Page Updated: August 08, 2023
Western Oregon
Woo! One of my favorites! Eastern Oregon I can do without, but coastal Oregon? Sign me up!
I love the coastal towns, the Pacific Northwest Beaches, the sound of the harbor bells, and the forests. I enjoyed our time in Oregon and would return in a heartbeat!
Our rental for Oregon was amazing. After breakfast and obligatory supply run of the first morning, we didn’t leave it for the rest of the week. Set on a hillside overlooking several mountain ranges to the south and the small town of Roseburg to the east; we spent the week enjoying the views, watching the local wildlife, and waiting out the peak of the brutal June 2021 heatwave that blanketed the Pacific North West.
Our hosts, Karen and Ron were phenomenal, and their carriage house is superb. Live It Up Turn It Down is one of the best rentals we’ve booked to date. We would recommend it to anyone.
After traveling through eastern Oregon, through 100+ miles of what I’ve dubbed sage hell - we spent 4 weeks in the relaxing Umpqua River Valley in the small town of Roseburg. The location was perfect for us since it put us equal distances from the coastal cities to the west and the state’s only national park to the east. And, since we were in the one of the oldest vineyard regions of the state, we enjoyed tastings at several family owned wineries throughout the area.
THE LOCAL GRUB
Skipper’s Basket
On a day trip over to the coast we dropped in at Griff’s on the Dock in Port Orford, OR. Learning to share a meal at new places we split the skipper’s basket. A jumble of bit of halibut, salmon, calamari, oyster, prawn, scallop and snapper. Swapped fries for onion rings.
Looking to try something “not fishy” we headed to Logger’s Tap House in Roseburg, OR and got a trusty pepperoni pizza. Can’t speak for the rest of the bar food, but the pizza was excellent. Highly recommend.
Pepperoni Pizza
Of all the seafood joints we hit along the Oregon coast, this one was my favorite. The Bandon Fish Market is a tiny little blue shack not too far from the water in Bandon, OR. and if you’re on the area - do it. Best chowder I’ve had yet.
Cod n Chips, Crab Cocktail, & Chowder
scenes from the leg!
THE FUN STUFF
07/03/2021
Oregon is full of small wineries - more than 900 according to Google. We sampled a tiny fraction. We spent an entire Saturday exploring…
Umpqua Valley Winery Hop
07/05/2021
One of the coolest characteristics of the Pacific Northwest Coastline is the beaches seem to be alive. The sand shifts and swirls with the heavy breeze as waves crash…
Agate Beach
07/05/2021
With construction beginning in 1869, Cape Blanco Lighthouse holds the distinction as the oldest continually operating lighthouse in Oregon…
Cape Blanco Lighthouse
07/05/2021
The Hughes Historic House is the well-preserved 19th century Victorian home of Patrick and Jane Hughes. Settling on Cape Blanco shortly after the civil war…
Hughes Historic House
07/10/2021
Strolling through the streets of Bandon we passed an odd yet interesting fish sculpture in an unassuming location…
Washed Ashore Gallery
07/10/2021
A classic picturesque Pacific Northwest location, Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint - located in Bandon OR - overlooks a number of rock formations…
Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint
07/10/2021
Devil’s Kitchen Oregon State Park Vista Point
There’s a Devils Kitchen under the National Park Service umbrella, and this isn’t it. Devil’s Kitchen State Park Vista in the state of Oregon stretches…
07/10/2021
At the south end of 4.5 mile long Bullard’s Beach sits the Coquille River Lighthouse. The last of the remaining government lighthouses…
Coquille River Lighthouse
07/11/2021
An unexpected surprise on bluffs along the Oregon coast, Shore Acres Gardens is the re-creation of the English-style gardens…
Shore Acres Gardens
07/11/2021
A cute little must-see stop along Cape Argo Highway, Simpson Reef Overlook is a simple interpretive pullout dedicated to the observation of…
Simpson Reef Overlook
07/11/2021
Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area
At over 30,000 acres sectioned into 4 areas, Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area - which partly inspired Frank Hebert’s sci-fi series Dune - is home to the some of the largest temperate coastal sand dunes in the world.
07/17/2021
First time on a zipline! Whizzed through the treetops with Crater Lake Zipline and couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Our guides - Ethan and Chaz…
Crater Lake Zipline
07/17/2021
As a science geek, it’s a little astonishing to stand on a hillside of Crater Lake and know that where you’re standing was once a raging volcano…
Crater Lake National Park
07/18/2021
Garfield Peak Trail
Thousand+ foot climb to the top of Garfield Peak yields the spectacular reward of overlooking Crater Lake and Wizard Island!
07/18/2021
Cleetwood Cove Trail
Cleetwood Cove Trail is wildly popular in Crater Lake National Park as it provides the only access to the lakeshore,
07/18/2021
Dedicated to the history of southern Oregon pioneers, the Trail Creek Tavern Museum located on Old Highway 62 in Trail, OR is quaint and unassuming…