So, I traded leggings for Levis, flats for cowboy boots and headed out east with photographer Robbie McClaran.

Our drive from Portland took about four hours, just past Hood River the terrain changes from lush Pacific Northwest to high desert with big blue sky, as far as the eye could see.

Robbie knows the back roads (and there are many) of Eastern Oregon very well—in the summers he hops on his motorcycle with some like-minded riders and cruises through the sometimes-paved roads of this Western frontier—as a first-time visitor to this part of the state, Robbie made sure I got the tour.

The scenery felt like a journey through time: windmill farms soon gave way to rolling hills, dotted with sagebrush, roaming antelope and farm homes, some as old as the Oregon Trail. We passed through genuine ghost towns. It was as if we found the flux capacitor and went from 2010 to 1894 in a matter of seconds.

Eastern Oregon - Oregon’s wild open countryside

We arrived in Fossil around mid-afternoon and found a handwritten note from Nancy, the ranch’s matriarch, about our accommodations. Nancy and Phil were out working on the ranch. Though they opened their bed and breakfast a decade ago, their livelihood remains cattle ranching—waking up at 5 a.m. to make breakfast and hosting over twenty strangers in the guest-house seven days a week is just something these two overachievers do for fun.

After exploring the house and my makeshift bedroom for the next night—queen bed, thick comfy quilt and my very own TV (I don’t even have this at my home)—we met up with Phil and Nancy who took us on a tour of their 9,000-acre property in their truck.

After dinner at Big Timber Family Restaurant (Shamrock, the only other restaurant in town, was closed) we headed back to the house. The other guests had arrived for the evening and as Nancy prepped the morning’s feast, we sipped tea and visited.

Stargazing at Wilson Ranches

We started the next morning at 4:30—Phil and Nancy picked us up and we drove off-road, along ridges overlooking the valley, to the summit of their property. Robbie wanted to shoot their portrait at sunrise above Fossil. It was epic. It was also 10 degrees and windy but numb appendages and runny noses were a minor sacrifice.

Our morning concluded the best way possible: sitting around a large farmhouse table, enjoying homemade breakfast of biscuits, eggs

There’s fun to be had around that state and it’s educational, but don’t worry, we won’t tell.

Peek into the seedy underbelly of the Wild West at the Sin in the Sage Brush exhibit at Central Oregon’s High Desert Museum. Get a firsthand account on how the barkeepers and “working women” of the Old West saloons survived; and see how well you fare amongst the sordid cheaters at the roulette or poker tables. Looking for something a little less seedy? Follow an adventure map to find hidden treasures. Play like a wild animal at the Dig, Craw and Climb exhibit where kids shoot down rock slides, swing from a spider’s web and crawl through an owl’s hole. See resident wildlife such as wild cats, otters, lizards, scorpions and snakes (oh my!), just a few of the creatures you’ll find here. There is no shortage of activities for all at this natural history museum.

March marks the beginning of spring season whale watching (gray whales to be exact), with majority of traffic occurring at the end of the month—just in time for spring break. Head to the Oregon Coast and post-up on a towering coastal bluff for a front-row view of the action. From Ecola State Park to Brookings, there are 28 prime spots to catch the migration. Settle in with a picnic and be sure to bring along extra binoculars; you’ll want to look out for blowing spouts, diving tails or a breaching whale leap from the sea. To get more information about the migration, visit Depoe Bay’s Whale Watching Center.

Even in the city you can get your hands dirty. Just a few miles from downtown Portland and covering over 5,000 acres, Forest Park is unlike any other urban park. The Forest Park Conservancy hosts a number of programs that help to keep the trails and natural habitat of the park enjoyable and healthy; this is a great spot for the budding botanist in the family or anyone who likes to romp in the woods. Pull invasive species like ivy, help plant a tree or explore the habitat on a guided hike.

Discover natural wonders at the Rice NW Museum of Rocks and Minerals. Their collection includes crystallized minerals, colorful copper, quartz and gypsum and rare gem crystals like emerald, ruby and aquamarine. Before you go, be sure to check out Grant McOmie’s recent trip to the museum.

Make science fun at Ashland’s Science Works Hands-On Museum. This museum is home to state-of-the-art interactive exhibits and currently offers a glimpse into Chinese art, culture, science, and language through the Connect with China exhibit.

