That’s what my husband and I did two weeks ago, when on a Wednesday the skies split wide open and the sun shone down with promise. Smith Rock is known primarily for rock climbing—internationally, in fact—but it’s just as gorgeously perfect of a destination for those of us who prefer to keep our feet on the ground.

We set out at a fast clip for the Burma Road, which climbs to the top of the eastern end of the impressive tuff formation. Smith is a spiritual place to some, and it isn’t hard to see why once you get up close to the rock. The steep walls pierce the sky and vary from blonde to orange to red to blue depending on the angle and light. There is something magical about the trees, too—Ponderosa pine both amazingly thick-trunked and thick-branched anchor the trail around the base.

We were warm enough to shed a few clothing layers by the time we reached the summit, which boasts incredible views of the Cascade Range. For a moment during the descent, the trail looks as if it’s going to fly right off of the top of the world, require you to literally take a leap of faith. But then it continues, steep but reliable and, soon, arrives back at the bottom. We found ourselves on an easy trail along the river, looking up again, this time at Monkey Face—such a crazy, tall, top-heavy shape of stone as to seem unreal.

Even more unreal are the climbers—at least to me. All along the hike back around the base, we watched them scale the walls fearlessly. I admired their grace and wished not one iota to try it myself. Then it was back up the steep hill out of the canyon to a picnic table for lunch with a killer view, our reward for our two-and-a-half hour, six-mile hike. As we settled at a picnic table we were shocked to feel an ice-cold wind pick up and see a tall and downright scary-looking fog bank rolling its way over the rock spires, looking for all the world like it was determined to engulf the whole area in its bitter embrace. We’d timed our hike just right. Just another reminder to seize the sun while it shines.

Nationally-published writer Kim Cooper Findling grew up on the Oregon Coast and has lived in Central Oregon for nearly fifteen years. She loves to explore every corner of her home state, usually with her husband and two daughters in tow. Her work has appeared in many publications over the last decade, including Travel Oregon, Horizon Air, Oregon Quarterly, Sky West, The Best Places to Kiss NW and High Desert Journal. Kim’s first book, Chance of Sun: A Perfectly Imperfect Oregon Upbringing, will be released this year. See www.kimcooperfindling.com.

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…

Editor’s Note: Our resident Fly Fisherman, Chris Santella is off on his three-day Central Oregon excursion–here’s the latest news from his trip and catch the full story in the March issue of Travel Oregon Magazine

After a brief fueling stop in Sandy at Joe’s Donuts – the launching point of many a central Oregon angling odyssey (go for the apple fritter!) –we pushed straight on to Prineville. Though the skies looked a bit dark and ominous to the south as we descended from Mount Hood to Warm Springs, the rain held off. And while it didn’t get quite warm enough to bring the Blue Wing Olive mayflies out in full force on the ‘Crooked this afternoon, some bugs were hatching, and the trout were looking up. We found rainbows on dry flies the whole fishing day – many were small, but there were enough 12 inchers in the mix to keep us paying close attention. The Crooked’s native rainbows are beautiful, with bigger dots than the fish we find on the nearby Deschutes. Constant action, combined with late afternoon sun breaks and the deep hooting of a nearby Great Northern Owl made for a perfect day on the river.

Tonight, we’ll be dining at 900 Wall, a relatively new (and highly regarded) addition to Bend’s restaurant offering. They’ve got a special Pinot Noir cask-conditioned Jubel Ale on tap, a fitting reward for our modest angling success. Tomorrow, we get to sleep in a little (by fisherman standards), as fishing doesn’t kick into gear on the Fall River (south of Sunriver) until mid-morning. The boyfriend of the young woman working the front desk at McMenamin’s Old St. Francis School (where we’re staying tonight) said he’s been hearing great reports for the Fall. Tomorrow is supposed to be a little warmer than today, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed that the hatch will be on in full force.

