Category Archives: Oregon Experience

Oregon Mural Trail

Tree-lined streets Forest Grove Oregon and the Oregon Mural Trail

The videos of Travel Oregon’s Oregon, Only Slightly Exaggerated reveal whimsical scenes of enchanting forests, vineyards, rivers, mountains and share with you that magical feeling of being in Oregon.

Oregon Mural TrailThe captivating artwork is proudly hand-painted on walls in Oregon where the illustrations represent the destinations. Let the Oregon Mural Trail inspire you to get outside and experience the wonders of each community. Take photos of the murals and use the hashtag #OregonIsMagic in social posts to share the love. While in Forest Grove visit the landmarks and businesses that make our small Oregon towns just so magical.

Tucked into the Tualatin Valley not far from Portland, Forest Grove lives up to its name with tree-lined streets that are home to Oregon’s largest sequoia tree at the historic Hinman House. The city is just minutes from the area’s award-winning wineries and an impressive collection of breweries, distilleries and cideries.

The Tualatin Valley Scenic Bikeway spins through town and past vineyards and dairy farms before joining the Banks-Vernonia State Trail further north. From an Oregon Bed and Breakfast in the Willamette Valley check out this lovely mural, explore Oregon’s wine country, the Tillamook Forest and Oregon’s North Coast.

Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild is ready to share Oregon with you: it’s environment, culture, and heritage. Combine gracious hospitality with ambiance at an inspected and approved Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member Inn.

Hospitality Update: We all may be a little rusty, and a little leery, on planning trips just yet. While it’s almost safe enough to climb aboard that travel train, we’re ready when you are! Our inns have been proactively doing everything in our power to keep you safe and welcome you back. Not sure if your favorite inn is open? Give them a call as they just might be.

Tulips, Daffodils, Iris soon to bloom in the Willamette Valley

Tulips, Daffodils and other cut flowers will soon be in full bloom from now through April in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.

tulips in willamette valleySpring has arrived and a beautiful time to plan a trip to the Willamette Valley and the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival, which opened March 19 and runs through May 2.

All tickets must be purchased online and will be released at a limited capacity. Tickets are not available at the gate

Enjoy the flowers along with a variety of activities each day and special events on the weekends. This time every year they open their fields and expand their operations to include taking bulb orders, cut flowers, potted tulips, a gift shop, other plants, and all sorts of food and activities on weekends.

Are you a painter or a photographer? Whether amatuer or professional I would imagine this would be an amazing place to spend some time. After a day in the fields, just up the road from Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm rest your head at the Willamette Valley member inn of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild.

A field report from Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm:  ‘Our field looks amazing as you can see below. We are proud to say we have never seen a better field and we are hoping things continue to bloom nicely. We expect some color the entirety of the festival but the first week will not have a lot. We are currently at 10% bloom, so it is exciting to see some color around the farm.’

‘Giant rabbits jumping over tulip fields? Okay, the giant rabbits might Only be Slightly Exaggerated in Travel Oregon’s whimsical marketing campaign.

Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild is ready to share Oregon with you: it’s environment, culture, and heritage. Combine gracious hospitality with ambiance at an inspected and approved Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member Inn.

Hospitality Update: We all may be a little rusty, and a little leery, on planning trips just yet. And while it’s almost safe enough to climb aboard that travel train, we’re ready when you are! Our inns have been proactively doing everything in our power to keep you safe and welcome you back. Not sure if your favorite inn is open? Give them a call as they just might be.

Willamette Stone

The Willamette Stone was a small stone obelisk originally installed by the Department of Interior in 1885

The Willamette Stone Heritage Site is located in the west hills of Portland, Oregon. The surveys completed from this location promoted settlement of the Northwest and began the transfer of land from government ownership to private ownership.

The first marker, placed in 1851, a simple cedar stake, was replaced with a small stone obelisk in 1885. In 1945 the property was purchased to preserve and protect the origin point of the land survey system for Oregon and Washington. A stainless-steel marker, set into the original obelisk, was rededicated in 1988. The Willamette Meridian is one of 37 principal meridians in the United States. All land surveys and property descriptions in the states of Oregon and Washington are referenced at this point. The Willamette meridian runs north-south, and the Willamette baseline runs east-west through the marker.