For even more Family Friendly Getaways, check out Trips We Love…

Ashland Springs Hotel, the historic downtown boutique-inn, is hosting the chocolate festival all weekend. Start your Friday night off right with a gallery walk; nibble on local wines and artisan chocolates while perusing Ashland’s illustrious arts scene.

Oregon chocolatiers show off their best and most unique combinations at the tastings, going on Saturday and Sunday between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the hotel. Try unexpected combinations like chocolate-and-tequila truffles or bite into a square inch of pure decadence from Coastal Mist or award-winning candies from Lillie Belle Farms.

And don’t fret about that 10-pound New Years resolution, chocolate can actually be the dieters friend. Learn about the additional benefits from this magical plant at the “Secret Health Benefits of Chocolate” demonstration on Saturday or check out the “Use of Cacao in Spa Treatments” session to learn about the healing powers of coco (Chocolate and massage? Yes, please!).

This truly indulgent weekend isn’t complete without a visit to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Opening on February 26, this almost 9-month-long festival attracts thespians and enthusiasts from around the world. Be one of the first to see this year’s performances. Kicking off the season are classics including Hamlet and Pride and Prejudice, alongside modern pieces such as Well.

Back in September, we along with the Oregon Coast Visitor’s Association and five other South Coast communities, hosted the first “South Coast Press Trip”

The trip started in Coos Bay-North Bend and ended here in Brookings-Harbor.

It occurred to me that given the chance, most of our visitors would love the trip we provided these writers; I know its an experience that I’m lucky enough to relive on a regular basis so I thought I’d share some of these insider tips for our visitors.

We started the day by meeting at Brandy Peak Distillery and then proceeded to Harris Beach State Park. Strolling along that beach is something I never tire of and I show off every chance I get. The beach combing here is fantastic and the views still take my breath away. When I take that walk with my wife, it reminds me what a lucky man I am.

Next we took our writers to the Driftwood RV Park for a wonderful Salmon BBQ lunch and then on to Azalea Park for a walking tour of the gardens and the Capella by the Sea.

No visit to Brookings-Harbor would be complete without at least a tour of, if not a quick “back nine” at Salmon Run Golf Course.

We then checked our writers into some of our local lodging facilities; The Wild Rivers Motorlodge and The Brookings Inn Resort to freshen up before a mouth watering dinner at O’Holleran’s Steakhouse & Lounge. Not all of Brookings-Harbor’s special sites and scenes can be viewed or enjoyed in a single day, so the next day, our group met for breakfast at the Flying Gull Restaurant and proceeded to a short tour of The Port of Brookings-Harbor and then on to the finale, Flora Pacifica. Being this close to the new Crissey Field Oregon Visitors Center, we had to take the opportunity to show off our beautiful and environmentally responsible new State Welcome Center.

When we sent the writers off, I overheard the same conversation that I hear from visitors on a regular basis… they were already making plans for what they would do on their next trip here. When I think about all the planning and work that I put into organizing this trip, it makes me realize that some of our visitors might agonize over the same details and might like a little “insider” knowledge.

Many people travel from all over the United States to Brookings to enjoy our summer, fall, winter and spring, many of them not half as close as you are. Imagine yourself here in the Brookings-Harbor area and then make it happen. We’re closer than you think.

Les Cohen
CEO, Brookings-Harbor Chamber of Commerce

Get tickets for your favorite acts and then make a weekend of it, exploring the museums, galleries and restaurants that define the distinctive urban atmosphere of Portland.

Stay at The Heathman Hotel, a unique boutique hotel in the heart of downtown that has received AAA’s 4-Diamond award consecutively for the past 25 years. If you have an affinity for High Tea (or maybe just a love of petite fours) don’t miss the distinguished tea service in the hotel’s lobby.

Walk just a few blocks from the hotel to the Portland Art Museum, where modern artist Cy Twombly’s latest bodies of work will be on display. Eat at one of the newest restaurants in town, Grüner. Opened by famed Northwest chef Christopher Israel (of Zefiro and Saucebox fame), the hip downtown restaurant serves up alpine-inspired cuisine.

