Through My Lens

The Tualatin Valley comprises the vast area of land between Portland and the Oregon Coast. Among its rolling hills and sparse forests sit many amazing adventures including wine tasting, berry picking, and bike riding. Amie and I got a chance to spend three days there, and we collected our favorite spots in the below list of food, drink, and activities. Be sure to watch the video to see all of these spots and more in action and check out the Tualatin Valley yourself next time you are in Oregon.

Video

Here is a video I made of my time exploring the Tualatin Valley.

Eat

Tualatin Valley is full of great eateries scattered around the many towns along Highway 26. We tried a bunch of spots while we were there, here are our favorites.

Helvetia Tavern

Home to the jumbo burger, an old-school style cheeseburger that people drive from all over to try. Helvetia Tavern is a fun spot that seems like it is far from civilization with a relaxed atmosphere and hats hanging from the ceiling.

I recommend the jumbo burger here and the half and half onion rings and fries if you have someone to share them with (there are a lot of them).

Syun Izakaya

One of the top Japanese restaurants in the surrounding Portland area, Syun Izakaya is always busy, and it is easy to see why. The sushi here is inspired and top notch with excellent presentation and fresh fish. They also have lots of specials that change weekly, and that feature dishes like shrimp stuffed shishito peppers. It’s a small restaurant but it is worth the wait.

Oyatsupan Bakers

Oyatsupan Bakers is a Japanese breakfast spot with a selection of pastries that you pick yourself. You can find many of the traditional foods here like red bean paste and matcha inspired pastries, but you can also find donuts and croissants to go with them.

Cornelius Pass Roadhouse

Cornelius Pass Roadhouse was probably my favorite restaurant to visit in the area. The massive historic farmstead features many old barns and even a large farm home. It is two minutes off the freeway but it feels like a world away, and when you are there sitting by the fire and drinking whiskey from the Little White Shed Bar in the back you will forget you are still 5 minutes from a major city.

Be sure to plan some time for your visit here as there is a lot to explore and good food to be had at the restaurant, especially the appitizer green beans.

Ridgewalker Brewing Company

Ridgewalker Brewing Company was my favorite food spot in the area, with a menu of unique options and lots of great beers to go along with it. The interior is open and inviting with metal tones and a massive wooden table down the middle that was from one continuous cut of wood. I recommend getting one of the burgers, but my wife got the fish and chips with sweet potato fries and loved that as well.

Drink

Insomnia Coffee

Good coffee is easy to find in Portland, but it is satisfying to know that the Tualatin Valley has some as well. Insomnia is a gem in the area with fantastic lattes and great black coffee as well. We went many times during our trip and were not let down. Plus it is a cool spot to hang out, work a little or just relax.

Wine Tasting

With over 100 wineries in the area there are lots of great ones to explore, but here are a few of our favorites. Each of these wineries have fantastic views, which is what made them so great.

Alloro Vineyard

This winery feels like something you would find in Italy with a large home and views that stretch over the vineyard. It’s one of the smaller tasting rooms, but there are lots of spots outside to sit and relax with a bottle of wine.

Hawks View Cellars

Another favorite winery, Hawks View has a tasting room situated on a hill and surrounded by vines. I especially liked looking out and seeing the red barn in the distance as it was a beautiful spot for a photo. Great wine here as well with a carbonated red that was unlike anything I have had before.

Ponzi

Ponzi is the most famous of the wineries in the region, but it has earned that reputation through amazing wines. Ponzi was the last one we went to, and it was a great way to end our day of exploring with beautiful views and endless amounts of good wine. I imagine this being a fantastic spot at sunset especially (if they are open).

Sake Tasting at SakeOne

Not to be outdone by the wine, there is also a sake tasting room in Tualatin Valley. I can honestly say I have never given sake much thought in the past, but I enjoyed being able to learn more about it and find a few I liked during my tasting. It is not for everyone, but I recommend doing a flight here and seeing if you find any you like.

Do

The Tualatin Vally is an outdoor playground, with one of the best bike trails in Oregon running through it. Even without that though there are still many fun adventures to be had in the area, here are a few of my favorites.

Brew Methods Class

Dapper and Wise is the company that owns Insomnia Coffee, and they have a room for classes right next door. We took the brew methods class when we were there where they brewed the same coffee through five different methods, and we got to try the subtleties of each. It was a lot of fun to learn more about coffee and confirm my favorite method for making it. They also have a latte art class that I would love to take in the future as well.

Smith Berry Barn

Since the area is known for its fruit, be sure to head out to one of the u-pick farms. We went to Smith Berry Barn and enjoyed picking fresh strawberries (the only fruit in season when we went).

Don’t forget to feed the goats on the property as well and you do not want to leave without having a fresh berry milkshake.

