8 Spectacular Outdoor Excursions and Hikes in Central Oregon

We’re lucky to have family in Central Oregon, and have been visiting the Redmond/Bend area every year for more than 20 years. This post features our favorite hand-picked excursions and hikes…

Northwest Berry Guide: Growing, U-Pick and Foraging Tips in Oregon and Washington

Here in the Northwest, we have the perfect climate for growing a variety of berries, which begin to ripen as early as May with the first strawberries. Growing your own berries, visiting a U-pick farm, and foraging for wild berries are…

A Beautiful Spring Day Trip to My Brothers’ Farm in the Southern Willamette Valley

One idyllic spring day, with my nine-year-old son in tow, we headed out to My Brothers’ Farm in Creswell, Oregon to learn about organic hazelnut production. What we experienced was so much more: a bustling first-generation family farm realizing a beautiful vision of land stewardship, sustainability, partnership, and farm-to-table ethos…

7 Fun Things To Do in Family-Friendly Newport, Oregon This Spring (or Anytime)

In my recent post about Cannon Beach, I shared a few of our favorite things to do in this beautiful town along the Oregon coast, and Newport is another much-loved coastal destination that we have enjoyed every season of the year…

Take a Mini-Vacation in Stunning Cannon Beach, Oregon

I’m a big fan of the mini vacation. Getting away for three or four nights by car is just enough time to recharge and explore an area, but not so long that you will be derailed from bigger travel savings goals. We have taken many trips like this along the West Coast, including two to Cannon Beach, and…

6 Great West Coast Campgrounds for Families to Visit in 2021

Winter may seem like an odd time to plan a summer camping trip, but with many of the most popular campsites booking out six months or more in advance, the time is right to reserve your family camping trip for 2021…

A Hands-on Hazelnut Weekend in Oregon’s Willamette Valley

If you’ve ever taken a drive through the Oregon countryside, odds are, you’ve happened upon a hazelnut orchard. Recently, though, it has felt like hazelnut trees are everywhere…

COVID-19 Camping in the Pacific Northwest: Planning and Safety Tips

One by one, I reluctantly canceled all our trips this summer, from a coastal resort weekend to a San Francisco road trip to a flight to Southeast Alaska. There was one that I kept on the calendar, though, a car camping trip in…