Hi, all. I recently took a two week trip for work to help with a buyout in Monmouth, Oregon. I’d been to Oregon previously, but only for a couple of days back in 2018. I never got around to making a blog about my trip then. So here we are.. a bit of a combination blog of my trip in the summer of ‘18 and the winter of ‘22.
Oregon quickly became possibly one of my favorite Western states. I still love Colorado, but I can’t help but to appreciate the personality of Oregon. It is what I like to call “moody”, but I mean that in the best way possible. In the early mornings, thick haze would cover the bright green vineyards on my way to work. By afternoon, the sun would be shining and beyond the lush fields you could see snow-capped mountains in the distance. A couple of hours away, you could be at the coast that could go from sunny to windy, and the temperamental waves would beat upon the craggy shoreline, yet the water would be the most gorgeous color of turquoise you’ve ever seen. Tons of huge firs stand along the roadways. These are only part of the reasons I love Oregon.
Let’s talk first about:
Waterfalls
If you know me, you know I love a good waterfall. In Oregon, they have mammoth-sized waterfalls. Perhaps the most grand, Multnomah Falls, is located in the Columbia River Gorge. It is 611 ft tall, and a brief, paved walk takes you straight to it. It can get very busy here, as it attracts more than 2 million visitors every year, but for good reason. This is one waterfall you don’t want to miss!
The Columbia River Gorge also holds many other splendors. While there, make sure to check out the Crown Point Vista House. With 360 degree views of the Gorge, the century old octagonal building is the perfect place to stop and take in some incredible views.
Latourell Falls is a 2.1 mile hike to a stunning 249 ft waterfall. I love that is a straight fall, with no tumbles. Magnificent.
Bridal Veil Falls is a 70 ft waterfall, that is reached by an easy 0.6 round-trip hike over Bridal Veil Creek on a wooden bridge.
The waterfall I most recently visited is not in the Columbia River Gorge, but was instead about 30 miles east of Salem in Silver Falls State Park. Silver Falls really showcases Oregon’s beauty, with its huge trees, bright green moss, and plethora of waterfalls. This park is home to the Trail of Ten Falls, which is about 8 miles roundtrip and takes you to.. go figure.. 10 waterfalls (4 of which you can walk behind!). Unfortunately, I forgot my hiking boots at my hotel (fail!), so I only made the brief hike down to South Falls, the first stop of the loop (less than 1 mile) and drove up to the overlook for North Falls. South Falls completely took my breath away. It is powerful and tall (177 ft), and what I loved most is that you can walk behind it to completely experience it from every angle. It is one of the most photographed waterfalls in Oregon, understandably.
Portland
One can’t think of Oregon without thinking of Portland. It is Oregon’s largest city, with a metropolis consisting of around 2 million people. It is an urban sprawl surrounded by Oregon’s natural beauty, with Mt. Hood 45 minutes to its right, the coast 1.5 hours to its left, and wine country 1 hour to its south. The city makes large attempts to be environmentally friendly with its “go green” attempts. Unfortunately, it has become known also for its rising homeless population, and for political protests in recent years. In Portland one can experience good food, lovely scenery, and a thriving city. Here are some of my favorite places in Portland:
Pittock Mansion– We all know I’m a sucker for all the old houses, so Pittock was definitely on my list of places to visit. It was built in 1914 for Oregonian publisher and avid outdoorsman, Henry Pittock, and his wife, in French Renaissance style. It is located in the West Hills, and provides panoramic views of downtown Portland and Mt. Hood (though on clear days one can supposedly see 5 of the Cascade Mountains: Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams, Mt. Rainer, and Mt. Jefferson). One can take a self-guided tour of the mansion for $12, or you can pay a couple of dollars to park and marvel at the architecture and the skyline from the mansion grounds. Whatever you do, don’t miss the views from here!
