As a tour guide, I occasionally find myself planning the perfect tour. In fact, I’ve proposed a couple of these tours to my employers in the past, but they’ve explained that there’s no money in them. People want to see things and places they’ve heard of, and you just can’t get enough people to sign up to visit a place called Tokeland, unless they’re Grateful Dead fans. That’s why I’m bringing it to you in a weekend getaway guide in the hopes that someone can enjoy my perfect Portland weekend getaway tour.
Just a 3 hour drive from Portland is a sleepy hideaway called the Tokeland Hotel. I discovered it by accident one time as I was exploring the coastline of Washington state. Ironically, the best of Washington’s beaches are closer to Portland than they are to Seattle.
While you can drive directly to Tokeland after work on a Friday, I recommend taking the whole day off so that you can experience a part of the Columbia River few people ever see, the Lower Columbia River Gorge. It’s best to travel north on Interstate 5 until you reach Longview, Washington. From there you cross back into Oregon across the 210 foot high Lewis and Clark Bridge. This allows you to bypass the slow drive along US 30 between Portland and Rainier, Oregon.
Heading east on US 30, you’ll climb until you reach the town of Alston. There are a couple of pullouts on your way up where you can stop to take in the view of the port of Longview and Mt. St Helens in the distance. The industrial nature of what you see below is due to the intersection of three modes of transportation: the river, the railroad, and the interstate.
Beaver Falls, one of the Columbia river’s hidden gems
Just past Alston, take a right turn onto Beaver Falls road. Its name is a hint as to your first adventure on your Portland weekend getaway. About 3.5 miles down the road, you’ll come to a large pullout on the left. Park your car, and head down the trail at the east end of the parking lot. In just 10 minutes, you’ll come to the dramatic Beaver Falls. In all the Gorge waterfall books I’ve read, I’ve never seen this one listed, and it drops 48 feet over a basalt shelf. Depending on the time of year, you may opt for a swim in the clear waters.
From the parking lot, you can backtrack to US 30, but since you’ve taken the day off, you may as well continue on to Clatskanie. Follow the back way along Beaver Falls road. Once you reach Clatskanie, turn right onto US 30 and continue towards Astoria.
The last ferry on the Columbia river
In a few miles, you’ll reach Westport which is most well known for the Berry Patch restaurant. It’s a great stop for some fresh pie or coffee, especially if you’re running early for the ferry. After devouring one of their many delicious pies, head down Westport Ferry Road to ride the last ferry across the Columbia river still in operation. It runs hourly on the hour and quarter hour depending on the direction you’re heading.
Even if you’re early, it’s nice to sit along the edge of the Westport slough while you wait for the ferry to arrive. When it does, you want to be in your car as loading and unloading happens very quickly due to its small size. Once you’ve parked your car on the ferry and paid your fare, get out of your vehicle to enjoy the sounds and smells as you make the crossing. If you’re lucky, you’ll see a giant container ship towering over you. Being more agile, the ferry must yield to shipping traffic along the river.
The Cathlamet ferry doesn’t actually drop you in the town of Cathlamet but on one of two smaller islands in the middle of the Columbia river. If you’re the adventurous type, consider driving the perimeter of either of these islands to get a glimpse of the unusual river life of a people that will completely disappear should a major Tsunami ever hit the coast of Oregon.
If you’re running short on time, drive directly across both islands and through the town of Cathlamet until you reach WA highway 4, which runs parallel to US route 30 but on the Washington side of the Columbia river. In 10 minutes, you’ll reach the town of Skamokawa, pronounced Ska ma ko way.
The resort at Skamokawa, Washington
I like to spend the night at the Skamokawa resort which is a great place to watch the significant rise and fall of the tidal Columbia river. If you have the time, book a kayak trip of the Julia Butler Hansen National Wildlife Refuge through Columbia River Kayaking. If not, simply enjoy a relaxing evening on a chair in the gazebo at the resort.
If you want to explore the area on foot, walk across the bridge on WA 4 to the Vista Park campground. This could also be an overnight option for the more budget conscious traveler. It’s a great spot to watch container ships making a sharp 90 degree turn in a very narrow part of the river. It’s like having a skyscraper move past you on its side. You can also walk into the wildlife refuge by continuing down Steamboat slough road next to the resort.
