Salem Riverfront Park
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Spend a Day in Salem, Oregon

Oregon’s state capital is conveniently located on Interstate 5, about 40 miles south of Portland. As most state capitals go, the city is relatively small, and the most interesting thing about it is the capital building itself.     While I’m not a huge fan of this town (i.e. I’m not much into the political…

Horsetail Falls
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Road Trip: The Columbia River Gorge

Nothing is more gorgeously majestic than the Columbia River Gorge. This is the ultimate Pacific Northwest road trip itinerary. Whether you’re driving west from the Oregon desert, or east from Portland, as soon as you come upon the forested cliffs of the gorge on Interstate 84, you feel very tiny indeed. In a good way,…

Widmer Brothers Brewing
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Brewery Tour: Widmer Brothers Brewing

  As a state, Oregon ranks 3rd in the U.S. for the number of craft breweries per capita. When I moved to this area of the country I was most definitely NOT a beer drinker. I didn’t like the taste of beer and I couldn’t quite understand what the appeal was, other than the obvious…

Mount Hood Meadows
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Mount Hood Meadows: My First Ski Trip

Would you believe, I’ve lived in Oregon for over 20 years, and I’ve never put on a pair of skis….until now. Growing up in the Midwest  I was not exposed to the sport of skiing AT ALL. My only foray to anything resembling gliding on the snow was a neighborhood hill, where my friends and…

hollywoodIt should come as no surprise that the state of Oregon is the setting of a plethora of films. After all, it is just north of California, the center of the universe when it comes to the art of moving pictures. Every so often Hollywood extends it arms to the north and takes advantage of the pristine forest land, beaches and mountains to help it tell a magnificent story. Television shows such as Portlandia, Grimm, and Axe Men are all primarily filmed in Oregon. As for the movies, directors have been filming in Oregon since the 1920’s. Listing all of the movies here would take ages… but these are the most well-known of the bunch. The River Wild One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest 8 Seconds Homeward Bound The Shining Stand By Me Dead Men Wild Goonies Kindergarden Cop Filmed in 1990 at Astor Elementary School in Astoria. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Short Circuit Filmed in 1986 mostly in Astoria, with a few scenes shot in points along the Columbia River Gorge. Gus Van Zandt – Mala Noche and Drugstore Cowboy Point Break My Own Private Idaho A 1991 film starring Keanu Reeves and the late great River Phoenix. Filmed in Portland. Free Willy Pay It Forward Filmed in 1999-2000, and starring Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and a young Haley Joel Osment. I’m cheating a little bit here, since only one scene, the bridge scene, was filmed in Portland. The rest was filmed in Las Vegas and L.A. But it’s a great movie, with great actors. Bring your tissues! What the Bleep do we Know? This is more of a documentary, but it’s got a wonderful message, and will leave you contemplating your own existence in the world. The outside shots were filmed entirely in Portland. Into the Wild This 2007 film had shooting locations all over the U.S. but many of them were in several locations in Oregon: Astoria, Beaverton, Mt. Hood, and Washington State. Twilight. Well, I couldn’t leave this movie out, could I? Stephanie Meyers’ well-written saga of books is actually set in the tiny town of Forks, Washington, but many scenes were actually filmed in St. Helens (Bella and Charlie’s house), Portland and Damascus.
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Hollywood Films Shot in Oregon

It should come as no surprise that the state of Oregon is the setting of a plethora of films. After all, it is just north of California, the center of the universe when it comes to the art of moving pictures. Every so often Hollywood extends it arms to the north and takes advantage of…

Facts about the Pacific Northwest
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10 Facts About the Pacific Northwest Coastline

The wild, rugged and sandy coastline of the Pacific Northwest is chock full of interesting factoids, history, legend and natural beauty. One can spend a good chunk of their lifetime exploring the endless miles of shoreline, and the communities that have made their home here. The Washington coast with its Puget Sound, the Oregon coast…

Springtime in Portland
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Springtime in Portland

With all of the rainy dreary weather that we experience during Portland winters, it’s incredibly wonderful to start to see the first spring blossoms on the trees. The sun comes out just a little more, the temperatures begin to slowly climb, and most everyone seems to be just a little happier. But isn’t it kind…

Portland Saturday Market
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The Mystique of Portland’s Saturday Market

A murky fog blankets The Old Town section of Portland, and as the first hint of light begins to overtake the cloudy sky, the vendors appear with their moving trucks and vans. It is a Sunday morning in early December, one of the last big weekends where many of the vendors make more money in…