I always plan an Oregon trip around its coastal vistas. But I also end up discovering new attractions, summer gardens, and fall foliage drives. Oregon doesn’t just show you beauty...it literally draws you into it. Whether I'm walking through serene gardens, exploring deep forest trails, or staring up at the wingspan of a historic aircraft, the state offers a quiet, persistent wonder.
Best Things to Do in Oregon
Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum
The Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville, an easy one-hour day trip from Portland, was larger than life. As I walked beneath the massive wings of the Spruce Goose, I felt like a wide-eyed kid again.
Planes, rockets, and the stories were abundant here. I remember thinking, “This is where dreams took flight.”
What I Loved Most: Seeing the Spruce Goose, the largest wooden airplane, up close. It’s truly jaw-dropping.
My highlights? I grabbed a burger and shake from Hole in the Wall BBQ nearby. It was hearty, smoky, and exactly what I needed after seeing all that history.
Travel Tips:
- Location: McMinnville, Oregon
- Vibe: Expansive, inspiring, hands-on
- Highlights: Spruce Goose, space exhibits, flight simulators
- Best Time to Visit: Year-round
- Cost: ~$26.33 adult admission
- Hours: Daily, 9 AM–5 PM
Portland Japanese Garden
Back in Portland, I spent a while exploring the Portland Japanese Garden. Every time I go, it's like entering another world. The mossy stones, soft trickle of water, and all the trees and shrubs and so restorative. I remember thinking, “I love feeling so peaceful.”
What I Loved Most: I found the Sand and Stone Garden the most fascinating. It was like encountering a mini desert in the middle of the forest.
My highlights? A matcha latte and seasonal wagashi treat from the Umami Café onsite. I sipped slowly while looking out over the hillside pines.
I spent the night at The Nines for its proximity to MAX Light Rail which runs every 15 minutes.
Travel Tips:
- Location: Portland, Oregon
- Vibe: Tranquil, elegant, sacred
- Highlights: Five traditional gardens, koi pond, cultural exhibitions
- Best Time to Visit: Spring and fall for blooms and color
- Cost: ~$22.50 adult admission
- Hours: Wednesday–Monday, 10 AM–4:30 PM
Oregon Trail Interpretive Center
We took a detour east and drove to the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center for nearly five hours. Standing on the ridges above Baker City and looking out across the Oregon Trail ruts, I felt history settle in my chest. The exhibits inside the Interpretive Center were vivid, emotional, and beautifully told.
What I Loved Most: The panoramic view from the outdoor trails, with real wagon tracks still etched into the landscape.
My highlights? A rustic bowl of chili and cornbread at a diner in Baker City afterward felt like a fitting nod to the past.
Travel Tips:
- Location: Near Baker City, Eastern Oregon
- Vibe: Historic, immersive, heartfelt
- Highlights: Life-size wagon replicas, film room, pioneer artifacts
- Best Time to Visit: Late spring to fall
- Cost: ~$8 adult admission
- Hours: Typically Wednesday–Sunday
Hatfield Marine Science Center
If you are traveling with kids, the Hatfield Marine Science Center is a fun 2.5-hour day trip from Portland.
The ocean came alive at the Hatfield Marine Science Center. I watched sea stars stretch, anemones pulse, and kids shriek with laughter while touching sea urchins. I remember thinking, “Science really is magic when it’s this close.”
What I Loved Most: The octopus feedings. Watching it move with such intelligence and grace was mesmerizing.
My highlights? Fish tacos from Local Ocean Seafoods in Newport afterward, with a view of Yaquina Bay and the smell of salt air all around me.
Travel Tips:
- Location: Newport, Oregon
- Vibe: Playful, educational, coastal
- Highlights: Tide pool touch tanks, research displays, live octopus
- Best Time to Visit: Summer or spring break
- Cost: Free (donations welcome)
- Hours: Usually 10 AM–4 PM, closed Tuesdays
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
Back in Portland, OMSI was buzzing with energy. I saw kids building rockets, adults marveling at the planetarium, couples laughing in the chemistry lab. It had something for every kind of curious mind. I remember thinking, “I could spend all day here and still want more.”
What I Loved Most: The submarine tour. For me, stepping aboard a real naval sub was unexpectedly thrilling.
My highlights? A burger at Hopworks Urban Brewery just down the street.
Travel Tips:
- Location: Portland, Oregon
- Vibe: Interactive, fast-paced, family-friendly
- Highlights: Submarine tour, planetarium, hands-on labs
- Best Time to Visit: Weekdays to avoid crowds
- Cost: ~$18–$22 general admission
- Hours: Wednesday–Sunday, 9:30 AM–5:30 PM
Green Streets & Easy Energy in Eugene, OR
I drove about 2 hours south of Portland to reach Eugene on a fall morning. Once I arrived, I walked around to get my bearings. The air was crisp and pine-sweet. There were hints of roasted coffee drifting from cafés (yes, Eugene has great cafes too!). On a shaded street near the University of Oregon, I paused and thought, “Fall has to be the best time to visit this lovely city.”
What I Loved Most: I admired the community gardens, murals, and independent bookstores.
My highlights? I stopped for lunch at Cornucopia. It's a laid-back corner spot with patio seating. I was welcomed with the smell of caramelized onions wafting through the door.
