About the Author

Tina Lassen

Tina Lassen is a nationally published freelance writer who frequently writes about travel and outdoor recreation. Her features have appeared in National Geographic Adventure, Alaska Airlines Magazine, Endless Vacation, USA Today and several other publications. She also has authored and contributed to several guidebooks for Fodor’s, Frommer’s and the National Geographic Society’s Books Division. Thanks to a career that lets her live anywhere, Tina happily writes and recreates from her home in Hood River.

Favorite Stops on the Madras Mountain Views Scenic Bikeway

April 17, 2017
A saw blade of snowy volcanic peaks provides quite the backdrop for the Madras Mountain Views Scenic Bikeway. This 29-mile ride rolls through farm fields and skims along the canyon rim of Lake Billy Chinook. A word of advice from one cyclist to another: the scenery might get distracting, so you’ll want to pull over now and again to take it all in. More
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Central Oregon , Culver , Lakes & Reservoirs , Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas , Rivers & Streams , Trip Ideas , Outdoor Recreation , Bicycling , Attractions ,

Road Trip: Arlington

March 6, 2017
On a trip to the Columbia Plateau, where the Columbia River Gorge melds into the wide-open cowboy country of Eastern Oregon, you might need to recalibrate your sense of scale. Everything feels immense: the wide Columbia River jacks up with swells as big as the ocean, swaying wheat fields ripple toward a distant horizon and… More
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Eastern Oregon , Arlington , Historic Sites & Oregon Trail , Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas , Trip Ideas , Outdoor Recreation , Culture & History , Attractions , State Parks , Windsurfing & Kiteboarding ,

Road Trip: Fairview

January 24, 2017
You could go years passing through this community at the east edge of the Portland metro area without realizing what you’re missing: bird-filled wetlands, boating lakes, bike trails and a pedestrian-scale walkable village. With its waterfront parks, open spaces and a postcard-perfect vantage point of Mt. Hood, this city of 9,000 offers not just a… More
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Mt. Hood & Columbia River Gorge , Fairview , Lakes & Reservoirs , Birding , Historic Sites & Oregon Trail , Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas , Coffee & Tea , Rivers & Streams , Trip Ideas , Outdoor Recreation , Eat & Drink , Attractions , Spirits & Distilleries ,

Ways to Play in Waldport

December 27, 2016
The artful arch of the Alsea Bay Bridge signals your arrival in Waldport, a coastal community 15 miles south of Newport on the Central Coast. Like the bridge, Waldport spans the mouth of Alsea Bay, a waterway renowned for crabbing and rich with wildlife. With easy access to the ocean, the bay and the vast… More
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Oregon Coast , Waldport , Trip Ideas ,

Meet Warm Springs Artist Lillian Pitt

December 14, 2016
“It was love at first touch,” Lillian Pitt recalls of the first time her hands met clay. That happenstance encounter with a potter’s wheel led Pitt down a path of creative exploration and collaboration that has taken her all over the world. At age 72, Pitt is recognized as one of the most highly regarded… More
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Central Oregon , Warm Springs , Art Galleries & Studios , Culture & Heritage Events , Historic Sites & Oregon Trail , Native American Culture , Trip Ideas , Theater & Performing Art , Attractions , Events ,

Road Trip: McKenzie River Valley

November 28, 2016
A string of riverside communities greets the wild and oh-so-scenic McKenzie River as it drains down from the Cascade Mountains and tumbles west toward Eugene. More
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Willamette Valley , Blue River , Lakes & Reservoirs , Guides & Charters , Tour Companies , Rafting , Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas , Rivers & Streams , Trip Ideas , Outdoor Recreation , Hiking & Backpacking , Attractions ,

Outdoor Play in Warrenton

November 23, 2016
The mighty Columbia meets the even mightier Pacific near Warrenton, perched right on the rim of the continent in Oregon’s northwest corner. For Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery, arriving here meant the victorious completion of a monumental 28-month expedition. Your arrival can mean recreation. Everywhere you turn, it seems there’s water —… More
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Oregon Coast , Warrenton , Trip Ideas ,

Road Trip: Dallas, Willamina and Grand Ronde

November 7, 2016
The verdant hills and rambling creeks of the Willamette Valley set the stage for this pocket of communities west of Salem. Long an abundant homeland for native tribes and later a productive farming and logging locale, this region’s lush landscape is still a powerful draw. It all feels a bit like a local’s secret, where… More
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Willamette Valley , Dallas , Birding , Historic Sites & Oregon Trail , Parks, Forests & Wildlife Areas , Native American Culture , Trip Ideas , Museums , Outdoor Recreation , Bicycling , Culture & History , Attractions ,

Road Trip: Creswell and Cottage Grove

October 27, 2016
A rumpled landscape of fertile river valleys surrounds these friendly communities south of Eugene. Creswell and Cottage Grove provide a welcoming base for exploring the region’s winding back roads, which lead to scenic farm country, wineries, recreation areas and Lane County’s utterly charming collection of covered bridges. Creswell: A backdrop of lush green lands defines Creswell.… More
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Willamette Valley , Cottage Grove , Covered Bridges , Historic Sites & Oregon Trail , Trip Ideas , Bicycling , Farmers Markets , Eat & Drink , Golfing , Wine & Wineries ,

Get Outside in Pacific City

October 26, 2016
The stretch of the Oregon Coast due west of McMinnville feels especially wild, a jumble of high capes, sandy spits and rivers flowing into protected bays. Even US-101 has to curve inland here. That leaves Pacific City off the beaten path, a slightly sleepy beachfront town where sand drifts across parking lots and fishing dories surf… More
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Oregon Coast , Pacific City , Trip Ideas ,