About the Author

Tara Corbin

Tara serves as Cycle Oregon’s community director, helping shine the spotlight on some of the state’s lesser known towns and scenic treasures.

Find Natural Beauty in Camas Valley

May 3, 2016
Logging, church, and football are the lifeblood of Camas Valley, an unincorporated community in southwestern Oregon. Camas Valley has a population of about 1,000 people, but according to John Wheeler, a retired forester and logger who has lived in Camas Valley since 1942, "If you got 150 people to show up in one place, that… More
found in
Southern Oregon , Camas Valley , Bicycling , Trip Ideas , Attractions ,

Take a Ride Back in Time in Myrtle Creek

April 6, 2016
In Myrtle Creek, the town where Cycle Oregon’s week-long ride starts and finishes, everyone knows your name. "It’s a very quaint place with a lot of community pride," says Dave Ehrhardt, vice principal/athletic director of the town’s South Umpqua High School, where many current students’ parents and grandparents also attended. "Myrtle Creek is a multi-generational… More
found in
Southern Oregon , Myrtle Creek , Historic Sites & Oregon Trail , Bicycling , Trip Ideas ,

Cycle Oregon Spotlight: Joseph

August 5, 2015
The nickname “Little Switzerland” might conjure up a Sound of Music-like setting in your mind – lush greenery and wildflowers, majestic and maybe even a few snow-topped mountains, plus crystal-clear alpine lakes. But while the Swiss are known for watches, cheese, chocolate, banks and the Red Cross, Joseph has cemented a more eclectic and all-inclusive… More
found in
Eastern Oregon , Joseph , Bicycling , Trip Ideas ,

Cycle Oregon Spotlight: Independence and Monmouth

July 7, 2015
Visitors to Monmouth and Independence, where Cycle Oregon has taken riders for the past decade or so, sits in the heart of the Willamette Valley, in what's called the "historic hop capital of the world." The two towns are conveniently located less than 30 minutes by car from both Salem and Corvallis, and an hour from… More
found in
Willamette Valley , Independence , Trip Ideas , Attractions ,

Cycle Oregon Spotlight: Halfway

June 23, 2015
Despite officially being named Halfway because it is midway between Pine and Cornucopia, I think the town’s founders were absolutely on track, thinking they were halfway to heaven. Halfway is fully ringed by the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, the Eagle Cap Wilderness to the north and Hells Canyon National Recreation Area to the east. There truly… More
found in
Eastern Oregon , Halfway , Trip Ideas ,

Cycle Oregon Spotlight: Huntington

May 7, 2015
People who live here – all 450 of them – often describe Huntington as “A Great Little City with a Big Heart.” From what I know so far, I’d say that residents here are absolutely big-hearted. They’re also big on their history. Residents are quick to point out that Huntington is a town rich in… More
found in
Eastern Oregon , Huntington , Bicycling , Trip Ideas ,

Cycle Oregon Spotlight: Baker City

April 1, 2015
Shoehorned between the Elkhorn Mountain Range to the west, the Eagle Cap Wilderness to the east and encompassing parts of the Snake River, Oregon Trail and Hells Canyon, Baker City represents some of the best of Eastern Oregon. I’m here to tour the town, meet with people and prepare for Cycle Oregon 2015, which will begin… More
found in
Eastern Oregon , Baker City , Historic Sites & Oregon Trail , Bicycling , Trip Ideas ,

To Cycle Oregon is to Vacation with Pride and Purpose

March 6, 2015
There is nothing wrong with sipping piña coladas, parked under an umbrella on a white, sandy beach somewhere tropical. But it’s not for everyone, and it’s my job with Cycle Oregon to serve those folks who like to shake up their vacations a bit and combine adventure, adrenaline, scenery and service with their recreational experiences.… More
found in
Bicycling , Trip Ideas ,