About the Author

Eileen Garvin

Eileen Garvin lives and writes in Hood River. When she’s not hunched over her keyboard or digging in the garden, you can find her mountain biking, kiteboarding, hiking, skiing or camping somewhere in Oregon.

The Building Blocks of Chocolate

June 4, 2012
Woodblock Chocolate’s new commercial space isn’t anything like Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory — unless Willy Wonka moved to DIY-Portland. Instead it’s a clean, open space for creating bean-to-bar chocolate from nothing but high quality cacao and cane sugar, a product perfectly suiting Portland’s appetite for handcrafted goodies. Woodblock owners Charley and Jessica Wheelock are bent… More
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Artisan Producers , Trip Ideas , Eat & Drink ,

Summer Steelhead Season Opens

May 31, 2012
Notoriously elusive and much sought after, the Oregon steelhead is the subject of many a tale about icy winter rivers, overcast skies and hours lost to exasperating and fruitless effort. Here's a morale booster: The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) wants to remind us that steelhead run in the summer, too. "Summer steelhead… More
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Oregon Coast , Astoria , Family Fun , Fishing , Trip Ideas , Outdoor Recreation , Attractions ,

Girlfriends’ Surfing Getaway

May 25, 2012
I wanted to get out of town and try something different, some combination of physical and relaxing. A weekend in the sweet little town of Manzanita with some of my favorite women seemed like just the thing. More
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Oregon Coast , Manzanita , State Parks , Guides & Charters , Favorite Trips , Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas , Restaurants , Trip Ideas , Outdoor Recreation , Eat & Drink , Attractions ,

The Beauty of the Falls

Crashing, boiling, breathtaking, roaring. These are the words used by writers, poets and travelers to describe the waterfalls of Oregon. What’s harder to capture is our fascination with these powerful cascading streams that spill out of the wooded hillsides and snow-capped mountains around the state. Year after year we return to witness the cycle of… More
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Lakes & Reservoirs , Favorite Trips , Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas , Rivers & Streams , Waterfalls , Hiking & Backpacking , Trip Ideas , Outdoor Recreation , Attractions ,

Oregon Dreamer: Pholia Farm

I’m here to learn about Oregon’s only off-the-grid creamery, which produces award-winning, aged raw milk cheeses, and, in the spring, scores of adorable baby goats. More
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Southern Oregon , Rogue River , Favorite Trips , Culinary Experiences , Sustainable Travel , Trip Ideas , Outdoor Recreation , Eat & Drink , Attractions ,

Gear Up for Biking

May 12, 2012
It’s time to get reacquainted with that two-wheeled thing in the garage that you have been ignoring all winter. Are you up for some white-knuckled criterium spectating, or a muddy mountain bike race? How about a funky art-bike parade? Or Maybe you just feel like going for a ride. Here are some ideas to get… More
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Central Oregon , Bend , Bicycling , Sustainable Travel , Sports , Trip Ideas , Events ,

Spring into Cooking Class

April 16, 2012
Bounty returns in the spring, and we are getting fired up in the kitchen. Oregon is the heart of Northwest cuisine, and now Bend has a new artery.  If you love to create good food as much as you love to eat it, step into the kitchen at the Cascade Culinary Institute (CCI). Opening its… More
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Oregon Coast , Bend , Culinary Events , Culinary Experiences , Educational Activities , Trip Ideas , Eat & Drink , Events ,

Road Trip: Gearhart

April 2, 2012
In the cold of winter, we suggest going coastal for some sand, surf and sunshine. Head to Gearhart (pop. 1,462), a little town tucked away between Seaside and Astoria. This quaint and quiet beach town makes the perfect getaway year-round. Hit the green: Check out Gearhart Golf Links, the oldest golf course in Oregon (and arguably… More
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Oregon Coast , Gearhart , Family Fun , Fishing , Golfing , Trip Ideas ,

Get Ready for Whale Watch Week

March 15, 2012
Amazed by the greatness of gray whales? You're not alone. Countless people come to watch whales at the Oregon Coast every year. Late December is prime time to look for migrating gray whales as they head south to the warm lagoons of Baja, Mexico. You can learn more at Oregon Whale Watch Week, with trained volunteers stationed at more than a dozen locations coastwide to help visitors spot thousands of gray whales as they make their winter migration along the Coast. More
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Oregon Coast , Depoe Bay , Lakes & Reservoirs , State Parks , Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas , Rivers & Streams , Family Fun , Sustainable Travel , Trip Ideas , Outdoor Recreation , Attractions , Events ,

Finding Oregon

March 7, 2012
We thought we knew Oregon like nobody’s business. Then we watched “Finding Oregon,” a video from Uncage the Soul Productions, and fell in love all over again. More
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Lakes & Reservoirs , Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas , Camping , Rivers & Streams , Trip Ideas , Outdoor Recreation , Attractions ,