The Blue Wing Olive Fly

Though it’s a week before I leave, I’m getting pretty excited about my trout fishing expedition to Central Oregon – especially now that I’ll get to chronicle the adventure in a story for the March issue of Travel Oregon! While it’s not the best time of year to fish the region’s most famous river, the Deschutes, some of the other rivers near Bend – the Crooked, the Fall and the Metolius – all have the potential to fish very well in the winter. I’ve been over on the Crooked in early March when the Blue Wing Olive hatch (a form of mayfly) is just epic, lasting for hours – even I can reliably hook a few rainbows! While the Fall and Metolius can be a little trickier, the beauty of their surroundings makes up for the lack of catching – and on these streams, you’re almost certain to at least see fish, as these spring-fed rivers run gin clear year-round.

One thing I should be to catch in greater Bend is a good pint of ale. I’m hoping to sample the seasonal offering from Deschutes Brewery, Red Chair. Though I find that I don’t buy Deschutes beers as much in Portland thanks to all the great small brewpubs about, I always love visiting the mothership in downtown Bend – one of the first brewpubs I ever visited in Oregon, more than 15 years ago. I’ve yet to visit Bend Brewing Company, which has won a number of awards in recent years. I hoping to rectify that situation on this trip.

I’ve been scanning some of my favorite fishing reports (compiled by local fly shops) to whet my appetite, and things look hopeful:

For the Metolius – “We are seeing some BWO hatches mid to late afternoon and good midge hatches along side. I don’t find too many fish rising to midges but a pupa or larva imitation is a good bet anytime. (Courtesy of The Fly Fisher’s Place, Sisters)

For the Crooked – “If we can get a stretch of warm weather it should turn on. Until then. Bobberin’ with #20 Midges and sight casting to risers with #20 BWO’s should find a fish or two.” (Courtesy of Fly & Field, Bend)

For the Fall – “Now that the winter has set in the Capnia Stones are in full regalia. So bring your favorite little stone pattern in a #10 or #12. BWO’s and Midges as usual are out and about daily.”(Courtesy of Fly & Field, Bend)

Before fishing the Metolius on Friday, I’m hoping to spend an hour picking the brain of John Judy who knows the river about as well as anyone. I’m hoping he can help me unravel some of its secrets.

With a night in Bend at McMenamins Old St. Francis School and a night on the banks of the Metolius at Lake Creek Lodge, photographer Daniel Root and my fishing buddy Hamp Byerly will get a full taste of the central Oregon experience.

Up the hill in the woods, Ponderosa pine too big to hug anchor the horizon. Manzanita glistens with fresh powdery snow. I know the trail like the hallways of my home, but never tire of it. Leap this rock here, power down this hill here. Stop on the bridge for the briefest moment to absorb the view—wintry today, the clear waters of Tumalo Creek icy and glittering—and breathe.

The first time I walked the loop at Shevlin Park (just a few miles northwest of the Bend city limits), I was 16 and it seemed like a hike. That was ten years before I moved to Bend and absorbed my quotient of the local water, which may be infused with an elixir holding the power to morph normal people into athletes. Live here long enough and you’ll find yourself accomplishing daily before breakfast what used to count for a weeks’ worth of exercise.

The first time someone suggested that we run the Shevlin Loop, I was skeptical—of my own ability. I have had my moments, but in fourteen years of drinking Bend water, I have never quite transformed into a rabid athlete. Mountain biking and road biking were tried and abandoned. Same for snowboarding. I still have never rock climbed or mountain climbed. What stuck, however, is running the Shevlin Loop. Now it’s something that I do once a week, year-round, in all kinds of weather—if not quite before breakfast, then usually soon after.

There are many reasons Shevlin Park keeps drawing me back. Within its 652 acres are wildlife, a pond, a covered bridge, developed and undeveloped trails, massive old trees, and plenty of peace and quiet. Even on a crowded weekend, take off on the trail and within a few minutes discover the shelter that only a wide-open forest can provide.

Today, I have plenty of solitude. I pound the trail alone. Until—two miles in to my run, another runner approaches. As he passes, he chuckles. “I thought I was the only other crazy one out here.” Guess he hasn’t drunk enough Bend water, either.