Bike the Banks-Vernonia State Trail

The Banks-Vernonia Trail is 21 miles, and it was created after the removal of an old railroad line. I only biked 7 miles of it, but it was terrific with lush green trees lining the path and old train trestles you could ride over. If you get a chance, be sure to check it out and head to Banks Bicycles to rent a bike to take on the trail.

Top Golf

Top Golf has become a popular attraction around the USA, but I hadn’t done it before we came here. It was a blast, and I wish California had one as I would love to go more often. If you haven’t been, basically it is a driving range with large targets, and you compete against your friends to see who can hit the balls into the goals and score the most points. You pay by the hour and it’s a blast to play.

Rice Museum

The Rice Museum was the last attraction we went to in the area, and it is a museum of rocks, but don’t knock it until you visit. This museum is part of the Smithsonian network and it has a crazy amount of cool rocks and fossilized trees. I was blown away by how many unique rocks they had here ranging from gemstones to crystals. The fossilized trees also have a unique range of colors, and styles as well and you will want to plan at least 45 minutes to walk around and explore it all.

Stay

I stayed at the Aloft Hillsboro when I was in Tualatin Valley, a brand new hotel that is only a year old. It was a beautiful spot with large relaxing rooms and an excellent location next to many of the above spots (2 minutes from Insomnia Coffee). If you are looking for a beautiful place to stay, check it out.

So there you have it, my favorite spots in the Tualatin Valley. If you are in Portland, then be sure to get out and explore some of these places and let me know what your favorite spot is that I left off in the comments.

The Columbia River Gorge is a fantastic area to explore in Oregon with a countless amount of adventures. Everything from waterfalls to dams to breweries can be experienced along this stretch of road. Here are my nine favorite stops along the Columbia River Gorge, let me know what yours are in the comments.

Vista House

This building is over 100 years old, and it is a fantastic first stop on your way into the gorge. The views are unprecedented, and you can see why they chose this location to build the famous house. You can get a great view of it from many viewpoints around the area, or you can walk up to the second story deck and look down on the gorge. Read more about it here

Multnomah Falls

I am sure you have probably heard of the famous Multnomah Falls before, and it is worth the acclaim it receives. This two-tier waterfall is incredibly impressive in person and the old bridge that was built to give you a closer view adds to the majesty.  Be sure to go on a weekday if you can because it can be packed on the weekends.

Horsetail Falls

Located only little ways up from Multnomah, Horsetail Falls is another trendy waterfall because you don’t have to do any hiking to see it. The waterfall is about 50 feet from the parking lot, but it is still impressive and worth a quick visit.

Elowah Falls / Upper Mccord

Elowah Falls is the second tallest waterfall in the Columbia Gorge area, so it is a great stop along the drive. The waterfall is accessed by a 1 mile each way hike, which stops many people from visiting it. I have been at the waterfall by myself before, and you can’t do that at many of the other popular spots. You can extend this hike by another mile and go up to the Upper Mccloud Falls as well, which are not that tall but are still impressive.

Wahclella Falls

This waterfall is one of my personal favorites. It is accessed by a 2-mile hike as well, but the waterfall has a lot of unique viewpoints to look down on it from. It has been getting a lot more popular recently from Instagram, but on the weekdays you can still have some solitude on the hike.

Bonneville Dam

While you may not think that a dam sounds like a fun stop, this historic dam is well worth it. Seeing the powerhouse and the massive spillway is not something you see often and add to that the visitors center which has underwater windows for looking at the fish and the area becomes a unique and worthwhile stop. Hopefully, you will see the creepy lamprey fish when you are there as well, but be warned, they may give you nightmares.

Bridge of the Gods

In the Cascade Locks area of the gorge, the Bridge of the Gods is an impressive man-made attraction. You can drive across it into Washington for $2 or just park below it and look up at the imposing old bridge.

Hood River Breweries

When you get to Hood River, be sure to stop by one of its three breweries to try some craft beer. The biggest is Full Sail, but I like Double Mountain Brewery since they have good beer and great pizza. If beer is not your thing, then check out one of the many coffee shops. My favorite is Stoked.

Hood River Bridge

This is another impressive bridge on the drive. It is at least four times as long as Bridge of the Gods, and you can drive it over to Washington as well. There are a few trails down by the water that let you see the bridge from below while stretching your legs.

Rowena Crest

For my last recommendation on this drive, be sure to head over and see the famous curved road at Rowena Crest. This is another spot that has become popular because of Instagram but is still fun to see in person. There is a viewpoint that you can park at and look down on the road. I was there for a while and watched deer cross the street as well which was pretty cool. There are hikes you can take in the park, and it is a popular biking spot, but most people just look at the view.

So there you have it, ten recommendations for exploring in the Columbia River Gorge. What did I leave off this list? Let me know in the comments.