Explorer Sue • Your Guide to the Pacific Northwest - Part 9

Driving the Oregon Coast

Informational

The whole of the Oregon Coast offers up near unlimited experiences. Explore rugged and rocky vistas, sandy beaches, and forests that practically touch the water’s edge. Lighthouses galore, quaint seaside bed and breakfasts, and world-class crabbing and fishing. The Southern Oregon Coast, in particular, is a prime playland for adventurous and curious souls. Coos Bay Once a major logging town and shipyard, it is still the largest town on the Oregon Coast. Take a walk on the boardwalk, catch a production at the historic Egyptian Theater, visit the Coos Art Museum, shop for treasure at Leaf’s Treehouse Antiques. Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area The dunes are perfect for hiking, photography, and riding dune buggies! For Dune Buggy tours, go here. If you want to explore the dunes with your own ride, go here. Cranberries of Bandon I don’t know about you, but I LOVE cranberries. I love to…

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Take the Pacific Northwest Trivia Quiz

Informational

Think you know your Pacific Northwest trivia? I’ve put together this little trivia quiz to test your knowledge and to get you thinking about your next Pacific Northwest Adventure. The tiniest park in the world resides in Portland Oregon. What’s it called? Forest Park Washington Park Peninsula Park Mills End Park In the “Twilight” novels/movie franchise, Bella and Charlie’s hometown is what tiny Washington town? Forks Prineville Port Angeles Condon The deepest lake in the U.S holds mysterious qualities due to its immense depth. What’s its name? Shasta Lake Crater Lake Diamond Lake Lost Creek Lake What city is the capital of Washington State? Salem Tacoma Olympia Spokane The most dangerous lighthouse on the west coast is… Cape Disappointment North Head Terrible Tilly Haceta Head Who/what was San Juan Island named by? A Spanish explorer A Catholic Saint The first horse brought to the island The Puerto Rican city…

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Portland Parks

Informational

The Rose City has so many wonderful parks. Portland is green (in more ways than one), and her many parks are a testament to that love of nature and sustainability. Whatever your outdoor activity, you can find a park in Portland that will accommodate you. I can’t think of another U.S. city of its size with so many parks to choose from. To list them all here would be a very long post! So I’ll give you the best. Laurelhurst Park It has a lovely pond with ducks, a trail for strolling, and a basketball court. Located Southeast Portland along SE 39th St (or Cesar Chavez to the locals) its also a wonderful place to bring your pup. Pier Park Here there is free disc golf and big trees! Located in north Portland, it’s possible to pretend (just for a moment) that you are in the Redwood Forest. While…

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Road Trip! Central Washington State

Guides

Looking for a great Washington State road trip? Sandwiched between the Cascade Mountain Range and the secluded forests of the Nez-Pierce in Idaho, lies the deserts of central Washington. The land of fragrant sagebrush and towering rock formations carved out by ancient ice ages. Some have called this the high desert, and that assumption can easily be made as the same landscape stretches up from Oregon’s high desert. This makes for incredible road trip fodder. But while Oregon boasts a true high desert territory, Washington State cannot accurately make the same claim. The elevation must be over 2,000 feet above sea level, and as the desert reaches Washington, the sea level drops to 1,000 feet and under. Nevertheless, what other state gives you desert landscapes on one side and temperate rainforests on the other? None, I tell you! It’s what makes Washington State one of the greatest in the continental…

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Quiz: How Should you Plan your Pacific Northwest Vacation?

