Ducks Attack Message Board Forum

I come in peace . I'm looking to come to Eugene for the UVA/Oregon football game and looking for any suggestions you may have. I'm really looking forward to visiting as I hear your stadium is incredible and hear awesome things about Eugene and surrounding Oregon areas. I was at the game in Charlottesville where you whooped our a**es. I don't really think we belong in the same stadium as you guys but should be fun either way!

A couple of questions:

1. What's the best area to stay? We'll be in town for a few days so want a place that is easy to explore Eugene as well as provide easy access to the game.
1a. What is transportation like on game day?
2. What are the visitor sections?
3. Where should we fly into? We are hoping to do a road trip to Portland and maybe Seattle. Should we fly into one of those airports and rent a car?
4. Any suggestions for Eugene / Portland activities? Brewery / wineries you suggest? My girl friend and I are in our mid-20s and like eating and outdoors activities.
5. Anything else a visiting fan should know?

Thanks for any help you can provide!

I can't help you most of your Eugene question, but maybe I can get you started on you travel plans. Portland is a full two hour drive from Eugene, Seattle is 3 1/2 hours from Portland (5 1/2 from Eugene). I have never been to the Eugene airport, but I'm under the impression it handles commercial flights on a fairly regular basis, but not as many flight selections/choices as you would in Portland or Seattle, both Portland and Seattle airports have quick and easy access to freeways. Although the Seattle airport (Sea-Tac) is located between Seattle and Tacoma, so about 30 miles south of Seattle.

As far as sights to see, my suggestion is the Oregon Coast/Pacific ocean. It's about one hour from Eugene and a beautiful drive and a beautiful coast. With a little googling you'll find plenty to do and see. As for Seattle, my wife and I have always enjoyed Pikes Market, famous for tossing the fish they sell to their customers. There's more to see then throwing fish. Pikes is located very close to the Seattle water front and Board walk, lots to see and eat there. Also the Space Needle is worth the view.

Plenty of good motels in Eugene but I'll leave that part to someone who enjoys Duck games from Autzen and not an older fan, such as myself, that prefers the games on a 50 inch screen seated in a recliner with a pause button and plenty of less expensive beer in the fridge.

Enjoy your visit and your time in Autzen, thanks for stopping in and with luck you'll get complete answers to all your questions.

jml5qh wrote:I come in peace . I'm looking to come to Eugene for the UVA/Oregon football game and looking for any suggestions you may have. I'm really looking forward to visiting as I hear your stadium is incredible and hear awesome things about Eugene and surrounding Oregon areas. I was at the game in Charlottesville where you whooped our a**es. I don't really think we belong in the same stadium as you guys but should be fun either way!

A couple of questions:

1. What's the best area to stay? We'll be in town for a few days so want a place that is easy to explore Eugene as well as provide easy access to the game.
1a. What is transportation like on game day?
2. What are the visitor sections?
3. Where should we fly into? We are hoping to do a road trip to Portland and maybe Seattle. Should we fly into one of those airports and rent a car?
4. Any suggestions for Eugene / Portland activities? Brewery / wineries you suggest? My girl friend and I are in our mid-20s and like eating and outdoors activities.
5. Anything else a visiting fan should know?

Thanks for any help you can provide!

Welcome! I was just in Charlottesville for a wedding in the fall; great, quaint place. You'll find Eugene has a similar feel to it in terms of size, albeit culturally is extremely different (you will see few-to-no combinations of button-up shirt and vest, which I interpreted to be the unofficial attire of males in Charlottesville, VA).

1. There's no perfect spot, but you should look to either stay near campus (i.e., Phoenix Inn) or near downtown (Hilton). The latter may give you a better impression of the town as a whole, while the former will give you more exposure to campus and you can easily walk to Autzen Stadium.
1a. Packed. If you stay in downtown, there is a shuttle you can take. I don't have specifics, but a few google searches will likely bear your answer.
2. Sections 38 and 39, typically. I'd imagine you can buy through UVa and that's where you'll end up.
3. This might be comparable to flying into DC vs. Charlottesville. Eugene will be more expensive and you'll have far fewer options than flying into either SEA/PDX. Your best bet is to come up with your list of things you want to see/do, and pick the airport that's most accommodating.
4. Seattle is a little more accommodating for tourists than Portland; Portland is more of a lifestyle city with weird little happenings as opposed to culturally iconic sights. That said, go to Multnomah Falls, schedule a bike tour or trip with Brewcycle, eat Voodoo Doughnuts (also available in Eugene), go to Powell's City of Books, and drop into various art galleries around the Pearl District (perhaps my single favorite neighborhood in the U.S.), and simply Yelp "Brew Pub" and grab drinks at any of the million around. On another day, walk around Hawthorne (use the Powell's over there as a central point) to get your Portlandia fix, go to Hair of the Dog brew pub, and eat at Le Bistro Montage.
5. Don't wear purple.

