Recreation

Winter Hikes

written by Eric Flowers As rain or snow falls outside the window, hiking is perhaps not the first thing that comes to mind. Thanks to Oregon’s incredibly diverse climate and geography, however, there’s no need for those who love the outdoors to let their trekking gear gather dust during the off-season. From the Oregon Coast to the Owyhee Canyon, there are dozens upon dozens of great escapes from the winter doldrums. We’ve put together a snapshot of some of the trails and destinations that highlight Oregon’s incredible geographic diversity. We’ve included some short roadside hikes to viewpoints such as Wahkeena Falls in the Columbia Gorge, some longer routes such as Otter Bench in Central Oregon and DIY options such as the remote and largely untapped Leslie Gulch in far Eastern Oregon, where visitors are invited to blaze their own trails. Pack your favorite fleece, some rain gear, lots of water,…

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Oregon Travel: Mt. Hood

On September 28, 1937, an entourage of hundreds of dignitaries and craftsmen assembled on the south flank of Mt. Hood. History was in the making from what had just been made. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his wife rolled up the winding dirt road through the Ponderosa pines, and as the auto swung around the final curve, the massive and new symbol of his administration’s policies came into view.

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Ride the Rails

Oregon is now the proud owner of the Mt. Bachelor and the Mt. Jefferson, two passenger trains that will join the Amtrak Cascades corridor, running from Eugene to Vancouver, B.C., beginning January 6. The new additions will increase passenger rail service in the Willamette Valley. With bike storage and 238 seats in standard or business class, eco-friendly train travel is a growing transporation method on the West Coast. Dine, surf the web and enjoy the scenery en route to your business meeting or vacation destination. For more information check out: amtrakcascades.com

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Pioneer Woman

written by Kevin Max IN A WAY, IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE THAT ROSE FORSTER HOWE WOULD END UP BECOMING a medical technician, English riding instructor, butcher, fromager and soaper on a remote ranch in Eastern Oregon. True, the path there was a bit unexpected. But life doesn’t always travel in straight lines. Video by Kevin Max The night before I left to visit Rose and her husband, Darrell, in Monument, Oregon, I had memorized the route, not wanting to trot out my mobile phone in the quiet hills that rolled up to the north and middle forks of the John Day River. I’d be damned if I was going to resort to a GPS-enabled map to tell me how to get there. This scheme worked, too. Almost. I knew Rose primarily from her Facebook posts, which is to say not at all. There were entries such as, “Dropped off a…

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Built for Pleasure

This is a tale of two highways—a wet one and a dry one. They’re both Oregon’s Highway 30 between Portland and The Dalles, more commonly known today as the Historic Columbia River Highway.

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Winter Whale Migration

About 18,000 Gray whales will pass by the Oregon Coast over the span of four weeks, from mid-December to mid-January. Much like Oregonian snowbirds, the Gray whales are heading south to Baja

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Into the Bogs: Vincent Family Cranberries

LONG BEFORE CRANBERRY JUICE became a staple on supermarket shelves, cranberry farming was a part-time job that Oregon Coast families took up to supplement their incomes.

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Suite Dreams

Any journey—be it epic or overnight—can be profoundly influenced by the places where we choose to sleep. Here is a look at some of the best places for this around Oregon.
From converted silos and a one-room schoolhouse to working ranches and vineyards—we explore twenty-four cool B&Bs that offer atypical style and comfort. With these lodgings, it’s all about the beds, the breakfasts and swapping stories at the table.

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Winter Exploration on Oregon’s North-Central Coast: From Depoe Bay to Tillamook

The Oregon Coast is famous for winter storms. Visitors who brave the coast from November to February are typically there to hunker down in their oceanfront hotel rooms and watch Mother Nature’s grand joust between land and sea. Twenty-foot waves are not uncommon sights during these winter months.