Soak It Up

A Pocket Guide to Pacific Northwest Hot Springs

From a one-hour drive from Portland to a weekender destination, beat winter chill with a soak at one of these eight natural hot spots.

10/13/2016 By Ko Ricker

Imaginary Oregons

The Northwest Has Always Fantasized about Starting Its Own Country

From Cascadia to Ecotopia, welcome to all the Oregons that could have been.

10/10/2016 By Marty Patail

Fall Day Trips: Hood to Coast

Autumn Leaves to Cranberry Cocktails: 5 Easy Day Trips to Make the Most of Fall

And most within spitting distance of Portland.

09/13/2016 By Ramona DeNies

Getaways

Vashon Island, the Idyllic Puget Sound Getaway You Didn’t Know You Needed

Come for the haute-rustic dining, stay for the Thriftway.

08/15/2016 By Ramona DeNies

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

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

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

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

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

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

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