Heceta Head Halloween Haunt Cancelled Due to Historic Keeper’s House Renovations
Oregonians hoping to spend Halloween night listening to ghost stories beneath the beam of Heceta Head Lighthouse will have to make other plans this year. The Heceta Head Halloween Haunt scheduled for October 31, 2026, has been cancelled due to ongoing preservation work at the historic Keeper’s House. The cancellation comes just days after we reported on the planned event here at That Oregon Life, which had generated plenty of excitement among readers looking for one of the more unusual ways to...
TRAVEL
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.
Young Humpback Whale Tangled in Fishing Gear Rescued Off Newport, But Devastating Injury Could Still Be Fatal
A four-day effort off the Oregon Coast ended with a young humpback whale finally swimming free after becoming trapped in thousands of feet of fishing gear, but the rescue came with a heartbreaking...
This Remote Oregon Mine Lets You Dig for Real Sunstones and Keep What You Find
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...
More of Highway 26 Reopens as Rowe Creek Complex Reaches 84% Containment
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...
FOOD & DRINK
Explore Oregon’s food and drink scene – from locally sourced ingredients to craft brews and award-winning wines. Plan your culinary adventure now!
A Former Coast Guard Ship Is Now One of the Oregon Coast’s Coolest Seafood Restaurants
Some restaurants give you a waterfront view. Big Fish Cafe gives you that, plus the entire boat. Tucked beside the Umpqua River in Reedsport, this wonderfully unexpected restaurant occupies a former...
This Historic Pendleton Steakhouse Is One Of Oregon’s Best Places To Experience The Old West
Walk through the doors at Hamley Steakhouse & Saloon and it doesn't take long to realize this isn't just another place to grab a bite to eat. Rich woodwork, handcrafted details, glowing antique...
The Seafood At This Unassuming Family Restaurant Might Ruin Every Other Oregon Coast Spot For You
Some restaurants feel connected to the place around them from the moment you walk through the door. The food makes sense for the landscape. The menu reflects what people have eaten in the region for...
Oregon Officials Review Latest Data, Troubled To Find Some Residents Still Making Ends Meet
SALEM, Ore. — Oregon officials reportedly called an emergency meeting this week after reviewing the latest cost-of-living data and discovering a troubling trend: a small number of residents may still have money left after paying their monthly bills. The discovery came...
Person Dies in 177-Foot Fall at Silver Falls State Park After Entering Closed Area
UPDATE: Authorities have identified the person who died Monday evening after falling from South Falls at Silver Falls State Park as 20-year-old Zachary Nicholas Mertens of Burlington, Kentucky. Oregon State Police said Mertens entered a closed area near the top of the...
Ron Wyden Announces Bold New Wildfire Plan: ‘Fine, I’ll Do It Myself’
With Oregon firefighters reportedly operating with roughly half the staffing and resources they need during a record-setting wildfire season, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden has apparently decided there is only one reasonable solution left. He’s going in. After meeting Monday...
More of Highway 26 Reopens as Rowe Creek Complex Reaches 84% Containment
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...
Oregon Air Quality Update: Prineville, La Pine and Burns Among the Worst This Morning
Much of Western Oregon is waking up to surprisingly clean air Tuesday morning, but cross the Cascades and the picture changes fast. Wildfire smoke continues to hang over portions of Central and Eastern Oregon on August 11, with Prineville, La Pine, Burns, Madras,...
Bend’s Old Cracker Barrel Is Getting a New Life as a Carhartt Store
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...
19 Reasons You Should Definitely Move To Oregon
Thinking about moving to Oregon? Excellent decision. Ignore the rain, housing prices, wildfire smoke, traffic, taxes, and enormous earthquake fault lurking offshore. Those aren't problems. They're amenities. Here are 18 reasons you should absolutely pack up the U-Haul...
Another Fire Ignites Near Mount Hood as Oregon’s Historic Wildfire Season Tops 2.3 Million Acres
Another plume of smoke rose above the forests near Mount Hood on Sunday, adding one more fire to what has already become an extraordinary and exhausting wildfire season across Oregon. The new blaze, called the Austin Fire, was reported Sunday in the Mount Hood...
8 Oregon Hiking Trails Where You Can Escape the Wildfire Smoke Today
If you’ve looked outside lately and wondered whether hiking in Oregon now requires a complimentary respirator, you’re not alone. Wildfire smoke continues to affect a large portion of the state this weekend, with smoke from fires across Oregon and the Pacific Northwest...
Lloyd Center Celebrates Final Day With One Last Attempted Robbery
PORTLAND, Ore. — After decades of shopping, ice skating, awkward teenage hangouts and wondering whether the mall was actually still open, Lloyd Center is reportedly marking its final day in the most Portland way possible: with one last attempted robbery. Witnesses say...