Central Oregon is a top destination for most Oregonians. People living in the Willamette Valley head there to find sunshine during the dark days of winter for sun and skiing in the high-desert air. Summertime means outdoor recreation, too, with plenty of hiking, kayaking, rafting, canoeing and cycling to add to the activity menu.
A favorite spot in this area includes the Metolius River. Located not too far from the delightful Western town of Sisters, the Metolius River Recreation area is tucked back against the eastern flanks of the Cascade Mountains. Various vacation lodges and campgrounds dot this area marked by tall Ponderosa and juniper trees, green grass and icy blue water.
In an effort to get kids outside experiencing nature in all forms, Travel Oregon, in partnership with National Geographic Kids magazine, is inspiring children to discover tide pools, learn about unusual sea life, go whale watching and experience quintessential beach activities along the 363 miles of Oregon’s public coastline. Travel Oregon and National Geographic Kids last month launched a contest entitled explOREGON: The Pacific Ocean. Two entrants were chosen to win an Oregon Coast experience based on their originality in demonstrating the wildlife and surroundings that make the Pacific Ocean unique, and their enthusiasm for exploring the area.
If you love locally grown cuisine, along with local microbrews and wine, you’ll love Oregon Bounty. I recently had the chance to travel behind the scenes to check out the recording session for this year’s promotion.
Chris Elliott, an Oregon native and musician, was chosen to sing (as well as play) this year’s Oregon Bounty music. Chris grew up in Portland, Oregon listening to a variety of music from the Cantina Band to Stan Getz to Black Sabbath and much more. He started playing the bass guitar in grade school and writing songs in college. in 2001, he began playing regularly at a Brooklyn, New York bar called Kili. He says, “Music has always been a big part of my life but it has also always been something on the side. I have recently started to change that.”
It’s official! Fall is in the air. Days are growing shorter, mornings are crisper and trees are beginning to flaunt their bright autumn colors.
This is an exciting time of year in Oregon. Wineries are nearing harvest, pumpkin patches are turning shades of orange, and we’re gearing up for the annual Oregon Bounty celebration, a two-month celebration of all things culinary, delicious and fun.
We hope you’ll come see us this fall in Oregon, where we’re embarking on a scenic byway road trip.
As the beginning of fall is quickly approaching, distilled spirits connoisseurs everywhere are perfecting their very own cocktail recipes. The Oregon Bounty Cocktail Contest allows you to design your very own Oregon cocktail, with a chance to win a weekend getaway and more. The deadline to enter a recipe is this Friday (August 22nd).
Many cocktail lovers such as Kim are busy crafting inventive contest entries. Check out her blog here, and don’t miss this great opportunity!
Ever wanted to move to a place you loved on vacation? I recently moved back to Lane County, specifically Eugene, after a long absence. I decided what better way to re-immerse myself into the area than by attending the Lane County Fair.
Aside from the requisite food-on-a-stick, flashy midway and bovines groomed nicer than any show dog, I found an array of booths and information on the area. I learned about the hottest sport by playing musical chairs with the Emerald City Roller Girls, and tried my hand at casting and hooked a brightly colored plastic fish while stopping at the Oregon Fish & Wildlife booth.
Our first time to Hood River, my wife and I had absolutely no idea of what lay behind the town, on the way up to Mt. Hood. So we took a Saturday afternoon and did the Fruit Loop, 36 different stands that banded together 15 years ago to sell the bounty of the Hood River Valley directly. Looping mostly along Highways 35 and 281, with plenty of back road ventures, we spent the better part of the day driving, eating, and picking.
What is big, red and rides around in a tomato-red 1946 pick-up truck? Why it’s the Big Tomato of course.
The Big Tomato, a 20-foot-tall ginormous veggie (or is it a fruit?), is cruising Oregon in a 1946 International pick-up truck to tell Oregonians about just how BIG the 2008 Oregon State Fair is!
If you want to ketchup with the Tomato (we hear rumors that the Tomato gives away discounts to the fair), it’s headed to Corvallis (Go Beavers!) today and will hang out with the Ducks at Hayward Field in Eugene on Monday (August 11), cruise Drake Park in Bend and Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood. It will then start popping up around Salem before it plants itself on the Oregon State Fair grounds on August 21.
Nest on Toe Island as taken through a spotting scope
A group of interested birders, some amateur and some experienced, joined Mike Houck, an Urban Naturalist with the Portland Audubon Society, for a three-hour tour of Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, Portland’s first urban refuge. Across the 170-acres managed by Portland Parks and Recreation, you can spot many of the 209 bird species that call this complex of wetlands, meadows, and woodlands home—at least part of the year. Being on the Pacific Flyway, many birds are seasonal, or “just passing through.”
When Houck asked, “Does anybody see anything?” the kids start shouting out names: osprey, red-tailed hawks, scrub jays. Using his knowledge of calls, Houck managed to draw some birds a bit closer.
This summer, our friends in Oregon’s Wine Country have some great deals and exciting adventures cookin’! Whether you’re looking for the rush of adrenaline or a boost to your billfold, the Willamette Valley has something for every kind of traveler this vacation season.
Always wanted to fly through the air or raft the rapids but never had the chance? Two exploration experts will give you the inside scoop on skydiving and whitewater rafting in the Willamette Valley. Want to get away for a weekend but gas prices are breaking your piggybank? The Willamette Valley has a number of awesome travel packages available, offering everything from an extra night’s stay to free gas.
Be sure to visit the Oregon Wine Country website for new summertime events, along with everything you and your clan will need to plan a perfect weekend getaway filled with exhilarating excursions and stress-free travel.
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