That Oregon Life · Stories & discoveries
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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,…
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…
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…
If you’ve ever wanted to walk through a place where history doesn’t sit quietly behind glass, but practically hums with life around you, there’s a museum in Oregon that deserves a spot at the top of…
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…
There are certain Portland restaurants people mention with a kind of reverence. The kind of place locals insist you have to try at least once, visitors plan entire mornings around, and hungry diners willingly stand in…
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…
Tucked away in the charming small town of Brownsville, Oregon is a place that feels equal parts museum, treasure hunt, art gallery, and roadside wonder. At first glance, you might think Living Rock Studios is simply…
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…
If you’ve ever stood at the base of Mt. Hood and thought, there has to be an easier way to get up there, you’re not alone. In fact, back in the early 1950s, a group of…
Portland has never been a city that settles for ordinary. It’s a place where creativity spills into the streets, where old buildings are given new life, and where some of the most memorable spots are the…
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…
