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Ideas for longer road trips

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Crater Lake

Crater Lake is Oregon's only national park.  It covers 250 square miles of alpine terrain and forest areas. and includes the ninth deepest lake in the world.  See the lake, Wizard Island, "Phantom Ship", and "The Old Man of the Lake".​

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nps.gov/crla/

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Leavenworth, WA

After nearby lumber mills shut down, the town of Leavenworth, WA, focused on tourism to help the economy.  The main part of town adopted a Bavarian theme.  Enjoy the feel of a small German town while only going about two hours east of Seattle, WA.​

leavenworth.org/

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Oregon Dunes

The dunes cover about 7000 acres of the 31566 acres of the recreation area.  Visitors can enjoy activities such as hiking, fishing canoeinghorseback riding, and camping.  There are also dune buggy rentals so you can really explore the dunes!

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fs.usda.gov/

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Olympic National Park

It's a pretty long drive to Olympic National Park.  Sights such as the Hoh Rainforest, Hurricane Ridge, Mount Olympus, and ocean beaches, make the nearly five hour drive worth it.  Visitors can camp in the park, or stay in nearby areas such as Port Angeles or Forks.  

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nps.gov/olym/

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Oregon Caves

About 20 miles East of Cave Junction, (and near the California border), is the 4554 acre Oregon Caves Monument, and the "Marble Halls of Oregon".  The main cave is about 15000 feet long!

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nps.gov/orca/

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Wildlife Safari

If you'd enjoy a drive through wildlife park, where the animals can get close, drive about 3 hours south from Portland to Wildlife Safari, in Winston.

1790 NW Safari Rd, Winston, OR

Hours: 9:00 am-6:00 pm

Drive Through Safari Tickets  $17.95-$23.95

wildlifesafari.net/​​

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Long Beach, WA

About half an hour NW of Astoria is the small sea side town of Long Beach.  There, visitors can play on the beach, walk along the boardwalk, or have fun at Funland Amusement Park.  There's plenty to see along the way, too.  Sights like the kite museum, Fort Columbia, lighthouses at Cape Disappointment, and the curiosities at Marsh's Free Museum.

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Mt Ranier National Park

Go camping and enjoy the natural beauty of the highest point in Washington.  Visitors to Mt. Rainer National Park can hike through the forest with views of Mt. Rainier, wildlife, lakes, waterfalls, and  wildflowers.  Even if you choose to stay in your car, you can still enjoy one of the beautiful, scenic drives.  About 4 hours NE of Portland.

nps.gov/mora/

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Painted Hills

For a view of one of the Seven Wonders of Oregon, the Painted hills, travel about 52 miles northeast of Prineville.  The layers of the hill appear as different colors because  the the soil is composed of mudstone, siltstoneshale and lignite.

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nps.gov/

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Oregon Coast Aquarium

Stroll through 23 acres of 

2820 SE Ferry Slip Rd, Newport

Hours: 10:00 am-6:00 pm

Admission: 2 and under free,3-12 $15.95, 13-17 $19.95, 18-64 $25.95, 65+ $19.95

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aquarium.org/

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Seattle, WA

There is enough do in Seattle for it to have its own page.  If you find yourself a few hours north of Portland,  you might be interested in the car museum, Garden and Glass, the flight museumthe Pacific Science CenterMoPop, Pike Place Marketthe Ferris wheel and, of course, the Space Needle.

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