Drink up and stay the night at the old Catholic school in Bend, Oregon

by Meg Massie on

There’s something deliciously wrong about turning a Catholic schoolhouse into a pub and brewery, but in Bend, Oregon, the delicious far outweighs the wrong. When the St. Francis School relocated, Portland-based McMenamins bought up the original building, renovated it, and reopened the Old St. Francis School as a pub, theater, and hotel in 2004.

McMenamins brews are an Oregon staple, and the restaurant has some of the best pub fare there is. The School is also a great place to catch a show. This weekend, Old St. Francis is host to the BENDFilm Festival. Then there’s Monday Night Football, more movies, and live music. Coming up in November is the pub’s Fourth Anniversary Weekend Party, featuring performances from the Freak Mountain Ramblers.

The property has guest rooms starting at $114 per night and cottages that sleep up to ten people, starting at $185 per night. All reservations include free admission to the movie theater and use of the Turkish-style soaking pool on the property. You can also purchase special packages that include meals, drinks, shows, and activities in and around Bend.

Can there be a better place to party than an old Catholic school?

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Check out the view from McKenzie Pass

by Meg Massie on

Driving from Western Oregon to Bend in Central Oregon, a great route is the McKenzie Highway, Rt. 242. Snow closes this highway from November to July, so you’ve got to plan your trip for the late summer or early fall.

At the McKenzie Pass summit at 5325 feet in the Willamette National Forest, you’ll be surrounded by lava beds as far as the eye can see. There are places to park so you can get out and do some exploring, and on a clear day, this is one of the most stunning places in the world.

Near the summit, you’ll see a round structure built from the volcanic rock on top of a hill of volcanic rock. This is the Dee Wright Observatory, where visitors can peek through lava tube viewing holes at each of the major landmarks surrounding the area. Several of the tallest peaks of the Cascade Range are visible from the observatory, including Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, and the Three Sisters. Their bright white snowy peaks give a spectacular contrast to the dark gray lava beds all around you.

A paved 1/2-mile loop through the lava beds gives travelers a nice way to stretch their legs while taking in the scenery. Along the path are signs with interesting facts and information about the lava beds and how the scenery came to look this way. It’s fascinating, and definitely worth a detour if you’re anywhere near the area.

Classic road trips: The Oregon Coast

by Anna Brones on

Summer might be over, but it’s never out of season to take a road trip down the Oregon Coast. From summer sunshine to winter storms, following the Oregon’s Pacific coastline by way of Highway 101 provides for spectacular views, quirky stops and more fish and chips than you could ever want. Here’s your quick and dirty guide to making the best of it.

Getting started
Before you take off for the coast, spend a few days exploring Portland. Oregon’s largest city is known for its coffee culture, diverse array of restaurants and excellent microbrews; definitely the ideal place to kick off your road trip. Stop by Powells to pick up a map and even a guidebook to the coast; although driving down 101 is pretty straightforward — just go straight — it’s nice to know what towns you’re going through and where state and county parks are located so you can play on the beach.

Classic coastal cities worth a look

Cannon Beach
Portlanders love weekend trips to the coast, and the most popular route to get there is Highway 26, which takes you to the quaint coastal city of Cannon Beach. Here Ecola State Park and Indian Beach are popular with the surfing crowd; expect many Subarus and VW Vanagons that play double duty as surfboard transport and apres surf tailgate parties. For an authentic eating experience, take time to grab a bowl of chowder or a crab melt at the Ecola Seafood Restaurant; it’s a no frills kind of place, perfect for when you’ve got sandy feet leftover from your beach walk.

Tillamook
There’s really not a whole lot to do in Tillamook; it’s a small town surrounded by farms and on a road trip the smell of cows will certainly permeate your vehicle. But it does have one attraction that draws hundreds of tourists everyday: the Tillamook Cheese Factory. Learn and see just how the famous Oregon cheese is made and when your done, stand in line for free samples. The Tillamook Cheese factory also serves Tillamook ice cream — another Oregon favorite — but as a warning, the scoops are big; make sure your eyes aren’t bigger than your stomach.

Newport
Newport happens to be my personal favorite city on the Oregon Coast. It’s got a good coastal village feel, especially in the summer when the small beach-side cottages fill up with people intent on spending their vacation in a relaxed and charming atmosphere. For the classic coastal ambiance, head to the Historic Bayfront, featuring Oregon’s largest commercial fishing fleet. Along the main drag lie many a fish and chip shop, kitschy souvenir shops and even a Ripley’s Believe it or Not. Newport is also home to the Oregon Coast Aquarium and Oregon’s famous Rogue Brewery (classic beers are the Dead Guy Ale and the Shakespeare Stout).

