The Pacific Northwest is home. I was born in Washington, attended college in Oregon, and returned to Washington to raise my family. This is where we spend an overwhelming majority of our time. However, it is sometimes difficult to ‘play tourist’ the same way you would when exploring new places. Therefore, this blog represents a handful of highlights we have experienced in Oregon and is organized into five separate regions: Northwest (Portland-Eugene), Southwest (Roseburg-Brookings), Northeast (The Dalles-Idaho), Central (East of the Cascade Mountain Range), and the Southeast (Ontario-Idaho).

———- NORTHWEST ———-

YEAR VISITED: I graduated from Linfield College and therefore lived in McMinnville from 1996-2000. We now live within 20 minutes of the border and routinely visit Oregon.

FAVORITE CITIES AND EXPERIENCES: Portland is one of the countries fastest growing cities but still has an undersized ‘big city’ feel. The cities mantra is “Keep Portland Weird” and it definitely has a unique feel. Our favorite thing to do in the city is to make a day out of Powell’s Bookstore, eat at one of the many resturants or food trucks along Burnside Street, and then get dessert at Voodoo Donuts. On a sidenote the Portland airport (PDX) is by far the best and easiest to navigate airport of any we have traveled to or from.

Government Camp, located on Mt. Hood and roughly an hour east of Portland, is a family favorite. We visit the mountain roughly two to three times a year and always stay in the town of Government Camp. Besides skiing or snowboarding in the winter, our favorite food stops are the Ratzkeller for pizza and beer, The Huckleberry Inn for breakfast (biggest maple bar donuts I have seen anywhere), and The Taco Shoppe for Mexican food. On the way to Government Camp, along highway #26 on the east side of Sandy, is Joe’s Donut Shop. While I still haven’t met a donut I didn’t like, there is just something about a local business taking quality in what they do. Joe’s has been in the bakery business since 1974 and is definitely worth a stop.

In the summer we love hiking the trail from Government Camp to Timberline Lodge, spending time at Frog Lake, or walking around Trillium Lake and admiring the outdoor beauty. Timberline Lodge, the setting for the movie “The Shining”, is also a must see.

It is no secret that my family loves the beach; rain or shine, warm or cold the Oregon Coast is a family favorite. Astoria is located on highway 30 on the mouth of the Columbia River. We enjoy exploring Fort Stevens State Park, Fort George Brewery, exploring locations used for movies (Goonies & Kindergarten Cop), and Buoy 9 Restaurant. We have also been to Fort Clatsop (where Lewis & Clark spent the winter of 1805) and the Astoria Column is always a fun place to enjoy spectacular views.

Continuing down the coast and highway 101, Seaside and Cannon Beach are also cities we enjoy. Of the coastal cities we frequent, Seaside feels the most touristy.

The town includes a small outlet mall, arcade, and downtown strip of gift shop type stores. We typically shop at the Nike Outlet (best prices on shoes), eat at the McMenamins located in Gearhart, and check out the mechanical shark at Sharky’s. Cannon Beach is roughly 20 minutes further down the 101 but comes with less traffic and beaches that are equally as pretty.

Recently, we stumbled upon “High Life Adventure” located at the far south side of town. It is a two story aerial challenge course where you are harnessed in and allowed to navigate the outdoor obstacle course. You pay a flat fee good for two hours and are then free to choose any level course you want to try. Our girls absolutely loved the experience on a rainy February weekend.

Pacific City, an hour and a half further south from Cannon Beach, is an area that we don’t typically spend a ton of time in but following every visit we say to ourselves we should come here more.

The Pelican Brewery, located right on the beach and a massive sand dune (Cape Kiwanda) are the two major attractions. We enjoy climbing the dune, whale watching from the top, and eventually running down and jumping into the water.

STADIUMS AND/OR SPORTING EVENTS: The Oregon Ducks, Oregon State Beavers, and Portland Trailblazers are the main athletic entities in Oregon. While I have attended at least one game at each football and baseball stadium, I typically pay closer attention to the teams up north in Washington. However, attending a Trailblazer game is a fun NBA experience and it is great watching the entire state rally around the team come playoff time.