Powell’s Books– The largest new and used bookstore in the world, and housing around one million books, Powell’s is a must-see for any reader. The size of this place is overwhelming. It is easy to get lost in here, and to easily spend a few hours if you like to explore different topics. I was hoping to find the works of one of my ancestors, and I randomly happened upon it in here. Pretty neat!
Lan Su Chinese Garden– If you are looking to escape to peace and serenity while in the city, look no further. This has to be one of the most interesting places to visit in Portland. You truly feel like you are being transported to another place. It has aromatic gardens, Chinese architecture, a koi pond, and a tea house! Admission is $13.
Portland Aerial Tram– Short and fun tram ride with nice views! You can check out Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens from here, along with the downtown.
Cathedral Park– I visited this park when I went in 2018, and really enjoyed the vibe of it. The St. John’s Bridge really is lovely, and the old lamp posts provide a nice feel to the park. You’ll find people picnicing, hanging out, and playing games everywhere. I would recommend going at sunset.
Portland Saturday Market– Check out the largest open-air market in the country. You’ll find arts and crafts, foods, even fortune tellers here! It is open on Saturdays from 10 am to 5 pm from March through Christmas Eve.
Portland Oregon White Stag Sign– Located right outside the market, you’ll find the iconic Portland Oregon neon sign. Originally put up in 1940 on top of the White Stag Building, it became a fixture of Portland, was designated a historic landmark in 1977, and was changed to say “Portland Oregon” in 2010. It is a little hard to get a photo here, since you may have to get out in the middle of the road, but still worth it.
Keep Portland Weird Mural– Another iconic sign is a mural also located close to the market. “Keep Portland Weird” might as well be the city’s motto. Swing by for a photo op.
Voodoo Doughnuts– Right across the street from the “Keep Portland Weird” mural is Voodoo Doughnuts, possibly one of my favorite places in Portland. This fun and quirky little donut shop offers over 50 different varieties of donuts, ranging from a Captain Crunch themed donut to a chili pepper donut. My personal favorite is the grape one! Both trips I made, I had to have one. If you go on a busy day, the line may be long. The shop is relatively small, but super cute.
Salem
Salem was my home away from home during my work trip. I’m thankful it was. I really liked it. The population is roughly around 175,000 people, making it the second largest city in the state. Salem is located an hour south of Portland, and is the capital of Oregon. I really loved all the historic buildings downtown, which are filled with boutiques and restaurants. Places I would recommend checking out include:
Deepwood Mansion
Reed Opera House
Willamette Heritage Center
Oregon State Capitol
Elsinore Theater
Bush House Museum
Oregon State Hospital
Historic Downtown Salem
The Riverfront Park is also a beautiful spot in town that holds an amphitheater, carousel, bridge, green space, and sculptures.
I found a few gems of restaurants while I was here as well:
Rudy’s Steakhouse– Incredible food with a great atmosphere. A little pricey, but great if you want to splurge on fine dining.
Amadeus– No pictures, but enjoyed some great fish here, and some yummy bruschetta. Also good cocktails!
Momiji– SO many types of sushi! Very good and fresh!
The Cozy Taberna– A new restaurant downtown that features Spanish-inspired tapa dishes, and a nice cocktail menu.
The hotel I stayed at was Home2 Suites. I would highly recommend anyone visiting Salem to stay here. It was very comfortable, offered a great continental breakfast, had an indoor pool, hot tub, and gym that were all open until midnight.
Albany
Decided on one of my days off to take a little day trip to this small, historic town. What drew me here originally was the Albany Antique Mall.
I love antiquing, and this has to be one of the best antique stores I’ve ever been to! I really appreciated that they had such a wide variety of items, and that upstairs rooms were separated by decade! They also had a cute little clothing boutique that did the same. I scored some antique medicine bottles, and decided to check out the rest of the town. The town of Albany has almost 800 restored buildings in a 100 block area, making it precisely my kind of place! I took a look at some of the historic homes on the outskirts of downtown, stopped into a few other shops, including Spearit Beads, a bead and crystal shop featuring any kind of jewelry-making item one could imagine.
