Oregon, My Favorite State

Throughout our marriage, theTravelsketcher and I have taken multiple trips to Oregon. Portland is his hometown, and we have family and friends who live there. In fact, we plan on moving there when we return to the states later this year. I have been fortunate to have visited many locations around the globe, but in my humble opinion, Oregon, and the Pacific Northwest in general, has some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve seen.

Oregon has a tremendous wine industry with over 900 wineries, and more popping up each day. We have visited many of these in the Yamhill County area. Some of our favorites are Ponzi, Torii Mor, Sokol Blosser and Argyle. Many are located in beautiful settings with views of the valley.

Torii Mor has some delicious wines. The wine maker is from France, and the wines are of the Burgundy style. Sokol Blosser also makes a wide variety of wines. On our flight to Japan a few years ago, one of the featured wines was Sokol Blosser’s Evolution, a delicious, light, fruity white blend. Argyle specializes in sparkling wines; we served their Knudsen Vineyard Brut at our daughter’s wedding.

The Oregon Coast is one of the most beautiful coastlines I have ever seen. One stretch in particular in the southern part of the state near Brookings, is the Samuel Boardman Scenic Corridor. Samuel Boardman was the state’s first superintendent of parks. You will discover breathtaking views and interesting rock formations along this 12 mile stretch of highway.

We stayed at a little cottage right on the ocean near the corridor; I could easily spend several weeks here.

The Portland Waterfront Blues Festival is always a fun time. We’ve attended several times with our dear friends, Tim and Lisa.

Along the coast in the northern part of the state are the remains of the Peter Iredale at Fort Stevens State Park. The ship ran aground in October 1906. theTravelsketcher remembers going there with his dad when he was just four years old. He says it has deteriorated and sunk in the sand quite a bit since then. Click here to see images of the ship over the decades.

Crater Lake National Park is another stunning place to visit. At one mile deep, it is the deepest lake in North America. There are many hiking trails here that offer spectacular views of the lake and distant mountains. We hiked to a fire watch tower and were rewarded with this gorgeous view of Mt. Shasta.

Another one of our favorite places to visit is Sunriver, in Central Oregon. This resort community offers many activities including hiking, canoeing, fishing, biking, skiing and much more. It is close to Mt. Bachelor which is a popular destination for winter sports.

The Paulina Lake Loop Trail, not far from Sunriver, is a 6.7 mile hike that is mostly flat and offers nice views. I hiked this with some friends many years ago. We stopped for a picnic at the far end of the lake where our picnic was crashed by a very greedy little critter!

If you’re into rock climbing, check out Smith Rock State Park.

Wallowa Lake Located in Northeast Oregon is yet another activity packed area to visit. We went horseback riding here.

I spent a lot of time in Hood River, OR as a child. My grandmother lived there and ran an apple orchard with her husband. We visited a few years ago, click here to read that post. The visit brought back many fond memories.

There is so much to see and do in Oregon, I have just barely scratched the surface with this post. I’m looking forward to living in this beautiful state and seeing even more of what it has to offer.

Do any of these areas look appealing to you; if so, which ones? As always, I welcome your comments and questions.

Wishing you grand adventures,

Tricia