Travel Local for Less
Updated Jan 26, 2022 Oregon The wonders of Oregon, 3 min video, plus a 2 week itinerary to see the state . . . https://traveloregon.com/things-to-do/trip-ideas/7-wonders/2-weeks-7-wonders/ Portland Astoria to Newport Newport to Bandon Bandon to Crater Lake Crater Lake to Bend Bend to John Day John Day to Baker City Baker City to Joseph & Wallowas Joseph to Hood River Hood River, Mt Hood Mt Hood to Willamette Valley Museums for All (low income) museums listed alphabetically by state: https://museums4all.org/participating-museums/ Portland Metro Multnomah Co Library Discovery Pass https://multcolib.org/how-it-works-my-discovery-pass Access to Arts and Culture, Portland Region https://racc.org/resources/access-arts-and-culture/ Oregon Rail Heritage Center, Portland OR Thursday - Sunday, 1:00 - 5:00pm Free Admission, Free Parking https://orhf.org/ Oregon Jewish Museum, Portland OR Hours: Wednesday – Saturday: 11am – 4pm Vaccines required for 18+, masks for ages 2+ https://www.ojmche.org/exhibit-type/core-exhibitions/ PDX Parent lists free/discount activities & venues https://www.pdxparent.com/free-and-discounted-portland-area-museum-days/ Portland Rainy Day Fun https://pdxparent.com/pdx-rainy-day/ Portland Living on the Cheap https://portlandlivingonthecheap.com/events/ A great travel guide for Portland, including accessibility http://wheelchairtraveling.com/portland-oregon-wheelchair-accessible-travel-guide/ Free to look Powells City of Books https://www.powells.com/locations/powells-city-of-books/ Portland Saturday Market reopens Mar 5, 2022 https://www.portlandsaturdaymarket.com/#close Farmers Market PSU https://www.portlandfarmersmarket.org/our-markets/psu/ King Farmers Market, Sundays May-Nov https://www.portlandfarmersmarket.org/our-markets/king/ ![]() Transit Travel--Portland & Vancouver WA
Get a HOP pass at Safeway, Fred Meyer, and many other stores. It's like a re-loadable phone card--you don't have to worry about having change or exact change. https://myhopcard.com/home/ Tap the PASS as you board a bus, but before you get on the MAX (Portland’s Light Rail), look for a post like the one pictured at left. Discounts for Seniors/Disabled, Low Income, Youth. 2022 Reciprocal Admission Program--"membership to one of the participating organizations is your key to free admission for a member and three guests of any age to a different attraction each month." January: Oregon Zoo (oregonzoo.org/visit) February: Columbia River Maritime Museum (crmm.org) March: Deepwood Museum & Gardens (deepwoodmuseum.org) April: Clark County Historical Museum(cchmuseum.org) May: Architectural Heritage Center (visitahc.org) June: Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education (ojmche.org) July: World Forestry Center(worldforestry.org) August: Oregon Historical Society (ohs.org/visit) September: Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals (ricenorthwestmuseum.org) October: Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum (evergreenmuseum.org) November: Oregon Coast Aquarium (aquarium.org) December: Lan Su Chinese Garden (lansugarden.org) Nationwide Zoos & Aquarium reciprocal memberships updated Dec 2021 https://www.aza.org/find-a-zoo-or-aquarium Oregon State Parks info
Free Parking Days at METRO parks “Enjoy free parking at Oxbow and Blue Lake regional parks, Broughton Beach, Chinook Landing Marine Park, and M. James Gleason Memorial Boat ramp on 19 days in 2022” Jan. 1, 17 and 20 Feb. 17 and 21 March 17 April 21 May 19 June 16 and 19 July 15 Aug. 18 Sept. 15 Oct. 10 and 20 Nov. 11, 17 and 25 Dec. 15 Parking at all other Metro parks and boat ramps is free year-round. https://www.oregonmetro.gov/news/free-parking-days-metro-parks-2022 OR Free Fishing Days for 2022 https://myodfw.com/articles/2022-free-fishing-days-and-events Feb. 19-20 (Saturday & Sunday), President’s Day Weekend June 4-5 (Saturday & Sunday) Nov. 25-26 (Friday & Saturday), Thanksgiving Weekend *The FINE PRINT: Area closures, bag limits and all other regulations still apply. Oregon Museum of Science & Industry--OMSI https://omsi.edu/events OMSI YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/omsimuseum?app=desktop Rose City Astronomers Star Party Page https://www.rosecityastronomers.net/star-party-page The Cove Palisades State Park, near Bend OR Eagle Watch postponed until further notice https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=24 For more ideas check the Destinations page of this site. More in Oregon Link to Travel Oregon . . . https://traveloregon.com/ Oregon Coast map & mileage Oregon Rest Areas https://www.tripcheck.com/Pages/Rest-Areas?fbclid=IwAR1_WIlLcU3QGY_1Gm6qR97no9g-FLafBGLu9sgbAFlLHfzXFs12LAnNlZ4 Salem