There’s only one option for dinner here, and that is the Duck Inn. What it lacks in food options, it makes up for in ambiance, especially if you catch sunset over the wildlife refuge. The last time I went there, they had live music, and it was a fun opportunity to get to know the locals.
I can’t imagine a more peaceful place to spend the night, and I encourage you to get up early to watch the sunrise over the river. Between the changing tides and changing light, the place has many different faces to present over the span of a day. After check out, continue west on WA 4, but instead of going to Long Beach, take a right onto north US 101.
Willapa Bay oyster tasting
The road to Raymond takes you along the beautiful Willapa bay, which is known for its oysters. In fact you can stop along the way to enjoy them raw or baked. I think the best option for raw is Goose Point Oysters, which serves oysters as fresh as you can get them within view of the bay they came from.
If you prefer your oysters cooked, continue into South Bend and stop at River View dining. Be sure to leave your urban expectations behind. Your oysters will be served to you when the owner has determined its time and not a moment sooner. If you get tired of waiting, pop into the German shop next door that is run by his wife.
After lunch I’d head straight to Tokeland, but if you’re a fan of horse drawn carriages, be sure to stop by the Northwest Carriage Museum, which has one of the greatest collections of horse drawn carriages I’ve ever seen. There are a couple of fast food options here if you’re not a fan of oysters no matter how they’re prepared, but don’t spoil your appetite; you’re going to want an empty stomach when you arrive at the Tokeland hotel.
Pay close attention when coming to the intersection at Shoalwater Bay Casino. Tokeland is a tiny town and not well marked. Most of the peninsula jutting into the Willapa bay is Native reservation, and there is not much development before you see the hotel on the left hand side of Tokeland road.
The Tokeland Hotel
The hotel has the vibe of a place that movie stars used to come to escape the press. It’s private and intimate. As soon as you enter, you are tempted by the display case filled with deserts. As you turn around to take in the entryway, you realize the whole of your weekend can be spent exploring the trinkets on the shelves there.
Beyond the entry is the restaurant with its window wall to the wetlands. You can enjoy all of your meals here, and I recommend it. After dinner you can stroll out the door to one of the chairs or continue out to the edge of the bay along one of the trails. The hotel provides beach cruisers if you want to glide along the trails at a pace similar to the shore birds rapidly flapping their wings as they search the shoreline for a good place to snack.
All the rooms are located upstairs, and you have to pass through the common area with its large fireplace and a giant moose head mounted above it. This is a great space to get to know your fellow travelers, play one of the board games provided, or just curl up in front of the fireplace to read.
During the summer, they have a 2 night minimum, but they’ve always let me have a room for a single night when I’ve contacted them directly. Keep in mind, it is a European style hotel, which means shared bathrooms, but they provide comfortable robes for your stroll down the hallway, and the bathrooms are well equipped with anything you might need during your stay.
If the weather is favorable, you can bring your morning coffee or afternoon cocktail out to the yard and enjoy the sights and sounds of the estuary. In the evenings, lights strung above lead you out to the fire pit. This is one of the few places, I don’t mind if the weather is foul. I’ve enjoyed an entire day listening to the rain pelt against the window as I read a book in front of the fireplace or headed up to my room for an afternoon nap.
Food breaks in Westport and Centralia
At the end of the weekend, you can easily bolt back to Portland in a few hours by heading east to I5. Never in a rush to return home, however, I usually make my way up to Westport for a morning coffee and to watch the restive swells as the Pacific and the bay as they wrestle over which direction the tide should go. From Westport it’s an easy return to I5 as well.
Another nice break on the return trip is the town of Centralia which is filled with restaurants and antique shops. It’s a charming town with historic brick buildings lining the main street, and you’re sure to hear a train rumbling through, whether its a freighter or one of the five daily Amtrak trains providing service between Portland and Seattle.
One last detour before you head back home for the weekend is Yard Birds Mall & Storage. This emporium has everything you could possibly want to furnish your home, whether you’re a collector looking for an antique lamp or a homesteader looking for an off the grid cast iron stove.
When you get back from your weekend away, you’ll feel that it was more than Portland you left; it was a lifestyle you left and a chance to recharge yourself with an experience that touched all your senses. That is to me what makes the perfect tour: not a place, but an experience.