Senior editor Rebecca Jacobson steers Portland Monthly’s news and city life coverage and writes about the more-than-human world, history, and arts and culture. She previously served as the magazine’s arts editor and digital editor. A former editor at Willamette Week and The Berliner as well as a contributor to several Wildsam field guides, she has an MFA in creative writing from the University of Montana.

Holidays

Where to Get a Christmas Tree Near Portland

Oregon leads the US in Christmas tree production. Here are our favorite farms and stands to get your Tannenbaum on.

11/20/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson and Portland Monthly Staff

Soak Spots

The Best Hot Springs near Portland

Let off some steam in nature's hot tubs.

11/11/2025 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden, Rebecca Jacobson, and Margaret Seiler

Get Out

What to Do in Oregon in November

Taste olive oil in Dayton, dance to Celtic music in Yachats, gorge on sausage and kraut in Forest Grove, and celebrate Thanksgiving in wine country.

10/29/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson and Isabel Lemus Kristensen

Best of PDX

Your Quintessential Portland Bucket List: 50 Things to Do in Town

These are our city's can't-miss activities, whether you’ve lived here all your life or are just passing through.

10/27/2025 By Portland Monthly Staff

Oregon Trails

The Boom-and-Bust Tales of 8 Oregon Ghost Towns

Hopeful homesteaders, gold mining boomtowns, and resorts that slid into the sea.

10/15/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson Illustrations by Jordan Kay

Long Story Short

A Tiny Travel Bookstore That Takes You Places

Tucked inside Cargo, Patrick Leonard’s Postcard Bookshop is an argument for armchair travel.

08/20/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson

Animal Planet

Have the Vaux’s Swifts Ditched Chapman for Good?

Last fall, the birds abandoned their longtime roost. Now, a city waits in suspense.

08/11/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson

Skin Contact

In Northeast Portland, You Can Take a Bath in Wine (Sort Of)

Hey, it’s cheaper than a trip to Bordeaux.

07/28/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson Illustrations by Tara Jacoby

Fire Season

What to Know About Oregon Wildfires Right Now

Where the fires are burning, how to track them, and how to stay safe.

07/25/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson

Editor’s Note

An Argument for Befriending the Willamette

Our river, ourselves.

06/23/2025 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden

Paddle to the People

These Kayakers See Climate Justice as Community Work

With a kayak lending library and social paddles, Mosquito Fleet wants to shift how we relate to the Willamette.

06/17/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson

Cascade Catalog

Where to See Oregon's Most Spectacular Waterfalls

Forget what TLC said. Let's go chasing.

05/16/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson, Reina Harwood, and Portland Monthly Staff

Big Picture

In 1925 Portland, a Day of Bike Races and Costume Contests

Our city has always had fun on two wheels.

05/09/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson

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

Where to Live Now

Neighborhood Guide: John’s Landing

Find bungalow-lined streets, cozy cafés, a pirate-themed dive, and top-notch river recreation.

04/28/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson

Oregon Trails

8 Geologic Wonders of Oregon

Caves to canyons to cracks in the ground, our state rocks.

04/22/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson Illustrations by Jordan Kay

In the Trees

8 Essential Forest Park Hikes for Every Scenario

First-timer? Super athlete? Bird-watcher? We've got a trail for you.

04/15/2025 By Brian Barker, Rebecca Jacobson, and Benjamin Tepler

things to do

Behind a World-Premiere Ballet About Marilyn Monroe, a Team of Women

Also: a play set at the height of #MeToo, and other things to do in Portland this week.

04/03/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson and Matthew Trueherz

Long Story Short

At Oregon Ballet Theatre, Dani Rowe Takes on Marilyn Monroe

Rowe, the first woman to serve as the company's artistic director, has wanted to tell Monroe's story since Kim Kardashian wore the actor’s dress to the Met Gala.

03/24/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson Photography by Jason Hill

Spout Spotting

A Guide to Spring Whale Watch Week on the Oregon Coast

Thousands of gray whales are on the move. Here’s how to spy the showstopping cetaceans.

03/17/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson