Oregon knows how to do the Fourth of July. Maybe it is the way fireworks echo across the water in places like Newport, Hood River, and Cascade Locks. Maybe it is the small-town parades where kids wave from decorated bikes and old tractors roll slowly down Main Street....
There are some places in Oregon that feel like they should be much farther from the freeway. McMenamins Edgefield is one of them. You can be rolling along Interstate 84 one minute, surrounded by traffic, exit signs, and the usual Portland metro blur, and then somehow...
There is a moment inside the Oregon Coast Aquarium when the rest of the world seems to disappear. You step into a glowing blue tunnel. Schools of silvery fish move above your head like a living storm cloud. A broadnose sevengill shark drifts through the water with the...
The scent of damp earth lingers beneath towering evergreens as winding paths disappear into gardens, wetlands, and groves of trees. Birds chatter overhead. A light breeze moves through the branches. Around nearly every bend, something new waits to be discovered. For...
There are places in Oregon where the scenery is beautiful, and then there are places where you step out of the car and briefly wonder whether the road has somehow carried you off the planet. Dee Wright Observatory is absolutely that second kind of place. Sitting high...
Some of the best summer adventures in Oregon do not require expensive tickets, long lines, or months of planning. Sometimes, all you need is a quiet country road, an empty bucket, and thousands of ripe blueberries waiting to be picked. That is exactly what we found...
There are a few Oregon adventures that sound good on paper, and then there are the ones that make you feel like you just got dropped into a summer movie. Our recent ride down the Rogue River with Hellgate Jetboat Excursions in Grants Pass was absolutely that second...
There are some Oregon places that sound simple on paper until you actually go. A fish hatchery? Sure, maybe you picture a few ponds, a couple signs, and a short stop to stretch your legs on the way through the Columbia River Gorge. Then you arrive at Bonneville Fish...
There are certain places in Oregon that make you slow down without even realizing it. You walk in expecting a meal, but somewhere between the first sip of coffee and the arrival of your food, you find yourself staring out the window, completely captivated by something...
There are certain places in Oregon that feel almost like a rite of passage. Crater Lake. Multnomah Falls. The Oregon Coast. And then there are the wonderfully weird places that generations of Oregonians remember from childhood. For many of us, the Oregon Vortex falls...
There are plenty of places to spend the night in Oregon. Cozy cabins tucked into the woods. Beachfront hotels with crashing waves outside your window. Luxury resorts with hot tubs and room service. But if you're looking for an experience you'll be talking about for...
When summer arrives in Oregon, most people start thinking about the coast, rivers, lakes, and hiking trails. But one of the state's most exciting warm-weather adventures is hiding on the slopes of Mount Hood. For decades, Mt. Hood has been one of Oregon's most beloved...