Diana is a writer living in Portland with her delightful son and crotchety cat. Growing up in the area, family vacations were often to nearby destinations reachable by car. She has since expanded that love of local road trips and has been all over the great state of Oregon and throughout the Pacific Northwest, frequently pairing backpacking trips with exploring new towns and regions.
On January 31st, a new cat cafe opened in the Eugene-Springfield area. Yes, you read that correctly—a cat cafe! The Eugene Springfield Cat Lounge has just become one of only two cat cafes in the entire state (the…
Manzanita is one of my favorite beach towns on the Oregon Coast, and though it isn’t very big, it has some of the best shops you’ll find up and down the state. Anytime I’m here I take a…
When some of us hear the words, “chocolate frog,” we instantly think of budding wizards and witches casting spells at Hogwarts. And although the chocolate frogs you’ll find at this charming candy store in Lincoln City won’t actually…
Confession time. I’ve driven past signs for this place more times than I can count, but never really knew what was hiding under my nose the whole time. The Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals is not…
There’s not a lot to see in the small, blink-and-you'll-miss-it town of Westport along Hwy 30. In fact, the one establishment you probably do know here lies between Clatskanie and Astoria and is the fantastic Berry Patch Restaurant.…
Ruth’s Chris is a name synonymous with steak, and it’s been that way since for nearly 60 years. In 1965, it was no small feat for a 38-year-old single mother to run her own restaurant, but that’s exactly…
The Southeast Portland neighborhood of Brentwood-Darlington is a quiet little community just south of bustling Woodstock Blvd. Residents here love the slower pace of life and tight-knit feel of the area and they go out of their way…
People are picky about their pizza and everyone has a different idea of what makes a good pie. Some like a thick crust and others like thin; some like a pizza loaded with sauce and cheese while others…
There are few things in life I can think of that are as peaceful and relaxing as soaking your cares away in a natural hot springs. If you love being outdoors, exploring hidden corners of our great state,…
“Wedgehead” refers to a pinball machine design that first appeared in 1960 featuring a distinctive wedge-shaped backhead, meaning it was wider on top than the bottom. Although the wedgehead didn’t change the game in any fundamental way, these…
Disclaimer: Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse (which literally translates to “ground fire”) is a chain restaurant and though we like to highlight locally-owned establishments here, there’s an exception to every rule. When a restaurant is so good, so…
Welcome to 2024, a year brimming with possibilities and adventures waiting to be discovered! For those bitten by the wanderlust bug, now is the perfect time to chart your journeys. And what better place to start than in…