# Oregon Resorts



## lewmel (Sep 2, 2008)

I am planning next years vacation, and I am thinking about going to Oregon.  I have friend that lives in Eugene and would like to stay within 3 hours from his house.  I can book through II and there are several (12 resorts) to choose from.  Can anyone give some suggestions to the nicest and highest star level of the II resorts.
Thanks


----------



## rhonda (Sep 2, 2008)

Which 12 are on your list?


----------



## lewmel (Sep 3, 2008)

Eagle Crest and WorldMark Eagle Crest  	
Pine Ridge Inn Vacation Club 
Vacation Internationale - Kittyhawk Resort 
Vacation Internationale - The Pines at Sunriver  	
The Cottages at Cape Kiwanda 
The Harbor at Depoe Bay 
The Resort at Whale Pointe 
Seaview Condominiums 
Vacation Club at Embarcadero 
WorldMark Depoe Bay 
WorldMark Gleneden  	
WorldMark Schooner Landing  
WorldMark Running Y


----------



## timetravel1 (Sep 4, 2008)

Hi, 

You should grab what you can while you can. A lot of these are exchanged through different point systems or are used by owners and are hard to exchange into with II. Most ocean units will not be there for summer and the shoulder seasons can be damp. 

Newport seems to have the most listed with both RCI and II and it is close to Eugene. Coos Bay is a good location but I don't think there are any TS there.

We love Oregon, but we had to buy a resale to be able to vacation there.


----------



## lewmel (Sep 4, 2008)

Out of the list I posted above, do you recommend any of those resorts?
Are there any that I should stay away from?
Thanks


----------



## DeniseM (Sep 4, 2008)

Don't forget to check the TUG reviews for Oregon - the link is the TUG Resort Database link in the red bar at the top of the page.


----------



## Debbyd57 (Sep 4, 2008)

We have stayed at the Worldmark resorts and Eagle Crest.

I would not recommend Running Y as it is out in the middle of nowhere.  Our favorites are:  Eagle Crest, Depoe Bay and Gleneden.  We haven't stayed at Depoe Bay for a few years so I don't know about the upkeep but the view is gorgeous!!!  Eagle Crest is probably my second favorite but Gleneden is nice also.  Debby


----------



## EJC (Sep 4, 2008)

Lewmel--I'm not familiar with your entire list, but I am familiar with several of the resorts.  The first thing you need to decide is if you want an inland resort or a coastal resort.  Kittyhawk and The Pines are in Sunriver, OR--a planned recreational community in Central Oregon's high desert country.  Eagle Crest is about 15 miles north of Sunriver.  Central Oregon is good for lots of outdoor activities--river rafting, biking, hiking, mtn climbing, skiing, etc., etc.  It is sunny much of the year.  Bend, midway between Eagle Crest and The Pines, is the fastest growing town in Oregon.   OK.  Coastal destinations.  The Embarcadero is in Newport on a marina.  The beach is a short drive away.  The Harbor @ Depoe Bay and WM @ Depoe Bay are on a bluff overlooking the Pacific.  There is no beach per se, but the views (many times including whales) are beautiful.   Gleneden is not that far north of Depoe Bay.  It does have a beach.  Schooner's Landing is not far from Gleneden.  It is on a bluff of sorts also, but it is beachfront.  Sometimes there is a long set of stairs available to get to the beach from the Schooner's Landing parking lot.  Running Y is in southern Oregon--another inland destination.  I haven't been there, but I suspect it would be a similar vacation experience to the Sunriver area.  It probably would be much easier to exchange into the inland destinations, especially Running Y.  If you see a coastal exchange available, you might want to grab it immediately.


----------



## nodge (Sep 4, 2008)

All of the Worldmark’s are top notch (for Oregon).  

In contrast, the Embarcadero is a ‘70’s-style Planet of the Apes, pod-type condo structure complete with ‘70’s bee-hive fireplaces in each unit. Some of the units have been updated, but many have not.  The resort itself is on Yaquina Bay on the Oregon coast.  It is a long walk to the Ocean, but a short walk to a “Ripley’s Believe It of Not” museum/tourist trap.  This should give you an idea on what to expect if you stay there.  Here are the TripAdvisor reviews for the Embarcadero.

All of the coastal resorts, including the Embarcadero, are tough trades to get in the summer.  So you may have to pay retail or rent from an owner.  If you decide to rent, consider staying at "The Inn at Otter Crest".  Like the Embarcadero, it is also a 70’s, Planet of the Apes, pod-style condo complex, with each unit privately maintained with varying degrees of success, but it is on a jagged cliff overlooking the Pacific with a nice walking beach down below complete with tide pools filled with interesting sea critters, and that makes all the difference.

Good Luck,
-nodge


----------



## EJC (Sep 4, 2008)

Hmmm.  That was an interesting description of The Embarcadero.  Some of the Tripadvisor reviews are scathing; others are OK.  If you see a Vacation Internationale Embarcadero unit, it will be remodeled.  A while back a Tugger had stayed at the Embarcadero in a studio unit (non-Vacation Internationale), and she was NOT happy.  I've stayed in 1-bdrm and studio VI units at the Embarcadero.  The 1-bdrm was OK; the studio was very small and felt quite confining.  I would definitely agree that the WM resorts at Gleneden or Depoe Bay would make for a much nicer vacation.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte (Sep 4, 2008)

Ok - I see some Pacific Northwesters using the word "beach" in messages with people who are not from the area.  So some elucidation is in order.

