Tag Archives: scenic byways

Thyme and Tide

Thyme and Tide Bed and Breakfast in Oceanside, Oregon

Thyme and TideThyme and Tide Bed and Breakfast provides a relaxing and romantic getaway in beautiful Oceanside, Oregon.  Nestled between Cape Lookout and Cape Meares set out to explore the scenic Three Capes Scenic Drive. Fall asleep to the sound of the surf and wake up to a delicious hot and hearty breakfast.  Pacific Ocean Beaches are but a mile away.

The two third floor guest suites at Thyme and Tide have been designed with your comfort in mind, each with large private bathrooms, queen beds with memory foam mattresses and fine linens.  Amenities include free WiFi and parking.

A small upstairs common area exclusively for guests offers travel information, books, games, microwave popcorn, a coffeemaker, and a refrigerator stocked with complimentary Tillamook ice cream.  Freshly baked treats are available in the late afternoon/evening.

So much to do near Thyme and Tide Bed and Breakfast in Oceanside:

  • beachcombing, tide pools, clamming, whale watching, bonfires
  • biking, hiking, waterfalls and forests
  • kayaks, canoes, horses
  • lighthouse, museums, wine tasting, brewpubs
  • the list goes on and on

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: Our inns are following COVID-19 protocol guidance from the Oregon Health Authority, Oregon is still requiring masks in some outdoor public spaces and all indoor public spaces, that includes the inns of the Oregon B&B Guild. 

Let’s all be respectful and safe and follow the guidance of the CDC. Our inns are doing everything in our power to keep you safe. Not sure if your favorite inn is open? Give them a call as they just might be.

Oregon Only Slightly Exaggerated


Explore more of Oregon Only Slightly Exaggerated

Are you about ready to hit the road? In Oregon it’s about the journey as much as the destination. And the destinations are pretty great here. Go ahead, take a look around

There’s no shortage of things to do in Oregon! And the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild would like to help you start planning your amazing Oregon Vacation. Not sure where to begin? We’ve created a bucket list of authentic Oregon experiences for you.

How many of these authentic Oregon experiences would you like to discover? How many can you check off your list while you’re here? How many more can you add?

Click here to print your own Oregon Bucket List!

Bucket List
  • Put your feet in the ruts left by pioneer wagons on the Oregon Trail
  • Sample your way through one of the nine Oregon Food Trails
  • Climb the stairs of an Oregon lighthouse
  • Munch on some Oregon hazelnuts (99% of US hazelnuts are grown here)
  • Pedal along one of Oregon’s 17 Scenic Bikeways
  • Find your new favorite wine at one of our 700 wineries
  • Recreate your favorite movie scene at a local movie site
  • Feel the mist of an Oregon waterfall on your face
  • Experience the joy of staying at a local bed and breakfast
  • Buy something you gotta have – tax free!
  • Count the whales along the Pacific Ocean
  • Drive one of the beautiful byways
  • Dig for fossils along the hills
  • _________________________
  • _________________________

Click here to print your own Oregon Bucket List!

The Oregon trail of Waterfalls represents countless hours, many sketches, and endless conversations to help make your next Oregon road trip one to remember. We look forward to seeing you soon. Please complete the form below to receive your free limited edition map now, while supplies last! If you prefer to view a digital version of the map or if you’re outside the U.S. or Canada, click here.

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NEXT: Click on each image below to create your own epic Oregon road trip! Click here to view a digital map with interactive links.

We look forward to hearing how many items you cross off your Oregon Bucket List!

Elkhorn Scenic Byway

The Elkhorn Scenic Byway ‘packs plenty of sights into a 106-mile loop through the mountains west of Baker City, long the lucrative hunting grounds of the Plateau Indian tribes and, later, where miners came to seek their fortunes. The true treasures are the Elkhorn Mountains and Baker Valley themselves, rich in beauty and history.’ Travel Oregon

The byway passes through farmlands along the Powder River before climbing up into a beautiful area of mountain lakes and outdoor adventure. The fall foliage starting here around October is absolutely gorgeous.

Miners and Farmers

Around 1900, thousands of miners chiseled and dredged millions in gold from the Elkhorn Mountains and Powder River to Sumpter. The massive Sumpter Valley Dredge still floats here, and has been recently restored. The dredge left much of the rocky footprint that you’ll see on your trek along Highway 7, and is an important link to Oregon’s pioneering past and development. It is one of the largest and most accessible gold dredges in the U.S.

