 |
  |
|
 |
||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||||||||||
Winter Getaways SNOW
TREK Willamette Valley residents are sometimes a bit tight-assed when it comes to snow. With a light overnight dusting, schools are routinely postponed or canceled, hills become liabilities and drivers freak out at the slightest slippage. Thankfully, the same mentality that keeps runners running in the sopping wet rain also keeps hikers out on the trail in winter, blazing through fresh powder on a sturdy pair of snowshoes. Here are some handy tips for would-be snowshoeing enthusiasts dreaming of a true snow adventure.
First things first: Find yourself some snow. And not just a light dusting on the Pacific Crest Trail; I'm talking about the deep stuff where you'd sink to your inseam should you be without a trusty pair of snowshoes. See, if you're only sinking a few inches, then some sturdy hiking boots and gaiters are all you need. For those in the dark about outdoor gear, gaiters are waterproof shields that wrap around the top portion of your boot and cover your calf — handy if you don't own a $200 pair of Gore-Tex pants. Snowshoeing is like hiking, only with higher stakes since the cold temps mean a few missteps can easily turn fatal — unless, of course, you go prepared. First, read Jack London's "To Build A Fire" for a stern reminder that nature doesn't give second chances. Second, pack all the essentials you'd take on a normal wilderness hike, with a few added components. Snow probes and beacons are lifesavers should someone in your party become trapped in an avalanche, but the best survival tool is your local weatherperson's forecast and avalanche warnings issued by the respective ranger districts. Always bring more than enough clothing in case you step in a creek or get marooned in a whiteout. Ask yourself, "If I had to spend a night out there with only the clothes on my back, would I be warm enough?" With that in mind, bring lots of water. Contrary to conventional myth, eating snow might rehydrate you, but it also drops your body temp to dangerous levels. And, if you remember middle school health class educational videos, hypothermia is no fun. Last but not least, don't forget the snow shovel (handy for everything from digging a snow cave to building a snowman to freeing your car from the parking lot). Now you're prepared … and maybe terrified — but don't be. Snowshoeing in the sun means winter joy and vitamin D, not to mention gorgeous views and first-class exercise. Just about any established hiking trail is fair game for snowshoes. Unlike cross country skiing — where a semi-groomed, relatively wide track is preferred — snowshoeing is particularly designed for steep grade, soft powder and backcountry splendor. Here are some of the best bets in the Cascades.
THREE CREEK LAKE From Sisters, head south on Forest Service Road 16 until you reach the Sno-Park. From here on out you have so many options the best choice is to head away from the snowmobiles (omnipresent in the area). This may mean taking the Snow Creek loop trail (12 miles roundtrip) to get to Three Creek Lake, but it's worth it. The view of Tam McArthur Rim from this pristine alpine lake is pure photo-fodder. Cost: Sno-Park permit. Roundtrip from Eugene: 244 miles. Extra Credit: Why stop at Three Creek Lake when, for an extra day of hiking, you could be at the top of Tam McArthur?
MOUNT BACHELOR While the groomed downhill ski runs are off limits to snowshoers, there's ample coverage for all kinds of treks on this mountain. You could follow the myriad cross country ski paths to the west of the West Village Lodge, or you could take a few swigs of water, down some energy gels and head up any ridgeline to one of the bowls. While skiers need to be advanced to navigate a bowl, snowshoeing down is as simple as was sliding on your socks in the kitchen as a kid. With one foot firmly planted in front and the other slightly bent and stabilizing in the back, you'll be glissading past butt-busted snowboarders on your way down. Cost: $8-$16 trail pass (only needed if using groomed trails). Roundtrip from Eugene: 266 miles. Extra Credit: Pretend you're a yeti and stalk the skiers through the woods.
WILLAMETTE PASS Across Hwy. 58 from the Willamette Pass ski area, the Gold Lake Sno-Park offers access to a wealth of groomed trails and stunning views of Odell Lake. Since these trails are relatively short, they're good for the beginning snowshoer. The four-mile roundtrip hike to Midnight Lake along the PCT is recommended, as is the Bechtel Creek loop. With nearby Fuji Mountain, Waldo Lake and Diamond Peak all potential backcountry getaways, the area is ripe with options. Cost: Sno-Park permit. Roundtrip from Eugene: 140 miles. Extra Credit: Plan ahead and reserve one of the two overnight shelters (stocked with wood, firestove and sleeping loft) along the trails. To reserve, call 541-782-2291.
CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK Perhaps the granddaddy of cross country ski and snowshoe trips, Crater Lake offers spectacular scenery but often punishing winds, so be sure to pack all the essentials (leave the 100 percent cotton at home; take wool or synthetic clothing). This winter, treks at Crater Lake take on more significance following the disappearance of Samuel "Sammy" Boehlke on Oct. 14. Rescue squads searched for a week and didn't find a trace of the boy. Cost: $10 South Rim entrance; Sno-Park permit North Rim entrance. Roundtrip from Eugene: 290 miles. Extra Credit: The view from the top of Llao Rock offers, by far, the best views of Crater Lake. Just don't wander off in middle of the night — or day.
About Sno-Park permits: They are required for nearly all winter parking areas Nov. 15 through April 30. They cost $3 per day, $7 for three days and $15 for the season. The fine is $30 if you are caught without one. If you like your roads plowed, buy one. If you'd rather shovel the spur roads and parking lots yourself, don't buy one.
WHERE CAN I RENT? Three local outfits offer snowshoe rentals. UO's Outdoor Program offers the cheapest at $6 day, $10 weekend. Berg's Ski and Snowboard Shop rents them for $7 for the first day, $5 each additional day. REI charges $15 day, $10 additional day. For gaiters, Berg's rents them for $2 day, $2 additional day; OP rents them for $2 day, $4 weekend. All three outfitters require a substantial deposit of $65 or more. Call for more details. Berg's: 683-1300; OP: 346-4365; REI: 465-1800.
TO
PDX WITH LOVE
The city! Oh, how the heart longs for the light rail, the bustle, the jostle, the sheer number of people dressed in a variety of ways, sporting cool hair and coffee mugs. OK, how some hearts long for that; others want the exquisite food before the hot new bands at Holocene or Berbati's Pan; some want to walk in Washington Park; others long for the opera or the Portland Art Museum. And there's shopping in the boutiques of Northwest, the funky record stores of downtown, the yuppified Pioneer Place and the lodestar: Powell's. Of course, the kids want to see the newest tricks at OMSI while their geeky parental units visit OMSI's new Star Wars exhibit. Close, easy to get to (especially if one avoids I-5 and takes the train), Portland is full of sights and sounds and fun. Still, many of us only go for the airport or for a four-hour whirlwind of dinner and concert before a late-night drive home. But what about … vacationing in Portland? Yep. Really. A weekend or a week (especially if you have friends to stay with part of that time). There's always something new going on, and even the comforts of the familiar can provide a happy refuge from the bustle. With the idea of a getaway in mind, EW recently visited PDX and did the tough research work for our readers.
PORTLAND IS BIG. DUH. Quick stats: the metropolitan area has around 2 million folks, which makes it the 23rd largest city in the U.S. according to 2000 census data. The city itself, not counting its many outlying 'burbs, has at least two daily papers, two weekly papers and a monthly magazine devoted to covering its glory. And glorious it is: funky and yuppie in different parts, not to mention just plain weird (check out Chuck Palahniuk's Fugitives and Refugees if you don't believe us). Also, we love the public transportation. Portland is connected by light rail, bus and streetcar, not to mention the overbudget-but-cool tram soon to run from Oregon Health & Sciences University to the south waterfront. The core city of Portland is walkable and extremely bikeable; take your bike up on Amtrak and enjoy the city's bike-dense spaces or park your car in a MAX lot and walk or roll downtown for a mere $2 (for best value, snag a $4.25 all-day, all-zone pass good on the MAX, the bus and the charming streetcar). And for rollers or walkers, Portland Walking Tours (www.portlandwalkingtours.com)offers so much fun info that you'll want to take friends on your own tour next time.
EYES SHUT, EYES OPEN Where to stay? Well, EW staffers love different places, many of which include "my dad's house," "the futon of our friend in Sellwood" or "the couch of my ex-roommate's ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend." We know, it's cheaper when you know people in Portland. But sometimes, you want someplace private, know what we mean? So: One option, citykids, is the insanely hip Jupiter Hotel on 8th & Burnside, which comes attached to the Doug Fir Lounge, a top destination for many who enjoy their music fresh and intimate. Another, bigger, family-friendly place might be the Kennedy School, a McMenamin's concern at 5736 NE 33rd. Hello film buffs: there's a movie theater attached to this one. Speaking of which, the Paramount Hotel not only offers a super location at 808 SW Taylor and fabulous food in the Dragonfish Asian Café but also a quarter-block walk to the Fox Tower, where Oscar nominees and art films arrive months before we get them. OK, while we're on the subject of movie theaters, we have to mention Cinema 21. From a sing-along Mary Poppins to a Pedro Almodovar film fest, Cinema 21 (on NW 21st Ave.) offers quirky excellence.