A Pacific Northwest beach is a location that fronts the ocean and the shoreline is relatively flat. Anything that meets that criterion is a "beach". Often that means rocks, pebbles, even boulders; *in the Northwest "beach" does not connote sand*.  And no matter what type of beach, you do not want to go in the water unless you're a surfer with a good wet suit - it's cold!!!  

There's an old and classic Henry Weinhard's beer commercial that shows some young guys sitting on such a beach wearing parkas, stocking hats, gloves, etc.  In the background about 50 yards away a couple of young ladies are walking, with long coats, scarves, hats, mittens.  The only thing showing is their faces.

One of the guys says, "Hey, there's a couple of hotties." Another guy grabs a beach ball and says, "Hey ladies, how about a bit of help??" as he gently tosses the ball towards the water.

The wind catches the ball and the ball takes off like a rocket, bounding across the gravel. In less than one second it whips past the ladies, hurtles down the entire length of the beach, and skips away across the tops of the waves.


----------



## ColleenD3 (Sep 4, 2008)

Hi there!  I live in Eugene, also, and would say that while Running Y may be easier to book, it will definately be on the very edge of your 3 hour limit.  Cape Kiwanda, with summer traffic on Hwy.101, may also be pushing it.


----------



## happybaby (Sep 4, 2008)

we stayed at the Vacation Club at Embarcadero in Newport for one night on our trip from San Fran to Portland to visit our daughter. Booked it on line at hotels.com

I thought the room was very nice with a view of the bay.  I can't remember if it was a studio or 1br tho since we stayed at other motels on our journey up the coast.

I did like the Newport area tho.  Be sure to try Local Ocean Seafoods Restaurant.  Like it very much.  It is on the right hand side if you are coming from the Embarcadero and probably one of the first places you will come to as you enter the town of Newport.

Stayed one night in Coos Bay...... not much there


----------



## Andar (Sep 4, 2008)

T R ..; Loved your description of the "beaches"  and agree completely.  
I don't feel like we see true beaches along the Pacific until you get down to about Morro Bay, CA.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte (Sep 4, 2008)

Andar said:


> T R ..; Loved your description of the "beaches"  and agree completely.
> I don't feel like we see true beaches along the Pacific until you get down to about Morro Bay, CA.



I don't think of "true" beach north of Santa Barbara, though the Central California coast as far as Marin County (Stinson) could be debated.


----------



## teepeeca (Sep 5, 2008)

I won't make much of a reply, BUT, I really like the Oregon coast, and the timeshares in "central" Oregon.

Usually stay in timeshares 3 weeks, during the summer. (Stayed on the coast from about the 25th of July, to the 15th of August, this year.)

As far as I'm concerned, ANY timeshare in Oregon, would be "GREAT" to obtain.  

The Embarcadero (Newport) has it's own "fishing and crabbing" dock/pier, (along with a separate "cooking room" to cook the crabs) and a great view of the bay.  (Every unit has a bay view.)

The Worldmark at Depoe Bay has its own "resident" whales.

I "WAS" disappointed this year, however.  The late spring/early summer this year was cooler than usual, so I couldn't pick any fresh blackberries, this time.  What a "bummer" !!!

Tony


----------



## DeniseM (Sep 5, 2008)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> I don't think of "true" beach north of Santa Barbara, though the Central California coast as far as Marin County (Stinson) could be debated.



What about Santa Cruz?  Definitely a real beach!


----------



## lewmel (Sep 5, 2008)

I just wanted to say THANK YOU VERY MUCH to all of you that responded to help me narrow down my resort choices.  I will let everyone know which one I get booked into!
Thanks again!!


----------



## Liz Wolf-Spada (Sep 5, 2008)

Does Santa Cruz have a timeshare now?
thanks,
Liz


----------



## CalifasGirl (Sep 14, 2008)

*santa cruz*

As expensive as real estate property is for Santa Cruz?  

I don't know about other timeshares, but Worldmark Marina is probably the closest one to Santa Cruz that I know of. It's impossible to book, though, and I'm an owner. It's a tiny resort right on the beach. Yes, there is sand although I'm sure the water is cold.


----------



## Bonnie_Raitt (Sep 14, 2008)

WorldMark Schooner Landing seems to be sliding into the ocean


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte (Sep 14, 2008)

DeniseM said:


> What about Santa Cruz?  Definitely a real beach!



Santa Cruz is in the "debatable"; it's probably more of a beach than any other central CA coast location, particularly with the Boardwalk.  But the water there is still too cold for me to unreservedly accept it as a "beach".


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte (Sep 14, 2008)

Bonnie_Raitt said:


> WorldMark Schooner Landing seems to be sliding into the ocean



Well, if you can wait a few million years, all of the California coastal resorts will slide north and become part of the Oregon coast.


----------

