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Southern Oregon Coast Road Trip Attractions
Few places on Earth can match the Oregon Coast’s rugged natural beauty. The 300+ mile-long coastline is a testament to nature’s supreme craftsmanship. It is a masterpiece of scenery. A photographer’s dream. A mighty display of sea-meets-land. Defined by its wildlife-laden sea stacks, sweeping sandy beaches, towering cliffs, and rugged dunes, Oregon’s scenic coastline makes for an unforgettable road trip destination. And nowhere does this ring more true than along the southern Oregon coast—a spectacular stretch of wild shoreline that spans Highway 101 between Coos Bay and Brookings. ATTRACTIONS…
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Samuel H Boardman State Park on the Oregon Coast
As Highway 101 winds along the Southern Oregon Coast’s rugged and wild shoreline, it showcases jaw-dropping vistas and superlative natural splendor. The winding ribbon of road traverses some of the most breathtaking scenery in the Pacific Northwest. It features jagged rock monoliths, deserted beaches and sweeping sand dunes that have been sculpted by harsh winds and crashing waves over the course of millennia. Oregon’s southern coastline is a testament to nature’s capacity for both careful creation and heedless destruction. And nowhere is its harsh and fragile beauty more spectacular than…
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12 Incredible Things to Do in Central Oregon
Central Oregon is one of the United States’ most beguiling outdoor playgrounds. In recent years, the area has soared in popularity. It has become a mecca for nature enthusiasts and recreation lovers. The fact that there are countless things to do in Central Oregon is no longer a secret. And today, its deserts, volcanoes and ponderosa forests—once largely dismissed in favor of fertile lands to the west—-are beginning to draw adventurous tourists in droves. Dan and I have always tried to go against the grain in our travels. We’ve often…
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Exploring the Newberry Crater in Central Oregon
Visiting the lava lands of Central Oregon is just about as close as one can get to setting foot on the moon. At least that is what researchers believed in the late 1960s, when they sent NASA astronauts to the Newberry Crater Volcanic Monument in order to test out spacesuits and equipment. Scientists believed the moon’s mysterious pockmarked terrain was a result of volcanic activity. So in order to prepare for what they might encounter in space, they performed extensive fieldwork at the Newberry Crater. Of all the lunar landscapes…
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Traveling the Oregon Outback Scenic Byway
Oregon often conjures images of lush rain-soaked forests and snowcapped mountains. But towering trees and dizzying shades of green only paint a small picture of the state’s beauty and intrigue. What if I were to tell you that Oregon is two thirds desert? Or that, in the Oregon Outback, cowboy country is alive and well? Growing up, I didn’t give much thought to the barren eastern half of the state. Like most people, I assumed that there wasn’t much to see amongst the nothingness. However, I’ve recently begun to realize…
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Alvord Desert and Steens Mountain: A Southeast Oregon Road Trip
Southeastern Oregon is a special place. And not just because it is where Dan proposed to me under a blanket of stars during our brief Oregon road trip in 2018. It is special because it is one of the last outposts of off-the-beaten-path wilderness in the continental United States. Driving through the lower-right corner of Oregon is like navigating the surface of the moon. It is desolate. It is stark. It is parched. It is often viewed as a wasteland; a barren stretch of flyover country that is defined by…