Nationally-published writer Kim Cooper Findling grew up on the Oregon Coast and has lived in Central Oregon for nearly fifteen years. She loves to explore every corner of her home state, usually with her husband and two daughters in tow. Her work has appeared in many publications over the last decade, including Travel Oregon, Horizon Air, Oregon Quarterly, Sky West, The Best Places to Kiss NW and High Desert Journal. Kim’s first book, Chance of Sun: A Perfectly Imperfect Oregon Upbringing, will be released this year. See www.kimcooperfindling.com.

A decade ago, Eugene businessman Chuck Shepard purchased Hoodoo, a mid-sized Oregon ski area near the summit of Santiam Pass. Long since neglected and at risk of going out of business, Chuck immediately started work to revive Central Oregon’s oldest ski area. He spent millions of dollars on news lifts and a massive day lodge. Some years have been challenging with skimpy snow, but overall, attendance has perked up and the vibe is positive. While he’s still waiting for a financial return on his Hoodoo investments, Chuck and his team have already succeeded in creating an affordable and friendly place for families and locals to enjoy a mountain experience. Hoodoo is here to stay.

I am only familiar with the “new” Hoodoo, having never skied there until just a couple of years ago. Being nearly 2.5 hours from Portland, I usually choose to ski at one of the several Mount Hood options that are far closer to home than Hoodoo. But on several occasions when driving to or from Bend, I’ve stopped at Hoodoo and skied for several hours – never to be disappointed.

On this particular day during the winter holiday vacation period, I was on my way home from Bend. My plan was to arrive at Hoodoo in time for the 9:00am lift opening… ski several hours… and then hit the road for Portland in the afternoon. Santiam Pass and the Hoodoo parking lot are a quick 50 minutes from downtown Bend. I pulled into the parking just as planned, shortly before 9:00am. And sure enough, Chuck Shepard was there to greet the arriving guests. Chuck has got to be the only ski area owner in the country who assigns himself to direct cars into the proper parking spots in the lot each morning. And let me tell you… the parking lot is organized and the parked cars perfectly line-up. Chuck settles for nothing less! It was especially important on this day, however, since the parking lot filled to capacity. It was a busy day at Hoodoo.

But a busy day at Hoodoo is a light day at many other ski areas. Despite a full parking lot and one of the higher attendance counts of the season, there weren’t any liftline mazes set up at any of the lifts – because there weren’t necessary. The three quad chairs, a triple chair and double chair offer more than enough uphill capacity to prevent liftlines even during the busy holiday period. For the third day straight, I never waited in a liftline.

The weather and the snow were similar to what I experienced at Mount Bachelor the day prior: Partly cloudy with temperatures in the 20s and little wind. The groomed snow was firm and fast. Off the groomed was variable with areas of packed powder, small moguls and spots of ice.

I loaded the Green Machine quad, Hoodoo’s base-to-summit lift, shortly after 9:00am. Off the top, Hoodoo has a magnificently groomed black diamond run, named Dive, that is steeper, wider & smoother than most of the cruising runs anywhere on Mount Hood. It’s fairly short, however, and it leads to what t I call a “bench” in Hoodoo’s terrain – a flat area at mid-mountain. Along the bench, the runs are gentle or even flat… and one can follow that gentle terrain around the western edge of the ski area into the novice runs served by the Manzanita chair. Dropping away from the bench to the east are the short blue-square runs that lead to the Ed Thurston quad. And following the bench beneath the Green Machine lift leads to the Headwall, the final steep drop into the base. Sometimes the Headwall is groomed; on those days, it’s a steep screamer not unlike Dive off the top… except that on the Headwall, there’s an audience of Green Machine lift-riders watching from above. On this day, the Headwall was left natural – it was a technical descent of small moguls and icy patches.

