8 days in Portland, Bend & Monroe Itinerary

A big city with a small-town feel, Portland is home to the country's biggest rose test garden, perched on a hill overlooking downtown.

Popular historic sites such as Columbia River Highway and Eastbank Esplanade are in your itinerary. Take a break from the city and head to Multnomah Falls and The Grotto - National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother. Step out of Portland to go to McMinnville and see Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, which is approximately 56 minutes away. Dedicate the 14th (Mon) to wine at some of the top wineries in the area. And it doesn't end there: take in nature's colorful creations at Portland Japanese Garden, see the interesting displays at Portland Art Museum, stop by Powell's City of Books, and wander the streets of Northwest (Nob Hill).

To see other places to visit, traveler tips, reviews, and tourist information, refer to the Portland route app.

Los Angeles to Portland is an approximately 5-hour flight. You can also drive; or take a bus. Traveling from Los Angeles in September, things will get little chillier in Portland: highs are around 76°F and lows about 55°F. On the 15th (Tue), you're off to Bend.

An old logging town at the crux of the high desert and ponderosa pine forest, Bend melds a love of the outdoors with cosmopolitan flair.

Visiting Smith Rock State Park and Deschutes National Forest will get you outdoors. Museum-lovers will get to explore High Desert Museum and Des Chutes Historical Museum. The adventure continues: relax and float downstream with a rafting and tubing tour, walk around Pilot Butte State Scenic Viewpoint, and head outdoors with RiverStone Adventures.

To see traveler tips and tourist information, read Bend trip planner.

Getting from Portland to Bend by car takes about 3.5 hours. Other options: fly; or take a bus. Traveling from Portland in September, expect little chillier with lows of 44°F in Bend. Finish your sightseeing early on the 17th (Thu) so you can travel to Monroe.

Monroe is a city in Benton County, Oregon, United States. Kick off your visit on the 18th (Fri): get outside with Thompson's Mill State Heritage Site.

Plan my Monroe trip by asking Inpirock to come up with tips and suggestions.

Traveling by car from Bend to Monroe takes 3 hours. Expect a daytime high around 77°F in September, and nighttime lows around 49°F. Wrap up your sightseeing by early afternoon on the 18th (Fri) to allow time for travel back home.