And if I would ask, what do you know about Oregon? Probably you would mention a hipsters’ heaven Portland and the undeniable fact that Oregon borders the Pacific ocean. I did not know a lot about Oregon either. And yet, after spending some time there, I could definitely say that it’s an underrated state. Together with its neighbor Washington, Oregon definitely doesn’t rank among the top 10 most visited states in the US. So keep reading.
1. Multnomah Falls
Just 30 minutes away from Portland, you’ll find the most visited natural recreational place in the Pacific Northwest – Multnomah Falls. It’s also the tallest waterfall in the state of Oregon. The roaring water drops from the height of 189 m (620 ft). Roughly speaking, Multnomah Falls is divided into two tiers – an upper fall and a lower fall. Benson Bridge marks the line between these two parts.
Immediately from the highway, you can see the upper part of the falls. You need to come to an observation deck to see the whole greatness of Multnomah Falls. A short hike up will take you straight on the Benson Bridge. Be prepared to get splashed! If you’re really into physical exercise, you can always hike at the top of the falls and observe it from the opposite perspective. Whichever you choose, you won’t be disappointed.
2. Willamette valley, McMinnville
Oregon is the right place for wine lovers. Oregon takes 4th place in the production of wine in the US. Pretty cool, huh? There are approximately 725 wineries in the whole state, but the most notorious is Willamette Valley. 2/3 of Oregon’s wineries and vineyards are located there, and wine tourism is booming. Just pick one of them and treat your taste buds with a glass of world-class Pinot noir.
We visited the Willamette Valley vineyards just an hour away from Portland. Even if you’re not a big wine enthusiast, it’s still worth going there just to enjoy an Italian-like atmosphere. Sun was shining, flowers were blooming, and endless vineyards surrounded us. Like a scene from a romantic movie. For $20, you can order a five wine tasting sitting indoors or on the winery terrace.
The small town of McMinnville is a hub of tasting rooms. That was our plan: to visit one winery and then go to McMinnville and try several other tasting rooms of different wine producers. It’s beneficial if you want to enjoy this activity without bothering yourself about driving. However, our plan failed. We arrived there on Tuesday, but the majority of these tasting rooms were closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. So keep this in mind before planning to visit McMinnville.
3. Painted Hills
Painted Hills are proudly called one of the seven wonders of Oregon. Its name speaks for itself. Colorful layers correspond to different geological eras. The chromatic beauty unfolds the best in the afternoon hours. The main observation deck has benches, but you will take the best shot if you take a short (less than 0.5 miles) one-way trail. But don’t stop just at the main vista point! The soil color there has a dark red shade, and you can pretend to be a geologist and observe it from super close! A few-minute ride will take you to another short (¼ mile) Painted Cove Trail.
The main question stays: is it worth driving 4 hours one way from Portland to admire the Painted Hills for a maximum of one hour? Even we spent almost the whole day driving; I can conclude that in the end, it was worth it. And the drive was so scenic! From lush Mt Hood National Forest to Crooked River National Grassland and Ochoco National Forest. I was glad that I wasn’t driving because I couldn’t take my eyes off all this nature’s beauty.
4. Oregon coast: Sea Lion caves, Devils Churn, Thor’s Well, Cannon Beach
The sightseeing of the major attractions on the coastline will depend a lot on the weather conditions and in general how lucky you’re. The whole universe was against us this time: it was bad weather, and we picked a bad time to visit these places.
Firstly we stopped at Sea Lion Caves. It’s the most prominent natural sea cave in the US where sea lions like to hang out. At the ticket office ($14 admission fee), a lady warned us that we wouldn’t see sea lions in the cave. Apparently, they preferred to stay outdoors and ruin our travel plans. We got there anyway, at least to see the cave itself. We were lucky enough to find there one lazy sea lion lying on the giant rock. There was a small exhibition about wildlife in the cave as well. Outside there was an observation deck to watch sea lions enjoying the outdoors.
On a rainy day, Devil’s Churn and Thor’s Well weren’t looking so impressive. On top of that, there was a low tide, so we couldn’t see how that giant hole swallowed the water. At least the immense sandy Cannon Beach with its Haystack Rock looked cool even on a gloomy day.