If there is a valid criticism about Hoodoo’s terrain, it’s that the steeper front-side runs are fairly short. There are few long, sustained pitches. But I find there to be enough variety to keep my attention for a day. The Ed Thurston quad serves some cruisers that have the perfect blue-square pitch. The Manzanita chair has some gentle green circle runs for novices mixed with some slightly more difficult pitches for those who want to take the next step. Advanced and expert riders should head for the summit on the Green quad. With sufficient snow, one can drop from the top of Hoodoo butte in just about any direction. Areas such as Crater and Chuck’s Backside (yes, that’s the name of the south-facing area off the backside of Hoodoo) aren’t spectacularly steep… but they require some technical maneuvering. And when there’s new powder, the riding is awesome… and few people are back there to chop it up. On the west side of the Butte is the Hodag lift & trail cluster. Needing more snow, the Hodag lift & runs weren’t open the day of my visit. Aside from the short runs down to the Hodag base, each route off the top of Hoodoo butte & the Green Machine lift eventually leads back to the Hoodoo base… making it difficult for one to get lost.

Chuck Shepard and his team recognize that one of the keys to Hoodoo’s long-term success is to keep lift ticket prices reasonable and affordable. To that end, they offer – without question – the BEST lift ticket deal in the state: “Tightwad Tuesdays” feature $19 lift tickets! Other discounts are offered through corporate sponsor partnerships on other midweek days as well. Peak day tickets are obviously a bit higher and are not discounted, but the prices aren’t unreasonable.

For Portlanders, Hoodoo may be a little too far away for regular visits. But for an affordable and friendly Oregon skiing experience, stop by Hoodoo sometime. And be sure to say hello to Chuck in the parking lot when you arrive!

Jerry Scdoris has twelve of the most faithful friends one mountain of a man could ever hope to have in a lifetime. Consider what they do for him: Whenever Jerry hollers “Hey,” these dedicated buddies of his rise to their feet and go. Actually they run and run and run anywhere he tells them to go. They will pull hundreds of pounds while enduring deep snow or slippery ice and a biting wind that would send most of us indoors for rest and relaxation beside the nearest toasty warm wood stove. And get this: They never, ever complain. In fact, they live to be outdoors when winter is its roughest: downright mean and nasty.

Jerry’s best friends are huskies. They’re not big or brawny either. Rather, they’re medium-sized pooches about twenty pounds each, but they are huge when it comes to desire and energy and enthusiasm to please people.

During a visit to Jerry’s Iditarod Training Camp near Mount Bachelor, I asked him how he trains dogs for the kind of pure commitment it takes to run and pull through the snow. He told me his dogs “are 110 percent go-power. They just have to run out of pure joy.”

Jerry is in his 18th season at Mt Bachelor, but he has been a professional musher for over thirty years. He also takes passengers on a thrilling dog-sled ride across a three-mile course. He’s covered 100,000 Alaska wilderness miles with his dog teams and he likes to say the dogs are “experts in motion.”

When you watch Jerry work with his dogs, you witness an incredible transformation when he attaches the huskies to their traces individually and they become a team. The older, veteran lead dog is generally calm in comparison to the younger huskies. The excitement and energy build among these youngsters, who bark and yelp for joy until the musher releases the drag brake and steps onto the back runners. No longer do you hear a dozen whining individuals, because the dogs’ eagerness settles into a determination to pull hard and fast no matter the weight in the attached sled basket.

Dave Sims, a longtime partner in Jerry’s business, designs and builds all of the equipment including the toboggan-style sleds that carry up to 600 pounds – plenty of room for Mom, Dad and a couple of kids.

With that, we were off in a moment of madness, down a slope into a wooded stand, leaving a snowy wake flying up behind us. The loop trail’s first part follows a narrow Forest Service trail flanked by Douglas fir and ponderosa pine. As we slip-slid along, it was a bit like a combination sled and rollicking roller-coaster ride.

The deep powder is a storybook landscape for speeding through narrow trails in a dense pine forest with boughs bent low from a fresh powdery blanket. You’ll want to stop in, though, and make Jerry Scdoris and his best friends part of your Oregon snow-country adventures. The training camp and rides open with the first fall of snow in November and continue into spring. There’s a certain peaceful feeling out on the trail – a feeling that –even for an hour or so – all is right with the world.

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.

