Central Oregon’s Newberry National Volcanic Monument is home to lava tubes and ersatz moon walks written by Joni Kabanaphotography by Rich Bacon/Visit Bend Get your lanterns out—you’re going to need them. Lava River Cave, Oregon’s longest uncollapsed lava tube, can be found approximately 13 miles south of Bend but feels like it is located in an ancient undiscovered land. This cave is in the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, which includes 54,822 acres of lava flows, lakes and geologic wonders. Visitors can also explore destinations such as Lava Butte, Lava Cast Forest and Newberry Caldera in addition to Lava River Cave. If you like reflecting about your life’s journey while setting your eyes on expansive vistas, you can drive (during summer months only) along rough terrain and hairpin turns to reach Paulina Peak at 7,984 feet, where views of the Oregon Cascades and high desert plains will leave you breathless. Take…

The rally to restore a historic church written by Joni Kabana If you find yourself traveling along Oregon’s Interstate 84, consider taking a short side trip to the small historical town of Echo, 8 miles south of Hermiston and 20 miles east of Pendleton. Set amid gorgeous rolling hills on the banks of the Umatilla River, Echo takes you way back in time. You can sip wine at either Echo Ridge Cellars or the Sno Road Winery, take a jitter juice or lunch break in the family operated H&P Cafe or peruse any of the small yet highly fascinating museums. There are seven buildings that are registered with the National Register of Historic Places, so simply strolling the town’s streets is a history lesson in and of itself. The real treasure of this town is tucked away on a lot that, despite facing three major floods in the last century,…

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…

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…

Oregon’s Outback offers solitude and intrigue in winter or spring written by Joni Kabana People often say “just take the high road,” but did you know you can do this, literally, in Oregon? The highest road in our beautiful state is a stunning drive around the Steens Mountain in southeast Oregon near the quaint town of Frenchglen. The mountain, the largest fault-block type in the northern Great Basin, soars to almost 10,000 feet but it is the surrounding landscape that makes this mountain stand out from the rest. Surrounded by high desert sage, the Steens Mountain commands with dipping valleys and caverns and gorgeous sweeping vistas along every turn. The drivable internal loop is only open during weather permitting times of the year, usually mid-June through October, but visiting this location in off-season has its own very special rewards. With less cars and crowds in the area, standing before this…