Gorge Guide

Where to Eat, Stay & Play Closest to Portland in the Columbia River Gorge

1920s-era spring-fed bathhouses, piled-high soft serve, and waterfalls galore.

03/17/2022 By Katherine Chew Hamilton, Conner Reed, and Julia Silverman

Shopping Road Trip

Shop Stops in the Columbia River Gorge

Hood River’s Oak Street and its counterparts in Bingen and White Salmon make these connected Gorge towns a stealth shopping destination.

03/11/2022 By Gabriel Granillo, Margaret Seiler, and Julia Silverman

Shopping

Shops Worth the Drive

Bookstores at the beach, German groceries next to the world’s largest oyster, and kitchen finds in Eastern Oregon

12/21/2021 By Margaret Seiler

Travel

Don't Overlook Tacoma When Planning Your Weekend Getaway

Take a quick trip up Interstate 5 to the under-appreciated city with unique history, food, and drinks.

08/14/2021 By Cami Hughes

Travel

Don’t Have the Krónar for an Icelandic Adventure? Create Your Own Ring Road Trip in Oregon.

Góða ferð (have a good trip) a little closer to home.

03/28/2021 By Steve Nichols

Vacation

In Oregon, Spring Break Is ... On?

Spring break 2020 was all canceled plans, empty flights, and closed campgrounds. This year, it's different.

03/20/2021 By Margaret Seiler

The Gorgeous Gorge

Pandemic Travel: Researching a Columbia River Gorge Guidebook When the World Is Shut Down

The loneliness of the COVID-era travel writer

02/20/2021 By Matt Wastradowski

From a Distance

Pandemic Travel: The Prison Trip that Never Happened

The state pen in Walla Walla didn’t seem that far away. Then COVID hit.

01/24/2021 By Theresa Griffin Kennedy

Extreme Road Trip

Pandemic Travel: A 5,000-Mile Moving-Bubble Road Trip through 10 States

Nothing turns you into an advocate for a national mask mandate like a drive across Nebraska.

01/08/2021 By Margaret Seiler

Rocky Mountain High

Pandemic Travel: Montana’s Glacier National Park, as Packed as Ever

In Big Sky Country, things are more social than distanced.

12/15/2020 By Jason Notte

Coastal Escape

Pandemic Travel: A Dreamy Weekend in Astoria

Sea lions, coffee, fish and chips, and a huge bathtub make a trip feel almost normal.

12/08/2020 By Jordan Michelman

Road Trip

Pandemic Travel: Time Warp in the Columbia River Gorge

A mere treat in normal times, a Hood River weekend getaway offers some needed relief in 2020.

11/17/2020 By Jessi Bunch

On the Road

Buckle Up for These Picture-Perfect California Road Trips

Leave from Portland, or fly south and rent a car.

01/21/2020 By Margaret Seiler and Kat Merck

Spring Road Trips: Oregon Outback

The Oregon Outback Offers Up Otherworldly Views and Healing Hot Springs

Seeking total solitude? Look no further.

02/26/2019 By Kelly Clarke, Rebecca Jacobson, Emma Mannheimer, and Benjamin Tepler

Spring Road Trips: Snack Packer

Pack the Ultimate Picnic Basket for Your Next Road Trip

From smoked oysters to Alpine cheese, toss these delicious fixings in the trunk.

02/26/2019 By Benjamin Tepler

Spring Road Trips: Sonic Sidekicks

10 Oregon-Inspired Podcasts, Audiobooks, and Albums

Cue up this playlist for your next Pacific Northwest road trip.

02/26/2019 By Emma Mannheimer

Spring Road Trips: Pit Stops

10 Kitschy Roadside Attractions to Visit in Oregon

Collect 'em all!

02/26/2019 By Ramona DeNies

Spring Road Trips: The South Coast

Head to Oregon's South Coast for Craggy Beaches and Painted Dinosaurs

This is the kid-approved adventure you need (don't worry, grown-ups—we've got beer and soaking tubs for you).

02/26/2019 By Margaret Seiler and Ramona DeNies

Road Trips: Hood Canal

Slurp Oysters and Geoduck Along This Dramatic Puget Sound Fjord

The Hood Canal offers up Scandinavian scenery, shellfish, and small, salty towns.

02/26/2019 By Ramona DeNies

The Roads Less Traveled

3 Undiscovered Pacific Northwest Road Trips

Fjords, calderas, and crab shacks: escape the city with these adventures.

02/26/2019 Edited by Ramona DeNies and Benjamin Tepler