city of Bend may have water shortage. There are ranches in this region. If you travel in this region in summer, always carry plenty of drinking water. There are places where cellphone and CB services fail.

If you are navigation by road map (I know - old technology, but that what we use in Oregon), be advised of locations on the map called locales. These appear as regular small towns both on the map and as you drive into one. These are not towns! These are property of a ranch and are housing for its family and employees. It may have all the trappings of a small village. There may be a gasoline pump next to a county store. The owner is not obligated to sell you gasoline, but most do and most tourists passing through are none the wiser. My advice: When traveling through an area dotted with "locales", do not let your fuel tank go below half full. These locales are found in eastern Oregon.

As for so. Calif., If you like to hike, you should check out Yosemite. Lots of hiking and we hope full waterfalls if we get plenty of snow in the mountains. Very nearby is the Mariposa Grove with giant sequoias, also a good walk/hike around the trees. It’s remarkable. It has been closed for renovation but is supposed to open in spring of 2018.

For the beach scene, you could check out Huntington Beach, (home of surf and volleyball competitions and a fun 4th of July parade), walk the pier, eat at Dukes. “Surf City”

If you like fish and travel up the coast, definitely eat at Lure in Ventura, Camarillo, Westlake or Santa Barbara locations. Excellent food. Lunch probably more affordable than dinner

Disneyland food is ok but nothing special.

edited to add If you are passing through Palm Springs, you could take the aerial tram to the top of San Jacinto. Hike there or just have lunch. Take a jacket, always colder at the top.

When you said you are about 6 hours from LA I thought "You could be in some part of the greater LA area, and be about 6 hours from some other location in LA." When I was there a year ago (mostly for a conference, with a few days tacked on to the end) it took about 3 hours to go from Santa Monica Pier to Disneyland. The best things I did on that trip were seeing the Getty Museum and going Hot Air Ballooning out near Lake Elsinore.

I've been to Portland twice in the past few years, and spent some time in the city itself, but more time using it as a base for day trips to the surrounding area. One day we went to Mt Saint Helen's and did a great hike from the Johnston Ridge Observatory most of the way to Spirit Lake. One day we went to the Pacific Coast, and visited several towns from Seaside (where Lewis and Clark reached the ocean) to Cannon Beach, to Astoria which is actually on the mouth of the Columbia River. and One day in the Columbia River Gorge hiking to 5 different waterfalls and visiting a large fish hatchery.

LA traffic is bad bad bad. Don't think you're going to drive here and there across the LA freeways. It's a slow slog most of the day.

What I like to do when guests come is take them to the Getty Villa by the sea. That's a beautiful re creation of an ancient Roman villa and grounds. You can drive along the ocean from there and have dinner. It's beautiful. I haven't had one complaint yet. LA as a city isn't pretty but has some interesting things to see. The Walt Disney concert hall has perfect sound if you love music. Cal Phil has family oriented concerts that are reasonable in summer.

Yosemite is a wonder of the world and everyone should see it at least once. For big trees, I like Muir woods near San Francisco or Big Basin. California has great hiking all over the state.