JD Shadel

To surround yourself with a spirited community of independent film fanatics, you’ll want to make your way to Oregon, an underrated cinema destination that’s worth a closer look. More

If you’re flying into the Pacific Northwest for the first time or if you’re a local looking to trim your carbon footprint, here are a few iconic trips you can take via Wi-Fi-enabled coaches, scenic trains, pay-by-the-minute bike shares and regional transit. More

Master distillers rarely talk about the origins of the ingredients they use, let alone do they know the producers on a first-name basis. But the team behind Portland-based Freeland Spirits does almost everything differently. When Molly Troupe talks about what goes into each gorgeous bottle of her gin and bourbon, she sounds more like a winemaker musing about terroir than a typical distiller. More

There’s a stunning way to see this craggy stretch of shoreline that doesn’t require setting foot on the gas pedal: a reliable network of public transit. More

In calm conditions, the mouth of the most powerful waterway on the West Coast doesn’t seem to match its ominous nickname: the “Graveyard of the Pacific.” But the Columbia is one fickle river. More

If you unfold a map of Oregon, the Willamette National Forest takes the shape of a sprawling evergreen patch to the east of the Willamette Valley — the lush heart of a state where conifer forests carpet nearly half the landscape. It appears both magnificent and intimidating. More

An eastward drive from Portland through the Columbia River Gorge brings a few colorful surprises. There is, of course, the landscape’s gradient shift from evergreen to golden. An hour spent cruising along the river on Interstate 84 sees the moss-draped cliffs and basalt spires of the national scenic area give way to the sagebrush-speckled hills of the Columbia Plateau. And then there is The Dalles, an unexpected home to the dazzling National Neon Sign Museum, which only recently opened its doors to the public. More

Celebrating 30 years in heels, the man behind Portland drag legend Poison Waters has seen his audiences grow as his art form has evolved — dancing in step as the LGBTQ liberation movement has plodded past triumphs and tragedies, always with sass and candor. Kevin Cook has watched much of it unfold from the stage at Darcelle XC Showplace, where he co-hosts the nightly show alongside the club’s prolific founder and namesake, Darcelle XV herself (aka Walter Cole). More

The nation’s most famous chef, James Beard may very well have redefined the art of American food at a time when touting it was not particularly fashionable. But for generations of home cooks, the legacy of the Oregon-born icon resonates on a more personal level. More

The late afternoon light wanes as Scot Violette trudges up a steep incline in the Umatilla National Forest. I trail a dozen or so paces behind when he hollers to his hiking partner, Pete Nelson: “Hey, I think I’ve found a footprint.” I scamper up the slope to get a closer look. More