Another great outdoor spot to visit is the Columbia River Gorge. You can do a tour by traveling a loop, crossing the river at the Bridge of the gods and crossing again on I-205. Be sure to travel the Oregon side on the Columbia River Scenic Highway. Or if you don't want to do that much driving, just hit the Columbia River Scenic Highway on the Oregon side and catch the many waterfalls along the way. A couple nice hike are the Eagle Creek trail, Angel's Rest, or a shorter one is the hike to the top of Multnomah Falls. A decent place to eat is Tad's Chicken and Dumplings on the Oregon side, or there is a decent Mexican restaurant on the Washington side in the small town of Stevenson. I don't know the name of it but it is right along the main drag in the middle of town. A couple of fun things to do on the Washington side is to stop at Bonneville Dam and watch the fish coming through the fish ladder. There is a glass window where they count the fish as they come through. It's also fun to stop along the highway and watch the kite boarders and wind surfers. The Washington side also has some world class hikes, but they are a little more strenuous.

Depending on your time you can either head west to the coast or east up into the cascades (my favorite is a place called dee wright observatory)

Personally, I would not try and do Seattle in a trip that your planning being a couple of days. Too much driving. Fly to Portland and explore there, then do Eugene.

wlduck wrote:Personally, I would not try and do Seattle in a trip that your planning being a couple of days. Too much driving. Fly to Portland and explore there, then do Eugene.

Agreed. There is too much to do in Oregon alone.

If you really want to see Oregon stay the Hell away from I-5 until game day. Portland is a lame way to spend your time frankly, especially if you fancy yourself an outdoor person. People watching overly emotional hipsters isn't my cup of tea.

I'd fly and stay in Eugene and then take a day trip to Bend, one to the Coast and another South down to Medford/Ashland and explore the different state parks we have. Oregon has one of the best State Park systems in the US as it's funded through the state lottery system and from Eugene, you're roughly two hours away from totally different landscapes.

Duck07 wrote:If you really want to see Oregon stay the Hell away from I-5 until game day. Portland is a lame way to spend your time frankly, especially if you fancy yourself an outdoor person. People watching overly emotional hipsters isn't my cup of tea.

I'd fly and stay in Eugene and then take a day trip to Bend, one to the Coast and another South down to Medford/Ashland and explore the different state parks we have. Oregon has one of the best State Park systems in the US as it's funded through the state lottery system and from Eugene, you're roughly two hours away from totally different landscapes.

I couldn't agree more about staying away from Portland, it always leaves a sour taste in my mouth to even think about it and it's a tough city to get around in. Although with fewer flight selections you may have to fly into Portland. I Can't think of anything worth seeing in Portland, but there are a few things in the Columbia River gorge, Multnomah Falls, stonehenge, Mary Hill area.

While I believe the Oregon coast is a great option, I also think a drive over the cascade mountains to the Bend, OR area is a great suggestion if you enjoy the outdoors and scenery, beautiful two hour drive on a nice day. Also there is a great lave tube (cave) to hike into just south of Bend. Bring a GOOD STRONG flashlight or better yet a lantern, I believe it goes about a mile back and a easy flat hike....... Just dark.

Edit to add; Multnomah Falls is an easy 1/2 hour drive east of PDX airport on I-84, if you have time after your flight, if you fly into Portland. The Falls and Bonneville Dam are the two main sites to see in the gorge and both are just a 1/2 hr drive from PDX.

Fly into Portland , rent a car, head to the gorge. Take the Troutdale exit and follow the signs to the scenic hwy and Crown Point, do some waterfall hikes and spend the night in Hood River. Head up hwy 35 to hwy 26 on Mt Hood, go east to Redmond west to Sisters then take hwy 242 McKenzie Pass( one of the coolest roads in Oregon).Then take hwy 126 into Eugene along the McKenzie River. Take the Oregon coast hwy 101 back to Portland.

quackfu wrote:Fly into Portland , rent a car, head to the gorge. Take the Troutdale exit and follow the signs to the scenic hwy and Crown Point, do some waterfall hikes and spend the night in Hood River. Head up hwy 35 to hwy 26 on Mt Hood, go east to Redmond west to Sisters then take hwy 242 McKenzie Pass( one of the coolest roads in Oregon).Then take hwy 126 into Eugene along the McKenzie River. Take the Oregon coast hwy 101 back to Portland.

Exactly what I would recommend. Lots of good places to eat in Hood River and you get a good overview of the diversity Oregon offers.

quackfu wrote:Fly into Portland , rent a car, head to the gorge. Take the Troutdale exit and follow the signs to the scenic hwy and Crown Point, do some waterfall hikes and spend the night in Hood River. Head up hwy 35 to hwy 26 on Mt Hood, go east to Redmond west to Sisters then take hwy 242 McKenzie Pass( one of the coolest roads in Oregon).Then take hwy 126 into Eugene along the McKenzie River. Take the Oregon coast hwy 101 back to Portland.

what he said ^. Just to add, I would take 101 all the way up to Astoria before heading to Portland. An important town in Oregon's history.