In fact the first date my wife and I went on was to a Blazer game. We have also enjoyed a handful of Portland Pilots baseball games.

ADVENTURE: Hoyt Arboretum, adjacent to the Oregon Zoo in Portland, has an abundance of beautiful trails. While we planned on hiking the Wildwood Trail to the Pittock Mansion, we kriss-crossed from one trail to another. All told I believe we hiked portions of four other trails. At any rate, we ended up making it to the mansion where we experienced unbelievable views of Portland and Mt. Hood.

NOTABLE DESTINATIONS & STOPS: I am not confident that we have been back to Dallas more than once or twice. However, we did get married at the Beckenridge Vineyard and it will forever hold a dear place in our heart.

———- NORTHEAST ———-

If you have never experienced the Gorge it is really difficult to find the right adjectives to describe it’s natural beauty. Rock cliffs line the Columbia River and giant Douglas Fir trees seem to be everywhere. This combined with the views of Mt Hood, seemingly overlooking everything, truly make this area special. The Bridge of the Gods connects Stevenson, WA to Cascade Locks, OR. It was built in 1926 and is still going strong today.

The vantage point from Crown Point Scenic Lookout is the definition of majestic. There are a number of hikes and campgrounds in the area. Three of our favorites are the Wahkeena Falls Trail, Dry Creek Falls, and the Latourell Falls Loop.

Be prepared for serious elevation gain, but that usually means the views will be spectacular. Between the tall trees, views of the Columbia River, and waterfalls seemingly everywhere you look, this area is uniquely beautiful.

While the crowds in the summer months can be overwhelming, Multnomah Falls is as breathtaking of a waterfall as any I have ever seen. We have hiked to the top a handful of times – beware that parking now requires a time stamped pass during the summer months.

Hood River, a little over an hour east of Portland, is home to world class wind surfing and a town we enjoy to stop when traveling east. Our favorite experience has been the polar express train along the Mount Hood Railroad. The girls were able to meet Santa Claus, enjoy a traditional cup of hot chocolate, and enjoy an old fashion train ride. We also enjoy the food and drink at Full Sail Brew.

RESTAURANTS: The restaurants we most frequently visit between the Cascade Locks and The Dalles is the Brigham Fish House, East Wind Drive Thru, Gorges Beer Company, and Big Jim’s. The Fish & Chips and smoked salmon at Brigham were as good as any we have eaten. East Wind is a drive thru only that serves homestyle hamburgers and humongous ice cream cones.

The Gorges Beer Company was new to us when we visited in the spring of 2025. We enjoyed our visit. Both are located directly off Wa Na Pa Street in downtown. Big Jim’s is on the east side of The Dalles and is an easy place to stop, stretch your legs, and order a hamburger and a milkshake.

———- SOUTHWEST ———-

My wife, Jill, grew up in Myrtle Point and therefore we traditionally spend a lot of time in Southern Oregon. Myrtle Point is a quiet little town and a great place to grow up. However, our families love of the beach has us spending a majority of our visits in the coastal town of Bandon (located 35 minutes from Myrtle Point). In the words of my oldest daughter, “this is our happy place.”

When visiting, our favorite thing to do is walk on the beach, play on the driftwood and rock formations, and enjoy a good beach fire and smores.

The town is also very cute and a fun place to window shop. Our favorite establishments are WinterRiver Books, Bandon Sweets & Treats, Face Rock Creamery, and Fish & Chips Chowder House. Bandon Dunes is also a world class golf course built directly on the dunes adjacent to the beach.

My father-in-law has been instrumental in our families interest in golf and Jill and I have golfed Dunes, Pacific, and I have golfed Trails.

Wildlife Safari outside of Roseburg has been a routine stop over the years for Team Castro. You drive through the park, similar to an African safari, and have the opportunity to feed a few of the animals. Similar to a zoo, there are also area where you can interact with the animals up close and personal.

