In Bloom

10 Great Wildflower Hikes within 90 Minutes of Portland

Wildflower season is calling. Celebrate with some of our favorite floral displays in the region.

04/24/2025 By Portland Monthly Staff

Soggy Season

6 Essential Rainy-Day Hikes Near Portland

Don't let the wet stuff scare you. Explore churning waterfalls, ambling rivers, and lush forests on these close-to-home hikes.

02/12/2025 By Gabriel Granillo and Michelle Harris

Swimming

Portland Is a Beach Town. It's True.

But which in-the-city Willamette River swim spot is the one for you and your crew?

07/09/2024 By Margaret Seiler, Michelle Harris, and Matthew Trueherz

Road Trip

Portland to Seattle: How to Survive the Drive on Interstate 5

Hippie sandals, squirrel bridges, playgrounds, a car museum, hot pot, skydiving ... take a few breaks on the drive between Portland and Seattle.

05/09/2024 By Cassondra Bird, Michelle Harris, and Margaret Seiler

Hiking

These Oregon Coast Hikes Have All the Views

Neahkahnie Mountain, Cape Lookout, and other coastal trails beckon with shady walks and vast ocean vistas.

05/01/2024 By Julia Silverman and Michelle Harris

Travel

7 Last-Minute Spring Break Destinations for Sun-Deprived Portlanders

Itching to get away from the rain? Las Vegas, New Orleans, San Diego, and other sources of vitamin D await.

03/07/2024 By Dalila Brent, Shannon Daehnke, Gabriel Granillo, Katherine Chew Hamilton, Michelle Harris, and Julia Silverman

The Insider’s Guide to Mount Hood

Indoor Activities at Mt Hood for Those Who Loathe Winter Sports

Not a skier? Hit up a museum or book a spa treatment while your pals hit the slopes.

12/05/2022 By Michelle Harris and Sam Stites Illustrations by Chris Koelling

Hike of the Month

Hike of the Month: Trail of 10 Falls at Silver Falls State Park

A stunner year-round, the picturesque waterfall trail at Silver Falls State Park is bursting with color in autumn.

10/06/2022 By Michelle Harris

The Queen is Dead

4 Portland Pubs in Which to Mourn Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Looking for a spot to drown your sorrows about the passing of the UK monarch? We got you.

09/08/2022 By Michelle Harris, Margaret Seiler, and Julia Silverman

A Stitch In Time

Portland Is Getting Its First Nonprofit Community Sewing Studio

Sincere Studio will offer classes and open studios at a space in East Portland.

09/06/2022 By Michelle Harris

History Lesson

Meet the Prineville Man Who Spent His Summer Hiking More than 2,400 Miles of the Oregon Trail

Along the way, he was joined by a cape-wearing stuffed steer named Last Ox.

09/02/2022 By Michelle Harris

Music

Lose Yr Mind Fest Is Back with Its Biggest Lineup Ever

The two-day music festival’s 2022 roster includes The Dandy Warhols, Soft Kill, and The Thesis.

08/31/2022 By Michelle Harris

House Hunters

A $19 Million Luxury Ranch Home Is Currently Listed in Central Oregon

Here are some celebrities we’d like to think would be on the market for the ornate ranch pad.

08/31/2022 By Michelle Harris and Margaret Seiler

Music

Have the End of Summer Blues? Check Out These Concerts at the Oregon State Fair

Psst: the lineup at the Salem fairgrounds includes the Beach Boys, TLC, and Shaggy, to name a few.

08/24/2022 By Michelle Harris and Dalila Brent

Tourism

Is Oregon Ready for the Coming Psilocybin-Fueled Mushroom Tourism Boom?

After voters approved a psilocybin measure in 2020, swanky spa-like retreats and New Agey clinics may herald a ’shroom boom of out-of-state travelers.

08/17/2022 By Michelle Harris

Health

A New Blood Donation Center in Beaverton Wants to Pay You for Your Platelets

Will this new model help mitigate Oregon’s blood shortage crisis?

08/15/2022 By Michelle Harris

Q&A

This Portland Woman Spends Her Free Time Trapping Cats to Be Spayed and Neutered

But it's not just cats she helps: ‘One of the things I found is that it’s a lot of social work with a lot of people that are really vulnerable members of our society.’

08/12/2022 By Michelle Harris