Western Oregon is a region of the state known for its lush forests, fertile farmland, and stunning coastline. The region is home to the bustling city of Portland, which is known for its vibrant culture, delicious food, and world-renowned craft beer scene. The Willamette Valley, located in the heart of Western Oregon, is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world and is famous for its Pinot Noir wine. The region’s stunning coastline, stretching for 363 miles, features breathtaking beaches, dramatic cliffs, and quaint seaside towns. Visitors to Western Oregon can enjoy a variety of outdoor activities, including hiking, camping, fishing, and surfing.
There are normal fall festivals. You know the type. Apple cider. Corn mazes. Hayrides. Maybe somebody puts on a flannel shirt and spends twenty minutes choosing a pumpkin that somehow costs more than lunch. And then there's the Oregon fall festival where grown adults...
Wine gets most of the attention in this part of the Willamette Valley, but there's another kind of treasure to be found here. Instead of pinot noir, this place deals in things that are millions of years older, considerably harder, and, depending on who you ask, every...
There are forests in Oregon that feel old, and then there are forests that seem to exist outside ordinary time. Crabtree Valley belongs to the second kind. Deep back in the western foothills of the Cascades northeast of Sweet Home, the valley doesn't announce itself...
Some restaurants feed people. Others become part of a family's story. Long before food delivery apps, self-order kiosks, or burger chains on every corner, there was Scottie's Drive-In in Forest Grove. It's the kind of place where the milkshakes are still hand-spun,...
For a lot of Oregonians, the drive to the coast has never just been about the destination. It's about the traditions. It's the excitement of packing up the car before sunrise. The smell of Douglas fir drifting through an open window as Highway 26 winds through the...
There are certain places in Oregon that become part of your family's story. Not because they're famous. Not because they're trendy. But because they were simply there, year after year, waiting for you on the journey. For me, the Elderberry Inn is one of those places....
Every Oregon town has those places that seem woven into the fabric of the community. They're the restaurants locals recommend without hesitation. The places where college students celebrate milestones, families gather over lunch, and travelers accidentally stumble...
For most of us, Oregon exists as a collection of familiar things. Highways winding toward the coast. Farm fields stretching across the Willamette Valley. Neighborhood streets in Portland. Tiny eastern high desert towns. Fences separating properties. Addresses stamped...
There are certain places in Oregon that make you stop talking for a minute. Not because there isn't anything to say, but because your brain is too busy trying to process what your eyes are seeing. Rick Vander Ley, Lost In Oregon, Facebook Larch Mountain is one of...
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 restaurants you stumble across once and never forget. The kind of spot you tell your friends about weeks later because you’re still thinking about the meal. Tucked along Highway 58 in the tiny community of Pleasant Hill, just southeast of...
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....