5. Tillamook Creamery
You need good food to fully charge your batteries while traveling. And what about joining food with an educational activity? Tillamook Creamery invites people to learn for free how excellent cheddar cheese ends up on our tables. A journey of cheese starts from the well-being of cows. Just a well-treated herd can produce high-quality milk. Later in the exhibition, visitors can learn how milk transforms into a block of cheese. The best part of this was to see how the creamery staff worked at the cheese packaging lines.
After the exhibition visitors can order food. Freshly made cheese curds, grilled cheese sandwich, mac&cheese, or choose one of the tens of different kinds of ice cream. They even have ice cream flights! You won’t miss choosing the caramel one.
6. Crater Lake
Crater Lake was, without any doubt, my number one place. The biggest nature discovery and, in general, one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. The awesomeness of this lake goes way beyond my capabilities to express myself in English or even in my native language for that matter. But let’s start from the beginning.
The Crater Lake formed about 7,700 years ago in a giant caldera when volcano Mazama collapsed. No river flows into this lake. The snowfall and rain compensate for water evaporation. There are two small islands in this lake – Wizard and Phantom Ship. Crater Lake is famous for its deep blue color and being the deepest one in the US.
We arrived in the Crater Lake National Park in mid-May but winter road closures were still in effect. The paved road that continued around all the lake was roughly divided into three parts. The first one opened for automobiles (see picture below) went from the Fee Booth and stopped at the Discovery point. The second part – from the Discovery Point all the way to North Junction – was closed for cars but open for hikers and bicycles. The third part – from the North Junction all the way around the lake to the Park Headquarters – was covered in snow and opened just for skiers and snowshoers.
We decided to challenge ourselves and hike the second part for the road (Discovery Point – North Junction and back). 14 km or 8.7 miles in total. Despite the length, the hike wasn’t difficult. The ascents were gradual and didn’t cause too many troubles. Such activity reminded me more of a lengthy stroll instead of a hike. However, it took us 4 hours to walk both ways.
You don’t need to be a hiker, biker, or snowshoer to admire the most picturesque places of Crater Lake. You can take high-class pictures from the Discovery Point, still accessible in a car with that perfectly blue water. And in the summer months, when all the snow is finally gone, one can calmly drive around the lake and stop at multiple viewpoints. Just don’t ignore the forecast and try to plan your trip on a sunny day. The best view of Crater Lake reveals when no clouds are hanging over it. As for us, we couldn’t ask for better weather that day. The picture speaks for itself.
7. Honorable mentions
Hey, and what about Portland – the biggest city in Oregon? Or Eugene? We focused our trip to Oregon on nature sightseeing. However, we stopped briefly in both of these cities. Couldn’t say anything good or bad about each of it. We just didn’t spend there enough time to draw any conclusions. Maybe it’s worth mentioning that downtown Portland was full of homeless camps and some suspiciously behaving residents. And a lot of businesses’ windows were boarded shut. And in Eugene, we tried the famous Voodoo donuts that tasted like…donuts.
However, there’s one place that is definitely worth mentioning. It’s a Kennedy School hotel owned by McMenamins. The idea to transform an old non-operating school into a hotel is bold, crazy, and brilliant. It was one of the most unique hotels I’ve stayed in. Kennedy School hotel provides lodging and has a soaking pool, movie theater, brewery, a couple of restaurants, and bars. To my knowledge, McMenamins owns a chain of these types of hotels when an old historic building is transformed into a multifunctional place. If you’re looking for a place to stay a bit outside of Portland, in a more quiet place, think no more.
Best things to do in Oregon in a nutshell
Our trip to Oregon was based on nature sightseeing. The road trip was intense and in 6 days we visited Willamette Valley, Multnomah Falls, Painted Hills, the Oregon Coast, and Tillamook Creamery. We stopped shortly in Portland and Eugene as well. But my personal favorite was Crater Lake. This is one of the most beautiful places not just in Oregon but in the whole US.
