Explore Oregon

Bend Trip Planner

Turns out, Bend is a year-round kind of town written by Kevin Max Bend in fall, once a vacuum between summer mountain biking and ski season, is now one built around culture, the absence of crowds and top-to-bottom blue skies in the waning fire season. When kids go back to school and the floating battalion of protein in Crocs and flip-flops ops their way back south, Bend comes alive in a more subtle way. Fall brings the BendFilm festival, Oktoberfest, uncrowded trails, relatively open tables and the final bounty from area farms. As we witness the ravages of global warming, with hotter summers leading to more and bigger wildfires, summer is the nexus of hot, smoky and grey. As temperatures cool and wildfires recede, hiking and biking trails in Bend transform from temptation to reality. Much like Christmas, BendFilm Festival comes but once a year—setting cultural gifts under the learning tree…

Oregon Events and Product Highlights for Sept/Oct

Our picks for Oregon events to attend and products we think you’ll want to try written by Kelly Rogers Lincoln City Fall Kite Festival The Lincoln City Fall Kite Festival takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., October 6 and 7 on the beach in the center town, on the D-River Wayside. Kids can make their own kites, and everyone can enjoy seeing some of the largest kites in the world being flown while you watch the running of the bols—a race to see who can run fastest into the wind while harnessed to a doughnut-shaped kite. oregoncoast.org/lincoln-city- fall-kite-festival Botanical Bug Off Spray Summer may be almost over, but for those who still plan to hit the trails this fall, Suzi’s Bug-Off Spray is a must-have. It’s free of chemicals, like DEET, that you find in many commercial bug sprays, but still super effective, so that you and your…

NW Destination: Sonoma County, California

A Phoenix From the Ashes Sonoma County won’t let a fire stop its spirit written by Sheila G. Miller A year ago, Sonoma County and surrounding areas were crippled by a massive wild fire. Rolling hills were blackened, vineyards were damaged, and homes destroyed, but the fires did nothing to dampen the area’s spirit. Indeed, nearly every street-facing surface in the area still features stickers that say #SonomaStrong or handmade signs thanking firefighters for their help in saving residents’ homes. There’s no better way to support this community as it gets back on its feet than by spending some tourism dollars in the region. I was happy to oblige. Glen Ellen was particularly hard-hit by the fires. But the Jack London Lodge in Glen Ellen, where I stayed on a recent weekend, was spared. This renovated motel, tucked into a lush hillside, has charm, free breakfast, and one heck of…

Plan a Trip to the Minam River Lodge

Taking the scenery at the Minam River Lodge written by Jen Stevenson Whether dropping into the Minam River Lodge via foot, horseback, or chartered flight, there are two things you’ll do immediately after being warmly greeted by manager and jack-of-all-trades Isaac Trout—sign a waiver detailing the potential wilderness perils you’ll face (snakes, bears, overheating in the wood-fired sauna), and write your name on a mason jar. After all, when you’re an 8.5-mile hike or 20-minute flight from the nearest sign of civilization, dishwashers aren’t exactly de rigueur. EAGLE CAP WILDERNESS photography by Evan Schneider minam-lodge.com HISTORY Nestled deep in the ruggedly beautiful 360,000-acre Eagle Cap Wilderness, this unique property is the result of a painstaking six-year buildout by Portland-based owner Barnes Ellis, who first stumbled upon the lodge while attending a childhood family reunion. Carefully constructing the main lodge and adjacent cabins from felled logs, reclaimed wood from former structures…

Top 3 Outdoor Thrills in Southern Oregon

Here are the top 3 outdoor thrills to experience in Southern Oregon sponsored content provided by Visit Medford Southern Oregon is an amazing place, from the moment you land in Medford, you’re surrounded by adventure on all sides. If you like the water, you can hit the rapids. Or grab your favorite hiking shoes and take to the mountains. You can also fly…On a zip line, of course. If you’re thirsty for thrills, embrace the rogue spirit and start your next Southern Oregon adventure! Zip It Good Soar across the sky on a zip line and watch the ground race by below your dangling feet. The wind snatches your breath away and it’s easy to imagine your toes touching the treetops. Tucked away in the historic gold mining hills of Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley ZipLine Adventure brings summer fun to sky-high levels. Hike It – One Step At A Time…

Experience the Britt Festival Live and Outdoors

A unique summer experience awaits you at the Britt Festival sponsored content provided by Visit Medford At the Britt Festival, you’ll find world-class music acts in a charming small-town setting. The Britt Music & Arts Festival, based in historic Jacksonville, Oregon, is the premier outdoor summer performing arts festival. The nonprofit presents dozens of summer concerts––from pop to classical and bluegrass to folk––each year. The music is great––the venue is even better. Held in a naturally formed amphitheater shadowed by ponderosa pines and madrones, you’ll watch your favorite acts perform from the hillside estate of nineteenth-century photographer Peter Britt. Visitors travel from all over the West to pack a picnic, grab a bottle of wine and relax while the music echoes through the amphitheater. The Britt is 5 miles from Medford, 15 miles north of Ashland (and its famous Oregon Shakespeare Festival), and a day’s drive from Seattle, Portland or…

Jupiter NEXT Edgy Style Meets Luxury

Jupiter NEXT, a sleek six-story stunner that embraces that same edgy local style, but with luxurious touches written by Jen Stevenson Jupiter NEXT is the latest Jupiter team project. Since 2004, the Jupiter Hotel has been the inner eastside’s main boutique hotel squeeze, providing a uniquely Portland experience with its eclectic design, wildly popular basement music venue and lively Doug Fir Lounge (hence the earplugs on every nightstand). This summer, the Jupiter team debuts its latest project, Jupiter NEXT is a six-story hotel in Portland with lots of modern amenities like 60-inch flat screens, glass-cube bathrooms and in-room digital concierges. The 67-room, Works Progress Architecture-designed hotel’s location couldn’t be more prime. Portland’s inner eastside is hotter than ever, and while it’s easy to hop on a downtown-bound bus or the Portland streetcar, there’s really no reason to leave the neighborhood. After dinner, grab a rummy nightcap at the jungle-themed hotel…

Crater Lake Trip Planner

The facilities at Crater Lake are buried under fathoms of snow for much of the year, and even in July surprised tourists arrive in shorts and T-shirts only to shiver against the wind.

NW Destination: Glacier National Park

Before postcards featured Glacier National Park’s sky-scraping peaks, prospectors hunted for gold and railroad workers laid track west through America’s northernmost Rocky Mountains.