On the morning of May 18, 1980, the Pacific Northwest woke up expecting another uneasy spring day beneath the shadow of a restless volcano. For weeks, Mount St. Helens had been grumbling. Earthquakes rattled nearby communities. Steam bursts shot from the summit....
History
These Oregon Place Names Sound Completely Made Up, But They’re 100% Real, And Here’s Why
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, you already know Oregon has a personality all its own. We’ve got...
This is What Oregon Looked Like in the Great Depression Of The 1930’s
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 during one of the hardest...
Oregon Once Put A City Bus On A Cable Up Mt Hood And Let People Ride It
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 Oregonians looked at that same mountain and came up with a solution so bold, so strange, and so...
The Lighthouse Bed And Breakfast In Oregon Where A Ghost Comes With The Room Key
Staying in a haunted house isn't for everyone, even if the ghost that lives there is friendly. However, there are a lot of people that seek out historical sites for their next vacation stay, ghost or no ghost. Heceta Head Lighthouse is one of those stunningly...
Oregon’s Hells Canyon Is Deeper Than The Grand Canyon, And It’s Dark History Runs Even Deeper
Deeper than the Grand Canyon, rich in Native legend, steeped in tragedy, and overflowing with fierce beauty, these are the untold stories of Hells Canyon in Oregon. Along the Oregon-Idaho border lies Hells Canyon, North America’s deepest river gorge. At 7,993 feet...
The Forgotten Story of the Flood That Ended Oregon’s Second Largest City
If you’ve never heard of the flood that wiped Oregon’s second-largest city off the map, you’re in for one of the most shocking and little-known stories in the state’s history. The city was called Vanport, and in 1948, it was home to nearly 18,500 people — until a...
In 1700AD, A Massive Earthquake Rocked The PNW And The Fascinating Evidence Is All Around Us
Imagine a dark winter night in the Pacific Northwest. The ground beneath your feet begins to tremble, slowly at first, then violently. Trees sway and snap like matchsticks. The ocean retreats, revealing a seafloor few have ever seen. Moments later, a massive wall of...
From Hollywood Props to Obscure VHS, This Portland Icon Is A Cinephile’s Dream
Walking into Movie Madness feels like stepping into another time, another world. The scent of old plastic cases mingles with the faint hum of a CRT television playing a classic movie in the corner. Shelves groan under the weight of more movies than you could watch in...
What Happened in 1990 When a Massive Etching Appeared in Oregon’s Alvord Desert
In recent months, reports of mysterious lights and so-called drones have captured attention across the United States. From glowing orbs hovering over remote areas to strange aerial formations spotted in Oregon’s vast wilderness, and even in largely populated areas of...
This Hidden Café In Remote Oregon Serves Unforgettable Comfort Food
The combination of mouthwatering comfort food, ice cream and pie, along with a rich local history, makes Austin House a standout spot to check out in eastern Oregon. If you’re traveling through the wide-open beauty of eastern Oregon and craving a hearty home-cooked...
On This Day In 1978 – The Burnside St Portland Crash That Changed The Skies
As we mark 46 years since the crash, the lessons learned continue to shape aviation, ensuring that the mistakes of the past are not repeated. December 28, 1978, began as a typical day for passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 173, traveling from New York to...