Ghost towns of Oregon

The town of Granite was also big during the gold-rush, and many buildings here, now abandoned, remind us of a once flourishing place in Oregon. John Cabell operated the La Bellevue Mine in Cabell City.  All that remains of the settlement is the cemetery, which houses the graves of Fred and Johanna Cabell and their 8-year-old daughter, as well as a few abandoned buildings and mining equipment.

There is plenty to do on this road trip: hiking, biking, picnicking and oh, so many photo ops. We traveled this route the first part of the week, performing some quality assurance inspections on Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild inns. We drove the Journey Through Time Scenic Byway to Wilson Ranches Retreat, then explored the Ghost Towns on the Elkhorn Scenic Byway. Quite a bit of snow over the summit so you might plan this trip for next summer. Today we’ll head up to the Bronze Antler Bed and Breakfast in Joseph Oregon,

Oregon has 29 designated Scenic Byways! So, get in the car, take some pics, and reignite your soul. Quick note: please check for travel alerts, as well as the road and weather conditions. This free guide to Oregon scenic byways might come in really handy too.

You’re going to need road snacks for sure.

Oregon food trails and several Oregon food loops serve local fare with scenery on every side included for you keep you full. And Food Pods, popping up across the state. All the growers and crafters along these trails are committed to sustainable practices and supporting the agricultural legacy of their regions. So, go ahead — eat your heart out!

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: Watch for updates as mask restrictions may lift soon under guidance from the Oregon Health Authority, Oregon is still requiring masks in some outdoor public spaces and all indoor public spaces, that includes the inns of the Oregon B&B Guild. This measure is intended to slow the spread of the COVID-19 delta variant and went into effect Friday, Aug. 13. 

Let’s all be respectful and safe and follow the guidance of the CDC. Our inns will continue to do everything in our power to keep you safe. Not sure if your favorite inn is open? Give them a call as they just might be.

Journey Through Time

Journey Through Time Scenic Byway; An Oregon Scenic Byway

Journey Through Time Scenic Byway ‘reveals tales of pioneers, towns boomed and busted, and creatures that wandered this terrain million Journey Through Timeof years ago. The Journey Through Time Scenic Byway stretches 266 miles through north central to eastern Oregon. Beginning in the community of Biggs and ending in Baker City, this Byway meanders through ghost towns and small farming communities that bring the Old West to Life.

‘The ‘Wild and Scenic’ John Day River, North America’s second longest un-dammed river, parallels much of the route, offering excellent rafting, fishing, and camping. Geology buffs, and anyone who’s curious about fossils, will take great pleasure in the interpretive trails at the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. The monument is made up of three units, one of which is the Painted Hills, recently labeled one of the 7 Wonders of Oregon. Thanks to Travel Oregon for sharing this information.

You might consider bringing the bikes and trade out 4 wheels for two. The Old West Scenic Bikeway is a rugged piece of the Old West that you can check out, offering different terrains and scenery, from rushing rivers to hot springs to fossil beds and some attention-getting climbs.

Wilson Ranches Retreat in Fossil, Oregon, a member of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild provides the perfect accommodations when traveling the Journey Through Time Scenic Byway. The Ranch offers up true Oregon hospitality and an Old West Experience.

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: Watch for updates as mask restrictions may lift soon under guidance from the Oregon Health Authority, Oregon is still requiring masks in some outdoor public spaces and all indoor public spaces, that includes the inns of the Oregon B&B Guild. This measure is intended to slow the spread of the COVID-19 delta variant and went into effect Friday, Aug. 13. 

Let’s all be respectful and safe and follow the guidance of the CDC. Our inns will continue to do everything in our power to keep you safe. Not sure if your favorite inn is open? Give them a call as they just might be.

Hells Canyon

Hells Canyon Scenic Byway

Hells Canyon is the deepest canyon in the US. And you don’t want to wait too much longer to see it before winter sets. The fall foliage is amazing right now.

Start planning your Oregon Road Trip. Oregon has more designated scenic byways and tour routes than any other state. The Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild is the only State B&B Association and a welcoming inn awaits you as you travel the backroads. Thanks to Travel Oregon and the Oregon Department of Transportation for sharing this information.

Listed in an article of the deepest, longest, tallest, etc., record-setting places to visit in the US are two Oregon Locations:  the deepest canyon, Hells Canyon and the deepest lake, Crater Lake which will be mentioned in a future Scenic Back Road blog. Both are also listed as one of the 7 Wonder of Oregon. Oregon geo-tourism at its finest!

