Honeyman Dunes
Of all my wife’s great ideas, this one is possibly her best: a camping expedition to the vast Sahara-like landscapes on the Oregon Coast known as “the Dunes.”
Our campsite—especially uncrowded in the off-season past Labor Day—was at Honeyman State Park, one of Oregon’s largest. Host to two lakes, Douglas-fir and red-cedar forests, a 1930’s store built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, and wave after wave of sand dunes climbing as high as 250 feet, Honeyman makes an excellent jump-off point to some of the best windswept formations visitors can find.
Read more »
Tags: camping, dunes, Oregon Coast, state parks
Photo by Wood Sabold
One of the great joys each year during my On the Road with Oregon Bounty journey is carving out at least a day on the Southern Oregon Coast. Sure, I love spending a few nights in an Oregon Bounty lodging property and dining at one of the coastal restaurants involved in the promotion. But, the real treat is making my way to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.
Read more »
Tags: golf, Oregon Bounty, Oregon Coast
Cathedral Ridge Wine
If you’ve ever been around a winery during crush (the weeks-long period when grapes are harvested and brought in for processing), you know that those involved can be like nervous parents on the eve of a birth. I concluded this year’s On the Road adventure with a stop at Cathedral Ridge Winery in Hood River, and just happened to be there when labor was about to begin. Rob Bell, the winery’s owner and assistant winemaker (he prefers the title “cellar rat”) was in full nervous energy mode.
Read more »
Tags: Columbia River Gorge, Oregon Bounty, wine
Portland has been voted the most sustainable city, for the 4th year in a row! Check out Outside’s full blog article here. Cheers to living in a beautifully green state!
Tags: Portland, sustainability
Covered wagon in Eastern Oregon
It’s easy for foodies west of the cascades to believe that the eastern border of the culinary world in Oregon lies somewhere around Hood River. Well, they obviously haven’t traveled the “Oregon Culinary Trail” in Eastern Oregon recently.
Yesterday I took a 400-mile journey that led me from Bend, to Baker City, to La Grande, and finally to Pendleton. In each town, I met someone with amazing passion. These are not people who followed a dream because a bank pro forma told them it would work. They did it because they believed strong enough to make it work.
Read more »
Tags: beer, dinner, Eastern Oregon, Oregon Bounty
Goats at Juniper Grove Farm.
On a quiet country road west of Redmond, just a few miles from where I grew up, there’s the quintessential testament to Oregon Bounty. Actually, it’s more of a test…of your will to find this secluded spot, and your honor once you arrive. I knew this place well. It was one of the routes where my mom and I would drive slowly, hunting wild asparagus in the lava rock-lined ditches along the roadside. As a teenager, I would pedal my Schwinn Stingray down to the nearby Deschutes River.
Read more »
Tags: Central Oregon, cheese, farms, Oregon Bounty
Willy Wonka
I learned everything I need to know about life from “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” It’s all there: have a passion for what you do, set clear boundaries with consequences for your children, respect karma. The most important lesson though is that food can be filled with magic and wonder.
I met Willy Wonka today. He’s alive and well at a place called Lillie Belle Farms in Central Point, just north of Medford. It’s just a five-minute diversion off I-5 to a world of pure imagination.
Read more »
Tags: chocolate, Oregon Bounty, Southern Oregon
By
Luci Swim
Mt. Hood
In April 2008, I wrote an essay and drew a picture for the explOREGON contest. I never imagined that those simple things would lead to my winning a trip to Oregon. Like anyone else, I thought I didn’t have a chance. So when I listened to the message that I had won, I could hardly believe it. I, a normal girl from Kansas, had won an amazing trip (note: so be brave and spend the hour or two it may take to enter a contest—you never know what might happen!).
Monday, August 11
Our flights from Kansas took about five hours. As we flew into Oregon, I saw Mount Hood. It was big, beautiful and amazing.
Read more »
Tags: beaches, Oregon Coast, Oregon Coast Aquarium
Florence
When the call came a few months back asking if I’d like to judge a professional clam chowder cook-off, it took me about three seconds to respond. You see, I consider clam chowder to be its own food group. In fact, in college I survived – literally — on the stuff at Dan & Louis Oyster Bar in downtown Portland. For $1.50, I could keep a steady stream of oyster crackers flowing into a terrine of steaming bisque and be satisfied for an entire day.
So, when I found myself in Florence on the central Oregon coast, seated at the judging table of the Professional Chowder Cook-Off, I was ready. There were 11 chowders to judge, brought out in flights of four, four, and three. I checked the viscosity of the first one: perfect. Then I took a bite: heaven. It was so good, I kept eating. The rest of the judges were sniffing and sipping. Not me. If the rest reached this benchmark, it was going to be tough to make it to the end.
Read more »
Tags: Oregon Bounty, Oregon Coast
Bridge over the river.
Oregon’s statewide Fall Foliage Hotline is now open and providing regular updates on the status of fall color along the many scenic byways and trails across the state. The hotline, staffed by Visitor Services personnel at the Convention and Visitors Association of Lane County Oregon (CVALCO), is the official resource for travelers and commuters wanting to access the beauty of fall in Oregon during the brightest peak color times.
Read more »
Tags: fall, Willamette Valley
Loading ...
