Portland is Oregon’s must-go destination, but there are plenty of places within two hours or less worthy of a day trip. Much depends on what’s your cup of tea. Are you a beach babe, a hiker, art aficionado, foodie? Whatever your passion, there’s likely a pitstop, or two or three, just for you.
Here’s where else to venture beyond Portland.
If you’re a wine lover and looking for something different, there’s nothing typical about winemaker Bertony Faustin. He’s Oregon’s first African American winemaker. He quit wine school after three months and decided to learn by doing. His Abbey Creek Vineyard label, now 11 years old, offers a mix of estate wines, such as Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, as well as wine produced from grapes sourced from Oregon. When you go to his tasting room in North Plains, you’ll get the unexpected too. He’s likely to be in his signature overalls, laughing and chatting up customers. The vibe is chill with jazz, hip hop or R&B playing. The Chardonnay is so popular you see some people not satisfied to buy a bottle or two, and instead getting a case. Bet you probably never had Brazilian hot sauces on your wine paired nibbles. That’s just one more reason to stop in for a truly unique experience. While you’re in the area, venture about 30 minutes more to Canby. If you’re a cheese lover, the drive is worth it to the TMK Creamery. The garlic dill cheese curds, smoked cheddar wedge, and queso fresco are over the top.
You can find big city art Lake Oswego, a small town of less than 40,000 residents. In downtown and throughout the city you’ll find dozens of sculptures, of all shapes, sizes and material––glass, steel, stone, for example, many by locals, and most by artists from the Northwest. Newbies and established pros get a chance to showcase their work on street corners, park plazas, city hall and elsewhere. It’s called the Gallery Without Walls and surely defines the city. The Arts Council of Lake Oswego runs ARTspace & Gallery, a visual arts gallery space with rotating monthly exhibitions. It also sponsors family art making days, adult painting lessons and community events like “Drink & Draw,” where you drink, paint and meditate. There are summer concerts in the parks and the Lakewood Center for the Arts boasts cultural programming and is home to the Annual Festival of the Arts. When you’re famished from walking around looking at that inspirational art, no worries, there’s good eats too. Drop into Holy Taco, Five Spice Seafood + Wine Bar, Baird’s on B Bar & Grill, or a host of others.
For those that love brunch, head to Sherwood for a Sunday brunch you’ll always remember, make your way to Our Table Cooperative. Set on a 60-acre farm, sit at a large, long, elegantly styled, community table, and get to know locals. With mimosas flowing the chatting picks up and some strangers become friends. Expect an outrageous three-course meal with local ingredients. Take for example, Oregon Escalavida––grilled, then chilled late spring and early summer vegetables, white bean puree, popped quinoa and herbs. Followed by a wild mushroom biscuit and gravy, soft hen’s egg, micro salad and crisped shallots. Topped off with dessert, Overnight Oats Budino, blueberry basil compote, salted honey whip, toasted oats and coconut.
You can get your beach on in Oregon too. Cannon Beach gets accolades from National Geographic, USA Today, ABC News, among others, you don’t want to be in the vicinity and not visit. Cannon Beach is beloved for the Haystack Rock, a sea-stack that is the third largest monolith of its kind in the world. Stroll the nine miles of wide sand beach, choose your favorite water sport, watch the wildlife and let yourself soak in all that makes Cannon Beach a storybook locale.
When you’re ready to get your walk on, there’s The Banks-Vernonia State Trail. Wind through 21 miles of pine-scented forests, greenery and more greenery, streams, wildflowers and wildlife. It doesn’t get much better than this. The eight-foot wide trail is built along an abandoned railway.
Nature lovers are in heaven just about everywhere in Oregon. It’s hard to imagine that just 10 miles from downtown Portland, there are 24,000 acres of nature. Sauvie Island is one of the largest river islands in the country. You’ll have plenty to fill your day trip, be it birdwatching, biking, kayaking, lounging on the beach, fishing or berry picking––strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, loganberry and marionberry.
What might surprise you most about Oregon is the food. You must make your way to Hillsboro. You can find restaurants like The South Store Café, a great spot for lunch in a 100-year-old clapboard building. The food is hyper local, with farmers right in the same hood. The café boasts a full coffee bar, pastries, sandwiches, salads and more. Another plus, the walls are a gallery of sorts for local artists that and changes every two months. For some of the best fruits and veggies stop by the Smith Berry Barn. While you’re there sample the infamous mocha or espresso milkshakes and pick up items in the gift shop like the pure raw honey. One of the shining starts on Tualatin Valley food scene is Industry Restaurant. It’s a cool industrial/warehouse-style eatery, with an expansive menu of cuisine from Spain, Italy and South America done with a Portland twist.
If you’re looking for that traditional Main Street America feel, Oregon City is the spot. The Oregon City Municipal Elevator is a 130-foot elevator that connects downtown to mid-town and is the only outdoor municipal elevator in the U.S. and one of four in the world. The mix of old and new is part of the city’s charm. There’s Cannabis Nation, vintage shops, cool restaurants and specialty stores. Eclectic for sure. Oregon City is also the end of the Oregon Trail. The year 2018 marked the 175th anniversary of Oregon Trail. The End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center is the place to learn about the five- to six-month journey some 500,000 people made from Missouri to Oregon between the 1840s and 1860s. Check out the video, hands-on displays and make like it’s the 19th century and craft your own candles and butter.
