That Oregon Life · Stories & discoveries
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There are places on the Oregon Coast that draw crowds with their fame. And then there are places that quietly steal your heart the moment you arrive. Carl G. Washburne Memorial State Park is the latter.…
For millions of people who grew up in the 1990s, Free Willy was more than just a movie. It was emotional, unforgettable, and for many kids, it was the very first time they questioned whether wild…
There’s something oddly magical about walking an Oregon beach at low tide, scanning the sand for that perfect, pale disc tucked just beneath the surface. Sand dollar hunting isn’t just a coastal pastime here. It’s practically…
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…
In 2022, the world still felt a little strange. Masks were common, travel still carried that odd post-pandemic energy, and many people were trying to figure out what “normal” even looked like again. My wife Danielle…
There’s a stretch of Highway 26 on the way to Mount Hood where the air feels a little fresher, the trees grow a little taller, and if you time it just right, you’ll stumble onto one…
What started as a peaceful morning treasure hunt on the Oregon coast reportedly turned into something a lot more chaotic. A Corvallis woman is now facing assault charges after police say she struck a man multiple…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
