Aaron

Aaron

    TenZen Springs & Cabins features six contemporary cabins.
    Explore Oregon, Lodging

    TenZen Springs & Cabins

    written by Kerry Newberryphotography by TenZen Springs & Cabins Perched on a bluff that overlooks the serpentine Wind River, this all-season retreat is the perfect place to spend time soaking in nature. Home to six contemporary cabins and surrounded by expansive meadows and evergreen trees in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge, there’s a quiet solace and restorative spirit that prevails here. In part, that’s due to the prime attraction. All six private cabins have an open-air infinity tub along with a Japanese-inspired outdoor shower and deck. Sourced from an underground aquifer 3,000 feet below the Wind River, pure geothermal spring water continuously and sustainably flows through each cabin’s private tub—a reminder of how water is a balm. But a stay at TenZen also proves that less is more. Set on 100 acres in a minimalist setting, it’s easy to unplug. Open the French doors to the soaking room…

    Kevin Maloney deftly draws you into a Quixote-like tale that begins in Beaverton.
    Bibliophile, Live Oregon

    Pilgrim Power

    Humor and drama on the journey to find the meaning of life interview by Cathy Carroll “This is the story of a pilgrim named Kevin Maloney,” we learn in the prologue to the novel The Red-Headed Pilgrim, autobiographical fiction by Kevin Maloney. Our hero hails from Beaverton, “a suburb of Portland the way the Monkees are a suburb of the Beatles.” A twisted JV football drill sends him running for the forest, sparking an existential crisis. His parents line up a therapist who offers him a copy of Siddhartha, and his pilgrimage eventually ensues. Think On the Road meets Napoleon Dynamite in the latest from this Portland-based author. You’ve said that half of writing is skill and half from how you live your life. Can you elaborate? When I was younger, I used to be dazzled by fancy sentences in books. I still am, but as I’ve gotten older, I…

    Sol Duc Falls is one of the most photographed spots in the Olympic Peninsula.
    Explore Oregon, Northwest Destination

    Olympic Peninsula + Forks

    In the Olympic National Forest, enjoy the silence (among other things) written by James Sinks HOLD COMPLETELY STILL. Listen. And you will hear absolutely nothing. And that is precisely the point. Like following a map to hidden treasure, we’d ventured 3 miles on the Hoh River Trail into the fern-filled temperate rainforest in Washington’s Olympic National Park. In the shade of towering giants, we crawled under fallen trees, sidestepped through an arch formed by a Sitka Spruce, balanced on makeshift bridges over bogs, and waved hello to a family of pheasant, not knowing who was more surprised. And then, on an overgrown carpet of moss on a massive log, there was the place. The One Square Inch of Silence. The spot—marked by a red-painted stone, about one inch across—helps to draw a remarkable contrast to the world elsewhere, and how relentlessly noisy it can be. Here, in this place, the…

    Out ‘N’ About Treehouse Treesort features an assemblage of unusual stays perfect for a memorable summer getaway.
    Explore Oregon, Travel Spotlight

    Sleeping in the Trees

    Once weekend play for kids, treehouses are now fit for even picky parents written by Joni Kabana Looking for someplace unique to get away from it all? Many know Southern Oregon boasts one of the largest concentrations of old-growth trees in the nation, but did you know that this region in Oregon also is home to one of the largest concentrations of treehouses in the world? Out ‘N’ About Treehouse Treesort in Cave Junction is a collection of treehouses that can be rented for a bird’s-eye chance to sleep high up in a mighty old tree. Staying at one of these treehouses will catapult you back to your good old backyard treehouse childhood days or satisfy your best Robinson Crusoe lifestyle fantasy. With names such as the Serendipitree and the Tree Room Schoolhouse Suite, each treehouse was built with fun and adventure, and a bit of humor in mind. The…

    Cog Wild mountain bikers ride Farewell Trail in Bend near Tumalo Falls.
    Explore Oregon, Travel Spotlight

    Summer Camps for Adults

    Five camps, clinics and retreats where you can get unstuck and reach new summits written by Jen Sotolongo Thank summer camp is just for kids? Think again. The adventures and fun don’t have to stop just because you’re an adult. From river rafting to trail running or mountain biking, personal development and rock climbing, there’s a camp for all types of outdoor adventures, from newbies to expert enthusiasts. VARIOUS LOCATIONS Cog Wild Mountain Biking Camps Based out of Bend, Cog Wild has run multi-day mountain biking trips for intermediate and expert riders in Oregon since 2006. Trips take place in some of the top mountain biking destinations in the state, including the Mt. Hood region, McKenzie River, the Umpqua Valley and Oakridge. Designed for expert riders who don’t mind a little hike-a-bike and big climbs, the three-day Umpqua Trip Timpanogos trip hits some of the favorite trails on the North…

