Emilly Prado

Here in Oregon, Interstate 5 is most graciously known as the thoroughfare threading through our major cities. Yes, it’s a perfectly zippy path I’ve taken to get from place to place. But you don’t get a sense of the valley’s true charm until you slow down, pull off the main drag and ease into the rhythm of its historic small towns, each with its own sense of place and plenty of local favorites to uncover. More

Few words sufficiently describe the grandeur of road-tripping through Northeast Oregon, but even fewer sum up the added awe when remembering that a place is far more than the beauty of the topography — human stories are embedded in these landscapes. And you don’t really know a place like this until you know its history, peoples and cultures. More

Under the canopy of soaring Douglas fir trees, a cool breeze gives me momentary relief from the sweltering summer heat. I’m in the in the heart of Woodburn at the city’s oldest greenspace: Legion Park, which bursts with nearly 16 acres of native Pacific Northwest flora. The lush landscape is home to an archaeological-themed playground (a nod to the numerous, successful digs on the edge of park boundaries), a rustic picnic pavilion, and for one weekend in August, tens of thousands of Oregonians and visitors,... More

Summer in Oregon means floating on shimmering rivers, devouring triple scoops of ice cream in fresh waffle cones and sipping frosty pints of craft beer during rooftop concerts. But at the state’s most iconic sites, it can also mean crowds. The scores of folks traveling here is understandable given the undeniable beauty and buzzing activity of the season. Still, summer isn’t for taking the paths most trodden — it’s prime time for uncovering the state’s best-kept secrets and revealing a fresh side of much-loved spots... More