The Willamette Valley marks the end of the Oregon Trail and the history of that migration can be discovered at heritage sites, museums, and cemeteries across the region. Known for its premium wines, craft breweries, cideries, meaderies and distilleries the Willamette Valley is also home to unique, one-of-a-kind Bed and Breakfasts awaiting your visit.

Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild is ready to share Oregon with you: it’s environment, culture, and heritage. Combine gracious hospitality with ambiance at an inspected and approved Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member Inn.

Hospitality Update: Oregon is one of the top states where it looks like social distancing is working. Our inns have been proactively doing everything in our power to keep you safe, welcome you back, when you’re ready to travel again. Not sure if your favorite inn is open? Give them a call as they just might be.

Winery Itinerary Tour Service

Winery Itinerary Tour Service at Chehalem Ridge Bed and Breakfast

An Oregon Wine Country adventure would not be complete without a stay at Chehalem Ridge Bed and Breakfast. And, since most visits to the Willamette Valley includes wine tasting, we’d like you to know that things have changed a bit from past years. Oregon wineries are requiring masks to be worn by all who are not seated at their tasting table. Easy, right? Also, due to social distancing, wineries have less capacity and most require reservations for tastings. Still easy, but a bit more effort. Chehalem Ridge Bed and Breakast wants to help take the effort out of your winery reservation planning.

With more than 500 wineries in the Willamette Valley making reservations can be a daunting task. To help you out Chehalem Ridge Bed and Breakfast offers a Winery Itinerary Tour Service for a $25 fee per itinerary. They have set up eight unique itineraries with some of their favorite, smaller wineries. After you choose an itinerary they’ll set up your day of tasting at 3 unique wineries of the Willamette Valley. You can easily add the Winery Itinerary Tour Service when you make your reservation online.

Chehalem Ridge Bed & Breakfast sits atop Chehalem Mountain, overlooking the Willamette Valley, home to Oregon’s Wine Country. On weather-friendly mornings breakfast is served on the guest deck with great views of the town of Newberg, pinot noir vineyards and fruit and nut orchards. Chehalem Ridge Bed and Breakfast offers a peaceful retreat from adventure and the valley below.

Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild is ready to share Oregon with you: it’s environment, culture, and heritage. Combine gracious hospitality with ambiance at an inspected and approved Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member Inn.

Wildfire and Air Quality Update: While the wildfires burning across Oregon are not completely extinguished they’re under control and cooler temperatures, good, strong onshore flow and most importantly, some measurable rain will help flush out the atmosphere, get rid of the last of the wildfire smoke. And the harvest of Pumpkins, Pinots and Pears will go on.

Hospitality Update: Oregon is one of the top states where it looks like social distancing is working. Our inns have been proactively doing everything in our power to keep you safe, welcome you back, as travel restrictions are being lifted. Not sure if your favorite inn is open? Give them a call as they just might be. We know Chehalem Ridge Bed & Breakfast is.

tourist hood river valley

A Tourist in the Hood River Valley

The innkeepers at the Old Parkdale Inn Bed and Breakfast enjoy playing the tourist in their own Hood River Valley, driving the Fruit Loop, a 35 miles driving tour through orchards, forests, farmlands, and friendly communities. “Sample delicious fruits and take your favorites home, visit a winery, experience fields of fragrant lavender, and savor delicious baked goods at Fruit Loop locations throughout the year.”

‘We stopped by the Mt Hood Winery, Oregon’s 2016 Winery of the Year.  The 8000 square foot Tasting Room facility was built with event hosting in mind.  A conference room, large meeting hall, a private dressing room. They thought of everything. Surrounded by newly planted vineyard the winery has breathtaking views of Mt Hood and the Hood River Valley.

The Fruit Loop is just an hour away from Oregon’s largest city, Portland. Located just outside the national scenic area called the Columbia River Gorge, our Valley is the nation’s largest pear-growing region, one of the few places that offers the complete experience of growing, producing, and then enjoying fruits and wines.

‘At the Gorge White House the flower fields bloom from April until first frost, usually in October. U-cut or they-cut flowers. This year they have tulips, daffodils, peonies, dahlias, gladiolas, rose mallow, sunflowers, delphiniums, cosmos, asters, zinnias, lilies, iris’s, snapdragons, echinacea, black-eyed Susans, marigolds, crocasmia, veronica, and more. Make an afternoon out of arranging your bouquets at the picnic tables or on the spacious patio.