British Columbia, Canada

Oregon, Washington and British Columbia encompass such a large area, with so many breathtaking sights, cultural experiences and outdoor activities, it can be overwhelming. If you have been here before, you have some idea of what I’m talking about. And you probably have a pretty good idea of what you want to do the next time you visit. Many people have asked me what the ‘perfect’ Pacific Northwest itinerary is. That is such a deep question. Because truthfully, there is no perfect PNW itinerary. At least not the same itinerary for everyone. It’s all about your personal tastes, time frame, and desires. I have racked my brain trying to come up with a blog post that will address this ‘perfect itinerary’ concept. I’ve concluded that it would be a VERY LONG POST. So rather than have my awesome readers sift through all of the rubble to get at what they…

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The Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Informational

The sleepy town of Ashland, southern Oregon is nestled in the land of fertile farmland and rural friendliness. You wouldn’t think that for eight months out of the year it is the central hub of amazing, world-class entertainment in the form of better-than-Broadway theatre. This ain’t your run-of-the-mill Shakespeare Festival. People from all over the world come to Ashland to experience professionally trained actors delivering productions of classic Shakespearean drama not to be found on the same scale anywhere else. From February through October, you can choose from eleven different plays, on three different stages. Among the entertainment on offer are timeless classics such as “Julius Caesar” and “Shakespeare in Love” as well as more contemporary fare. They even offer a Backstage Tour which is a separate attraction unto itself, as well as other engaging activities. OSF Home Page Tickets are thoughtfully offered for any budget, from around $30 to…

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What the Heck is Travel Roulette?

Beyond the PNW

Okay, so you’ve decided that you want to take a vacation. A good one. A few days to get away from regular life. The need burns so great in you that if you don’t leave town soon, you’ll burst. What to do? Where to go? Maybe you don’t even care where you go, you just need to get away from home. Enter Vacation Roulette This is going beyond the Pacific Northwest. Although, if you wanted to stay within the confines of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, knock yourself out. But the world is a bit larger than that, isn’t it? Fortunately for the spontaneous and adventurous traveler, this is not a new concept. In fact, there are several websites dedicated to the cause. What is travel roulette? Well, just what it implies. You want to travel? Cool. Spin the wheel, or globe, as the case may be. HOWEVER…it’s not as…

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Smith Rock State Park

Must Go

Smith Rock has held a mysterious fascination for me for many years. I worked for an outdoor travel clothing company that sold Smith Rock Tee Shirts before I ever knew that there was an actual Smith Rock in Oregon that inspired the name. It took me this long to finally visit one of the most breathtaking state parks in Oregon. I suppose one of the reasons I waited so long was because I figured it would have to be a several-day trip to eastern Oregon to visit one lonely park. Boy, was I wrong. If you hit the road early enough in the day from Portland, this can easily be a day trip. Or, stretch it out into a two or three-day trip…your choice. Smith Rock State Park is only a two-hour and fifty-minute drive southeast of Portland…2 ½ hours if the traffic is light. But I…

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Fossil, Oregon and the Painted Hills

Guides

Deep in the high desert of central Oregon, past the tumbling tumble weeds and hovering hawks seeking out their prey…past the fragrant sagebrush and long forgotten ghost towns…lies fossils and vibrantly painted hillsides ancient and unique to Oregon. Digging for Fossils You heard me right. Fossils…to be found in the tiny town of Fossil. No joke. That’s the name of the town. With one gas station and a whole lot of friendly characters. The day I was there they cordoned off the main drag to make way for an impromptu parade lasting about five minutes with a few cowboys on horseback and one lonely float full of school kids throwing candy to the locals lining the street. But I digress. I came here to find some fossils. Now, don’t get your hopes up. These are not dinosaur fossils. Let’s leave those to the experts, shall we? Rather, these are plant…

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The Oregon Country Fair

Must Go

A Groovy Place to Unwind Every summer, sometime in July, thousands of glorious hippies descend upon the tiny town of Veneta in west-central Oregon to pay their respects to all things groovy. The Oregon Country Fair is a 3-day festival where there is music, crafts, activities for the kids, camping, and so much more. This is a place where you can get your tie dye on, get your body painted, and just generally let your freak flag fly. Just about anything goes here. And yet it is family friendly. I can’t think of another event where the magical camaraderie is as prevalent as the OCF. Everyone is truly welcome here (whether you call yourself a hippie or not!) If you’re looking for something to do in Oregon in the middle of summer, this is the places to be. It’s no wonder that tickets and campsites fill up quickly year…