Mount Bachelor and I go way back. I’ve skied there dozens of times dating back to the 1980s, a time before there were high-speed quads and when the old summit triple chair was brand new. While not a bona fide “local”, I know my way around Mount Bachelor quite well.

The weather was nice during my most recent visit. With the sky staying partly cloudy and temperatures in the 20s, it was a comfortable day for “fair weather” skiers. Being a holiday week, and with decent weather, Mount Bachelor did big business this day. But one of the many things I like about Mount Bachelor is that, even on its busiest days, there are numerous places on the mountain where one can escape the masses.

I was ready to board the Pine Marten lift right at the 9:00am opening. I really like the groomed runs in the Pine Marten lift pod – Thunderbird, Coffee and West Boundary are pitched just right for smooth and fast cruising. On busy days, I suggest carving down these cruisers either early or not at all, as they tend to get skied-out quickly. Furthermore, with the Pine Marten liftline maize getting jammed by 10:00am, you’ll want to be elsewhere on the mountain within an hour of the mountain’s opening.

Throughout the morning, I gradually moved west into the Outback and Northwest territories. I primarily skied the groomed runs, as the perfect corduroy wasn’t going to last much longer. (Off the groomed, the variable snow ranged from pleasant packed powder to small moguls and scattered slippery spots. It could wait until later to be skied, as it wasn’t going to change much during the day.) I was delighted to see that one of my all-time favorite cruisers – Snapshot Alley to Atkeson’s Zoom off of the Northwest Express lift – was groomed top to bottom. It starts steep, so sharp edges are a must. After the initial plunge, the run dips, drops, meanders and gradually shallows through the forest for nearly two miles. Even with the smoothest snow, it’s a challenge to ski it top-to-bottom without pause. Other fun cruisers included Osprey Way (after an initial mogul-dotted plunge) and Boomerang, a run that drops beneath the Outback lift. I should note that, while the Outback Express quad developed some minor crowding later in the morning, I never once waited to board the Northwest Express lift. And this was one of the busiest days of the season.

After lunch, it was time to experience the Mount Bachelor summit. Grooming machines weren’t yet able to reach the summit due to the still-shallow early-seasons snow base, so the terrain in all directions off the top was left to nature and skiers/boarders to shape. The normally-groomed front-side summit runs were the best… Beverly Hills and Healy Heights featured pleasant packed powder with only a few icy patches. There was plenty of snow; I never hit bottom. One of my other favorite Mount Bachelor runs – Cow’s Face down into the Rainbow bowls – was variable. I encountered small moguls, packed powder, icy patches and even some untracked powder on my way down to the catchline that leads back to the Sunrise & Rainbow lifts. Each day I ski, I typically make at least one poor choice of descents… and on this day, it was skiing from the Bachelor summit down the West Ridge towards the top of the Northwest quad. For 1,000 vertical-feet, it was an even mix of ice and wind-packed chop. Not pleasant. But then I hit my favorite Snapshot-to-Zoom screamer down to the bottom of the Northwest quad, so all was well.

By 2:00pm, my legs were failing me. Not ready to quit just yet, I decided it was best to stick with some groomed runs for the rest of the day. Fortunately for me, the masses’ legs must’ve failed them as well. The crowd thinned considerably in the afternoon. Some of the shallower groomed cruisers (Flying Dutchman & I-5) off of the Rainbow chair were still in good shape – I’ve found that those runs are usually good late-day options as they are don’t receive that many guests.

After 25 runs and probably 40,000 vertical-feet skied, I called it a day at 3:30pm. Add this day to my list of great days at Mount Bachelor. In hindsight, I am surprised at how easy it was to avoid the crowds on this very busy day. The secret is to realize that the Pine Marten and Sunrise quads are going to be jammed between 10:00am and 2:00pm. But the Red & Rainbow chairs, respectively, provide no-wait alternatives. And if Outback gets busy, the Northwest lift almost never has a line… and it accesses all of Outback’s terrain. The only spot on the mountain where crowds are unavoidable during the busiest midday hours is the Skyliner Express lift, as there’s no alternative way up in that pod. Avoid that area during the busy midday period if you’re uncomfortable with a wait to board the lift. Otherwise, with smart decision-making, it’s easy to experience Mount Bachelor without waiting in liftlines, even on the busiest days.

