Destinations

The People's Coast

The Best Oregon Beaches Within 3 Hours of Portland

Our coast brims with spectacular beaches. Here are a few that will leave you breathless.

08/29/2025 By Isabel Lemus Kristensen and Sam Stites

Transit Trip

We Took the New North Coast Express Bus to Rockaway Beach

This summer weekend bus heads straight for Oregon Coast hits like Tillamook and Cannon Beach. We had the cushy coach practically to ourselves.

08/21/2025 By Margaret Seiler

Dining Picks

Where to Eat in Oregon Wine Country, According to Winemakers

The Willamette Valley knows how to roll out the white tablecloths. But many vintners and cellar hands prefer low-key gems.

08/12/2025 By Emily Teel

Summer Weekends

A Casually Luxurious Seattle Weekend with the Kids

Biscuit carts, dive-bombing seagulls, Canlis cocktails, and a dreamy hotel pool.

08/04/2025 By Jordan Michelman

Getaway

Where to Stay in Willamette Valley Wine Country

Hotels, inns, and a trailer park for an overnight in the Valley.

07/15/2025 By Alex Frane, Brooke Jackson-Glidden, and Matthew Trueherz

Wine Time

6 Ways to Taste Wine in the Willamette Valley

Whether you’re looking for rare varietals or simply a great view.

07/02/2025 By Alex Frane and Brooke Jackson-Glidden

Summer Weekends

A Waterfall-Loving Wine Nerd’s Guide to the Gorge

Follow hikes and swims with skin-contact viognier and stone fruit.

06/13/2025 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden

Rest Your Head

Where to Stay in the Columbia River Gorge

Historic hotels, micro-cabins with private soaking tubs, and triple-stack bunk rooms await in Portland's backyard.

05/06/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson and Portland Monthly Staff

Gone Thriftin’

6 Can’t-Miss Vintage Shops in the Columbia River Gorge

Find perfect statement pieces, midcentury hutches, and Barbies in boxes on the unofficial Gorge vintage trail.

03/03/2025 By Shannon Daehnke

Transit Trip

We Took the Bus to the Oregon Coast for a Car-Free Getaway

Bar trivia, a tunnel to a hidden beach, steaming chowder, and wild-yeast beer are just a $25 round-trip bus ticket away.

01/21/2025 By Margaret Seiler

Transit Trip

We (Eventually) Rode the Current to Downtown Ridgefield

It took a couple of tries.

12/09/2024 By Margaret Seiler

Travel

9 Grand Lodges of the Pacific Northwest

For every season, there’s a dream destination.

11/07/2024 Edited by Ramona DeNies By Portland Monthly Staff

Heat Seeking

Destination Saunas in Oregon and Beyond

Shvitz in a “wine barrel,” cold plunge in a river, or soak up the steam from a bubbling hot spring.

10/30/2024 Edited by Brooke Jackson-Glidden and Rebecca Jacobson

History Tour

Visit These Oregon Ghost Towns This Fall

Once-bustling towns like Bridal Veil, Shaniko, and Golden hold remnants of the state's past.

10/22/2024 By Gabriel Granillo

Field Notes

A Magical Old-Growth Forest Hike Just an Hour from Portland

The Old Salmon River Trail promises towering trees, carpets of moss, and a perfect pool for a dip.

06/25/2024 By Ellee Thalheimer

Transit Trip

We Took the Bus to Camas and Washougal

Find river paths, vintage clothes, a floating restaurant, art galleries, woolly Pendleton temptations, and an indoor-outdoor barbershop.

06/21/2024 By Margaret Seiler

Bounty Bender

How to Eat Your Way across McMinnville in 48 Hours

In the heart of Oregon wine country, the food scene rivals that of any Portland neighborhood.

06/04/2024 By Jordan Michelman

Midway Stop

Where to Eat, Stay & Play in and around Madras

Break up the drive to Bend with drag races, witchy books, and farm-to-bottle spirits.

05/21/2024 By Sarah Hutchins

Outdoors

15 of Our Favorite Oregon State Parks

Find lush coastal rainforest, towering waterfalls, arid high desert, and everything in between.

05/16/2024 By Sam Stites

Rent a Roost

6 Pacific Northwest Treehouse Rentals for a Sky-High Getaway

The air really is better up there.

05/14/2024 By Rebecca Jacobson