Oregon is a beautiful destination for travelers who enjoy exploring the great outdoors. With its diverse landscape of mountains, forests, waterfalls, and coastline, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Visitors can hike through Crater Lake National Park, explore the Columbia River Gorge, and visit the famous Multnomah Falls. Oregon is also known for its vibrant cities, like Portland, where you can experience world-class dining, shopping, and entertainment. Whether you’re an avid outdoor enthusiast or a city dweller, Oregon has something to offer for your next adventure.
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....
There are places you book for a night… and then there are places that feel like you’ve stepped straight into another world. Tucked quietly into the rolling hills above the Columbia River Gorge near Mosier, there’s a one-of-a-kind stay that looks less like an Airbnb...
There are restaurants you try once… and then there are the ones you grow up with. The ones where the coffee is always hot, the booths feel like they’ve heard a thousand stories, and the pie case quietly calls your name before you even sit down. In Tigard, Oregon, that...
There are places in Oregon where history whispers instead of shouts. No crowds. No big signs demanding your attention. Just a narrow trail winding through towering trees, the soft hush of wind through redwoods, and the quiet understanding that something extraordinary...
There’s something almost surreal about standing beneath a redwood tree. The scale doesn’t quite make sense at first. You look up, and up, and somehow still can’t find the top. The air feels cooler. The light turns soft and green. And for a moment, everything else...
There’s something about a drive-in movie theater that feels like stepping into a different era. The glow of a giant outdoor screen. The hum of car radios. The smell of popcorn drifting through warm evening air. It’s the kind of experience that instantly slows you down...
Spring on the Oregon coast brings more than just sunshine and wildflowers. It also marks the return of one of the region’s most beloved seabirds. Tufted puffins have begun arriving once again along the shoreline, drawing attention from visitors eager to catch a...
There are moments along the Oregon coast that don’t feel real. Not the kind you photograph and move on from. The kind that stop you mid-step, make you question what you’re seeing, and stick with you long after you’ve left the shoreline. This is one of those moments....
There are places in Oregon where time doesn’t just slow down… it quietly slips away altogether. I discovered one of those places the moment I stepped aboard a vintage train in the tiny town of Elgin. The engine hummed to life, the whistle echoed across the valley, and...
A couple summers ago, we were already a few days into a laid-back stay in Astoria, soaking in the kind of slow coastal rhythm that makes you forget what day it is. That particular morning, we had a loose plan to show the kids a couple of The Goonies spots—the house...
There are few experiences on the Oregon Coast that rival the quiet thrill of tide pooling. Give me a stretch of rocky shoreline and I’ll spend more time crouched down than actually walking, scanning every crevice for movement, color, and life. Beachcombing has its...
The line stretches out the door, people stand shoulder to shoulder, and somehow… nobody seems bothered by it. That’s usually the first sign you’ve found somewhere worth your time. In Medford, that place is Luigi's Italian Sandwiches — a no-frills sandwich shop that’s...