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 the state. Some are remarkable; some are mundane but reliable.
Some are just plain unusual. We like them all.
In Eastern Oregon,
Malheur Field Station is one of the nicest places
to stay imaginable, though it's pretty rustic and remote. The
Frenchglen Hotel is historic and has lots of character.
Over on the
Oregon Coast, Captain John's Motel
is a favorite because it's cheap and right in Charleston. The Sylvia
Beach Hotel has literary pretensions, but we like it anyway.
Then there are
the lodges: In the Cascades, Timberline Lodge
and Crater Lake Lodge come from an
elegant past, and so does Southern Oregon's Oregon
Caves Lodge.
And in Ashland,
we have some favorites, too.