I made my way to the Albany Historic Carousel & Museum.
I made it just in time for a couple carousel rides (I don’t even care that I’m not a kid– I will forever love the carousel), but not the museum. What I love so much about this carousel is how unique the animals are. The artists who carve these animals do so based upon sponsor’s requests, and create a design with special meaning. For example, the quail i rode was named Martha, after the sponsor’s mother. They picked this animal since it was common on her family property. The saddle was made of grape vines and included a bottle of wine, since she now lives in Napa and is in the wine industry. I just love all the special little touches. The carousel is what the town is known for. To end the evening, I had an incredible meal at Vault 244, a classy restaurant with a great selection of dishes.
Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 101)
My last and favorite part of my trip was driving the Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 101). The coast was only an hour and a half west of Salem, and I had a full weekend to explore. After doing some research, I realized driving the whole coastline of Oregon would be too much for only a couple of days. I decided to go south and drive up midway, so I wouldn’t be as rushed making it back to Salem to return to work. I’m thankful I went south because the most beautiful city on the coast, Brookings, sits right at the bottom of Oregon, going into California. I didn’t intend to, but Thursday night after work, I drove as far as I could and actually wound up in California, as the route took me down and up to Brookings. The next morning I had to stop at Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park in Crescent City, CA. The redwoods there are 500-700 years old. The park holds 7% of the old growth redwoods in the world. Let me tell you, friends, they are crazy to see in person.
After doing my research, there were four main coastal towns I wanted to make a stop in during my drive on the Pacific Coast Highway in Oregon. I feel my research did me good, as the places I picked were all beautiful and interesting. There was only one brief stop I hadn’t planned that will also make the list.
Brookings– If you go anywhere along the PCH, please stop here!! Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor offers so many beautiful sights. It goes up the PCH about 12 miles, and features some of the state’s only redwoods. You can explore as much or as little as you’d like. It has easy pull-offs, but the opportunity for many hikes. Regardless, you are not going to be disappointed in the views in this park. There are a few stops that I would recommend. (Cell service is very limited in the area and I wish I’d downloaded Google Maps with these spots before going, thus why I had a hard time and missed out on some areas).
Natural Bridges is one of the most iconic. There is a sign that literally says “Natural Bridges” where you can pull off into a small parking lot and walk a very short distance to oversee the bridges. If you go right in this parking lot, along the hiking rail instead of towards the wooden platform, you can go to one of the best locations to get an amazing picture. I attempted but quickly turned around as the trail was steep! I’m not a fan of heights! It appeared dangerous to me even despite my fear, so take that as a word of caution. But if you do want to go, supposedly you follow this trail down through the forest, always keeping left as the trail splits. Then you have to walk on a dangerously narrow ledge with drop-offs to finally reach a point where there is a bit of flat land. From here, setting up a tripod can have beautiful results. It just personally wasn’t worth it to me. But if you’re an adrenaline junkie, do your thing!
Whaleshead is another spot that is clearly marked by a sign. You don’t even have to leave the parking lot to get a good view of the rock resembling a whale in the water. You can go down to the mile long beach from here as well.
Arch Rock is one of the most beautiful pull-offs in the park. There is a small trail that leads to it and around the coastline to EASY and breath-taking views!
Secret Beach is another spot that is really not so secret anymore. Many praise it as one of the most beautiful beaches along the PCH. Unfortunately, I had trouble finding it. If you decide to go though, definitely try to check it out.
Battle Rock– En route to Bandon, I drove through Port Orford, and happened randomly upon Battle Rock Wayside Park. It is named “Battle Rock” after a battle between Native Americans and Capt. William Tenchor’s men in 1851. This easy pull-off can be a great place to see whales and seals, though all I saw was another picturesque view of the coast.
