I like 3. (or 2 as we like Lassen)

Interesting stuff in eastern OR, including Joseph, Hells Canyon, John Day etc and Bend has Smith Rock , the volcanic lavalands features , and Cascade Lakes scenic byway to Crater Lake.

You will get more in-depth help if you post on the OR and WA forums as the people who really know these areas usually don't post over here.

That said, here are a few thoughts. The north entrance to Crater Lake closes Nov 1st each year, and in October they ge almost 2' of snow on average. So I would drive straight down there first and get that out of the way before bigger storms roll in. The lodge is only open through early October, and of course they book out far in advance, so that may or may not be an option for you. If not, it is only 2 hours from Bend, so you could use that as a base for a couple of nights.

Then cut over to the coast via McKenzie Pass on into Eugene then over to Florence which is really pretty. The pass closes Nov 1 each year, so keep that in mind with the trip as well. You could stay a night or two in this area and then meander up the coastline to Cannon Beach.

After that, you could continue up the west side to ONP, although the drive once you cross into WA at Astoria becomes pretty bleak until about Quinault. I love Lake Quinault Lodge. If you like high end, this this not for you, but we love the rustic feel and have always had great stays there. From there do not miss Ruby Beach. Then continue on up to the Hoh as that is just beautiful and so serene. Rialto Beach is another great place to stop and check out. If you have time, head over to Neah Bay. It is definitely out of the way, but we love it. Then you can make your way to Port Townsend. In Clallam Bay, there is a little house on the corner on your right with a sign for smoked salmon. Stop there if they are open! It is always a must for me. Cash only. Park wherever you can, and then go to the little carport and he is always out there smoking the fish or getting it ready.

14th Oct is last date for Crater lake lodge……new concessionaire.

https://explorecraterlake.com/stay-at-crater-lake/crater-lake-lodge/

If it was me, I'd take the opportunity to see the Wallowa Valley (based in Joseph, Oregon) in the early autumn in a heartbeat. Gorgeous doesn't do it justice. You could get there via Seattle and I-90 over the Cascades, or - slower but more scenic - head east to Osoyoos BC then south on US 97 through the scablands and orchard country, then through the Walla Walla wine country and to Joseph. 2 or 3 nights in Joseph, then on to Crater Lake, with a stop en route at Smith Rock SP.

If the Evergreen Air and Space Museum in McMinnville is important, then stopping at Bandon or other places on the southern or central Oregon coast, followed by Cannon Beach, will involve zigzagging through the Coast Range, which can be annoying and slow.

I guess it sort of depends on how much you like to spend time behind the wheel. Google puts the total wheels turning time at around 35 - 40 hours, which isn't terrible for 11 days, but (a) Google is frequently optimistic, sometimes very optimistic, and (b) it's still a lot of hours. Still, this could be a lot of fun and full of variety and a LOT of world-class scenery.

Map - https://maps.app.goo.gl/Z3pZLftn6sroPDq49

Why Moses Lake? I stayed there on my way back from a grueling cross country drive, and the only good thing about it was that the carrots my hotel served at dinner tasted like true PNW carrots, as opposed to the awful chemical flavored roots you get in the East and the Midwest. But carrots alone will not raise a town to greatness, and I'd suggest choosing another of the many wonderful destinations suggested here.

If you decide to come to ONP, make sure you get to hike the River Trail at the Hoh Rain Forest. In early October the rain forest starts to recover from the dry days of summer, and the little vine maples along the Hoh River flame out into scarlet, a rare color in the Evergreen State. The contrast with the milky glacial blue of the river is striking. The other must see would be the Hurricane Ridge, which is never more beautiful than in October. The afternoon light assumes a golden clarity that you can only see in October, and you get alpenglow in the distant mountains. The little understory plants above the tree line and the grasses that cover the alpine meadows are full of autumn color. There are two months when Hurricane Ridge is one of the most beautiful on Earth, June, when the alpine wildflowers are at their fragrant best, and early to mid-October. My husband and I saw a sunbow one icy October afternoon on the Hurricane Hill Trail.

How much do you want to drive in a day?

In 10-12 days I’m thinking…

Day 1 drivevto A

Day 2-3 A

Day 4 drive to B

Day 5 B

Day 6 Drive to C

Day 7-8 C

———-

Alt

Day 5-6 B

Day 7/drive to C

Day 8 C

————-

Day 9 drive to D

Day 10- 11 D

Day 12 drive home

I figure B or C is crater lake

The other spots may be

northern oregon coast

Bend

Walla walla

Joh Day area

Chelan/ Wenatchee area

Yakima

Portland

Central/ southern oregon coast ( Yachats/ Bandon/ Florence)

Coeur d Alene

You can cut places to just 1 full day and had a point E

Day 1 drive

Day 2 A

Day 3 drive

Day 4 B

Day 5 drive

Day 6 C

Day 7 drive

Day 8 D

Day 9 drive

Day 10 E

Day 12 drive home

One location you could do 2 full days/3 nights

If you have not seen the Scablands between Omak and Coulee City/Soap Lake that is a great detour as mentioned in post #5.

a google map with Coulee Dam and Joseph, OR then added the other places mentioned.

Ephatra has a Best Western instead of Moses Lake?

https://maps.app.goo.gl/DYRKzssK42Mdmos26

"...If you have not seen the Scablands between Omak and Coulee City/Soap Lake that is a great detour as mentioned in post #5..."

Yeah, very worthwhile if they have the time. Here's a video that illustrates the area (going south to north instead of north to south, but no matter.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsHcsovY08g

Great pointers, and I'm feeling that people are fond of the east of the Cascades option. Several place names here that I haven't heard of, which is a great start. I thought about travelling east on Hwy 3 to Osoyous and south, but really, highway 20 through Ross lake is a stunner. I need to figure out the key stops first and then work it out from there.

Dan - we certainly aren't afraid of doing some good distance. We did a 9 day trip in 2015: Vancouver - Oceanside CA (overnight Redding) - Las Vegas - Twin Falls ID - The Dalles OR- Portland and then home. 2021 we went from Prince Rupert to Whitehorse in 2 days with an overnight in Dease Lake. Hubby was so dazed when we arrived in Whitehorse he didn't remember how we got to the hotel and got totally lost when we drove out. That was a bit scary, so we'll probably try and stop short of that this time.

We'll probably do a long driving day on the first and last day to get to where we are going (~10 hours or so depending on how this comes together) but then probably keep it to no more than 6-7 hours for the travel days.

Excellent! This is enough to get me started. I will post on the correct state forums to put the details together. Happy travels!