All Out
Barrier-busting adventures around the state let everyone embrace the outdoors written by Cathy Carroll Skis? Check. Raft paddle? Check. Wig, heels, false eyelashes and fishnet stockings? Yes. When Bend’s John Kish takes to the outdoors as drag queen Fertile Liza, they’re on a mission. “We are trying to use our art as a platform to not only make change but inject inclusivity into the outdoors by just showing up and being in these spaces,” he said. “If a drag queen can do these things in nature, then anyone of any shape, size and background can equally be welcomed and enjoy the lands that surround us. Making Oregon more inclusive in the outdoors truly comes down to just exposure and acceptance.” From ocean and forests to lakes and mountains, adventuring is for everyone. Here are some of the barrier-breaking ways to dive in, no matter who you are. Willamette Valley and…
The Ultimate Tent Camping Guide for Beginners
… AND THE GEAR TO GET YOU THERE written by Jean Chen Smith | illustrations by Maggie Wauklyn Something stirs in my soul when I am surrounded by nature in our state. It is an awakening of the senses—hearing the birds sing their unique melodies, smelling the Douglas firs, watching the flutter of branches as a bluebird takes flight, and even feeling the raindrops on my face. These are some of the reasons I love camping so much. When temperatures warm, one of my favorite things to do is pack the car up for a two- or three-night tent camping adventure. Tent camping can be both easy and affordable. You are able to drive up to the campsite location without having to lug all your gear on your back. In some instances, you must reserve a spot ahead of time. Some campgrounds have facilities such as communal showers and bathrooms….
Picture Framing and Matting
illustrations by Allison Bye Custom framing is not cheap—and there’s a reason for that. It takes skill and often specialized tools to build a custom picture frame. Read on for a quick guide to the components of the project. Depending on your skill level and shop setup, you might be able to make your own frames. Or, perhaps repurposing vintage finds is more your speed—we cover that, too. MATERIALS For the frame: Use scrap wood or search out old frames at Goodwill, garage sales or antique stores. Both can be refinished according to your tastes, and cut to the size needed. Tip: If you’re putting together a gallery wall and need a lot of frames at once, our favorite way to do it is to purchase antique frames, which are often made of higher-quality materials, then cut the mat and glass to fit, and assemble it all together. For the…
Eat Your Way Through Cannon Beach in 24 Hours
written by Kerry Newberry Start your morning with the locals at Sea Level Bakery (www.sealevelbakery.com), a husband-and-wife-owned spot serving up scratch-baked bread, veg-packed quiche and pastry specials like a crispy, caramelized kouign-amann, blueberry scones and sticky buns the size of frisbees. Expect a line on most days, but it’s easy to pass the time watching cute beach dogs bustle by. Next stop, picnic provisions for the beach, which you can find a few blocks away at Fresh Foods Cannon Beach (www.freshfoodsmarketplace.com). Early summer, local berries start to roll in and you’ll find ready-made snacks to tuck in beach totes. After exploring the town’s art galleries, boutiques and indie bookstores, swing by the boat-to-table Ecola Seafoods (www.ecolaseafoods.com) for a classic crab cocktail or a deeply satisfying seafood-and-chips basket. Find your afternoon refresh at the beloved Sleepy Monk Coffee Roasters (www.sleepymonkcoffee.com) or Suzy’s Scoops (www.suzysscoops.com). After more beachcombing, enjoy a convivial happy…
How to Decorate a Log Cabin
A Portland interior designer crafts a delightful, rustic-meets-modern retreat in Black Butte Ranch written by Melissa Dalton | photography by Kayla McKenzie When interior designer Wendy Scott bought this log home in Black Butte Ranch, the sale included not just the house, but everything inside it. “You name it, we inherited it,” said Scott. “Forks, cups, art, baskets of dusty fake ivy upon baskets of dusty fake ivy, log beds, phones from 1980, linens that were thirty years old, and games with missing pieces.” As one of the oldest, most traditional forms of American architecture, log cabins are storied enough without all the additional stuff. This one, built in 1990, is a more contemporary version, but still came with the design problems unique to its typology. For Scott, deciding what to keep or toss was the first of many issues to tackle. Add to that, the fact that the thick…
Goldendale Observatory
From cuisine to art to the starlit sky, things are looking up in Goldendale written by James Sinks Above the Columbia River in Central Washington—past a patchwork of vineyards, sentries of spinning windmills and the weathered farming community of Goldendale—the universe is waiting. In a cavernous dome and with a whir, a refrigerator-sized telescope with a 24.5-inch-diameter lens pivots and focuses, bringing into view distant celestial celebrities like star clusters, planets, galaxies and nebulae. The reflector-style scope is the star attraction—well, along with the stars—at Goldendale Observatory State Park, which invites visitors to climb a ladder for a peek during two free shows, several days a week, on a hilltop overlooking the city. Afternoon sessions are all about the sun, and offer views of the fiery surface that you’re not able to see anyplace else. “No one else does it like we do,” said Troy Carpenter, the observatory director and…
Your Guide to Summer Music Festivals
Soak in the sun and sounds of live music at these ten events around Oregon written by Ben Salmon | illustration by Ni Ma There’s no shortage of fun things to do in Oregon during the summer, and that includes music festivals, which give folks from Portland to Pendleton and points in between a chance to gather under the sun and enjoy a whole bunch of live music. Here are ten fests happening across the state that deserve a spot on your calendar this summer. ROOTS-ROCKIN’ Big Ponderoo This is year two for Big Ponderoo, a new event from the team behind one of Oregon’s great musical gatherings, the Sisters Folk Festival. Well-organized and expertly curated, Big Ponderoo features two days of Americana, folk-rock, rootsy soul and more in an easygoing atmosphere. At a time when too many festivals feel increasingly corporate (and expensive), Big Ponderoo is a throwback to…
Tillamook Coast
This coastal region is a watery, culinary, cheesy—and collaborative—wonderland written by James Sinks | photography by Tillamook Coast Visitors Association Prior to statehood, there was no easy overland route to Tillamook Bay. So, before refrigeration was a thing, settlers had to rely on faster seafaring shippers to transport dairy and farm products to market in more populous Astoria and Portland. Thus, when traders said in the 1850s they’d no longer make the treacherous trek into the bay, it could have been disastrous. Cranky and motivated, the community came together and built its own boat, milling local lumber and scrounging metal and sails from nearby shipwrecks. Local tribal members even aided in the construction of what became the state’s first christened ship, and the Morning Star of Tillamook made its maiden voyage in 1855. It stands as an example of an apt oxymoron—independent cooperation—that still defines the Tillamook Coast. In 1909,…