Cross the bridge to the trendy Alberta Arts district on Thursday night and wander through the open doors of the galleries, studios, music venues and restaurants, showcasing art from Northwest and throughout the nation. It’s part of the Last Thursday Art Walk in one of Portland’s hippest new ‘hoods, so be sure to have a bite or imbibe at one of the many restaurants and bars that dot this approximately two-mile stretch.

And what’s more, our friends at Travel Portland have some fantastic hotel deals for you!

Take a deep breath and savor this week’s “Grant’s Getaway” along the Three Capes Scenic Drive where you will enjoy three state parks for the price of one 40-mile drive.

The Three Capes Scenic Drive is a road once taken you’ll never want to leave. For when winter takes over, quiet times descend as eagles fly, waterfowl dive and the tide gently rolls on its timeless way.

Once taken, you will return to this route many times because it’s reminiscent of those Sunday backcountry drives that Dad might take his youngsters on. I recall those adventures with great fondness, when my brother, sister, and I would be packed aboard the family’s Ford wagon and we would all unwind as we meandered along a favorite two-lane byway, the kind that snaked along some yet unexplored section of Oregon.

Head west out of Tillamook proper along Bay Ocean Road as it skirts the southern end of Tillamook Bay. Soon you’ll come face to face with the site of Bay Ocean Park, a now-extinct community, a developer’s dream turned homeowner’s nightmare.

Construction of the subdivision began in the early 1900s, and it was coined “the Atlantic City of the West.” It boasted homes, cabins, restaurants, and stores, even a centerpiece hotel with an indoor swimming pool. The trouble was that this sprawling concept was built upon sand–and sand is vulnerable to wind and tides. Mother Nature had other plans for Bay Ocean Park, and between 1932 and 1950 the ocean cut a half-mile swath across the spit and across the townsite. Slowly at first, and then with greater momentum, homes began to slip and slide into the deep blue sea. Today, Bay Ocean Spit is managed by the county as a park, and it’s great fun to stroll its five-mile length, even though all signs of the former community are long gone.

The route continues south and soon you reach Cape Meares State Park, situated on a 700-foot rocky headland named for British sea adventurer John Meares. Meares came this way in 1788 and a lighthouse built in the 1890s marks the spot. A nearby kiosk contains interpretive panels containing other facts about Cape Meares.

You can enjoy more than three miles of hiking trails and a mile-long walking trail that winds through old-growth spruce trees (including the uniquely-shaped Octopus Tree, a giant Sitka spruce with massive branches that radiate out from near the base.) In winter and spring, this park is another excellent location for viewing whale migrations.

Soon, it’s time to head south, skirting Netarts Bay, where clammers and crabbers like to play. Carry a tide table and purchase an Oregon Shellfish License, (both are available at sporting good stores) and time your visit to the bay during an ebb tide. Watch for clam diggers, armed with shovels and buckets, mucking about for bay clams across the tide flats. Join in and you’ll have a fair chance of catching your supper.

Nearby, Cape Lookout’s beauty may thrill you too. It’s a massive headland that juts out more than two miles into the sea. Tucked into the north side of the cape is Cape Lookout State Park with 225 campsites, rental cabins and 13 Yurts. Beachcombing is popular here, and I have heard it’s a fine place to find glass floats on the first high tide following a storm. More than eight miles of hiking and walking trails wind through a lush old-growth forest. Two walking trails–a nature trail and the Jackson Creek Trail–are perfect for a shorter jaunt.

Yurts have been a featured part of Oregon State Parks for pretty close to twenty years and for less than thirty bucks they are pretty tough to beat. Inside, you will find a futon that makes down, a bunk bed, plus a table and chairs. There is indoor lighting and heating and you’re only a stone’s throw away from one of the most fabulous beaches along the northern Oregon coast.

The roadway between Cape Lookout State Park and Cape Kiwanda to the south is unusual for the northern Oregon coast because tall shrubs, beach grass and then sand-dune crests mark it, with many overlooks for ocean spying. In fewer than ten miles from Cape Lookout you’ll arrive at Cape Kiwanda, a sculpted headland eroded by time and tides and weather.

This gleaming sandy shoreline has developed a faithful cadre of year-round sun worshippers and surfers. It is also home to a small but dedicated angling lot, for this cape is one of the few places in the country where you can watch fishermen launch their boats off the beach into the foamy surfline. Many people will also step inside a landmark destination, the Pelican Pub and Brewery – to satisfy both thirst and appetite.

