Let’s cut to the chase on hotels: Luxury may be fine once in a great while, but most days on the road there’s nothing better than a cut-rate midrange motel room.
We like a clean, comfortable room without pretense: cable TV, a comfortable bed, and a decent restaurant or two you can walk to, all for well under $100 for a double. We really like, for example, the Super 8 Motel in Klamath Falls.
Beyond that, it’s great to have a little character in a place, though not if you have to spend real money on it. So here’s a list of our favorite places to stay in Oregon.
Some are remarkable; some are mundane but reliable. Some are just plain unusual. We like them all.
Tiny, remote and charming, and the best known place in Frenchglen, which doesn’t actually have all that many other places. What else do you need to know? Eight guest rooms — reserve ahead of time — and family-style dinner. An Oregon favorite for years. Open March through November.
Oregon has a lovely string of state parks, pretty much given over to RV camping and ATV users, that dot the state’s coast along Highway 101.
The biggest is Jessie M. Honeyman State Park, a massive complex three miles south of Florence that sports 47 full hookup sites, 121 electrical sites with water, 187 tent sites with water close at hand, 10 yurts (for your inlaws from the Mongolian steppe), paved parking, flushing toilets and showers… well, you get the idea.
State park camping on the coast isn’t too bad so long as you don’t entertain too many illusions about privacy, peace or quiet. Reservations are very necessary for popular weekends. Check www.oregonstateparks.org for the official details.
