On our west coast road trip, we went all the way up the coast of California and entered Oregon. I had only been to Oregon just to cross the state line and say I’d been there. Travis had never been there at all. We were both excited to see what this state had to offer. We weren’t able to spend a lot of time in Oregon, but we saw there main spots that were beautiful. If you go to Oregon, I highly recommend visiting these three places!
Must-Sees in Oregon
This was probably our favorite spot in Oregon. A friend who is originally from Oregon recommended we go see it, and I’m so glad we listened. It’s only around an hour from Portland, and it’s worth the drive. This waterfall is gorgeous! It is the biggest/tallest waterfall I’d ever seen. It’s 611 feet tall! I love that we were able to walk up the path and go across the bridge for a closer look. It was neat to see how mossy all the trees were because it’s always so wet up there! Plus, they sell warm drinks and treats at the bottom of the waterfall. It was cold and you could feel the mist of the waterfall, so that hot chocolate I got really hit the spot! They also have hiking trails, another waterfall nearby, and a gift shop/restaurant.
My cousin who is a professional photographer spent some time in Oregon and Washington earlier in the year. She found all kinds of beautiful spots, and this is one that she recommended. She told me when we got there that it would just look like a beach and I would wonder why she suggested it. But she said to walk up the dunes and look at the view from up there.
When we arrived, we saw the dunes! They were HUGE. I don’t know if the photos really show how big this “hill” was. Just look at how tiny the people are!
There was no one way I was going to be able to make it up that hill. I was trying to be careful with my back since my pregnancy was making my pain worse. So Travis went up by himself. Here’s a tip: Don’t attempt to RUN up this giant mountain! He started out running, and half way up he said he thought he was going to die. The poor guy almost threw up! When he finally got to the top, he said he was so exhausted he almost forgot to take any pictures so I could see the view! It was so funny when he got back down. I asked to see the photos and he only had two to show!
This spot was really pretty, even from the bottom of the dunes. Oh, and by the way… my cousin told us she didn’t even go up that giant dune that Travis conquered. She said there is a smaller one we could have tried! HA!
Here are the two photos Travis got when he made it to the top of the dune.
Thor’s Well
This spot can be found at Cape Perpetual. It was the first spot we visited in Oregon. We were basically racing the sun — trying to get there before it was too dark to see it. We made it just in time, but since it was already starting to get dark our photos didn’t turn out that great. But if you google it, you can see amazing photos of this neat spot!
When we arrived, there were a ton of photographers around the well, so it was easy to spot. We walked down the trail to the rocks. This made me really nervous because the waves that evening were strong and big! I kept saying to Travis, “Don’t get too close!” Please people, do not get too close! There’s no saving you if you fall in around all those rocks. (Sorry, I’m becoming a mom I guess!)
We really enjoyed this spot even if it was dim lighting and a dangerous setting. Travis got up close to see it and take some photos. I stayed back and just enjoyed seeing the power of the ocean. How much more powerful is our God!
We also visited Portland, but to be honest, we didn’t really know what there was to do there. We didn’t do a lot of research and we knew we only had a couple hours. We tried going to the famous Voodoo Donuts shop, but there was around a two hour wait and we didn’t think it was worth it.
I do recommend you stop at a gas station during your time in this state. Travis and I have always pumped our own gas, so it was interesting to be in a state that doesn’t have self-serving gas stations. With as cold and rainy as Oregon is, I think it’s great that I don’t have to get out of the car!
What other places do you recommend visiting when in Oregon?
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I’ve always wanted to visit Oregon! That’s so odd they don’t have self-serving gas pumps.
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I know! It’s such a fun little fact that a lot of people don’t even know!
No self-serve gas is a little quirk of Oregon. There have been attempts to change that, but they’ve never been successful. It’s just one of those “Oregon things.” To add to the Oregon trivia, I believe the legislature made an exception to the law a couple years ago so stations in very rural areas could have self-serve pumps operate over night, because people could get stranded between gas stations after-hours otherwise! New Jersey is the only other state that prohibits self-serve gas.
Tiffany, you picked some of my favorite Oregon places! I’d add Crater Lake (deepest lake in the U.S.–it’s in the crater of a volcano) and Mt. Hood and Mt. Bachelor. Central Oregon has a lot of beauty–mountains and a high desert climate and great skiing!
Thanks for the suggestion Kathryn. It’s been awhile since you have commented, and I’ve been wondering about you. Glad to see you’re still around!
🙂 Yes, I’m here, and I hope you and Baby are well! Merry Christmas!
We are! You may have missed the name reveal on Facebook — Raylee Lynn 🙂
So beautiful! Happy New Year!