To the south, the narrow, winding roadway at the south end of Pacific City, leads you to Bob Straub State Park where lonesome strollers search for secrets from the tides.

The park is a day-use site (no overnight camping allowed) with miles of open, unspoiled sand that invite you to explore, maybe for sand dollars, maybe glass floats, as you wander toward the mouth of the Nestucca River.

It’s three Oregon State Parks for the price of one drive and if you time your journey well, you can see it all on a brilliant winter’s day where sun beams and silence accompany your getaway across the western shores of Tillamook County.

Editor’s Note: Grant’s Getaways is a production of Travel Oregon brought to you in association with Oregon State Parks, Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife and Oregon State Marine Board. Episodes air Fridays and Saturdays on KGW Newschannel 8 and Saturdays on Northwest Cable News Network.

Declared a National Historic Landmark, the lodge was built during the Great Depression (by hand, no less) as part of the Federal Works Progress Administration. History buffs in the family can join a U.S. Forest Ranger for a free tour of the remarkable structure. Or perhaps a family member’s interest lies more in cinematic history? Watch Stanley Kubrick’s 1980s flick, “The Shining,” and then explore the exterior of the lodge, which was used in the opening scene. Visitors can also see a piece of Room 237’s door and the axe immortalized by Jack Nicholson in the movie.

Perched at the foot of Oregon’s tallest peak—Mt. Hood—Timberline Lodge is a mecca for any adventure-seeker or sightseer, no matter the time of year. Open all 12 months of the year, the slopes boast 41 trails, ranging in ability to accommodate any level. Ski or snowboard the slopes, and if you’re just learning or want to get better, connect with the Lodge’s many instructors. If you’re looking for a back country experience, Timberline has endless trails for snowshoeing and Nordic skiing in the winter or hiking amid wildflowers and stunning views in the summer. And if you want to climb a mountain, Mt. Hood is ideal. It’s the second most-climbed mountain in the world (behind Japan’s Mt. Fuji) and the most popular route begins at Timberline Lodge.

Whether it’s a day filled with historic tours and scary movies or trekking around the mountain, you’ll surely have built an appetite come sundown. Good thing Timberline has five restaurants to chose from. Whether it’s a huckleberry-glazed chicken at the award-winning Cascade Dining Room, a beer and burger at the Blue Ox Bar, hot chocolate at the Ram’s Head Bar or an après ski at Wy’East Day Lodge, there’s a plethora of places to go with the whole family or for a romantic meal for two.

Traveling along Hwy 101 three miles south of Reedsport, Oregon we discovered Winchester Bay and found it to be a vacationer’s paradise, centrally located between a multitude of fun things to do and see. This small fishing village overlooks Salmon Harbor Marina. The town is nestled in the forest at the mouth of the Umpqua River draining into the Pacific Ocean. In Winchester Bay you have direct access to the Umpqua River, the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, the Pacific Ocean, and miles of white-sand public beaches.

The fishing is excellent; few anglers go home from here empty-handed. Species in the area include Chinook salmon, striped bass, steelhead, sturgeon, pink fin perch, and small mouth bass. Winchester Bay has become known as the Crab Capital of Oregon for the delicious Dungeness crab you can catch right off the docks of the marina, and several different species of clam are just a pail and shovel away.

We found great eateries here serving indigenous foods and wine. You can purchase fresh fish like halibut, King Salmon right off the docks when in season, oysters from the Umpqua aquaculture, considered by many to be the best and we agree. We took a tour of the Umpqua Lighthouse overlooking the tallest dunes on the Oregon Coast all the while thinking Wow! What a perfect place.

My husband and I recently spent our first anniversary at the Cannery Pier Hotel in Astoria. As I told my friends and colleagues of our plans, I noticed a trend: a large number of people were planning to spend (or had spent) their anniversaries at the Cannery Pier Hotel as well. Hmmm…curious, I thought. Is the hotel fantastically romantic or was this just a coincidence? I decided to investigate during our weekend getaway.

