Various guides to all things Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.
This article was written by my good friend John Schoppert, who lives in Southern Oregon and intimately knows the Southern Oregon Coast. Dropping over the edge of 50 floors of a sand dune precipice onto a hair-raising incline is no laughing matter. Or is it? Outside of Florence, Oregon, on the southern Oregon coast, is…
“See those white bits in this wolf scat? Those are from deer bones.” We all looked down at the offending poo and I was overcome with a strange mixture of fascination and repulsion. Our forest guide, Ellie, proceeded to tell us in intimate detail that wolves normally eat every single part of the deer, except…
When you visit the Yakima Valley, just over a 2-hour drive east from Seattle, you would be remiss to pass by the charming little town of Union Gap, just south of the city of Yakima. It should be on everyone’s list of what to do in Yakima Valley, Washington State. Often times you’ll find the…
Sometimes you just don’t know what treasures await you until they literally fall into your lap. That’s the beauty of travel. There destinations that will take your breath away, yet are not in any travel guidebooks. Places you may never have heard of as being on a bucket list, and so you don’t take the…
I recently went on a hiking trip to Mount Rainier. It was just….WOW. Simply put, Mount Rainier is a hiker’s paradise. And the park is HUGE, so there’s lots to explore. Choose from dozens of amazing hiking trails featuring all manner of stunning vistas and varied terrain, with hikes suitable from beginner’s to seasoned…
With the ongoing pandemic, the global tourism sector is still facing an uphill recovery. But fear not! There is a bright spot. In the US and Canada, tourist arrivals actually rose above 2020 levels in the first nine months of 2021. More people are also traveling domestically after a long period of limited mobility, and are not…
Pacific Northwest vacations are the very definition of outdoor adventure. Here I go again, giving myself another impossible task. The outdoor adventures are never-ending in the PNW. And so I struggle with putting together this list of the best outdoor activities in Oregon in Washington, because amazing adventures are literally everywhere, covering every square mile….
The small town of Edmonds is ripe for exploring, thanks to its prime location along Puget Sound. Just 20 miles north of Seattle, it’s a great little community, which makes for a fantastic day or weekend trip from Seattle and a welcome respite from the bustle of the Emerald City. Edmonds is surrounded by the…
Few people who pass by Baker City as they speed along Interstate 84 in eastern Oregon know what a gem of a town they are missing. A former gold and copper rush area located on the historic Oregon Trail, what appears to be a simple collection of motels and gas stations just off the interstate,…
The winding road skirting central Oregon’s mountain range led me into air that was getting increasingly heavy. Haziness could be detected as far back as Black Butte. My arrival in the destination town of Sisters brought the heady aroma of wood fire; the kind that permeates the back of the throat and leaves an intriguing…
Tour the Columbia River Gorge One of the best things to do in the Columbia River Gorge is to tour all of the waterfalls on the Oregon side. The popular ones are fairly close together and not far from the main roads running along the river. There is so much epic hiking, sightseeing, and outdoor…
Puget Sound is an amazing place. The biodiversity alone will set your imagination alight and keep you endlessly enthralled. Most visitors to Seattle and Olympic National Park have no idea that there are tiny pockets of nature to explore and wonderful little marine-side communities between these two major tourist areas. The entire area experiences a…
The town of Sisters is the sweet cherry that sits on the top of the ice cream sundae that is Bend in central Oregon. A mecca for outdoor enthusiasts year-round, there is perfect skiing and snowshoeing in winter, and all manner of mountain and water activities in summer. Things to do in Sisters, Oregon The…
I just love staying in hotels, even in my own home town! I’m sure many of us have become fans of the staycation and if I’m going to be completely honest, I’ve been doing it for many years. It’s the perfect way to pamper yourself and pretend you’re traveling during those times when you can’t, for…
“It was a dark and stormy night…” Which is never far from the truth in Oregon, at least in the wintertime. Do you believe in ghosts? I suppose you do, lest you would not be reading this article. The entire state of Oregon is filled with some of the world’s most notorious haunted houses and…
The Emerald City is a true cosmopolitan delight, but even the most steadfast of Seattleites need to get away from the big city once in a while. Luckily, Seattle is completely surrounded by a fantastic collection unique places outside for a short or long getaway. Take a breather from the stress of the hustle and…
If you’re looking for things to do in the Pacific Northwest, you’ve hit the jackpot! These Washington and Oregon vacation ideas are the cat’s meow. I’ve gleaned some pretty tasty ideas from these blogs myself. Oregon is for Adventure Nina (of ‘Where in the World is Nina’ fame) and Garrett are full time travelers who…
Out here in Northeastern Oregon, the Wild West still reigns supreme and the Wallowa Mountains are the focal point. Carved by the Oregon Trail, not a lot has changed since the good ‘ol days when hopeful future landowners blazed the trail by covered wagon. In this remote area of Oregon, you will find working ranches…
**This article was updated February 25, 2025** Sometimes you just need to get away with your besties with day trips from Seattle. Vacations in Washington State are rich and varied, with the greenery of Western Washington, and the desert beauty of Eastern Washington. There’s a lot here to do when bonding with your gal pals….
Have you heard? The big trend in travel is going eco-friendly. And the Pacific Northwest is leading the charge in this area. Being such a green area of the world anyway, we Oregonians and Washitonians have made it a habit of living a sustainable, healthy life. So it’s only natural that visitors are able to…
