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If you enjoy traveling across Oregon, consider a different sort of journey that lets you travel back to a time when pioneers were putting down roots and starting new lives. At Champoeg State Heritage Area, volunteers really dig Oregon history. Karly Law loves digging into history and this summer she’s scraping through decades of it, one centimeter at… More

Every two years, my college buddies and I (proud class of ’85) organize a golf trip. A few of us play with some regularity; for others it’s a once-every-two-years activity. While we appreciate experiencing some nice courses, these trips are more about our camaraderie and having an adventure in a new and inviting place — preferably one… More

Last Saturday, 8:15 a.m. Weather: snowing lightly. Trail conditions: snowpack with good traction. One other car in the parking lot. I step out of my car, tuck the key in my pocket, and run. Up the hill in the woods, Ponderosa pine too big to hug anchor the horizon. Manzanita glistens with fresh powdery snow.… More

With an endless list of restaurants, breweries, coffee shops and distilleries, our initial attempt at navigating Portland feels, well, a bit overwhelming. Yet with just two days to explore, we’re setting off to find the best, most sustainable spots to eat, drink and adventure in the City of Roses, so that the buzz from our microbrew isn’t the only thing to make us feel good. More

Whether you're hitting the trail, rocking a concert, or just playing lawn games with friends, the guys at GoodLife Brewing know that the right beer can make any good day that much better. They invited us to Bend to share their vision, their beer, and teach us how to live the good life. More

Last October, I had the opportunity to take a driving tour through Southeastern Oregon. I’ll be honest, I didn’t know what to expect. I’d heard of the hot springs and the mountains, but what I was most interested in was the desert. It seemed crazy to me that Oregon could boast yet another ecosystem. So… More

In the brightly lit center of The Kitchen at Middleground Farms, we’re learning something I thought I already knew — how to core an apple. Jessica Hansen, chef and owner of this recreational cooking school in a renovated cow barn, demonstrates the best way to slice the juiciest meat out of each plump heirloom orb. Cores… More

For a land as awe-inspiring as the Willamette Valley, the 100-mile stretch of freeway from Portland to Eugene on I-5 makes for a surprisingly anonymous-looking interstate, the likes of which you find almost anywhere else in America. But here’s what sets it apart: Few roads in the nation traverse such fruitful territory. More

The Molalla River Recreation Corridor is a local recreation mecca that is perfect for exploring for many reasons, including new campground and picnic sites, hiking and biking and even horseback riding trails along a gorgeous scenic river byway that is less than 90 minutes from Portland. Jahn Hoover with Into the Wild Equine Adventures agrees that watching… More

If you know where to look across Oregon's vast high desert landscape, there are powerful human stories found in small, quiet places. This week, we go to a "time capsule" of sorts in Eastern Oregon's John Day, where a unique and memorable chapter of the Oregon story comes to life. There is a timeless feeling… More

Winter is quickly approaching. It’s in the brisk morning air, the mud on your shoes and the extra layer you throw on to go out and play. Runners know winter means some of the best (i.e. quirky and invigorating) races of the year in Oregon. Here are some of our favorite. Nov. 20: It’s a… More

Whirring bicycle wheels and the steady gnawing of puppy teeth against a rawhide bone merge into a peaceful rhythm as I pedal down the two-lane highway, just a handful of miles outside Mitchell. I’m exploring the Painted Hills Scenic Bikeway, Oregon’s newest addition to its official bicycle-friendly routes. Located in Eastern Oregon, the state’s 15th Scenic Bikeway connects the three units of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument over 161 miles and tops the state’s total bikeway network to more than 1,000 miles. To... More

Breakside PDX Slabtown Breakside Brewery has racked up some serious hardware since its launch in 2010, winning national recognition for its Breakside IPA, Bourbon Barrel-Aged Aztec and Passionfruit Sour. Its third location in the city — the two-story “hop lab” in Northwest Portland’s Slabtown district — is the launchpad for its own beers, meant to be enjoyed on-site only. Their Seeker series pays homage to the diversity of IPAs produced across the United States; and their Iron Chef-like approach to ingredients stretches our palates in ways we’d... More