The Cannery Pier Hotel is located hundreds of feet into the Columbia River on the site of the old Union Fish Cannery. As we walked into the lobby, I was enchanted with view of the river and delighted with the stylish yet cozy interior. Ok. I can see why my friends and colleagues had decided to stay here for their special occasion weekends. What a view of the river! And the décor was stylish, yet welcoming. “Shoot, I want to live here,” I thought to myself, and I hadn’t even seen our room yet.

If I thought I might like to stay upon my survey of the lobby, when we saw our room I was ready to fill out a change-of-address form. Each room has a cozy fireplace and a balcony suspended over the river. The view from our room was unparalleled. Ships sailed by just feet away as birds floated outside our window with the Astoria Bridge as a backdrop. We were entertained for hours just looking out our window. I knew there was a lot for us to see and do in Astoria, but I was pretty sure I’d be content to stay in our room all weekend. On the other hand, I didn’t want to miss the complimentary wine and hors de’oeuvres the Cannery Pier offers nightly in the lobby.

Hence, my husband and I decided to finally leave our comfortable and picturesque surroundings to enjoy the extraordinary Cannery Pier hospitality–wine, salmon snacks and cheese bites in the lobby…ok, now I knew I wasn’t going anywhere. Relaxing by the fire in the lobby as boats came to dock for the evening was one of those moments you want to wrap up in a box and save forever. Despite this, I knew at some point I would have to get out and explore Astoria. After all, the hotel offers loaner bikes and free transport in their fleet of classic 1930s Buicks. If I had to go someplace, at least it would be in pure Cannery Pier style.

Once we were able to tear ourselves away from the comfort of the Cannery Pier hotel, we enjoyed sight-seeing (and eating) in Astoria. The Flavel House Museum is a must-see. It’s a step back in time to the grandeur and artistry that flourished when Astoria was settled. If you’re looking for good eats, I highly recommend The Ship Inn for fish-n-chips–delicious. The surroundings are rustic, but the fish is incredible. For fancier fare and fantastic service, I recommend Clemente’s Restaurant and Bridgewater Bistro. The seafood at both establishments was fresh, flavorful and creatively prepared. If you’d like to pick up a delicious pastry or two on your way to the beach, you can’t miss the Blue Scorcher.

I had concluded my investigation of the Cannery Pier Hotel. Was it in fact incredibly romantic? Yes, but it’s also perfect for any special occasion. If you have a special weekend coming up like an anniversary, birthday or a girls getaway, you absolutely can’t go wrong staying at the Cannery Pier Hotel. I’m looking for any reason to go back before our next anniversary. Just to celebrate a Saturday is reason enough for me.

“Bring your toes all the way forward, Grant, up to the clip of this binding, and then pull the strap across the top of your foot as tight as you can.”

So advised my guide, Jack Newkirk. But when it’s twenty degrees with a wind chill making it much colder, and the snowflakes are buzzing circles around your head like an angry hive of hornets, stepping into and strapping on a pair of two-foot-long snowshoes isn’t the easiest of winter activities.

Yet with Newkirk’s patient tone and simple instructions, it was but a matter of minutes before I and my companions were set and ready to follow his lead into the snow-covered hills of the Deschutes National Forest in Central Oregon.

Newkirk is a guide who works for Wanderlust Tours in Bend, and leads varied year-round recreational outings across the region, but in wintertime when the snow is waist deep, the specialty is snowshoe hiking.

It’s the powder that folks live to play in near central Oregon’s Mt Bachelor – high cascade powder that is lighter and fluffier than the snow that falls across most of western Oregon. It draws folks from all over who yearn to ski or board the mountain’s slopes.

There is a blissful feeling of nearly floating across the snow on the broad, lightweight shoes. It isn’t anything like the desperate plodding you often see in movies, or read about in Jack London’s tales of the far north.

Rather, despite the six-foot snow depth, there’s a certain rhythm to the walking, and it takes only minutes to get the hang of it. Then you begin to look up, take stock of your surroundings and the magnificence of the snow on the trees, burdened with the heavy overcoat of fresh snowfall.

And then there is the quiet of the forest. It seems to whisper to you, “This is Mother Nature at her finest.”

Editor’s Note: Grant’s Getaways is a production of Travel Oregon brought to you in association with Oregon State Parks, Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife and Oregon State Marine Board. Episodes air Fridays and Saturdays on KGW Newschannel 8 and Saturdays on Northwest Cable News Network.