BOOKS AND LATTES AND ART, OH MY Where to start? Belmont? Hollywood? Hawthorne? The Pearl? Decisions, decisions! OK, we admit, we almost always start at Powell's, on 10th & Burnside. Yes, it's a juggernaut with many different branches, and yes, we like a ton of other bookstores in Portland, like Annie Bloom's on 7834 Capitol Highway (in a cute area, with a toy store, café and excellent restaurant within a block) and 23rd Avenue Books (located, shockingly, on NW 23rd) and the steady, smart In Other Words (now relocated to hoppin' NE Killingsworth), but the overwhelming nature of Powell's is a magnet that draws everyone in for gifts, for readings and for the sheer serendipitous discovery process of browsing in the biggest freakin' bookstore on the continent (or so the rumor runs). Powell's also has a coffee shop, where you can scope out the local teen D&D scene, the local political actvists, the one dude who's always reading horror and drinking green tea and tons of people pounding away at their novels, hoping to make it onto a staff recommendation list. Now, for some cult-chah: The Portland Art Museum offers a lot of dead people's treasures, including, this fall and winter, an exhibit of Egyptian art called "The Quest for Immortality." Other artists pursue their own quests at the many, many hip yet friendly galleries in the Pearl District, with first Thursday art walks to share. And across the Park Blocks from PAM is the Oregon Historical Society. Don't laugh until you've seen the hilarious propaganda film from the 1930s that talks about how damn sunny Oregon is all the time. As for food, well, scratch a Portlander and get a foodie. Portland's so chock-full of good places we hardly feel qualified to recommend anything, but our research did reveal that the little Byways Café at 1212 NW Glisan offers sweet service, retro-travel décor and damn fine milkshakes and omelettes to boot. Another staffer says the 24-hour Original Hotcake House on SE Powell is "the hands-down reason to visit Portland," which, well, who knew? We also tried the new Kinta restaurant on 34th & SE Belmont, which gave us farm-fresh produce in Malaysian noodle bowls and a frothy tamarind and lime drink.
BREATHING ROOM AND BIG BIRDS
After all of this city-centric time, anyone from Eugene or Springfield will be gasping for space. One place you can roll, walk, bike, drive, hike or take the MAX or bus is the gorgeous 130-acre Washington Park. There's the Oregon Zoo for those who don't get heartbroken watching large mammals stuck in small spaces (the elephants, we hear, do get walked around the zoo every morning; that would be a fun sight). The International Rose Test Garden boosts the city's well-known nickname with its thousand o' blooms. But if you haven't been to the Japanese Garden in Washington Park, you've missed out on a calming experience high above the city. It's free on Nov. 10. Be sure to get in on one of the tours: Our tour guide was not only incredibly knowledgeable but was also a practitioner of ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging. After the quiet of the Sand and Stone Garden, the mindblowing checkerboard arrangement of the Flat Garden and the splendid leaves of the Natural and Strolling Pond Gardens, check out the exhibits, which include ikebana many weekends this month. An international bonsai exhibit graces the lovely city overlook area until Nov. 20. Finally, one more place to go is the Jackson Bottoms Wetlands Preserve in Hillsboro. The education center, top-notch hiking trails and sheer number of birds and their predators make this quiet land a calm breathing space just outside of the big city. We're forcing ourselves to stop here. Just stop. Because we've made ourselves jealous and must now hop the train, for the sheer joy of it, to the City of Roses.
GOING
COASTAL
The coast: It's windswept. It's sublime. It boasts towering storms in the winter, and it made many ship captains remarkably unhappy. But damn, is it a fun place to visit from the land side. We're taking it north to south; both ends are far enough to require more of a three-day weekend, but you can also leave Eugene in the morning and enjoy much of the mid-coast before a leisurely trip back at night.