‘A Mile-Deep Gorge and Two-Mile-High Mountains. Oregon’s northeast corner has always been wild and untamed. From the unfathomable depths of Hells Canyon to the 10,000-foot peaks of the Wallowas, much of it remains inaccessible. The middle of this incredible drive is usually closed by snow from October through May.

Joseph is the premier small town for art and culture and is home to art galleries, unique shops, interesting restaurants and the delightful Bronze Antler Bed and Breakfast, a member of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild. The Bronze Antler features three cozy guest rooms and a modern Asian Suite with many upscale amenities.

Winter and spring guests will enjoy unencumbered snowmobiling, snowshoeing and backcountry skiing opportunities. But if it’s the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway you’d like to travel now’s the time to start planning your fall trip. A reminder: The center section of the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway is seasonal – it usually closes in early November and doesn’t open again until May or June depending on the snowpack. If you’re planning to drive entire Byway, check in with the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Office at (541)426-4978 or 426-5546 or by visiting their website.

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: With guidance from the Oregon Health Authority, Oregon will again require masks in all indoor public spaces, that includes the inns of the Oregon B&B Guild. This measure is intended to slow the spread of the COVID-19 delta variant and went into effect Friday, Aug. 13. 

Let’s all be respectful and safe and follow the guidance of the CDC. Our inns will continue to do everything in our power to keep you safe. Not sure if your favorite inn is open? Give them a call as they just might be.

Thyme and Tide

Thyme and Tide Bed and Breakfast in Oceanside, Oregon

Thyme and TideThyme and Tide Bed and Breakfast provides a relaxing and romantic getaway in beautiful Oceanside, Oregon.  Nestled between Cape Lookout and Cape Meares set out to explore the scenic Three Capes Scenic Drive. Fall asleep to the sound of the surf and wake up to a delicious hot and hearty breakfast.  Pacific Ocean Beaches are but a mile away.

The two third floor guest suites at Thyme and Tide have been designed with your comfort in mind, each with large private bathrooms, queen beds with memory foam mattresses and fine linens.  Amenities include free WiFi and parking.

A small upstairs common area exclusively for guests offers travel information, books, games, microwave popcorn, a coffeemaker, and a refrigerator stocked with complimentary Tillamook ice cream.  Freshly baked treats are available in the late afternoon/evening.

So much to do near Thyme and Tide Bed and Breakfast in Oceanside:

  • beachcombing, tide pools, clamming, whale watching, bonfires
  • biking, hiking, waterfalls and forests
  • kayaks, canoes, horses
  • lighthouse, museums, wine tasting, brewpubs
  • the list goes on and on

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: With guidance from the Oregon Health Authority, Oregon will again require masks in all indoor public spaces, that includes the inns of the Oregon B&B Guild. This measure is intended to slow the spread of the COVID-19 delta variant and went into effect Friday, Aug. 13. 

Let’s all be respectful and safe and follow the guidance of the CDC. Our inns will continue to do everything in our power to keep you safe. Not sure if your favorite inn is open? Give them a call as they just might be.

Oregon Outback Scenic Byway

NASA tests spacesuits in Oregon, echoing 1960s race to space

NASA is testing spacesuits designed for a return to the moon at a number of rugged locations around Bend, John Day and Crater Lake.

Apollo astronauts trained and tested their spacesuits in Oregon during the 1960s because the natural volcanic landscape closely resembles the moon.

Big Obsidian Flow is the youngest lava flow in Oregon

Oregon Space Exploration Test Sites

A crew of about 10 people came to Oregon to test the new suits at some of those same sites, which includes Lava Butte, the Big Obsidian Lava Flow, Fort Rock and Hole in the Ground along the Outback Scenic Byway and the Yapoah Lava Flow at McKenzie Pass.

They also visited a number of new sites including Pumice Slope at Crater Lake National Park, the Painted Hills at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument along the Journey through Time Scenic Byway, the Skylight Cave and Little Nash Crater.

The reason Starlight Cave was chosen as a test site is because, for the first time ever, NASA is testing spacesuits designed specifically for caves exploration.

The suits are being designed to display GPS maps, show heart rates, respond to voice commands and assist with detailed image sampling. Exactly what you’d expect from a 21st century spacesuit.

