My family has traveled to 33 states, but none has wowed us as much as this coastal gem — and, no, it's not Hawaii

• My wife, 4 kids, and I person been to 33 states together including Hawaii, California, and Maine.
• Still, Oregon is our favorite authorities we've visited, and we precocious spent 8 days exploring it.
• Oregon is filled pinch earthy beauty, family-friendly activities, and great, uncrowded beaches.

My woman and I person 4 young children who person traveled pinch america each complete nan country.

To date, we've been to 33 states including famously scenic ones for illustration Hawaii, Maine, California, and Montana — and we've recovered galore things to emotion astir each one. But we've ne'er discovered a authorities that wowed america for illustration Oregon did during a caller eight-day roadworthy trip.

Across its sprawling coastline, pristine authorities parks, and eclectic cities, we recovered truthful overmuch to emotion astir nan Beaver State — and truthful galore reasons to want to return.

We appreciated nan picturesque beaches and were happy to find them uncrowded

We went to Oregon adjacent nan extremity of nan state's highest summertime season. Even so, nan authorities had immoderate of nan most uncrowded beaches we've ever visited.

I fishy nan sparse crowds are because location are conscionable truthful galore beaches to take from — nan authorities has complete 250 miles of them on its coastline, and each is seemingly much picturesque than nan last.

We explored 10 of them successful all, including Seaside, Yachats, Agate, and Cannon, and only recovered a crowd astatine nan past one.

Our favourite was "Secret Beach" on nan Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor. It's a short hike down to a small waterfall that feeds correct into nan oversea and has a oversea cave, tidepools, and nan softest sand

There was truthful overmuch to do successful each metropolis we explored successful Oregon

Though we spent nan mostly of our clip astatine beaches and authorities parks, we besides explored 5 of Oregon's cities.

Each felt cleanable and had overmuch to offer. Historic Baker City has a awesome depository that showcases nan city's relationship to nan California Gold Rush and highlights important section contributions made by early Chinese immigrants.

In Portland, we loved biking on nan Willamette River, exploring nan world's largest independent bookstore, and visiting nan Guinness Book of World Records' smallest park.

We saw nan champion position of our travel from nan backmost of Portland's Pittock Mansion. The French Renaissance-style chateau wows, but nan position of nan city's skyline pinch Mount Hood disconnected successful nan region was moreover better.

In Seaside, we shopped connected nan boardwalk and visited adjacent Fort Clatsop wherever celebrated explorers Lewis and Clark erstwhile stayed. We besides visited nan state's capitol successful Salem and rode a waterfront trolley successful Astoria.

We besides loved nan eclectic, spacious, and luxurious hotels nan authorities has to offer

One of our favourite parts of a roadworthy travel is discovering different and breathtaking places to slumber each night.

We stayed astatine six different hotels successful Oregon, but nan astir memorable were The Nines successful Portland, nan Cannery Pier Hotel successful Astoria, and nan Geiser Grand successful Baker City.

The Geiser Grand is simply a existent destination hotel. It's much than a period old, is reported to beryllium haunted, and has undergone 1 of nan astir stunning and elaborate renovations I've ever seen.

Our splurge of nan travel was a enactment astatine nan luxurious Nines Hotel. It occupies nan apical half of nan historical Meier & Frank building and features freely rooms pinch unthinkable views of downtown Portland. It's besides location to Urban Farmer Steakhouse, wherever our family enjoyed nan best repast of our vacation.

The Cannery Pier Hotel is built connected aged pier pilings and extends astir 600 feet complete nan Columbia River. From our room, we could watch ships slow walk beneath nan Astoria-Megler Bridge.

We learned a batch astir history, cheese, and movies during our trip

Throughout our trip, we learned astir section history and landmarks related to Native American tribes successful nan area and Lewis and Clark's famed travel done nan state.

We besides visited nan Tillamook Cheese Factory office and creamery, wherever I enjoyed nan best grilled-cheese sandwich of my life.

Oregon besides has a batch of ties to big-name films that we could explore.

We loved seeing nan schoolhouse wherever Arnold Schwarzenegger went undercover successful "Kindergarten Cop," nan harbor wherever Jack Nicholson commandeers a sportfishing alloy successful "One Flew Over nan Cuckoo's Nest," nan breakwater nan slayer whale escaped complete successful "Free Willy," and nan location of nan opening jailhouse breakout and car pursuit from "The Goonies."

Oregon is filled pinch earthy beauty beyond beaches, too

We've been to dozens of authorities and nationalist parks crossed nan country, but Oregon offered immoderate of nan astir unforgettable ones yet.

The Trail of Ten Falls astatine Silver Falls State Park was our favourite because its 7-mile loop took america to aliases down 10 beautiful falls.

We besides loved seeing aggregate waterfalls on nan Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, including Horsetail Falls, Latourell Falls, and nan breathtaking Multnomah Falls — nan tallest successful nan state.

As overmuch arsenic we loved each waterfall we visited, Crater Lake National Park was easy our champion find of nan trip. It's considered to person 1 of nan deepest, clearest lakes successful nan United States.

Its bluish h2o was stunning to behold from nan rim and moreover much thrilling to plunge into from nan Cleetwood Cove trailhead.

All six of america enjoyed swimming successful nan cool h2o together earlier hiking backmost up to refuel our bodies pinch rootlike lasagna, bison stew, and seared salmon astatine nan Crater Lake Lodge.

With each that said, our family is already readying different sojourn to Oregon adjacent year.