ASTORIA The very tip-top of Oregon offers a history few cities can match. First, there's the whole Lewis/Clark thing. If you sneak out of state over the first "Bridge to Nowhere," that gorgeous piece of architecture spanning the Columbia, you can hit the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center at Cape Disappointment. Be really nice to the Coast Guard person on duty, and you might get to look through one of the big telescopes at the huge ships trying to navigate the mouth of the river and the tides of the massive ocean. And, of course, there's Fort Clatsop (recently rebuilt), not to mention Fort Stevens. In Astoria itself, there's the 125-foot high column that you can climb (164 steps — no problem!) and look out over the forest, the river, the city and the ocean. There's the riverfront trolley. There's the Maritime Museum. And when you're tired of learning about the life aquatic, you can eat some of it at the Cannery Café, where you can watch the Mighty Columbia rolling on. When you're full, walk all over Astoria and check out the historic homes.
CANNON BEACH & SEASIDE The it-town for Portlanders on vacation to the coast, Cannon Beach has galleries, galleries and more galleries. Don't miss Ecola State Park if you know what's good for your soul; you've seen the photos of Haystack Rock, but in-person is way, way better. Seaside has surfing all winter long, if that's your thing. You can drive your VW van up and spend the night in it thinking about the waves you'll catch the next day, but be aware that many Seaside locals aren't into the tourists. Better buy someone coffee and make friends before heading out to catch what's been called "the best left hand pointbreak in North America."
TILLAMOOK Cows. Cheese. Butter. Ice cream. Weird lawsuits. Yep, Tillamook's famous for its dairy cooperative, and you can join the almost one million others who visit the Tillamook visitor center, throw back some ice cream in freshly baked waffle cones and generally snap up as many artery-clogging (but good for the soul) items as possible. There's more to Tillamook, we know — fishing, for one thing, although recent heavy rains have raised the rivers and forced cows to pull on waders. Wait a week or two until the place dries out a bit, and you can wander up and down the green and mysterious coastline.
LINCOLN CITY Yeah, all right, a lot of folks probably go to Lincoln City to experience the favorite bands of their youth playing at the Chinook Winds Casino. But there's more to Lincoln City than gambling. Yurts in Devil's Lake State Park make for a warm, dry and inexpensive place to stay; there's no cooking inside the yurt, but picnic tables provide stable places for gas grills, and fire rings give the yurt sites that camping feel. Pop over to Devil's Lake to windsurf, or strap on your hiking boots for a trip to Drift Creek Falls with its mist-enshrouded suspension bridge. Hike the beaches and watch for sand dollars, hermit crabs and other sea life in the tidepools. Drop off the kids at the new Cradle, an 8,000 sq. ft. all-weather skate park. And admire the glass floats or blow your own at the Jennifer L. Sears Glass Studio, a super way to spend a cold, rainy morning.
NEWPORT Ah, Newport. So many options. There's the Sylvia Beach Hotel in the Nye Beach area, where, along with the quiet, ocean-fronted library and the nightly spiced wine, the literarily themed rooms provide endless fascination (you'll giggle at the Poe room, and some of you — you know who you are — will want to stay under that pendulum … ). The hotel's Tables of Content restaurant provides both good food and good fun; you'll learn more about yourself and your companions, not to mention random strangers, when you play the "Two Truths and a Lie" game. Staying in Nye Beach means you can pop over to the Blu Cork Wine Bar for good jazz and great wine; in the morning, head to the Panini Bakery for treats and coffee. If you're a fan of the outdoors, nothing on the coast matches the combination of tidepools, cobble beach, ocean birds and history at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Recreation Area. The Oregon Coast Aquarium (without Keiko but with a lot of very, very cool otters, jelly fish and other attractions) and the Hatfield Marine Science Center offer more opportunities for fun, learning and great picnics in little shelters just out of the reach of rain. And Newport's downtown bay area offers whale-watching tours, sea lion calls, opportunities to crab, the charming and excellent Canyon Way Bookstore and Restaurant and the ever-popular Ripley's Believe it or Not, Waxworks and Undersea Gardens. Basically, you can't go wrong in Newport.
YACHATS Yachats is an easily reachable destination that combines small-town charm with an offbeat vibe. The Green Salmon Coffee Shop offers organic food, tasty pastries and, if you time it right, opportunities to hear drum circles and poetry readings. If you're staying in one of the many cute rental houses and want to cook your own food, pop into the Gourmet Lady grocery store for international treats and grab a bottle or two of wine at the Wine Place across the patio. Judith's Kitchen Store can provide you with tools. At the Adobe and want to eat out? There's tasty seafood all around town plus solid breakfasts at Leroy's Blue Whale.