Eugene https://titancourt.com/10-free-cheap-things-eugene/ Corvallis/Albany
Medford/Ashland/southern Oregon https://www.travelmedford.org/things-to-do Bend & Central Oregon
Getting Gas
Check out
Advice from a frequent traveler (stations below just off the highway) I-5 Oregon 1. Flying J at Donald/Aurora, OR; exit 278 2. Pilot at Brooks, OR; exit 263 3. AM/PM at Lebanon/Corvallis, OR; exit 228 4. Arco at Creswell, OR (used to be competitive); exit 182 Hwy 101 at the Coast 1. Union 76 at Bandon, OR 2. Coos Bay 76 (one going north, one going south) 3. Fred Meyer at Warrenton, OR 4. Fred Meyer at Tillamook, OR I-5 Washington 1. Exxon at Burlington (George Hopper Rd); exit 229 Compare Arco same exit, across street (one or other might be better) And Costco gasoline close 2. AM/PM Slater Rd, Bellingham, WA; exit 260 3. Pilot at Ferndale, WA, east side of I-5; exit 262 I-84 1. Arco exit 16 before Troutdale 2. Space Age gas station about 200 mi east of Portland, exit 182 near Hermiston 3. Pilot station exit 188 not too bad Note: if you have Safeway rewards, you can use them at Chevron and Texaco. |
Washington Vancouver and Southwest Washington FVRL Experience Pass https://www.fvrl.org/experience-pass --use your library card for a free pass to: Cascade Locks Historical Museum (not accessible) Clark County Historical Museum (Vancouver WA) Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center Museum (Stevenson WA) Genealogical Forum of Oregon (Portland OR) Lan Su Chinese Garden (Portland OR) Maryhill Museum of Art (Goldendale WA) Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals (Hillsboro OR) FVRL calendar of events https://fvrl.librarymarket.com/events/upcoming WA State Parks free days 2022 —day use only-- https://discoverpass.wa.gov/ "Washington State Parks and the Washington Departments of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) and Natural Resources (DNR) offer several 'free days' when a Discover Pass is not required to visit these lands. Following are the 2022 free days: Jan. 1 — First Day Hikes; New Year’s Day Jan. 17 — Martin Luther King, Jr. Day March 9 -- Billy Frank Junior's Birthday March 19 — State Parks’ 108th Birthday April 22 — Earth Day June 11 — National Get Outdoors Day June 12 — Free Fishing Day June 19 — Juneteenth Sept. 24 — National Public Lands Day Oct. 10 -- World Mental Health Day Nov. 11 — Veterans Day Nov. 25 — Native American Heritage Day Free days apply only to day use (not overnight stays or rented facilities). Free days are valid at state parks and Washington State Departments of Natural Resources and Fish & Wildlife lands. Sno-Park permits are still required on free days at designated Sno-Parks during the winter season." Fort Vancouver & Pearson Field/Air Museum https://www.nps.gov/fova/index.htm Waterfront Renaissance Trail https://www.cityofvancouver.us/parksrecculture/page/columbia-river-renaissance-trail-5-miles Esther Short Park events, most years https://www.cityofvancouver.us/parksrecculture/page/esther-short-park Vancouver Farmers Market--begins in March Recycled Arts Festival--June 25-26, 2022 https://recycledartsfestival.com/ Summer Concert series, free—cancelled in '21, hope for '22 Science in the Park, free kid activities Fire in the Park (Fire Dept. event) free family friendly to-do Hawaiian Festival, free—July 21-24, 2022 https://4daysofaloha.com/ Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival Aug 26-28, 2022 https://www.vancouverwinejazz.com/ Hanukkah Celebration Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Water Resource Education Center Free educational activities and learning, various events https://www.cityofvancouver.us/publicworks/page/water-resources-education-center Pendleton Woolen Mills Tour (Washougal WA) 11 min video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGN4_FDx1YE&ab_channel=ThePendletonPride Live tours suspended for COVID-19 Ridgefield, Steigerwald, Franz Lake, Pierce Nat Wildlife Refuges
