Travel & Outdoors

Hit List

The Best Farms and Orchards for Apple Picking near Portland

We’ve narrowed down the region’s autumnal offerings, with great mountain views, kid-friendly vibes, and rare varietals ripe for the picking.

09/04/2025 By Alex Frane and Portland Monthly Staff

The People's Coast

The Best Oregon Beaches Within 3 Hours of Portland

Our coast brims with spectacular beaches. Here are a few that will leave you breathless.

08/29/2025 By Isabel Lemus Kristensen and Sam Stites

Get Out

What to Do in Oregon in September

Dahlias are in bloom, Crater Lake goes car-free, the Pendleton Round-Up kicks off, and Oktoberfest has us raising our steins.

08/27/2025 By Portland Monthly Staff

Swimming

Portland Hotels with Outdoor Pools for Summer Splashing

Why should tourists have all the fun? Avoid the city's overcrowded public pools by treating yourself to a lil' staycation.

08/26/2025 By Margaret Seiler and Isabel Lemus Kristensen

Transit Trip

We Took the New North Coast Express Bus to Rockaway Beach

This summer weekend bus heads straight for Oregon Coast hits like Tillamook and Cannon Beach. We had the cushy coach practically to ourselves.

08/21/2025 By Margaret Seiler

Coast Is Clear

The Burly All-Terrain Wheelchairs Rolling Across Oregon’s Beaches

David’s Chair helps people with mobility challenges access the joys of the shore.

08/19/2025 By Amelia Arvesen

Wine Country

The Most Exciting Chefs in the Willamette Valley Right Now

‘Farm to table’ is nothing new. But Oregon’s wine country cooks are making local food feel fresh.

08/18/2025 By Alex Frane, Brooke Jackson-Glidden, Emily Teel, and Matthew Trueherz Photography by Michael Novak

Dining Picks

Where to Eat in Oregon Wine Country, According to Winemakers

The Willamette Valley knows how to roll out the white tablecloths. But many vintners and cellar hands prefer low-key gems.

08/12/2025 By Emily Teel

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

Jump In

Columbia River Swim Spots and Beaches Within 90 Minutes of Portland

Postcard perfect? Not always. But the mighty Columbia is big enough for everyone.

08/05/2025 By Katherine Chew Hamilton, Margaret Seiler, and Julia Silverman

Summer Weekends

A Casually Luxurious Seattle Weekend with the Kids

Biscuit carts, dive-bombing seagulls, Canlis cocktails, and a dreamy hotel pool.

08/04/2025 By Jordan Michelman

Month Ahead

What to Do in Oregon in August

Beach volleyball in Seaside, watermelon seed spitting in Hermiston, and Pig-N-Ford races in Tillamook.

07/29/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson and Portland Monthly Staff

Soil Deposit

The Luxe Conglomerate Quietly Gaining Ground in the Willamette Valley

New money famously draws skepticism when coming into the valley. What’s different about the Ground’s mini wellness empire?

07/29/2025 By Jordan Michelman

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

Summer Weekends

Eugene Is Oregon’s Underrated Wine and Dining Destination

Tasting flights, Trinidadian doubles, and tantalizing views.

07/23/2025 By Andrea Damewood

Willamette Valley

When in Wine Country, Sleep Among the Vines

Willamette Valley wineries have turned grain silos and farmhouses into boutique inns and vacation rentals.

07/22/2025 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden

Summer Weekends

Portland Staycation: Dinner and a Movie (and a Swim)

Craft a dreamy weekend out of the house without leaving the metro area.

07/21/2025 By Margaret Seiler

Summer Weekends

The North Coast’s Best Fish and Chips

A kitschy garden shop, an old fishing boat, and a converted house hold some of the best fried seafood from Cannon Beach to Astoria.

07/16/2025 By Alex Frane

Getaway

Where to Stay in Willamette Valley Wine Country

Hotels, inns, and a trailer park for an overnight in the Valley.

07/15/2025 By Alex Frane, Brooke Jackson-Glidden, and Matthew Trueherz

Procrastinators Unite

9 First-Come-First-Served Campgrounds for Last-Minute Adventures

Did you fail to reserve your spot six months ago when summer felt so far away? All is not lost.

07/14/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson and Portland Monthly Staff

Portland Monthly

Travel & Outdoors

The Best Farms and Orchards for Apple Picking near Portland

The Best Oregon Beaches Within 3 Hours of Portland

What to Do in Oregon in September

Portland Hotels with Outdoor Pools for Summer Splashing

We Took the New North Coast Express Bus to Rockaway Beach

The Burly All-Terrain Wheelchairs Rolling Across Oregon’s Beaches

The Most Exciting Chefs in the Willamette Valley Right Now

Where to Eat in Oregon Wine Country, According to Winemakers

Have the Vaux’s Swifts Ditched Chapman for Good?

Columbia River Swim Spots and Beaches Within 90 Minutes of Portland

A Casually Luxurious Seattle Weekend with the Kids

What to Do in Oregon in August

The Luxe Conglomerate Quietly Gaining Ground in the Willamette Valley

What to Know About Oregon Wildfires Right Now

Eugene Is Oregon’s Underrated Wine and Dining Destination

When in Wine Country, Sleep Among the Vines

Portland Staycation: Dinner and a Movie (and a Swim)

The North Coast’s Best Fish and Chips

Where to Stay in Willamette Valley Wine Country

9 First-Come-First-Served Campgrounds for Last-Minute Adventures

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