Shore Acres State Park located in North Bend is a family favorite during the holidays. Their light display is 2nd to none (reminds me of Portland’s Zoo Lights) and has become a holiday family tradition of ours.

In 2020 during the COVID outbreak our family did a hike in Powers. The towns population is under 1,000 so we were definitely following the directive to isolate from others. While we ultimately arrived at our desired location, Hanging Rock, we inadvertently did the Panther Ridge Trail which was much longer and steeper than we had planned for. Be advised the location is extremely rural and internet connections are spotty at best.

Over the years we have ventured further and further south down highway #1 and on multiple occasions have driven it all the way to San Francisco. We consider it to be one of the prettiest drives anywhere in the county. Following Bandon, the first town you come to is Port Orford. A fond memory is hiking the Humbug Mountain State Park in 2016. This is one of the tallest viewpoints anywhere on the Oregon Coast and is a relatively easy hike.

Gold Beach is next and is where the Rogue River meets the Pacific Ocean. In the mid-2000’s we took a boat trip up the river. We booked through Jerry’s Rogue River Jet Boats and had a blast. The scenery was beautiful, the guide informative, and the topper was an Eagle that flew down and landed on the stern of our boat.

In between Gold Beach and Brookings, the last town in Oregon before you cross into California, there are multiple viewpoints, pull off’s, and hikes down to beach. I would recommend pulling off at a couple to fully take in the scenery – again, this is one of the prettiest drives we have ever experienced anywhere in the country.

In 2025 we did the Natural Bridge Viewpoint as well as the hike to the Secret Beach. Both were spectacular, but definitely read up on the hike before participating.

It was extremely steep, not well maintained, and at times very close to the cliff edge.

We typically only pass through Brookings, but on the rare occasions we stop we are always glad we did. The people seem friendly, the town is just big enough, and most importantly the beaches are spectacular. If you enjoy sandy beaches without crowds, this area is for you.

———- CENTRAL ———-

Eaglecrest resort located in Redmond is a place that has housed us for multiple family reunions. It offers extra large walking paths, multiple golf courses and swimming pools, as well as one of the largest traditional style putt putt golf courses I have ever experienced. We always seem to enjoy ourselves and extended family when spending time at Eaglecrest. While we haven’t spent much time in Bend, we typically take day trips into the city to explore as well.

John Day National Monument had been on our list of places to visit for awhile. However, with it being located roughly four hours from Portland outside of the small Central Oregon town of Mitchell, (population 120) it has taken us longer than we would have liked to visit. In the summer of 2025 it finally worked out for us see the Painted Hills in person. They are listed as one of the 7-wonders of Oregon and are truly spectacular.

There are multiple short hikes that highlight the bright colors of the hills. We did the Painted Cove Trail, the Painted Hills Overlook, and the Leaf Hill Trail.

Highway 26 is the main thoroughfare in this area. We learned the Oregon Trail ran right through this region and there are many landmarks and pull off’s commemorating the historical significance. While Central Oregon is not always the easiest to travel to, there are beautiful sites to experience and is worth a visit.

In all the years that we have lived in the Pacific Northwest, I have only visited Crater Lake National Park twice. It is a beautiful area and the lake, at just over 1,900 feet deep, is the deepest in the United States.

We have visited the village, the lodge, and walked around the paved rim trail taking pictures. We have also completed two hikes. The first hike was Watchmen Peak Lookout. The hike is relatively short but steep and provides amazing views from the top. The second hike was the Cleetwood Cove Trail, which is the only trail that connects to the water. At the bottom there is a place to swim, a marina, and you can even book a boat tour to Wizard Island.

On our most recent visit we stayed in Klamath Falls at the Running Y resort. We merely stayed one night and I didn’t get any pictures, but the resort was beautiful and we look forward to returning.

• OUR LIST TO VISIT OR RETURN TO:
• Crack-In-The-Ground Hiking Trail, Bend region
• Shakespeare Festival, Ashland
• Florence & Sand Dunes
• Silver Falls State Park
• Bend
• Owyhee Canyonlands