Road Trips

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

GET OUT

The Pacific Northwest Swimming Hole Hall of Fame

The one caveat: everyone else knows about these 10 spots, too.

07/12/2016 By Benjamin Tepler

MANNERS

The Swimming Hole Code of Conduct

Or, how not to infuriate your fellow bathers.

07/12/2016 By Portland Monthly Staff

GEAR UP

Your Essential River Rat Gear Guide

From doggie life preservers to the most refreshing beer for your cooler, here’s our favorite Northwest-made stuff to schlep to the swimming hole.

07/12/2016 By Benjamin Tepler

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

DISPATCH

Enchanted Forest, Oregon’s Brilliantly Surreal Amusement Park, Turns 45

The family-run Willamette Valley icon lives on as a fortress of yesteryear fun.

07/12/2016 By Eden Dawn

GLAMPING

In Oregon, You Can Choose Your Own Tiny Home Adventure

From flamingo-ringed vintage Airflytes in wine country to shabby-chic coastal campers, tiny home (and trailer) tourism is on a roll.

07/08/2016 By Marisa Russell

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Destination Dining: Vashon Island’s Bramble House

Top Chef contestant Lia Lira returns home with a “modern American” restaurant that fuses global influences with island rusticity.

07/06/2016 By Ramona DeNies

PARK FLICKS

A Giant Inflatable Movie Screen Pops Up in Four Oregon State Parks

This summer, the Hollywood Theatre launches its first outdoor film series event, with films playing in parks like Molalla River and Stub Stewart.

06/24/2016 By Marisa Russell

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

SAY AAAH

Eight Oregon Spa Destinations for Enlightened Pampering and Ocean Views

Head to the coast for fireside massages, seasonally appropriate facials, and unlimited cookies.

06/24/2016 By Emma Mannheimer

GET OUT

What’s the Story behind Oregon’s World-Famous Wild and Scenic Rivers?

Plus 10 of our state’s best waterways to explore.

06/24/2016 By Adam Sawyer

SLEEP IN THE TREES

10 Tree House Retreats for the Perfect Cascadian Summer Getaway

Branch out! From the Siskiyou Mountains to the Snoqualmie River, these "treesorts" take rustic camping to new heights.

06/22/2016 By Marisa Russell

BEER ME

Meet Rainier’s First New Beer in 20 Years

A post-Prohibition-style ale bottled in burly pounders? Pale Mountain Ale marks the iconic brewery's return to Washington state after 13 years in SoCal. Tagline: “It’s good to be home.”

06/17/2016 By Ramona DeNies

VIDEO GAMES

Central Oregon, Now Infested with Hordes of Video Game Zombies

A Bend-based game studio imagines a fate worse than gentrification.

06/14/2016 By Marty Patail

FREE DESERT

Want to Win 10 Free Acres of Sagebrush in Central Oregon?

Portland-based Square Mile Cider is raffling off high desert land in Brothers, 30 miles east of Bend.

06/14/2016 By Regina Winkle-Bryan

DAY TRIPS

Here's What It Looks Like to Railbike the Oregon Coast

This summer, you can ride abandoned rail tracks past estuaries and cheese factories, over bridges and under blue skies—all on a custom foot-powered, four-seater contraption.

06/14/2016 By Marisa Russell