There’s nothing better than a stroll in the woods, especially when there’s treasure underfoot. Forager Steve Fick figures it’s simple: if you want to harvest wild mushrooms, learn their habitat. In the Tillamook State Forest, where sun and shadow dance through the towering Douglas fir trees, Fick’s well-trained eyes are fixed down close to the… More

Just 15 miles west of Eugene, Veneta is located at the intersection of Highway 126, a direct path to the scenic Oregon Coast, and the Territorial Highway, one of the oldest roads in Oregon and the gateway to Willamette Valley Wine Country. As such, Veneta is a fitting locale in which to explore both the… More

Eastern Oregon's Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is famous for migratory birds. My wife Krista and I loved our recent bird watching trip to the refuge just south of Burns. During a long weekend in early May, we spotted more than 90 species of gorgeous birds, including great horned owls, burrowing owls, short-eared owls, sandhill cranes, golden eagles,… More

Jill Allen has loved the land since an early age. Born and raised not far from Tillamook, an area populated by more cows than people, she was active in Future Farmers of America and studied agricultural business at Oregon State University. After college she married a dairy farmer and laid down roots in Tillamook, where… More

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

Oregon cyclists gravitate to gravel rides to escape the hustle and bustle of cities without going too deep into the wild. It’s about solace and scenery, a great workout and quiet roads. More

Oregon’s fourth-largest city, Gresham (pop. 109,397), feels more like an amiable small town thanks to its vibrant town center and bounty of public green spaces. Perched at the eastern edge of the Portland metro area, Gresham is a gateway to both urban pleasures and the outdoor wonders of Mt. Hood and the Columbia River Gorge. Well-served… More

There’s a little-known secret about cycling in Oregon: Some of the best riding in the state isn’t in Portland or even along the Pacific Coast. You have to cross the Cascade Mountains and head into the open country of Eastern Oregon, where cows in the road constitute a traffic jam, and where the impressive scenery shifts between ponderosa pines and basalt rock. More

In 2005, returning from an 18-month tour of duty in Iraq, Officer was looking for a different direction. He was intrigued by Oregon’s blossoming craft distilling industry. He had also lost four good friends in Iraq, and wanted a way to commemorate them. As he explored the idea of craft spirits, he thought, why not make whiskey in their honor? Why not dedicate a whole distillery to their memory? More

Just a stone’s throw from Portland, the Tualatin Valley is a great place to celebrate the seasons. With 40 wineries to explore, it's a sipping paradise. More

Oregon is home to a diverse range of theater companies big and small, from experimental warehouse shows to rollicking musicals to polished, professional contemporary and classic work. Our performing arts scene is sophisticated, diverse, and yes, great. Here’s a behind-the-scenes tour of the state’s stages — a whirlwind introduction to everything you need to know about theater in Oregon. More

Fifty years later, Meadows has much to celebrate. This beloved hot spot hosts half a million visitors each year, with 430 inches of annual snowfall and 2,150 acres accessed by a dozen lifts, six of them high-speed quads. More

America’s deepest river gorge, Hells Canyon, and “Little Switzerland,” the Wallowa Mountains, star on this 208-mile/335-kilometer horseshoe route through the state’s northeast corner, the rich ancestral homeland of the Nez Perce tribe. More

There are times when I just want to get lost — detach, unplug, disappear. That feeling only intensifies as the cabin fever tightens its winter grip. But where to go? I need a spot with a bit more anonymity, somewhere that requires some effort to find. That is why I chose Soapstone Lake. More

Springfield is often mentioned in the same breath as Eugene, the two cities forming the state’s second-largest metro area. But Springfield deserves its own spotlight, because there’s plenty to discover in this vibrant community surrounded by what seems like an endless expanse of rivers and woods. Paint the Town: Boutiques and antiques thrive on Main Street,… More

As we motor across the fast-ebbing tide on Netarts Bay, skipper Travis Oja says with a chuckle, “Lift your feet fellas, 'cause it gets really shallow really fast! Oja is an oyster farmer who owns the Nevør Shellfish Farm at Netarts Bay. He inspects his crops — millions of Pacific Oysters — each day. But there’s another oyster he… More

There’s a little known secret about wine tasting in Oregon: One of the most scenic routes to visit pinot noir vines is by water. Which is why this weekend, we skipped the highway for country roads. More