    “The thin arches add to the aesthetics, but also, from an engineering standpoint, you can really see the level of detail analysis that went into it,” said ​​Bob Grubbs, ODOT southwest region lead bridge engineer, on the design of the Rogue River Bridge. “It took cutting-edge engineering to develop that design.”
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    Jewels of Concrete & Steel

    C.B. McCullough’s legacy of bridges still unites & adorns the Oregon Coast written and photographed by Daniel O’Neil illustration by Lori LaBissoniere O’Neil “Jeweled clasps in a wonderful string of matched pearls,” C.B. McCullough once described his bridges, the pearls being the headlands, beaches, mountains, state parks and waysides along the Oregon Coast that he helped connect. McCullough accomplished a lot in Oregon. He managed the state’s bridge program from 1919 to 1937, designing and overseeing the construction of hundreds of bridges across the state, including more than 30 arched spans. McCullough earned a law degree from Willamette University, published books and articles on his expertise, and received an honorary doctor of engineering degree from Oregon State College (now University). Along the Oregon Coast, McCullough left a legacy that links towns and natural settings. “His bridges make a statement for themselves, but they also complement the landscape,” said Oregon Department…

    Field-biologist-turned-beekeeper Matt Allen launched Apricot Apiaries in Kimberly.
    Explore Oregon, Travel Spotlight

    The Accidental Apiary

    A curiosity became a buzzing business written by Joni Kabana Tucked away on one of the most gorgeous stretches of the North Fork of the John Day River sits a honey stand chock full of honey and wonder. From various seasonal flavors of raw honey to exquisitely crafted beeswax candles to sweet honeystix that can be tucked in your workday pocket, this little hand-built stand is well worth a slow and meandering drive through Eastern Oregon high desert’s sweeping vistas to reach it. After moving to Kimberly in 2009 while splitting his time working as a field biologist in Nevada, Matt Allen purchased two beehives to fulfill his curiosity of insects and biology. Quickly, his hobby turned to obsession and launched Apricot Apiaries to sell not only honey and bi-products, but also queen bees, nucs and pollination services for fruits and nuts. Situated next to Thomas Orchards (another fruit-loving reason…

    The trail networks around Boise make it a mecca for runners and their dogs.
    Explore Oregon, Northwest Destination

    Boise

    Big outdoors and a small Basque community make this Idaho locale worth a springtime getaway written by James Sinksphotography by Visit Idaho Wednesdays and Fridays on Grove Street in downtown Boise, a line of hungry noontime patrons forms outside the Basque Market, as a giant pan of steaming saffron-seasoned paella simmers on an outdoor stove. The biweekly culinary pilgrimage celebrates the city’s Basque heritage, which traces to the influx of immigrants that began arriving in the 1800s from near the France-Spain border. Initially searching for gold in the West, Basques were sought to tend the huge flocks of hungry sheep that once chomped their way through the surrounding high country and range. Today, the Idaho state capital is home to the continent’s biggest Basque community and, while many cities have Chinatowns, Boise boasts the Basque Block. Roam between former boarding houses and shops, experience authentic Iberian fare like pintxos (think…

    Oregon Caves National Monument in Southern Oregon is a fascinating tour of the unexepected underworld.
    Explore Oregon, Trip Planners

    Cave Junction Trip Planner

    A town built around a dog’s discovery written by James Sinks Is it southwest Oregon’s Redwood Highway into Cave Junction, or are you following the yellow brick road? Maybe both. The ribbon of asphalt meanders through odd foliage to whimsical art and mystical creatures (and real lions), to where houses float above the ground, to fields of intoxicating flowers, and to where you can gain plenty of courage (at least, the liquid sort). No munchkins—true—but plenty to munch on. And while you won’t find Toto, Dorothy’s trusty companion in The Wizard of Oz, the community owes much to a different famous dog, Bruno. In 1874, Bruno and a hunter named Elijah Davidson were tracking a bear when the dog disappeared behind underbrush. Davidson followed and found himself in the stunning crystallized caverns that now anchor the Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve. Today tens of thousands of visitors annually roam…