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You could say that salt has been in Aaron Longton’s blood for just about his entire life. Born in Roseburg, he began fishing at the tender age of eight with his father on the salmon and steelhead-rich rivers of Southern Oregon. Since he was fishing every chance he had, Aaron decided to make it his… More

Jimmy Seifrit got the brewing bug early on, while growing up in Philadelphia. An urge to move west, specifically to a mountain town, landed him in Bend in the mid 1990s. An avid home brewer, he turned professional nearly 20 years ago in the tank rooms of Deschutes Brewery. In 2011, the opportunity to take over… More

Members of the Stein family have been grain farmers in Wallowa County for multiple generations. Because they produced high-quality rye, wheat and barley, the next step was a logical one: Use it to create Oregon’s first Eastern Oregon micro-distillery. Located in Joseph, Stein Distillery takes a grain-to-glass approach, controlling every element that goes into their… More

The Gathering of the Guilds is a great show. And I should know – I’ve had a booth at the show for the past four years. I’ve sold my jewelry at various craft fairs throughout Oregon since 2006. Thanks in part to having my jewelry featured in movies (like The Descendants) and TV shows (such… More

Splayed between the twin peaks of Mt. Hood in Oregon and Mt. Adams in Washington, the Hood River Valley beckons road bikers with a yen for agri-tourism. There’s low traffic, a constantly changing landscape, and tacos, pies and wine around every turn. What’s not to like? Every season serves up reasons to bike the valley,… More

Oakridge, a charming little timber-turned-mountain-bike town nestled in the majestic hills of the Willamette National Forest, has quickly made a name for itself as Oregon’s single-track sanctuary. Hundreds of miles of well-manicured trails, from steep and rocky to fast and flowy, have earned Oakridge recognition from many outdoor magazines. I was in town for a weekend’s worth of rides on new-to-me single-track with a biking buddy. More

Some are mighty icons of bygone craft and woodsy romance. Others are tucked-away gems, perfect for a cold-weather weekend escape. We explored Oregon’s forests, coast, and high desert to find the state’s best winter lodges and retreats — and the results could keep you busy (and cozy) straight through the season. At Mount Hood’s famed… More

In the past few years, I have come to appreciate the River as a metaphor for, well, everything — for life, you could say. Or at least for a life I strive to live. Rivers are dynamic and constantly re-routing, but always steadfast on their course. Rivers strike strong balances — between simplicity and intricacy, patience and… More

Elan Hagens is a native Oregonian, which can be a bit rare these days in the Portland Metro area. Ever since she was a little girl, Elan has been playing in the woods, hiking, foraging and going to every outdoor camp imaginable. After college she became well known for her work with dogs, and was… More

Sarah Marcus has followed both her passion and a dream. While working at other careers, she began to make cheese at home, curious about the art and science of cheesemaking. Starting in the spring of 2005, Sarah worked behind the counter at Cowgirl Creamery in San Francisco's Ferry Building, selling and learning about some of… More