‘Our last stop was at Packer Family Orchards and Bakery. The bakers use pears in just about every one of their products. By using pear concentrate, they have reduced or in some cases, eliminated the need for refined sugar in many of their recipes!  Enjoy the sweet taste even more, knowing that their products make for a healthier alternative.   I went in for some fresh peaches, so juicy and sweet, and one of their giant cherry/white chocolate cookie. Ended up with that one and the macaroon and one other that had an amazing lemon flavor.’

The harvest season will soon be in full swing. The Old Parkdale Inn Bed and Breakast along invite you to enjoy the fall season in the Hood River Valley.

Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild is ready to share Oregon with you: it’s environment, culture, and heritage. Combine gracious hospitality with ambiance at an inspected and approved Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member Inn.

Hospitality Update: Oregon is one of the top states where it looks like social distancing is working. Our inns have been proactively doing everything in our power to keep you safe, welcome you back, as travel restrictions are being lifted. Not sure if your favorite inn is open? Give them a call as they just might be. We know that Old Parkdale Inn Bed and Breakast is welcoming guests.

Wilson Ranches Retreat

Welcome, Partner, to Wilson Ranches Retreat

At Wilson Ranches Retreat, your hosts are fifth generation Oregonians, whose families homesteaded in Wheeler and Gilliam Counties over 100 years ago. A 9,000 acre working cattle and dude ranch takes you off the beaten track to a rustic hideout, located in the beautiful Butte Creek Valley three miles West of Fossil, Oregon off Highway 19.

Although the ranch has been running for over 100 years the Wilson’s opened the farmhouse to B&B guests 15 years ago. Breakfast with the Wilson’s is about much more than just good food and nourishment, it is truly a unique dining experience. The Wilson Family loves to sit down with the guests and share about ranch life, local history, and the funny and serious sides of rural living. Whatever the topic at the breakfast table, expect the conversation to be intelligent, informed and often humorous. You are likely to have a large helping of fun and laughter with Phil’s stories.

Let your inner Cowboy or Cowgirl out!  Visit Wilson Ranches Retreat for an authentic Ranch experience. Not the riding type? Not a problem. Sit under the cottonwoods, sipping lemonade while the rest of your party is out ‘working’! But you might want to join in. There may be an inner cowhand you’ve never even met!

This incredible, secluded scenic Oregon Lodging Ranch with spectacular sunsets and brilliant star-studded nights will captivate you.  Enjoy horseback riding in a geologically and historically rich area with a magnificent view of the Cascade Mountain Range or a quiet hike to view the wildlife and diverse flora and fauna on Wilson Ranches Dude Ranch. Wheeler County is home of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument and has the richest find of prehistoric fossils in the world.

Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild is ready to share Oregon with you: it’s environment, culture, and heritage. Combine gracious hospitality with ambiance at an inspected and approved Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member Inn. Hospitality Update: Oregon is one of the top states where it looks like social distancing is working. Our inns have been proactively doing everything in our power to keep you safe, welcome you back, as travel restrictions are being lifted. Not sure if your favorite inn is open? Give them a call as they just might be. We know Wilson Ranches Retreat is.

McKenzie River Koosah Falls

Expedia released, in November, its 2020 Trends in Travel report, an analysis of U.S. traveler data in 2019 that highlighted the rise of natural wonders and college towns as tourism destinations and top-selling experiences and attractions for the year ahead.

2020 Travel Trends waiting for you

Travelers were chasing waterfalls in 2019: According to Wiki are at least 238 accessible waterfalls in Oregon. A search for Oregon waterfalls on Northwest Waterfall survey resulted in 1591! Wouldn’t it be grand to witness the beauty of every one of them?

Silver Falls State Park is the largest state park in Oregon and only 20 miles southeast of Salem, our state capital with 9,000+ acres that includes more than 24 miles of walking trails, 14 miles of horse trails, and a 4-mile bike path. And 18 waterfalls! The 8.7-mile Trail of Ten Falls runs along the banks of Silver Creek and has 4 walk behind falls.

