What's Going On In Oregon This August?

July 30, 2008

Back to school shopping may be here but summer’s not over in Oregon! We have some fun ideas to help you enjoy the last days of the season.

We have a number of small town itineraries to help you plan one last summer swing, whether you treat it as a “staycation” or a farther sojourn. Not to mention gorgeous scenic drives and a fascinating cocktail contest.

See you in Oregon, where we’re taking a segway tour.

~The Editors

P.S. Tell Us How We're Doing!

Here A Drink, There A Drink, Everywhere A Drink Drink

July 25, 2008


Let your inner bartender shine in the "Create the Oregon Bounty Cocktail" Contest. It's simple: design a drink that represents your favorite part of the state, using Oregon's artisan distilled spirits and local products. Pick one or more of the following regions: Portland Metro, Oregon Coast, Central Oregon, Southern Oregon, Willamette Valley, Mt. Hood/Columbia River Gorge, or Eastern Oregon and then get cocktail creative.

You will have the chance to win a weekend getaway, a trip to the Oregon Distillers Guild Spirits Tasting, Nambé barware and more.

For a full list of rules as well as the contest entry form, please visit www.TravelOregon.com/bounty.

A Perfect Saturday in Eugene

July 21, 2008

Photo: Spencers Butte, by Sean Patrick Hill

By Sean Patrick Hill

Editor's Note: Sean Patrick Hill is our newest blogger from Portland. He has previously written for The Oregonian and The Source Weekly in Bend. Check out his first Travel Oregon blog entry below!

My wife and I, who live in Portland, decided to make a day of Eugene—easy enough to do, since a lot can be compressed into a single day, and especially on a summer Saturday.

The trip paid for itself by selling thirty dollars worth of books to Smith Family Bookstore. We visited both stores, one at 768 East 13th in the University area, the other downtown at 525 Willamette, and easily spent a few hours browsing poetry, art, and history. It took over thirty years for the bookstore to go from a few boxes of books to the chaotic shelves and piles of today. Best thing about the store is you can find some rare tomes, and cheap.

Continue reading "A Perfect Saturday in Eugene"

Gorge Games Catches Air

July 18, 2008

Sean Reyngoudt catches air at Gorge Games

The Gorge Games got underway today; featuring nine action sports (windsurfing, kayaking, sailing, skateboarding, riverboarding, mountain biking, running, kiteboarding and adventure racing), the games makes its long awaited return back to Hood River, arguably the world's windsurfing capital.

Among the competitors in the event is Sean Reyngoudt of Florida, who's catching "big air" in thekiteboarding freestyle competition. Oh yeah...least we forget, he's doing it with a prosthetic leg!

Eastern Oregon Adventure Part #2: Weathering the Extremes

July 16, 2008

Photo: Succor Creek Oasis

Blog and Photos by
Dawn Rasmussen

We left our cool retreat up in the heart of the Blue Mountains with the intent of exploring the last section of Oregon that I’d not been to (and probably the most remote part, too).

This time, we pointed the car to the southeastern corner of the state, and with temperatures forecast to be in the 100’s, we took extra precautions to make sure we had plenty of water and supplies, as well as a full tank of gas. Because the temperatures were so hot, we also realized that there was no way we wanted to hike/camp out in the desert – we’d melt, along with everything in our cooler! So our plan was to explore SE Oregon in one day, then return to the mountains north of the town of Burns to cool off.

Continue reading "Eastern Oregon Adventure Part #2: Weathering the Extremes"

Eugene '08 and the Butte to Butte Race

July 15, 2008

By Josh Shalek

Editor's Note: Eugene '08 (also known as the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Track & Field) took place from June 27-July 6 at Eugene's own Hayward Field near the University of Oregon. Josh Shalek is a blogger and cartoonist living in Portland, and also works for Ater Wynne law firm. He recently attended Eugene '08 and ran in the local Butte to Butte Race- check out his story below!

My friend Jody promised me perfect weather in Eugene for July 4th, and to her credit she delivered. We were about to run the Butte to Butte, Eugene's annual 10K road race. This year was special, because the Olympic Track & Field team trials were being held in Eugene. We'd be running in the same town where world records were being broken.

