For years, the chairlifts at Spout Springs Ski Area have sat still in the mountains of northeastern Oregon, quietly weathering snowstorms, summers, and the passing of time. But now, after nearly a decade without lift operations, there’s renewed hope that this...
Only in Oregon can you road trip from Boring to Drain, make a detour through Idiotville, and somehow end up in a place called Riddle before sunset. If you’ve spent enough time exploring the Beaver State, you already know Oregon has a personality all its own. We’ve got...
Few photographers captured the raw emotion of the Great Depression quite like Dorothea Lange. Armed with a camera and an unshakable sense of compassion, Lange traveled across the American West documenting the lives of struggling families during one of the hardest...
There are places in Oregon that feel beautiful, and then there are places that feel like stepping into another time entirely. Jacksonville is one of those places. Tucked into the rolling hills of Southern Oregon just outside Medford, Jacksonville somehow manages to...
There’s something magical about stumbling onto a restaurant that feels less like a place to eat and more like an experience. The kind of spot where the walls are packed with personality, the music instantly relaxes you, and the smell of fresh pizza drifting through...
Tucked into the forest above the Columbia River Gorge is one of the most unusual hikes in Oregon, and there’s a good chance you’ve driven past it without ever knowing it existed. The Penstock Flume Pipeline Trail near Hood River isn’t your typical waterfall trek or...
If you’ve ever pulled over on the side of an Oregon highway because a shiny rock caught your eye, there’s a good chance you already understand the magic of Central Oregon rockhounding. Out in the high desert around Prineville, the obsession runs deep. Every year,...
There’s something wonderfully strange waiting on Newport’s historic bayfront, and it's not Ripley's. Between the salt air, barking sea lions, and fishing boats rolling in with the tide, you’ll find a shop that feels less like a coastal boutique and more like stepping...
There are places on the Oregon Coast that draw crowds with their fame. And then there are places that quietly steal your heart the moment you arrive. Carl G. Washburne Memorial State Park is the latter. Tucked between the rugged cliffs just south of Yachats and the...
There are places in Oregon that are beautiful, and then there are places that feel like they were pulled straight out of a dream. For me, Silver Falls State Park has always been one of those places. I have visited countless state parks across Oregon over the years,...
We're going a bit out on a limb here at That Oregon Life. This story began as a sort of "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" compilation, but after a giant list of my own and a slew of recommendations from friends all over the state, we realized that wasn't going to work....
There are places in Oregon where history whispers instead of shouts. No crowds. No big signs demanding your attention. Just a narrow trail winding through towering trees, the soft hush of wind through redwoods, and the quiet understanding that something extraordinary...