Plan your things to do in Eugene:
- Drive Time from Portland: ~2 hours south
- Vibe: Progressive, leafy, small-town feel
- Highlights: University of Oregon campus, Spencer Butte hikes, Saturday Market, Fifth Street Public Market, Cornucopia Restaurant
- Best Time to Visit: Spring through early fall for blooms, bike rides, and outdoor dining
- Cost: Free to explore; meals ~$15–$25; local attractions vary
- Hours: Most restaurants open 11am–9pm; markets and shops vary
South Coast Tours & the Wild Calm of the Oregon Shore
“This is the kind of quiet that gets into your bones,” I thought as the kayak cut through the water near Port Orford on a summer day. Paddling with South Coast Tours was a wonderful adventure.
The cliffs rose on either side like guardians of time, their faces carved by centuries of wind and waves. Sea lions barked somewhere in the mist.
What I Loved Most: The hush between the sea caves—moments when we floated still, only the water moving, echoing like breath through ancient stone.
My highlights? After the paddle, we headed to Redfish, a bright coastal bistro just above the harbor. I ordered the Dungeness crab sandwich on brioche with citrus aioli. The crab was sweet and cool, the bread warm and golden.
Plan your day trip:
- Drive Time from Brookings: ~1 hour north
- Vibe: Rugged, peaceful, adventurous
- Highlights: Kayak or paddleboard tours to sea caves, whale watching, Cape Blanco Lighthouse
- Best Time to Visit: Summer to early fall for calm seas and clearer skies
- Cost: Kayak tours start around $65/person; meal ~$20–$30
- Hours: Tours by reservation; café open daily for lunch and dinner
Kiyokawa Family Orchards
If you are planning a fall vacation, you'll not want to miss this one.
I drove up toward Mount Hood as rows of fruit trees stretched beneath glacier-fed slopes. When I arrived at Kiyokawa Family Orchards in Parkdale, the sun was low, the air cool and sweet with fruit blossoms.
I paused to breathe in orchard breeze and thought, “This place grows more than apples...it grows stories.”
I walked through a sea of trees, each branch heavy with apples, pears, cherries, peaches and rare Asian pears. I grabbed a crisp, sun-warm apple off the tree and took a bite: tart, juicy, impossible to forget. Side by side, locals sipped fresh cider and sampled turnovers that smelled of cinnamon and sunshine.
What I Loved Most: How deep legacy and modern variety coexist—over a century of harvests, more than 120 apple types, and a family history that still blooms in the orchard’s rows.
Plan your visit:
- Location: 5625 Hutson Drive, Parkdale, Oregon, in the Hood River Valley
- Vibe: Multi-generational family farm, intimate U-pick adventure, panoramic mountain views
- Highlights: Largest U-Pick orchard in the valley; fresh fruit stand with cider, jams, turnovers, local honey; children’s play area and picnic-friendly grounds
- Best Time to Visit: July through early November—cherries and early stone fruits from July; peak apple and pear harvest in late September to early October
- Cost: Fruit stand and U-pick produce around $2–7/lb or by box; events like honeycrisp tastings often included in admission
- Hours: Mid-summer (July–August 17) weekends 10 AM–5 PM; from August 22 to early November, daily 10 AM–6 PM on weekdays and 9 AM–6 PM weekends; tapering to 10 AM–4 PM through mid-November
Pastures, Creamery & Coastal Quiet in Tillamook, OR
The road into Tillamook curved past wide pastures and grazing cows, with the air smelling faintly of hay and salt. Just an hour and a half from Portland, Tillamook was unhurried and beautiful.
At the Tillamook Creamery, I watched families gather around scoops of ice cream. Factory windows gave me a view of the quiet rhythm of cheese in the making. “This place feeds people and just keeps going,” I thought, spooning up a sample of cheddar curds still warm from the vat.
What I Loved Most: The mix of farmland and coastline. How one minute you’re petting goats and the next you’re watching waves break against basalt rock.
My highlights? At the Tillamook Creamery, I ate a grilled cheese so crisp it cracked when I bit in. I lingered at the tasting station, trying both aged cheddar and smoked gouda. Then I drove along the coast, stopping at Cape Lookout State Park. I paused where the forest trail opened suddenly to a panoramic cliff view of the Pacific.
Plan your Tillamook visit:
- Drive Time from Portland: ~1.5 hours west
- Vibe: Dairyland charm with a rugged coastal edge
- Highlights: Tillamook Creamery, Cape Lookout State Park, Candy shop at Blue Heron French Cheese Company, Three Capes Scenic Route
- Best Time to Visit: Summer and early fall for sunny skies and coastal views
- Cost: Creamery entry free; food ~$10–$20; state park ~$5 parking
- Hours: Creamery open 10am–6pm; parks open daily
Conclusion
Oregon gave me time...to think, to wander, to reconnect with what inspires me. From apple picking and coastal views to the mossy paths of Portland’s gardens, it’s a state that rewards your attention with depth and beauty. I remember thinking, “This is the kind of place that fills you up without trying too hard.” I left with wind in my hair, sea salt on my shoes, and a head full of new stories.
More to explore...
Jump to a Spot...
- • Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum
- • Portland Japanese Garden
- • Oregon Trail Interpretive Center
- • Hatfield Marine Science Center
- • Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
- • Green Streets & Easy Energy in Eugene, OR
- • South Coast Tours & the Wild Calm of the Oregon Shore
- • Kiyokawa Family Orchards
- • Pastures, Creamery & Coastal Quiet in Tillamook, OR
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