Hidden beaches up and down the Oregon Coast: Make your visit to the Oregon coast memorable and special with a stay in one of our member bed and breakfasts along “The Peoples Coast, one of 7 Wonders of Oregon

Natural wonders? Yep, we have quite a few. We invite you to not just see Oregon’s 7 Wonders, but experience them. And there are so many more than just Seven. They aren’t just for taking pictures. You really need to get out of the car, hike down from the scenic vista and feel them beneath your feet.

Small college towns near outdoor attractions like hiking and biking trails grew in popularity in 2019. The type of places where there’s energy and stimulation, great restaurants, where you can walk around at night and where there are tons of outdoor recreation options. Here are the best college towns in Oregon for 2019 highlighting those that have member inns of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild:

Activities and attractions are often the top considerations when travelers are choosing where to go and where to stay. Oregon is a beautiful state with stunning natural and architectural wonders. If you are planning a trip anywhere this year, take a few minutes to consider these places to visit in Oregon.

Oregon Truffle

Oregon Truffle season is fast approaching.  In Eugene, Oregon, the festival kicks off the with the Joriad Truffle Dog Championship on January 23. Then on January 24-26, 2020, the weekend offers a variety of special truffle packages for weekend-long immersions, including two new packages for 2020.

With hands-on cooking classes, truffle dog training, truffle hunts and workshops, learning opportunities abound at the Eugene weekend. Decadent truffle breakfasts, lunches, dinners and the Oregon Fresh Truffle Marketplace are offered as part of weekend packages and a limited number of experiences are sold à la carte.
Events selling out fast
Suggested lodging: C’est la Vie Inn

The events come to Yamhill County February 14-16. There are opportunities to have dinner in one of five Yamhill Valley restaurants, each featuring a prix fixe menu featuring Oregon black and white truffles.  And the option to just attend the Oregon Truffle Marketplace which will have cooking classes, chef demos, wine tasting, artisan food samples, fresh Oregon truffles for sale and a truffle dog demonstration.

You’ll want to make your reservations early at one of 17 Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member inns in the Willamette Valley.

The innkeepers of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild are ready to share Oregon, its environment, culture, and heritage with you.  Get to know our State like a local. Whether you’re looking for a quiet escape, a world class city experience, or a new spin on business travel,  you can be assured of combining gracious hospitality with ambiance when staying at an inspected and approved Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member Inn.

5 Reasons We Love Geocaching in Oregon

Geocaching in Oregon is nothing new as the game started here.  On May 3, 2020, this game, once known as the “Great American GPS Stash Hunt’, celebrates its 20th birthday with now over 3 million hides world wide.  A little history lesson here, the full version can be read on the Geocaching.com website where I pulled this information.

  1. You’ll find that discovery, exploration and adventure still exist in the real-world. It gets you out and about!
  2.  It’s a great way to stay healthy while having fun
  3.  Many of our innkeepers are cachers so you’ll experience new places from a local
  4.  Discover places you never knew existed
  5. You can learn fun facts about Planet Earth

And 5 reasons to Geocache as the Seasons change

  1. Trails are less traveled
  2. There may be more affordable travel options
  3. Enjoy the View: As the seasons transition temperatures can vary and lead to some stunning landscapes
  4. The changing weather means that you may have a sneak peek of summer sunshine in spring, or could indulge in ski or snowshoe caching in autumn!
  5.  A chance to get some lower elevation caches

Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild is ready to share Oregon with you: it’s environment, culture, and heritage. Combine gracious hospitality with ambiance at an inspected and approved Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member Inn.

Bicycle Oregon

Did you know that Oregon has the only Scenic Bikeway Program in the Nation?  And that many of these have been created by locals and have been ridden and reviewed to provide inspiration for planning a two-wheeled Oregon Cycling Vacation?   And that there is an Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member inn on, or near, almost every one of them that you can use as your base camp?  Or perhaps plan an Inn-to-Inn Ride.

The Sisters to Smith Rock Scenic Bikeway features varied terrain, generally downhill from Sisters, less than 37 miles, which most cyclists will find most enjoyable.

Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild is ready to share Oregon with you: it’s environment, culture, and heritage. Combine gracious hospitality with ambiance at an inspected and approved Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member Inn.

A special thanks to Travel Oregon for the work they do to promote Oregon Tourism and for providing this video