Oregon has 29 designated Scenic Byways!

So, get in the car, take some pics, and reignite your soul. Quick note: please check for travel alerts, as well as the road and weather conditions. This free guide to Oregon scenic byways might come in really handy too.

Train for a space mission? Tread the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, where astronauts have trained to walk on the moon! This byway has more than 500-miles of volcanic highlights and, of course, many waterfalls. Stay at Prospect Historic Hotel-Motel & Dinner House.

Outdoor Activities

The John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is a treasure of Earth’s history that covers the past 55 million years of time since the Dinosaurs died out and mammals took over the world.

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Visit the Painted Hills: distinguished by varied stripes of red, tan, orange, and black, this area preserves a sequence of past climate change.

Click here to have a FREE limited edition map on The Oregon Trail of Waterfalls mailed to your home, while supplies last. Or click here to see the map now online.

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: With guidance from the Oregon Health Authority, Oregon will again require masks in some outdoor public spaces and all indoor public spaces, that includes the inns of the Oregon B&B Guild. This measure is intended to slow the spread of the COVID-19 delta variant and went into effect Friday, Aug. 13. 

Let’s all be respectful and safe and follow the guidance of the CDC. Our inns will continue to do everything in our power to keep you safe. Not sure if your favorite inn is open? Give them a call as they just might be.

Say farewell to summer in extraordinary Eastern Oregon. Plan your end of summer escape that includes a stay at the Wilson Ranches Retreat, authentic Eastern Oregon Ranch.

Pioneer hospitality and an authentic ranch vacation await you at Wilson Ranches Retreat Bed & Breakfast providing exceptional lodging in central Oregon. Immerse yourself in a peaceful ranch environment rich in history and love on a 9,000 acre working cattle and hay ranch in the beautiful Butte Creek Valley, three miles west of the small town of Fossil, Oregon.

Travel the Journey Through Time Scenic Byway to Wilson Ranches Retreat and the abundant activities that await

Ranch Activities

Saddle up for a ride into the high desert hills, join in a cattle drive, hike, walk, or just plain mosey along while soaking breathtaking views and big-sky horizons in all directions. Enjoy a couple of hours in the saddle for spectacular views of the Columbia River Plateau, John Day Basin, and the Cascade Mountain Range.

Central Oregon Dude Ranch

Hike on one of the many game and cattle trails through the high desert hills surrounding Wilson Ranches Retreat. Explore miles of unique geology, flora, fauna and awe-inspiring viewpoints.

Flora and Fauna: The juniper and sage-covered high desert hills are magnificent for riding, birding, hiking, and photography. Wildflowers of lupine, mariposa lilies, Indian paintbrush and many more begin painting the range in late spring. Wilson Ranches is teeming with wildlife: Mule deer, pronghorn, elk, coyotes, badgers, squirrels, beaver, and birds of prey. Soak up nature and be replenished.

Birding: Wilson Ranches Retreat is nestled in the Butte Creek Valley and is home to Upland game birds (Chukar, Quail, and Hungarian Partridge) and birds of prey (Red-tailed Hawks, Golden Eagles, Bald Eagles, and Great Horned Owls).

Hunting: Upland game birds (Chukar, Quail, and Hungarian Partridge) hunting is available exclusively to Wilson Ranches Retreat guests from October through January.

Outdoor Activities

Explore the Natural wonders of the John Day River Territory

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The John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is a treasure of Earth’s history that covers the past 55 million years of time since the Dinosaurs died out and mammals took over the world.

Visit the Painted Hills: distinguished by varied stripes of red, tan, orange, and black, this area preserves a sequence of past climate change.

The John Day River is noted as a United States Wild and Scenic River and an Oregon Scenic Waterway and runs through the most geologically interesting country around.

For more than 50 years, people have been collecting remarkably preserved and beautiful fossils from an area behind Wheeler High School in Fossil, Oregon.

Museums and Cultural Activities

With plenty of cultural activities and museums in Oregon, there are many great ways to celebrate the heritage of the John Day River Territory! Visit museums with exhibits that tell the story of ancient fossil beds and display Native American artifacts dating back thousands of years.

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: With guidance from the Oregon Health Authority, Oregon will again require masks in some outdoor public spaces and all indoor public spaces, that includes the inns of the Oregon B&B Guild. This measure is intended to slow the spread of the COVID-19 delta variant and went into effect Friday, Aug. 13. 