Cedar Creek Grist Mill https://www.cedarcreekgristmill.org/ https://www.facebook.com/cedarcreekgristmill/?ref=page_internal more frequent updates To-Do Vancouver, WA https://www.visitvancouverusa.com/things-to-do/ More places of interest in SW Washington Long Beach, WA Fort Borst Park, Centralia Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery Loggers’ Jubilee , Morton For more ideas check the Destinations page of this site. National Parks & Lands--2022 free days
https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm January 17: Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. April 16: First day of National Park Week August 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act September 24: National Public Lands Day November 11: Veterans Day Free & reduced passes-- Military 4th Grade Seniors Disabled Volunteers https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm US Forest Service, and fees & passes Here's a good article on the Benefits of Camping, though it doesn't directly discuss accessibility.
https://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/benefits-of-camping.html Smithsonian Magazine Free Museum Day 2022?? More in Washington 12 Free activities in WA https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/washington/fun-free-things-wa/ 25 Best to do WA State https://vacationidea.com/washington/best-things-to-do-in-washington-state.html Greater Seattle on the Cheap https://www.greaterseattleonthecheap.com/ Wheelchair Travel in Seattle https://wheelchairtravel.org/seattle/ Transit Travel—other cities Seattle https://www.seattle.gov/transportation/getting-around/transit Vancouver BC public transit https://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/visitors-guide-to-public-transit.aspx Victoria BC public transit www.bctransit.com/victoria Volcano Row https://pnsn.org/volcanoes Lassen Peak, CA Mt. Shasta, CA Medicine Lake, CA Crater Lake, OR Newberry Volcano, OR Three Sisters, OR Mt. Jefferson, OR Mt. Hood, OR Mt. Adams, WA Mt. St. Helens, WA Mt. Rainier, WA Glacier Peak, WA Mt. Baker, WA Travel your Local Planet Link to: https://happytowander.com/resources/ Pretty encompassing website for worldwide wheelchair travel and issues by a man who lives & travels in a wheelchair: https://wheelchairtravel.org/destinations/ Wheelchair Jimmy has a special rating system, videos, etc. https://wheelchairjimmy.com/ Mobility International USA--resources, helps, tips for Disabled travel https://www.miusa.org/plan/americans-abroad A travel company that arranges for disabled travel adventures: https://gowheeltheworld.com/ Disabled travel & adventures in Utah (you'll be amazed) https://www.visitutah.com/plan-your-trip/accessible-utah/ Here's an article about Travel Rewards Credit Cards, if you want to know more about them: https://money.com/best-travel-credit-card/ New for 2021--updated 1/26/2022 Washington & Oregon compared, 6 min video posted 2018 https://youtu.be/j7oxBYGW1Kw Access Recreation—helpful reviews of local trails and parks in the Portland/Vancouver WA area https://www.accesstrails.org/overview/home/index.html Universal Access Hikes (last update 2007) https://www.oregonhikers.org/field_guide/Category:Universal_Access_Hikes Historical Highway Markers—WA State https://wsdot.wa.gov/engineering-standards/design-topics/environment/environmental-disciplines/cultural-resources/history-archaeology-culture/historic-highways/historical-highway-markers ADA recreation | Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission https://parks.state.wa.us/156/ADA-Recreation Accessibility in the National Parks https://www.nps.gov/subjects/accessibility/index.htm |