Discover Central Oregon with our travel guide category. Your ultimate resource for attractions, activities, and events. Let us be your go-to travel center for an unforgettable adventure in this spectacular region.
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 of south central Oregon, beyond the forests, waterfalls...
Travel conditions are slowly improving east of Prineville as portions of U.S. Highway 26 reopen following weeks of wildfire activity from the massive Rowe Creek Complex. The highway is not fully open yet, but the closed section has become considerably shorter than it...
A familiar building on Bend’s north side is getting a new tenant, and this time the name going up outside will be one that plenty of Oregonians already have hanging in their closets. Carhartt is preparing to open its first Central Oregon company store in Bend, moving...
The Akawa Butte Fire continues to test the strength of the Sisters community as firefighters work tirelessly to keep one of Oregon's most dangerous wildfires from reaching homes and businesses. The lightning-caused fire, which started on July 16, has now burned more...
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 places in Oregon make you work for them. Hart Mountain Hot Springs is one of those places. Tucked deep in south central Oregon, far from traffic lights, coffee stands, cell service, and pretty much anything resembling convenience, this high desert soaking spot...
There are places in Oregon that feel like destinations. And then there are places that feel like adventures. The kind where you arrive with a rough plan, only to completely abandon it an hour later because you suddenly find yourself wandering hallways, peeking around...
There are certain moments in Oregon that feel almost unreal. The first warm evening on the coast. The smell of pine after rain in the Cascades. Sunlight breaking through vineyards in wine country. And then there’s lavender season. Every summer, parts of Oregon...
There are some places in Oregon that seem to live permanently in people’s memories. Maybe it’s the smell of pine trees warming in the summer sun. Maybe it’s the freezing mountain water that shocks your system in the best possible way after a hot afternoon. Or maybe...
For years, the hike to Tamolitch Blue Pool has been one of those rare Oregon experiences that still feels raw, natural, and earned. The turquoise water glowing beneath ancient lava rock. The towering forest. The uneven trail winding through moss and volcanic terrain....
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 desert around Prineville, the obsession runs deep. Every year,...
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 of recommendations from friends all over the state, we realized that wasn't going to work....