BAY AREA, BANDON AND POINTS SOUTH OK, let's get one thing straight. When Oregonians say "the Bay Area," especially if they're near the south coast, they mean Coos Bay, Charleston and North Bend, not that place in the big state to our south. Sunset Bay State Park provides some sweet, short hikes (and, again, nice warm yurts), including one to Cape Arago lighthouse. Hike or drive south for the unique experience of watching (or maybe helping) volunteers string the 250,000 lights for the holiday show at Shore Acres, which will be lit up from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day. Farther south still, Bandon's rocky and stunning coastline provides great views and strolls, especially near Face Rock and the fun Cat and Kittens area (watch for harbor seals and bagpipers at sunset). Fudge and cranberries are de rigeur, as is seafood from one of the restaurants on the waterfront. Go even farther south for the warm weather "banana belt" of Gold Beach and Brookings; Harris Beach State Park boasts a National Wildlife Sanctuary on Bird Island, and the sandy beaches mixed with eroded sea stacks provide visual delights.
GETAWAYS
AWAY Vancouver Island, B.C. Take the ferry from Port Angeles or from Seattle, and you'll wind up — after a short ride, often with whale sightings and gasps at the towering Olympic Mountains — in adorable Victoria. Visit the museum and the Parliament buildings or the boutiques and the kitchen shops, but be sure to carry your brollie on your walkies. Kayak in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and revel in the art in Carr House. Then bike or hike the Galloping Goose Trail from Sooke to downtown Victoria, where you can finish up with a tasty vegetarian dish and dessert at Rebar. Don't forget your passport!
San Francisco Listening to sea lions at Pier 39, biking across the Golden Gate Bridge, walking up and down Russian and Nob Hills, kicking back at the coffee shops in North Beach, surveying City Lights to see if Ferlinghetti happens to be hanging around, name-checking series places from Marcia Muller's Sharon McCone mysteries, exploring Berkeley by BART, dreaming of eating at Chez Panisse, taking the ferry to Sausalito, marveling at SF MOMA's art and architecture, hanging out by the wave organ at the marina, wandering through the Exploratorium at night, watching the New Year's fireworks down by the Ferry Building … these are a few, a very few, of our favorite things.
Whitefish, Montana You can get there by car, but Amtrak also runs to Whitefish, where you can eat like royalty (or, say, like Ted Turner, which is why the food is so good) at local restaurants and ski Big Mountain. Glacier National Park is but 25 miles away, and the gorgeous Flathead Lake Valley isn't as crowded with tourists now as it is in the summer. Downtown bookstores, bars and souvenir shops vie with good coffee and casinos for a visitor's attention, and there's always the Whitefish Christmas Stroll for the heck of it. Missoula's not far away either, if you want a little more college town culture after your outdoor adventures end.
Tacoma, Washington Yes, true, Seattle is the more likely destination (and you shouldn't skip it), but Tacoma offers a relaxing weekend break, easily reachable by one of those early morning Amtrak Cascades rides. There's the Tacoma Art Museum practically on top of Union Station; if you ever read The Very Hungry Caterpillar, you'll love the Eric Carle exhibit, up through January. Of course, there's the Tacoma Dome, featured prominently in the recent documentary The Heart of the Game, but most of all, there's the Museum of Glass. Get to it by free light rail from downtown and experience Dale Chihuly's Bridge of Glass on your way in.
Ashland Shakespeare isn't the only reason to visit this southern Oregon gem. In December the downtown is lit up like a sparkling diamond, providing pleasant evening shopping and espresso slurping opportunities in the Plaza (be sure to look for the headless Abe Lincoln statue!). With a fast, compact ski resort 15 miles away on Mount Ashland, you can get your snow fix and be back in town for dinner at the Standing Stone Brewery. We recommend staying at the Columbia Hotel; it's not as posh (nor as pricey) as the Ashland Springs Hotel, but it's equally exquisite and centrally located. Other activities include ice skating in Lithia Park, bar-hopping between the Black Sheep and the Hong Kong, catching a flick at the Varsity and strolling through the insanely overpriced-but-cute-as-hell neighborhoods.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
