Food, Nature and Wine All in One Oregon Road Trip You Didn't Know You Needed

Impossible to pick the favorite, but some contenders: soaking in Beitou Hot Springs in Taipei, night swimming through glowing phosphorescence in the Sea of Cortez, late night spleen sandwiches on a Palermo street corner.

I have lived in Portland for 22 years and grew up on Vashon Island, Washington, and in Haines, Alaska, so let’s say the Pacific Northwest.

I do a lot of planning at work, so I’m actually pretty freewheeling on the road — whether that’s because I’m a free spirit at heart, or because I’m a frantic workaholic who comes in hot to every trip, I can’t decide. Recently I’ve reverted to leaving without even booking all my hotels. I might make reservations for a few special restaurants, or arrange visits to certain sites ahead of time, but I never fill my whole day. Too often, I end up meeting people who give me great recommendations and I like to be able to switch gears if I feel like it.

I like having a reason to go somewhere besides vacation, whether that’s taking a workshop, interviewing somebody for a freelance project, seeing friends, researching a writing project, or anything that gets me interacting with people who live there in a way that’s not wholly transactional.

A long, green, agricultural valley wedged between two mountain ranges in western Oregon. Portland’s at the north end, Eugene’s at the south end, and in between are hundreds of wineries, lots of cute towns, great restaurants, and beautiful yet approachable outdoor experiences.

This is a great spot for a road trip. Fly into Portland (or Eugene!), rent a car, and hit the road. Nothing is that far apart, but the landscape is incredibly varied. You can easily be in the Cascades at 5,000 feet of elevation, at a vineyard, and at the coast in a single day.

If it’s springtime, head for one of the amazing flower farms in the Willamette Valley, like Schreiner’s Iris Gardens or Adelman Peony Gardens.

In summer, Radke’s Blueberries in Corvallis has the best u-pick: Tall bushes, super-organized system, and the sweetest blueberries you’ll ever taste.

If we count Portland as part of the Willamette Valley, which it technically is, then that’s easy: Voodoo Donuts. You can get stale donuts at home, folks.

The other one isn’t a tourist trap or overhyped as much as it is an incomplete picture: Pinot noir. Willamette Valley pinot noir can be wonderful, but it’s just one of so many different varieties of wine grown and made here, and it’s often ultra-expensive. If you’re stoked to drop $120 on a bottle of pinot, you’ll have lots of opportunities, but I think you should try some other stuff while you’re here too.

The food and drinks. Oregon has an incredible and tight-knit community of chefs, winemakers, farmers, brewers, distillers bakers, grain growers, and other food folks who make some of the most incredible ingredient-driven food in the world in sometimes very humble surroundings.

The Willamette Valley’s agricultural fertility is the result of the Missoula Floods, a series of cataclysmic floods that happened at the end of the last ice age as the vast lake formed by melting ice in the area now known as Montana burst through its ice dams several times. These floods essentially swept the topsoil from eastern Washington all the way through the Columbia Gorge and deposited it in the Willamette Valley. In some places it is 300 feet deep. That ultra-fertile valley floor soil isn’t ideal for grapes — they’re usually up on the slopes — but it is part of why the Willamette Valley today is one of the most important specialty seed growing regions in the world, and such a good place to grow fruits, nuts, and vegetables.

The Northwest is famous for its rain, but summers here are reliably hot and dry from late June to early October — and increasingly very hot, like 90+. Not everywhere has AC here, so if that matters to you, double-check.

It’s a little funny to talk about this because I don’t care about college sports (any sports really!), but college football is big here and the two major Oregon teams – the Oregon State University Beavers (Corvallis) and the University of Oregon Ducks  (Eugene)– play each other in an epic game each year that locals call the “civil war.” Side note: Unless you’re into that sort of thing, this is a terrible time to visit because the hotels are packed.

I am a somewhat minimalist packer and Oregon is extremely casual, so I get a lot of mileage out of the same uniform: long-sleeved bodysuits, wide leg jeans, blundstones, multiple sweater layers, a good raincoat, and a hat.

Antica Terra is one of Oregon’s cultiest wineries, and their “Very Nice Lunch” is truly an understatement. Budget much of your afternoon and a not-insignificant amount of cash for this truly remarkable experience, which highlights many of the ingredients that the Valley is known for as well as many that might surprise you.

Food first, nature second.

Food: There are so many good options. You could spend several days just eating and walking around in Portland before heading out, but if you’ve only got time for lunch, head for one of the VL restaurants for Vietnamese soups (Rose VL, Ha VL, and Annam VL are equally excellent), Rangoon Bistro, Maurice, L’Echelle, Coquine, OK Omens, Kaede, Scotch Lodge, Rum Club, Away Days, Grand Fir.

In Newberg, go to Rosmarino for real-deal Italian food. Winemakers eat burgers at Lumpy’s in Dundee or tacos at Martha’s in Lafayette.

In McMinnville, head for Grounded Table for farm-to-table new American, Pura Vida Cocina for ceviche or the rooftop bar at Hotel Oregon for tater tots (an Oregon invention!) and beers.

Don Froylan Creamery in Salem makes all sorts of wonderful Mexican cheeses, plus incredible (and enormous) quesadillas.

In Eugene, get rum cocktails and Caribbean food at Yardy’s and hippie breakfast at Morning Glory Café.

Nature: The Coast Range along the Willamette Valley’s western edge is a great place to hunt for fall mushrooms, especially chanterelles. Hike Mary’s Peak for the best views. Silver Falls State Park is a super accessible spot to see waterfalls and take an easy, mostly paved hike (there are also cabins you can rent).

If you’re staying in Eugene, look for a spot downtown or in the Whiteaker District – both have tons of walkable restaurants, bars, and shops.

In Portland, anywhere on the east side. There are fewer hotels over here, but it’s where the city’s soul lives.

Out in the valley, McMinnville is the most obvious place to stay, with plenty of places to eat and drink in a tight downtown core.

Coffee and pastries at Alea Bakery & Café inside Mac Market in McMinnville.

Splurge on the most epic lunch of your life at Antica Terra in Amity.

Late night fried chicken at Yardy’s in Eugene or delicious-yet-unclassifiable dinner at gorgeous Hayward in Carlton.

Happy Hour! Go wine tasting in the Eola-Amity hills at Johan Vineyards or get cider at RAW Cider in Dundee.

Wellspent Market inside Mac Market in McMinnville is a great spot to shop for local treats, wine, vermouth, tinned fish, veggies, condiments, and other kitchen goodies.

Wherever you are, there’s probably at least one weekly farmer’s market. Don’t miss it.