Bandon– The second town I stopped in, and my favorite “town” along the PCH (the beaches and coastline may be rivaled in other parts, but this town is the cutest little coastal town you’ve ever seen). The Old Town, which is the historic part of town, has the loveliest little restaurants and shops along the coast. I made a stop into Tony’s Crab Shack and had some delicious crab and their oysters Orleans (grilled in shell, topped with a double bath of garlic butter, and a parmesan romano cheese blend). It was so good that I didn’t mind eating outside in the freezing cold. (Beware that the restaurant is TINY! with only 3 tables, but offers of plenty open-air outdoor seating). Bandon is also the cranberry capital of Oregon, accounting for 95% of the state’s cranberry production. If you’ve never seen a cranberry bog, you can find plenty here!
Coquille Lighthouse was built in 1896. It is a smaller lighthouse, but located in a beautiful location.
Face Rock Scenic Viewpoint is easily one of the prettiest stops I made (if not the most)! I caught this location right near sunset. The wind made it much colder than the surrounding areas. It not only has a great viewpoint, but a beach you walk down a few stairs to get to. The beach with all the large, jagged rock formations, was overlooked by luxurious homes perched atop a cliff. Beautiful views all the way around.
Yachats– Not going to lie.. I still don’t really know how to say its name. On my way here, I made a couple of little stops (not exactly Yachats, but close enough).
The first one was the Sea Lion Caves in Florence, OR, the largest sea lion cave in America. Honestly, I thought about not even stopping here as I couldn’t imagine what would be so cool about seeing a few sea lions in their natural habitat. I was wrong. SO cool. For $16, you can take an elevator 208 feet down to where you can view all the sea lions as they take a break from the water. In winter, you can see so many of them, and I was thankful I was here at a prime time of the year. While down in the cave, make sure to go on up to the Heceta Lighthouse Lookout. This is a great place to see it.
Heceta Head Lighthouse is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the United States. It is beautifully colored white and red, perched atop a 150 ft cliff, while the waves beat steady at the shore onto the beach below. You can park at the bottom for $5 and take a 1/2 mile trip to the lighthouse. When I went, the parking lot was almost full. As I had already captured some pictures from the Sea Lion Caves and a pull-off on Highway 101, right before the tunnel leading to the lighthouse, I decided to skip it and make better use of my time on up the road.
Cape Perpetua Scenic Area features unique tide pools. Here you will feel the power of the ocean, and witness the how massive the waves can grow. While I was especially careful when here, you must be mindful that this area can be very dangerous depending on the day and the tides. There are three main places I decided to visit at Cape Perpetua. Each were very short walks from stops right off the highway.
The Devil’s Churn
Thor’s Well
The Spouting Horn
Newport was the final stop. It’s another nice town along the coast, that is seemingly a little bigger in size compared to previous towns.
The first stop here was the Devil’s Punchbowl. There is ample parking, where you can walk straight up to the fence and watch the waves churn inside the bowl. A short walk over, you can view a pretty beach. You may see a large group of surfers surfing in February randomly, like I did.
Next up was the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. There was a $7 entrance fee. The lighthouse was closed by the time I made it there, so I did not get to see the inside, but the outside and surrounding areas are SO PRETTY! I could’ve spent hours here just looking out.
Last attraction of my PCH trip was the Yaquina Bay Bridge. I got here right before sunset, and got to witness the sky turn colors before darkness crept in. Another beautiful site (and another lighthouse as a bonus!).
Before heading back to Salem, dinner was to be had at Clearwater Restaurant. The calamari and fish and chips were so good. The ambiance here, as well as the view of the bridge and the sea lions below made for a lovely dinner.
That’s all, folks! Still reminiscing on my Oregon adventures. I’m so glad work brought me to this diverse place on the other side of the country. I will forever love exploring, meeting new people, and take in all that life offers. I fell in love with Oregon. Take a chance on it. You may too.
bedtravels 