Rachel is a former a co-editor in chief of Portland Monthly, having joined the staff after two years at SagaCity Media’s now-folded Portland Spaces magazine.

Get Out

19 Great Swimming Holes within 3 Hours of Portland

Drive to Hagg Lake, the Wilson River, Rooster Rock State Park, and more swimming holes near Portland, Oregon.

06/29/2022 By Benjamin Tepler, Rachel Ritchie, Margaret Seiler, Caleb Diehl, and Kasey Cordell

Outdoors

Our 10 Favorite Portland Dog Parks

With 33 patches of off-leash, dog-friendly romping zones in city parks, how do you decide?

07/27/2021 By Rachel Ritchie, Gabriel Granillo, and Fiona McCann

Oregon Beer Guide

Keeping Portland Beer'd

Your guide to the best of Oregon craft brewing

05/15/2017 Edited by Rachel Ritchie

Pets: Where the Wild Things Are

Five Favorite Portland Dog Parks

With 33 patches of off-leash, dog-friendly romping zones in city parks, how do you decide?

01/23/2017 By Rachel Ritchie

Album Review

Blind Pilot’s And Then Like Lions and the Nature of Grief

On their third album, the local band digs deep into an often beautiful exploration of loss.

10/26/2016 By Rachel Ritchie

WATER WORLD

Your Ultimate Guide to Northwest Swimming Holes

From hidden gems to trusty stalwarts, here’s where to cool down when the mercury soars. Plus: your essential river rat gear guide and some etiquette suggesti...

07/12/2016 Edited by Benjamin Tepler By Margaret Seiler, Rachel Ritchie, and Caleb Diehl

WATER WORLD

Your Ultimate Guide to Northwest Swimming Holes

From hidden gems to trusty stalwarts, here’s where to cool down when the mercury soars. Plus: your essential river rat gear guide and some etiquette suggestions (if we may).

07/12/2016 By Benjamin Tepler, Margaret Seiler, Rachel Ritchie, and Caleb Diehl

Take the Plunge

9 Incredible Northwest Swimming Holes

Breath-stealing waterfalls. Secluded lakes. Rollicking rivers. The Northwest’s greatest summer destinations hide off the beaten path—and within three hours of Portland.

07/12/2016 Edited by Benjamin Tepler By Rachel Ritchie, Margaret Seiler, and Caleb Diehl

HAPPY TRAILS

10 Northwest Hiking and Biking Trails to Help You Seize the Summer

From bike rides along abandoned rail lines to awe-inspiring waterfall treks, here’s how to experience the Northwest at its most majestic.

06/24/2016 By Rachel Ritchie

BEST OF THE CITY 2016

Best of the City 2016: 11 Portland Eats, Spots, and Sips We Can’t Resist Right Now

Iced matcha-chai lattes to killer pastrami sandwiches, here are some of our city’s most delicious things.

06/13/2016 By Kelly Clarke, Eden Dawn, Marty Patail, Benjamin Tepler, Karen Brooks, and Rachel Ritchie

OUTDOORS GUIDE 2016

Oregon's Ultimate Summer Backpacking Treks and River Trips

Quintessential Northwest trails. Epic whitewater voyages. Luxuriously lazy floats. Here’s how to make the most of the season.

05/19/2016 Edited by Rachel Ritchie By Benjamin Tepler, Christopher Van Tilberg, and Adam Sawyer

GEAR UP

Your Essential Outdoors Gear Guide

Alpine packs to camp shoes, backpacking stoves to featherweight tents, here’s some of the best gear around, nearly all of it locally made.

05/19/2016 By Rachel Ritchie

CAMPING GUIDE

How to Camp Like a True Oregonian

We tapped a slew of Oregon experts for hard-earned tips and tricks for every kind of camping.

05/19/2016 By Rachel Ritchie and Benjamin Tepler

Backpacking

8 Classic Northwest Backpacking Trips

High-desert mesas, gushing waterfalls, and breathtaking wildflower displays: whatever your style, there’s a trail for you.

05/19/2016 Edited by Rachel Ritchie By Benjamin Tepler and Christopher Van Tilberg

HABITAT

How A Striking Tasting Room Takes House Spirits to New Heights

The Pacific Northwest’s largest distillery has a massive new home in the Central Eastside.

03/01/2016 By Rachel Ritchie

EDITORS’ NOTE

Why Travel Writing Is the Worst Awesome Job Ever

And should be nothing to complain about—but sometimes we do anyway.

03/01/2016 By Rachel Ritchie

NORTHWEST GETAWAYS

Ten Once-in-a-Lifetime Cascadian Journeys

From ice cave expeditions to lavish river safaris to nostalgic train trips, here are the Pacific Northwest’s most epic getaways.

02/23/2016 Edited by Rachel Ritchie By Marty Patail, Benjamin Tepler, and Christopher Van Tilberg

NORTHWEST GETAWAYS

Skiing? Sure. But Don't Forget Whistler's Ice Caves.

Spring for an extravagant backcountry adventure amid Canada’s peaks.

02/23/2016 By Rachel Ritchie

NORTHWEST GETAWAYS

Slide Show: Explore Ice Caves in Whistler

Spring for an extravagant backcountry adventure amid Canada’s peaks.

02/23/2016 By Rachel Ritchie

NORTHWEST GETAWAYS

Lodge-Hop the Olympic Peninsula

Explore a rare, lichen-cloaked landscape—and some seriously old-school lodging.

02/23/2016 By Rachel Ritchie