That Oregon Life · Stories & discoveries
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There are road trips where the destination is the whole point, and then there are those wonderfully strange Oregon adventures where simply getting there feels like part of the story. Way out in the high desert…
As wildfires force evacuations, destroy homes and send smoke across Oregon and the West, some people are apparently watching the devastation with something other than concern. They’re betting money on it. Online prediction markets have begun…
Smoke had drifted into Lane County again, turning the sky a sickly-yellow and the surrounding hills into indistinct hazy blue, when I found myself remembering an old newspaper clipping I’d saved during some research into western…
Oregon’s already devastating 2026 wildfire season is now within striking distance of becoming the largest on record for total acreage burned. As of Monday morning, August 3, 60 large fires had burned an estimated 2,014,481 acres…
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels are returning to Oregon this August, bringing their unmistakable blue-and-gold fighter jets, tightly packed formations and thunderous aerial maneuvers to the Oregon International Air Show in McMinnville. This year’s show is…
Part two of two. Read Part One here. At the bottom of Crabtree Valley, the argument seems impossibly far away. Crabtree Lake lies dark beneath the trees. Water gathers along fallen logs. Moss hangs from branches…
Some restaurants give you a waterfront view. Big Fish Cafe gives you that, plus the entire boat. Tucked beside the Umpqua River in Reedsport, this wonderfully unexpected restaurant occupies a former Coast Guard cutter that’s been…
Walk through the doors at Hamley Steakhouse & Saloon and it doesn't take long to realize this isn't just another place to grab a bite to eat. Rich woodwork, handcrafted details, glowing antique style lighting, historic…
Summer evenings in Southern Oregon have a way of slowing everything down. The sun hangs a little longer over the surrounding hills, the air finally cools after a hot afternoon, and people start looking for somewhere…
Rainy afternoons, neighborhood strolls, and a stop for something sweet feel like a natural part of life in Portland. In a city where people care deeply about good food and local businesses, there's one bakery on…
There are many perfectly good reasons to visit an Oregon farm. Fresh fruit is one. Wandering through an old orchard is another. Browsing antiques, garden art, cowboy boots, and curious little treasures can easily occupy an…
There are forests in Oregon that feel old, and then there are forests that seem to exist outside ordinary time. Crabtree Valley belongs to the second kind. Deep back in the western foothills of the Cascades…
