WHALE WATCHING

Meet the Resident Gray Whales of Depoe Bay

Marine biologist Carrie Newell introduces us to Scarback, Comet, and the very precocious Eagle Eye.

05/05/2016 By Caitlin Collins

OUTDOOR TOWN

Outside Wants to Crown America's Best Outdoors Cities. That Throne Is Ours!

The magazine's gamified contest is based on trails, restaurants, public lands, and, yes, beer—and yet to date Portland has barely made the quarterfinals.

05/03/2016 By Michelle Porter

Summer Race Guide

Bike, Run, Stumble, and Jump: Our Guide to 30 Great Summer Races

UFO-themed dashes, ultra-awesome ultras, and scavenger hunts inspired by The Amazing Race—we pick our 30 favorite summer challenges. Mark your calendars—and go!

05/03/2016 By Caitlin Collins, Ramona DeNies, and Molly Woodstock

TOURISM

Rodeo Town Pendleton Aims to Lasso Hipsters Year-Round

A peek inside a new tourism campaign targeting Portland millennials.

04/29/2016 Photography by Caitlin Collins

AIRPORT LOVE

Want to Get Felt Up in Klamath Falls?

Four Oregon congressional reps unite to restore TSA screening in Klamath Falls, which could mean the return of commercial flights to Crater Lake. (Well, nearby.)

04/19/2016 By Ramona DeNies

SEAFOOD SOIREES

Celebrate Cascadia's Fruits of the Sea with These Three Seafood Festivals

Two coastal outings (plus one in Puget Sound) promise a bounty of fresh Pacific oysters, Dungeness crab, and sweet Hood Canal spot shrimp.

04/19/2016 By Jack Rushall

SUNNY HIKES

Five Spring Hikes for Soaking Up the Sun

These exposed treks, all within two hours of downtown Portland, help you replenish your inner reservoir of precious vitamin D.

04/19/2016 By Sylvia Randall-Muñoz

NATIONAL PARK WEEK

Oregon Has Eight National Park Sites—and Next Week, Admission Is Free

For its 100th birthday, the National Park Service is throwing a week-long party. Here’s your guide to keeping it local.

04/05/2016 By Caitlin Collins and Ramona DeNies

TRAVEL DEALS

Amtrak Deals to Centralia and Beyond

With two-for-one train vouchers and other specials, McMenamins and Amtrak Cascades partner for "all aboard" in April.

04/05/2016 By Margaret Seiler

NEW HOTELS

Three Sexy New Boutique Hotels East of the Cascades

Check out—and into—a lakeside retreat from the team behind Portland's Ace Hotel, a refurbished Masonic temple in wine country, and the Jennings Hotel's new rooms.

03/31/2016 By Caitlin Collins

HOTEL OPENINGS

Aloha, Kalama: McMenamins’ Next Hotel Will Be Tiki-Themed

The riverside Washington town will boast a 40-room hotel modeled after Maui’s Pioneer Inn. But hold on to your mai tais—the brand-new resort won’t open till 2017.

03/25/2016 By Ramona DeNies

FIELD NOTES

Trail of the Month: Harvey Creek Trail

Wine plus hiking equals … wiking!

03/25/2016 By Brian Barker

VENTURES

This Portland Start-Up Could Be the Yelp for Campgrounds

Dyrt aims to create a virtual marketplace for campfire rings and RV hookups.

03/25/2016 By Marty Patail

WINNING FINDS

Trophy Case: Best Local Stuff of April 2016

This month’s hottest locally made goods, from precision-cut fire pits to oversize backyard games.

03/25/2016 By Sylvia Randall-Muñoz

RECREATION LEGISLATION

New Oregon-Led Federal Bill Wants More Explorers in America's Backcountry

The proposed Recreation Not Red-Tape Act—spearheaded by Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden—hopes to boost small-town economies with more (hiking) boots on the ground.

03/22/2016 By Caitlin Collins

OREGON TOURISM

Travel Oregon’s New Ad Campaign Is ... Understated

Tagline: “We Like It Here. You Might, Too.” (Don’t go crazy, you guys.)

03/22/2016 By Ramona DeNies

WHALE WATCHING

Five Ways to Spot a Whale during Oregon's Spring Watch Week

20,000 gray whales are on the move! Catch sight of the ocean's most magnificent mammals on your next trip to the Oregon Coast.

03/18/2016 By Caitlin Collins

TINY HOMES

These Yakima Tiny Homes Are Next-Level Glamping

Shabby-chic or contemporary elegance—which of these two vineyard vacation spots is right for you?

03/08/2016 By Caitlin Collins

BOOKS

A New Outdoor Guidebook Just for Women

Portland-born author Ruby McConnell looked everywhere for a book that covered outdoor lady matters—you know, peeing, periods, sex, etc. It didn't exist. So she wrote it.

03/08/2016 By Ramona DeNies

VAPE LAWS

Sorry, Smokers: The Flight to Vapelandia Is Officially Canceled

After a five-year wait, the federal government finally adds vaping to its no-fly list.

03/02/2016 By Ramona DeNies