What to do
The Pacific Coast Highway is known for its amazing views and driving along it is an activity in and of itself. But for the classic Oregon coast road trip, you’re going to want to plan time to stop and do other things. On the northern coast near Astoria, you can cross over the Columbia River and visit Cape Disappointment, the place where the members of the Corps of Discovery — ie the Lewis and Clark expedition — had their first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean.

Towards the central coast, between Florence and Coos Bay, is the Siuslaw National Forest – Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. Here you’ll find the impressive dunes, sometimes towering to 500 feet, that have been sculpted by the coastal winds. If you’re not a fan of dune buggies, you can still hike up the dunes for incredible views and photo ops of the largest expanse of coastal dunes in North America.

No road trip will be complete without a trip to the Sea Lion Caves. Part tourist trap, part natural curiosity, the Sea Lion Caves are said to be the world’s largest. Located just north of Florence, a visit to the caves allows for a close-up look at sea lions in their natural habitat. The visit entails an 200-foot elevator descent down into the caves where the sound of sea lions is almost deafening — these sea lions have nothing on the ones at San Francisco’s Pier 39.

Accommodations
In the summer, true road-trippers will have their tent and sleeping bags in the back of the car; sleeping next to the beach is a favorite summer pastime. Keep in mind that parks fill up quickly in the summer; either get to the campsite early or make a reservation. But if you’re exploring the coast during more dreary weather, you’re probably not going to want to bear the elements. If time allows, consider renting a cabin, which will allow you to explore the beaches and towns close by and get a better feel for the local community. Another option is renting a yurt, allowing you to get the feel of camping without the hassle of being in a small tent.

Good towns to stay in — because of accommodation availability and things to do nearby — include Astoria, Seaside, Cannon Beach, Newport, Bandon and Coos Bay. Check out the Travel Oregon website for an extensive search engine of coastal accommodations.

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The Horse Project in Portland, Oregon

by Meg Massie on

There’s so much to see and do in a big city like Portland that a tourist could easily miss out on some of the coolest parts of the city. You’ve probably been told before that it’s good to stop and smell the roses from time to time; in the Rose City, I like to stop and look for the horses.

What? Yes, horses. They’re all over the streets of Portland. Really. Dating back to the days of real horse-powered transportation, the sidewalks here have little iron rings for tying up your horses. Of course not many people are riding horseback around the city these days, but if you look closely, you’ll find that lots of these rings are still in use.

Artist Scott Wayne Indiana started the Horse Project in 2005 when he tied his first pony to a horse ring in northwest Portland. For a few months, he continued parking horses at rings all over town, and then he started asking the public to join in. It costs about $3 to round up all the necessary supplies (including the horse), and everyone is encouraged to participate. Now, pedestrians in Portland can spot plastic ponies all over town. It’s a really creative way to remember the history, and I love to go on horse hunting walks in this very pedestrian-friendly city. Take your kids out and make a game of it, and take your own ponies to tie up whenever you see an unused ring.

Where’s the best fall foliage? You tell us!

by Meg Massie on

There’s a saying in Virginia that goes “If God’s not a Hokie, then why are the leaves orange and maroon every football season?” Okay, okay, not all Virginians agree that Virginia Tech has the best football program in the land, but we are solidly united on the question of fall foliage. When the leaves start to turn, there’s no better place to see them than from a lookout point or a hiking trail in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Come to Virginia when the weather turns cool, and (if you can find a vacant hotel room) you’ll find a statewide celebration of our fantastic fall. In the Shenandoah Valley, especially, you’ll find art shows, wine tastings, parades, and special guided hikes and bike rides throughout October. Just when peak tourism season is ending everywhere else, we get a real boom from all those savvy travelers who have been able to admit to themselves that Virginia really does have the best autumn around.

I can’t speak for the rest of the country, though, because like my fellow Virginians, I prefer to stay here in the fall. But I have heard plenty of arguments from others. My husband says nothing beats an Oregon October. New Englanders tend to argue that they’ve got the best autumn colors. I’m guessing that wherever it is you call home, you think the fall foliage there is unbeatable, too. Tell us about it, then! Comment and let Gadling and our readers know what’s so great about autumn where you live.