Continue reading "Eugene '08 and the Butte to Butte Race"

Eastern Oregon Adventure Part #1: Blue Mountain Hideaway

Photo: Green grass and lupine blooming in the Blue Mountains

Blog and Photos by
Dawn Rasmussen

One of Oregon’s biggest kept outdoor secrets is the Blue Mountains. Located in Central Eastern Oregon, the “Blues,” as locals affectionately refer to them, are not spectacular snow-capped mountains, but instead are much less conspicuous than their towering Cascade Range cousins. Rising up off of the wheat growing plateaus above the Columbia River, the Blues are a dark line on the horizon, and as the plateau loops up and up into the Blues, one suddenly realizes that you’ve escaped the sun-filled plains and are now emerging into ponderosa pine forests and mountain streams.

Continue reading "Eastern Oregon Adventure Part #1: Blue Mountain Hideaway"

An Adventure in Nature - Camping in Oregon

July 11, 2008


In Oregon, there are more than 50 state parks with campgrounds located in the most beautiful parts of the state, from oceanfront at the coast to lakeside in the high desert. In addition to state park campgrounds, there are some 300 more campgrounds in Oregon so you’ll never be at a loss for a place to enjoy the great outdoors and lay your head.

If you're not sure where to start, we recommend reading Terry Richard's recent series of "best camping experiences in Oregon" on OregonLive.com. We've highlighted some of the best of te blogs below.

- Oregon Camping: Best Hiking Trails

- Oregon Camping - Best Wildlife

- Oregon Camping: Best Weather

- Oregon Camping: Best Place for Solitude (hmmm wonder if this will still be true after we all read this!)

- Oregon Camping: Best Tent Sites

- Oregon Camping: Best Cabins

- Oregon Camping: Best Barrier Free

- Oregon Camping: Best Horse Trails

- Oregon Camping: Best Camping Programs

- Oregon Camping: Best Picnic Shelters

Demo Day at Black Rock Mountain Bike Park

July 8, 2008

Demo day at Black Rock

Last February, we told you about Black Rock, Oregon's "most killer" mountain bike parks (read the article here); check out the following video from "demo day" last Sunday at the park.

Located in Polk County near the rural logging town of Falls City, the trail system was created by a unique partnership between local government and riders and is the first "mountain bike only" area approved by the Oregon Department of Forestry.

Editor's Note: For more mountain biking action, explore the biking trails on our website.

Oregon Man Touches Down in Idaho....on a Balloon Powered Lawn Chair!

July 6, 2008


Image Credit: Jeff Barnard/AP

One small step for man, and one giant leap for...err...balloons? That's right folks. An eastern Oregon man has made the seemingly impossible journey from Bend to the tiny Idaho town of Cambridge, on a lawn chair tethered to a cluster of oversize helium-filled balloons. See the full story in today's Oregonian

Life with Bernie- an Adventure in Urban Wineworks’ “Yappy Hour”

July 1, 2008

By Leigh Brown

Leigh's Wine Buzz

Obviously it has been quite a while since I have written my last wine blog. I was out of the country for some time during the insane winter holidays but I admit it is mostly because I have a new addition to my life and I’m happy to say, it weighs under 50 pounds and puts a smile on my face from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed. His name is Bernie. My boyfriend surprised me with an adorable border collie mix around Christmas time after he saved him from the Oregon Human Society. Normally I say with wine, life couldn’t be better but with Bernie, life is now the best.

So why am I mentioning my canine companion in a wine blog? To answer your question, let me tell you, there are so many things you can do with a dog in Oregon such as hiking, trail running and camping. But one can also hold a leash in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. The best place I have found thus far for wine tasting with dogs is Urban Wineworks, where I work.

Continue reading "Life with Bernie- an Adventure in Urban Wineworks’ “Yappy Hour”"

Newsletter

Sign up for news:


Add to Technorati Favorites


Order your free Travel Oregon magazine

Travel Oregon features unique travel ideas and information that can inspire your own Oregon adventure. And it's free!