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Oregon is The Beaver State due to the abundance of rivers providing a great habitat for beavers in the area. I’ve been lucky to visit multiple times and find much of the state rugged and untouched. I have driven up the entire coast, water skied in a dry suit on the Willamette River (very cold so If you are into waterskiing, a dry suit is probably a good investment!) and visited Bend, Portland and the Willamette Valley Wine country.
Coast
The Oregon coast feels wild and untouched. Cannon Beach is a 90 minute drive from Portland. It is known for a big rock, a small lighthouse (on a different rock) and tide pooling. If tide pooling is a must, make sure you check the tide schedule here. I enjoyed eating at the Wayfarer Restaurant. The food was fine, but the bacon was phenomenal – thick and not fatty.
Bend
Located near Mount Bachelor in the Cascades, Bend is a great base for skiing in Oregon. I can highly recommend staying at the Sunriver Resort, a beautiful place to stay with nice facilities and a great spa.
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is a well establish wine region, known particularly well for their pinot noir wines. The valley did not disappoint. Natalie’s Estate is a small, family run winery that produces great wine. The winemaker/owner (Boyd) was a great host for my visit. The tasting is free and informative and they even provide small bites. They ship their wine but not to every state. This is a place I would return to. The other winery visited was Rex Hill. I loved this place too. They charge $45 for a wine tasting, but it will be refunded if you purchase a couple of bottles of wine. They were so accommodating and offered a few extra tastes of wine not on the tasting menu.
Portland
Portland has become a foodie city and definitely does not disappoint. Prior to our arrival we had heard that going to Voodoo Doughnuts was a must but there would be long lines. Upon arrival we were told they are not the best and to try a place called Pips. I enjoyed the doughnuts from VooDoo and the wait was only about 5 minutes. I thought Pips were just overpriced donut holes. Down the street from VooDoo is Dan & Louis Oyster Bar where you can get $2 oysters on Mondays. Service was great and the space reminded me of an old saloon.
One of the “foodie” restaurants we discovered was G-Love. The restaurant focuses on local vegetables, with a side of protein. Portions were small (with salad as an exception), but some of the food was spectacular. I highly recommend the crusty avocado and the ensalada bomba. If you order the skewers, be aware that they are tiny.
Two other restaurants I tried are known for the view. Salty’s on the Columbia River is nice, although I’m not sure I would go out of my way. The other is the Portland City Grill. If you want views of the city, this is the place to go. The food was okay, but you are paying for the view.
Portland is known as the Rose City because of the ideal rose growing climate. Unfortunately the roses were not in bloom when I visited, so instead I went to the Japanese Garden, a 15 minute drive from downtown. While pricey at about $20pp, it is a really peaceful place that I could spend hours under the right weather conditions.
A 30 minute drive from downtown is where you will find the Columbia River Gorge, a gorgeous area that is free to visit and is known for great hiking and beautiful waterfalls. Even my kids enjoyed this excursion. Walking to most of the falls was fairly easy and some you can even see from your car.
Oregon has a little bit of everything. You can ski or go to the beach, taste wine or creative foods. Yeah, you can do that anywhere, but Oregon feels different. I hope you visit and enjoy it as much as I do!