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Oregon’s Covered Bridges

Guides

The covered bridges of ages past hold a romanticism, not unlike your local childhood soda shop, or the drive-in movie theatre just outside of town. Covered bridges are a cherished piece of Americana – taking a Sunday drive through one beckons images of simpler times. The Heyday of the Covered Bridge Many of these bridges were built during the height of the great depression, throughout the 1930’s. Oregon has a plethora of covered bridges still in existence. Out of the 600 covered bridges that once stood, about fifty remain. Here is an interactive map of all of them: Covered Bridges of Oregon Website Practical Romance Back in the day, covered bridges, while very cool looking, were not only built for their glorious aesthetic – they had a practical purpose. Since bridges in the early 20th century were primarily made of wood, there had to be some way of…

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You had to stop every once in a while to just soak up the beauty.

Hiking the Narrows, Zion National Park, Utah

Beyond the PNW

The best hike of my life so far? Definitely! Certainly, the longest hike I’ve done yet, and one of the most challenging. Not so much as difficult in terms of elevation, but in the uniqueness of terrain and stamina. Much of it is wading in water, negotiating smooth rocks. As I was preparing for this hike, reading various blogs about what to bring, what time of the year is best, cautionary steps to take, I have to say… I was very skeptical about even doing this. But oh! Some of the challenges you put yourself through are also some of the most rewarding! And the best part? My family was with me: My husband, my brother and sister, and their families. We had kids with us as young as seven, and all of us hiked this gorgeous trail with little problem.None of us had done anything like this before, and…

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The Joy of Road Trips in Oregon and Washington

Guides

There’s nothing…I mean nothing more spiritually fulfilling than getting up at the crack of dawn on a summer’s day, getting in your car with a full tank of gas, and a grocery bag full of snacks. Grab a friend (or two, or three…) and hit the open road. A Pacific Northwest drive is the perfect way to get away from it all. A good road trip is where ALL things are possible; the world is your oyster and you alone are in charge of your destiny. Am I getting too philosophical? Well, that’s because road trips really do mean that much to me. Whether you are traveling to an old familiar town or exploring brand new territory with nothing but a map (okay a GPS, sheesh…) and no firm plans (those trips are the best kind!) road trips embody the American dream. In the Pacific Northwest, the possibilities…

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City Guide to Victoria, British Columbia

British Columbia, Canada

Victoria is the cuter-than-a-button, picturesque darling of British Columbia. I really love this little city – with its super-easy and affordable ferry trip from Seattle, and its walkable fun-filled streets, what’s not to love? It is also the capital of British Columbia, so there is a lot of history surrounding it, as well. Most of the attractions are centered around the waterfront/downtown area, so everything is within walking distance. It makes for a great day trip by ferry from Seattle, but to really get the full experience, plan 2-3 days here. For great hiking near Victoria BC, read my post about it. The Quintessential Canadian City With its close proximity to Puget Sound and the Pacific Ocean, Victoria is a great place to visit all year round, as the weather is generally mild. However, I’ve found that late Spring through Autumn is the perfect time frame in which to visit. …

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City Guide to Spokane, Washington

Food & Drink

For a town that’s out in the middle of nowhere, smack dab in the high desert of eastern Washington State, Spokane is a pretty cool place. While it’s no Las Vegas by any means, it carves out its own niche with tons of family-friendly locals, stunning waterfalls in the heart of downtown (where else does THAT happen?), and a wide variety of eateries and shopping. Here is your city guide to Spokane, WA. A Rich History The name Spokane was taken from the indigenous Salishan-speaking Spokane people who first resided here. Spokane means “children of the sun.” First established as a trading post in 1810, over the coming decades, settlers slowly began trickling in. The growing settlement became a town, called Spokane Falls. Along with the mining of gold and silver found in the area, timber and farming also became the main economic draw. In 1974, Spokane held the first…