Lastly, a note about the way Mount Bachelor prices its lift tickets. The ski area is drawing national attention for its innovative daily lift ticket pricing model introduced this season. Instead of a fixed daily price, Bachelor management personnel determine the rate each afternoon (for the next day) depending on the expected weather and snow conditions. The price can be $49, $59 or $69. At the $69 rate, it’s the most expensive lift ticket in Oregon. But considering that the ski area is the 6th largest in the USA, and resorts of comparable and lesser size in California, Colorado, Vermont and Utah now charge more than $80 for a daily lift ticket for what might be a lesser product, Mount Bachelor is still a relative bargain. You get what you pay for at Mount Bachelor… it’s worth the price.

1. Central Oregon’s Mt. Bachelor has workshops and private lessons for beginners of all ages. Just introduced this year is the Ski or Ride in 5 program, where participants get five lessons, a lift ticket and free equipment rental. At completion of the lessons, graduates get a free 12-day pass to get back on the slopes.
2. The Discover packages at Timberline on Mt. Hood are an easy way for the novice skier or snowboarder to get started. Sign up for a three-hour group lesson and get a complimentary, full-day equipment rental and a lift ticket.
3. In an effort to get middle school students on the slopes, Eastern Oregon’s Anthony Lakes is offering free lift tickets every Sunday to 5th and 6th graders who take a lesson between Jan.-Feb. Students who participate are eligible for a special season pass for 2011 and accompanying adults get a substantially discounted lift ticket.
4. Mt. Ashland in Southern Oregon is making learning to ski or snowboard as easy as 1, 2, 3. Their 1 2 3 program includes three days of lessons with free equipment rentals and lift tickets. Graduates get a Mt. Ashland Slider card, which discounts future purchases on lift tickets.

Find more Learn to Ski and Snowboard Packages

• Willamette Valley’s newest luxury resort, The Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg, is situated on 35 acres of picturesque meadows and vineyards. A cascading waterfall at the entrance sets the tone for the 16,000-square-foot spa. The lush agricultural surroundings of the resort play a significant part in the custom spa treatments; their signature pinotherapy facial uses wine grapes to replenish the skin. During the summer and spring months, take a yoga class in the gardens before a hydrotherapy massage or a swim in the infinity pool. Stay overnight in one of the resort’s 85 deluxe rooms and dine at JORY, which features Oregon cuisine and wines from the property’s five-acre vineyard.
• Aequis Spa’s new location in the Historic Telegram Building in Portland’s trendy Pearl District, adorned with candelabras and rich Chinese carpets in warm shades of orange, red and brown, is a refuge from the daily hustle and bustle outside. Rejuvenate with a warm pumpkin enzyme facial, or relax with a medley massage that mixes Swedish, deep tissue and hot stone. Each treatment begins with a foot soak and scrub and ends with a warm-oil, Sambara scalp massage. Aequis specializes in Ayurveda and couples’ massage.
• Unwind at the Oregon Coast’s Stephanie Inn with a Hot Lava Shell massage while listening to the melodic crash of the ocean’s waves outside. The newly renovated Cannon Beach resort adds in-room massages, reflexology and hand and feet therapy to their long list of spa treatments.
• Located in Central Oregon at the Five Pine Lodge, the Shibui Spa offers an Eastern take on relaxation. The Thai Bandle Massage uses herbs to sooth and tone the skin, while the Lotus Dream incorporates Ayurvedic methods with a hot-oil massage. If you chose to stay overnight, Five Pine Lodge offers luxurious accommodations within rugged, high dessert terrain.
• Partake in ultimate in relaxation in the Mt. Hood/ Gorge region with the Resort at the Mountain’s Unlimited Spaaah package. The package offers unlimited spa treatments from check-in to check-out as well as a spacious fireside room. In between spa treatments, you can enjoy the breathtaking mountainside forest or dine on impeccable cuisine at Altitude.