Danielle Denham is a writer, photographer, and devoted history buff with a soft spot for Oregon’s forgotten places. Her love of old schoolhouses, abandoned homesteads, and the lives once lived inside them has taken her down back roads across the state. She was featured on OPB’s Oregon Field Guide, exploring the historic Charles Nelson House with a former resident shortly before the home was lost to wildfire. Watch the feature.
At That Oregon Life, Danielle shares local history, good food, memorable adventures, and the quirks that make Oregon home. When she isn’t exploring, you may find her spending time in Eugene with Tyler James and his two awesome kiddos. If there’s an old building with a mysterious past along the way, consider the afternoon’s plans officially derailed.
Oregon's weirdest roadside sights take many forms. In the area where I grew up in Washington County, Oregon there were three of those kitschy monuments everyone had to point out as we drove by (read on to see…
There really is no place in the world like the Oregon Coast. It's truly one of the most relaxed, amazing experiences anyone can have in Oregon. Not only is it a great place to walk on the beach,…
The event Tuesday with the Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde was a groundbreaking of sorts that represents one of the clearest steps forward at Willamette Falls after nearly a decade of planning. A blessing prayer was said, and…
Continue reading: Fairview’s closure was part of a much larger change in how Oregon cared for vulnerable people. Our investigation into Oregon’s unfinished transition away from large mental hospitals examines what the state promised to build—and why the…
Shake out your lederhosen and dirndls, Oregon. There's a new Forest Grove, Oregon Oktoberfest, and it looks to be a rollicking good time. This family-friendly festival will include everything you expect out a Bavarian celebration: carnival games, food,…
Is Oregon's Van Duzer Corridor haunted? Does this stretch of Hwy. 18 near Lincoln City have its own Area 51? Locals talk about a secret government facility in the coast range, one with dark winding roads leading up…
The beloved long-running Florence Oregon Wine & Chowder event, usually held during the long holiday weekend in October, is produced by the Florence Chamber of Commerce and has drawn nearly 1000 visitors each year. This year there will…
"What is this? A center for Ants?" Twenty years ago, a certain fictional male model had a vision, and the iconic “center for ants” was born. Now, Eugene Oregon's own Hop Valley is reimagining what a modern center…
What food is Oregon known for? Discover 12 iconic Oregon foods, from marionberry pie and Dungeness crab to hazelnuts, tater tots, cheese, wine, and craft beer.
"Hey Napoleon, gimme some of your tots!" Did you know that the crispy, golden tater tot found its humble beginnings right here in Oregon? More on that in a moment, but first, The Tater Tot Festival! The City…
Perhaps I find beauty in decay. Maybe I'm fascinated by history. Even more so, perhaps I'm just compelled to document what's disappearing from our state or already gone. Each property begs the questions: What did people do here?…
Modern schoolkids can probably name two famous Native American women: Sacajawea and Pocahontas. With good reason. Both were amazing females who more than deserve their place in American History. So why have so few heard of Marie Dorion…