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Travel Hacks: Essential Reading

Guides

We all know that it’s getting more expensive to plan and execute a vacation. Unless you have gobs of money stashed away in the bank, it’s pretty much necessary to find some ways to save money before and during your holiday. No matter what kind of trip you’re planning – a rugged camping trip in the woods? There’s a travel hack for that. An epic road trip through ten states? Even better. A high-end city-center stay at a plush hotel? Yep, there are travel hacks for that! So what exactly IS travel hacking? It could mean lots of things: Those with decent credit can sign up for a couple of choice airline or hotel credit cards, and get a free night and/or points right off the bat. Then there are all of the apps available for download on any smartphone, with all manner of incentives for free travel stuff and…

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Road Trip: The Lighthouses of Oregon

Informational

What better way to map out the perfect road trip than to drive along the Oregon Coast and catch all of the lighthouses? From Astoria in the north to Brookings in the south, there are a total of eleven Oregon lighthouses in existence today. A few of them are off limits to visitors, but can still be seen and appreciated from a distance. A good rule of thumb is to spend 2-4 days on this road trip if you want to see them all. Two days if you want to stop briefly at each site, up to four days if you really want to get the full experience of taking your time to visit them all, with perhaps other stops along the way. Today, lighthouses aren’t so much used as a practical means for ships to know when they’re approaching land, or to warn sailors of the infamous jagged Oregon…

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Take a Tasty Tour through Oregon’s Wine Country

Food & Drink

When people think of wine produced in the United States, most immediately think California’s Napa Valley. But just up the road is the fertile Willamette Valley of Oregon, which produces some of the world’s best wines, most notably Pino Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. While most wineries are open year-round, the most popular time of year for visiting is Memorial Day weekend, where many wineries lower their tasting fees and offer free niblets and live music. Just a few minutes’ drive southwest of Portland will take you to any wine enthusiasts’ heaven. The thing about Oregon’s vineyards that set them apart from most in northern California is that they are “mom and pop” owned and operated. Meaning, the owners tend to have a bit more invested in getting their wines from farm to table. The wineries have a shared sense of community. Unlike Napa Valley, with its many corporate-owned vineyards,…

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The Ultimate Guide to the Pacific Northwest

British Columbia, Canada

When you look at a map of the Pacific Northwest and Canada, what draws your eye when you consider a getaway to this area of the world? The lush green rainforests? The largest cities in the Pacific Northwest: Vancouver, B.C., Seattle, and Portland? The magnificent Pacific coastline? Or something else? I cannot think of any other area in the world that has such a diverse climate, cultural activities, and friendly hospitality than the PNW. Let me be your Pacific Northwest travel guide. You may be asking yourself, what is considered the Pacific Northwest? Where is the Pacific Northwest on a map? Easy. It is the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington, along with the whole of British Columbia, Canada. Nothing more, nothing less. But let me tell you, within this seemingly small region of the world, so many adventures lie here for you to discover and explore. Want incredible hiking/camping/skiing…

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Silver Falls State Park

Guides

There is a reason people call this the “crown jewel” of state parks. At 9,200 acres, it is Oregon’s largest and most diverse state park. To my knowledge, no other state park has a total of ten unique waterfalls, some of which you can actually walk around the back of! I’m not sure you can find many other great opportunities like this anywhere else in the world. The Perfect Day Trip from Portland or Salem A short 25-mile drive east of Salem will get you there. Plan to spend at least a full day here if you want to explore everything. The Trail of Ten Falls Loop is a moderate, 7.2-mile hike will take through all ten of the falls. The trails are very developed – you won’t be negotiating any rocky footpaths or dodging through thick brush. However, the trails can get a bit steep in places (this IS…

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