Let’s all be respectful and safe and follow the guidance of the CDC. Our inns will continue to do everything in our power to keep you safe. Not sure if your favorite inn is open? Give them a call as they just might be.

Oregon Outback Scenic Byway

Oregon Outback Scenic Byway ~ A View into Oregon’s Past and Dynamic High Desert Scenery

Oregon Outback Scenic BywayWe recently spent a few weeks in Taos visiting our daughter. A long road trip that brought us back into Oregon from Nevada onto one of Oregon’s 26 Scenic Byways, Oregon Outback Scenic Byway.  This byway takes you through a slice of the Great Basin, an isolated diverse landscape, where lush green forests of the Oregon Cascades are replaced by sagebrush and stunning rock formations.

See striking evidence of mysterious rock formations left behind by volcanoes at Fort Rock. The Abert Rim is a 30-mile-long fault escarpment, one of the nation’s longest and most continuous fault escarpment that rises more than 2,000 feet above the Byway.

Take a few minutes to stop at Picture Rock Pass, named for ancient Indian petroglyph-decorated rocks that are within walking distance of the highway.  I discovered these while seeking Geocache GC18MWG ‘Between Basins’.  Yes, I am a cacher and, as everywhere in Oregon, there are plenty for you to hunt for. Don’t miss Lakeview Geyser Earthcache GC23CK7, the Old Perpetual Geyser.

Picture Rock Pass offers panoramic views of the lakes and forests. Stunning Winter Rim divides forest and desert and as the Geocache ‘Between Basins’ suggests, ancient lake basins.  The Paisley Caves, discovered in the cliffs above the Great Basin, have revealed fossils and evidence of human habitation as long as 14,000 years ago.

We also took advantage of a soak in the mineral baths of Summer Lake Hot Springs.  You won’t want to miss that.

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: Things are looking up. The CDC has updated mask wearing protocol and some inns may still be requiring masks to be worn in some situations. Please check with individual B&Bs to inquire about their specific policies. 

Let’s all be respectful and safe and follow the guidance of our individual counties, inns and businesses. Our inns will continue to do everything in our power to keep you safe. Not sure if your favorite inn is open? Give them a call as they just might be.

North Oregon Coast Birding

“The northern coast of Oregon stretches from the mouth of the historic Columbia River south to fog-shrouded Cascade Head, an area of broad tidal estuaries and rugged headlands that flank stretches of North Oregon Coast Birdingsandy beaches.”  This from the North Coast map of the Oregon Coast Birding Trail. From Astoria, to Seaside, the town of Tillamook, to Lincoln City. Close to 375 species of birds have been recorded on the Northern Oregon Coast and quite a few Oregon Bed and Breakfasts are awaiting your arrival.

Start your Oregon coast adventure in Astoria, Oregon, overlooking the mighty Columbia River. Astoria’s historic downtown is minutes from the floodplains and open wetlands of the lower Columbia River ecosystem.

The Necanicum Estuary is one of the best sites on the north coast to watch shorebirds during migration. The Pacific Coast Scenic Byway winds through flooded pasture, river frontage and estuaries surrounding Tillamook Bay Estuaries, bays, plentiful river systems, coastal rainforests and an extensive watershed ecosystem offers unmatched bird watching opportunities.

Heading down the coast toward Lincoln City is the Cascade Head Nature Preserve where spectacular sitka spruce forests end with views of the Salmon River Estuary. Roosevelt elk graze the open grasslands that are habitat for the endangered Oregon Silverspot Butterfly.

Oregon Bed and Breakfast inns on the Oregon Coast welcome you. You can certainly inn hop from Cannon Beach to Port Orford and stay at member inns along the way. Take your pick, grab your binoculars and be prepared to be dazzled by the abundance of wildlife and spectacular scenery on the Oregon 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: Things are looking up. The CDC has lifted the mask mandate for fully vaccinated individuals and while Oregon is following this guidance, some inns may still be requiring masks to be worn in some situations. Please check with individual B&Bs to inquire about their specific policies. Each Oregon county, depending on its vaccination and case numbers, are also adjusting their regulations accordingly. 

Let’s all be respectful and safe and follow the guidance of our individual counties, inns and businesses. While it’s almost safe enough to climb aboard that travel train it’s still a little scary but we’re ready when you are! Our inns will continue to do everything in our power to keep you safe. Not sure if your favorite inn is open? Give them a call as they just might be.