There are several gardens around the Portland Region. Near the Japanese Garden (in Washington Park) we also have the International Rose Test Garden and the Hoyt Arboretum, along with the Oregon Holocaust Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Oregon Zoo, and the Portland Children’s Museum, and some beautiful hiking trails, if any of those interest you. In…

My first suggestion would be to order our Travel Oregon Visitor Guide, Scenic Byways Guide, and Oregon State map that we can mail to you for free. (Here is the link for that.) The scenic byways guide will be able to give you some ideas for beautiful places you might want to photograph, and the…

I would suggest renting a 4-wheel- or all-wheel-drive vehicle because Central Oregon usually gets quite a bit of snow. One good thing is that the roads will usually be either snow covered (which isn’t difficult to drive in if you take your time) or completely clear because they de-ice and plow pretty frequently. Here is…

We have a great public transportation system here in the Portland Region; it’s called TriMet and the website is trimet.org. It includes the MAX light rail system that covers several cities around the Portland metro area (including Beaverton), the Portland Streetcar(s), and buses. If you go on the website there is a tool called the…

No. It is not illegal to pump your own gas in Oregon, although this is a relatively new law. In 2023, the Oregon legislature passed two bills into law that changed the way Oregonians and visitors pump gas. In rural counties, gas stations may offer self-serve gas at all hours. In non-rural counties gas stations…

Indeed! There are quite a few parks with yurts, actually. The most popular yurt campground is Valley of the Rogue State Park, located conveniently off I-5 near Gold Hill in Southern Oregon. Wallowa Lake State Park has two yurts that are designated ADA. The Oregon Coast has an abundance of yurt campsites; for instance South…

There’s a few things going on in that area in August, like the Back Country Bash in Joseph (July 31-Aug. 1), the Wallowa County Fair (Aug. 1-8), and the Wallowa County Stock-Growers Ranch Rodeo (Aug. 15). You’ve got some beautiful scenic drives, like the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway, or you could ride the Wallowa Lake…

There are a few great places that come to mind near my home base where you can camp and be close to the best local breweries out here in Eastern Oregon. There is camping at points all around Joseph, where long running Terminal Gravity has recently expanded to a new taproom, East Fork, while also maintaining its…

Thanks for your question! You’re asking about my hometown, so I’m happy to help. Not knowing your exact interests or the time of year you’re visiting Medford, I’ll try to hit the broad strokes! The good news is, it’s a small city, so wherever you’re staying, you’ll be close to everything. If you’re a fan…

Have you spent any time east of Bend or in the Oregon Outback area? These are some of my favorite places in the state. The China Hat/Four Corners area south and east of Bend is terrific for dirt bike riding, etc. Some amazing views out there of the high desert and the Cascade Range. Bend…

Lincoln Beach (not to be confused with Lincoln City) makes a good base for exploring the Central Oregon Coast. My first choice for a day trip would be south to Newport. On your way, you can make a quick stop at the Boiler Bay Viewpoint and spend some time in the small town of Depoe…

You can find yurts at the state park campground between Medford and Grants Pass at Valley of the Rogue State Park, but they may be booked… they tend to book fast. For a really unique ‘glamping’ option right in Medford, I recommend Morriplum Farm Sanctuary. It’s between Medford and Jacksonville, and the couple who run…

The best place to ski mid-May (in my opinion) is without a doubt Timberline Ski Area. It is a short 1.5 hours from Portland. They do have a rental shop in case you don’t feel like traveling with your gear. Depending on what your free time looks like you can ski in the morning, hike…

With the distance between Salt Lake and Seattle being around 832 miles, Baker City (464 miles) and La Grande (506 miles) both offer a close halfway point for the overall trip. Staying in Ontario (392 miles) would mean a shorter first day of travel, however, but depending how you want to break up the trip would…

Highway 101 in Oregon allows RVs up to 45 feet in length with a maximum length of 65 feet overall between RV and towed passenger vehicle.

Thanks for your question! It sounds like you’d like to stick pretty close to I-5 during your road trip, but if you haven’t seen it, I do recommend Crater Lake National Park, of course. It’s about two hours from I-5 via either Ashland or Medford. If that’s too far off-track, consider a stop in Ashland…

In terms of the Alvord Desert, many people travel to these remote campsites near the hot springs in campers and cars. While the roads are gravel, they are often in good condition, but keep an eye out on weather as your trip nears, as heavy rains can change those conditions. The Alvord is really a…

Three days to travel all 363-miles of the Oregon Coast would limit your stops to only the most accessible attractions and leave little time for hiking, long beach walks or to feel like you have really experienced the coast. It’s possible, but you would pretty much be limited to short stops, getting out of the…

Around Portland, you’ll find the best bites for winter steelhead in February and March; spring chinook in May and June; summer steelhead in Spetmber; coho salmon in late September and October; fall chinook in October and November.

Sounds like a fun trip you have planned. My top recommendation for a trip that has all of the above (out of the way pretty wineries, good food, interesting accommodations and a close flight) would be for you to focus your trip on the southern portion of the Willamette Valley. The entire Willamette Valley is…