OREGON TRAVEL NEWS

Latest local, US & international travel news, guides, information & tips

Almost nothing happened on my most recent visit to Opal Creek --or at least that's how it seemed at the time.

I didn't talk on the telephone because there was no phone.

I didn't listen to talk radio because there was no reception.

I didn't watch television because there was no TV.

I didn't receive a single e-mail because there was no computer.

And I didn't drive anywhere because my car was parked three miles away.

But I didn't miss any of that, even though I was hardly roughing it.

Continue reading "Opal Creek, where nothing happens" »

Beginning Wednesday, Aug. 20, motorists traveling Road 73, Elkhorn Drive Scenic Byway, may experience delays of up to 15 minutes on a section of road located approximately 1.2 miles north of Granite in eastern Grant County and the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.

Continue reading "Expect delays on Elkhorn Drive Scenic Byway" »

One of Douglas County's most famous residents flashed me during my visit to Roseburg.

Pulling off Interstate 5 at Exit 129, I saw a sign for the fish-viewing windows at Winchester Dam on the North Umpqua River on the north outskirts of town.

Down I went, 99 stairs, to see if steelhead were making their way to upriver spawning grounds. Sure enough, a 15-pounder flashed by, pausing long enough to give me a good look.

Continue reading "Roseburg is a blast; no, not that BLAST" »

Aufderheide Memorial Drive, one of Oregon's favorite forest roads (especially during fall color season), will present some travel delays for the rest of the season.

Visitors to the Willamette National Forest who are driving along Forest Road 19 may encounter traffic delays due to two projects occurring along the designated scenic byway. The road follows the west side of the Cascades from near Oakridge to McKenzie Bridge.

Continue reading "Awesome Aufderheide Drive under construction" »

Markets and kasbahs compete with giant dunes, grand cuisine, stunning mountains

MARRAKECH, Morocco -- Morocco is probably best-known to American travelers for such cities as Fez, Casablanca and Marrakech. But this country in the northwest corner of Africa is actually a place of dramatic variety. On a two-week or even one-week visit, it's feasible to fit in a trip to a major city or two, in addition to exploring rural areas.

Continue reading "Beyond Marrakech: Morocco's magic works its charms" »

A trip to the Black Hills rewards with hot springs, cool scenery and lots more

CUSTER STATE PARK, S.D. -- The wild burro wouldn't take no for an answer.

We had already encountered grazing pronghorn antelope, packs of wild turkeys, prairie dogs and enough bison to render us downright blase when yet another of the enormous beasts emerged on our four-day trip through the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Continue reading "There's more to South Dakota than just seeing Mount Rushmore" »

Headlines

» Kenya tourism drops

» Seattle Travel Expo will draw stars

» Dive into Diver Rally at Newport aquarium

Kenya tourism drops; violence cited

NAIROBI, Kenya -- The number of tourists to Kenya dropped by more than a third in the first half of the year, a top tourism official said, blaming deadly post-election violence.

Continue reading "Travel news in brief" »

There's something about Hood to Coast that sparks drama. Stuff six people into a minivan for 24 hours, add a lack of sleep plus endorphins, stir, and everyone usually ends up a little loopy by Seaside.

But all that drama is for novices, I thought. I'd run the relay four times, and I had the system down.

Continue reading "Runner on Hood to Coast relay rues missteps" »

Remember just a few weeks ago as Olympic fans wondered how the International Olympic Committee could have awarded Beijing the 2008 Games.

Well, it seems like the IOC sometimes has a tin ear when it comes to selecting Olympic hosts. The 2014 Winter Games were awarded July 5, 2007 to Sochi, Russia, on the Black Sea about 20 miles west of the border with the Georgian province of Abkhazia, currently occupied by Russia.

Continue reading "Will Sochi, Russia, be an Olympic nightmare?" »

Fair-weather treats await across Oregon

Summer is going by too quickly, so here are things to do before Oregon's nice weather disappears.

Continue reading "Gerry Frank draws up a to-do list as summer slips by" »

Nathanael Franks, 16, a Sam Barlow High School student from Damascus, traveled to Zermatt, Switzerland, 5,400 miles from Portland, while living in Germany on an exchange program that offers a full-year, expenses-paid scholarship to 250 American high schoolers.

He lives with his host family near Essen, Germany, while taking 11th-grade courses in biology, chemistry, physics, Italian, German literature, religion, physical education, mathematics, music, geography and history.

Continue reading "Paper Trails: Switzerland" »