Winter Getaways

The Basics Within a Day's Drive

Newport

Distance from Eugene: 101 miles

Snark factor: Low at Yaquina Head; high near the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not

Round-trip gas:  4.5 gallons for a Prius, 8.8 gallons for a Dodge Caravan

Highlights: 

   • Cobble beach and tidepools at  Yaquina Head

   • Food at Canyon Way Restaurant

   • Crabbing off the docks 

   • Whalewatching in nearby Depoe Bay

   • The brew at Rogue Ale’s Public House

   • The otters at Oregon Coast Aquarium

   • The Vistor Center at the Hatfield Marine Science Center

Bend

Distance from Eugene:  141 miles

Snark factor: High, now that development has imploded

Round-trip gas:  6.3 gallons for a Prius, 11.3 for a Subaru Outback

Highlights: 

   •High Desert Museum

   • Sun

   • Skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, running

   • McMenamins Old St. Francis School and its soaking pool

   • Newberry National Volcanic Monument (Lava! Woot!)

   • Smith Rock State Park for the climb-happy

   • Deschutes Brewery

John Day

Distance from Eugene:  261 miles

Snark factor: Low (unless you’re a Creationist  and fossils amuse your sensibilities; or unless you like to laugh at Creationists and use fossils to back yourself up) 

Round-trip gas:  11.6 gallons for a Prius, 22 for a Honda Accord

Highlights: 

   • John Day Fossil Beds National Monument

   • Camping, horseback riding, snowshoeing, skiing and hiking in the Malheur National Forest (be sure to wear orange gear during hunting seasons!)

Corvallis

Distance from Eugene:  49 miles

Snark factor: Low except for Civil War games

Round-trip gas: 2.2 gallons for a Prius; 3 for a Camry; 7 for an Expedition

Highlights: 

   • OSU sports, theater, lectures and superb enviro reading series

   • Corvallis High School theater

   • Grassroots Books & Music

   • Crazy cute downtown — with no pits!

   • Peavey Arboretum/McDonald Research Forest

   • New restaurants, wine bar and boutiques along the waterfront

Portland

Distance from Eugene:  112 miles

Snark factor: High in the trendy NW and Pearl; low, though trending up, in N and NE    

Round-trip gas:  .47 gallons for Amtrak, per passenger;  5 for a Prius; 5.8 for a diesel Jetta

Highlights: 

   • Sports fun: Pilots soccer (NCAAs coming up!) and of course the Blazers!

   • Public transportation joy: The MAX! The streetcar! The tram!

   •  Hikes: Forest Park has a mountain of trails

   •  Eats: One of our new faves is Toro Bravo on NE Russell, but there are oh, so many tasty places for chow in PDX

Winter Getaways:

Sunrise of the  Gods
The downlow on getting to Machu Picchu 

Welcome To a Mexican Beach!
Now go straight to hell  

A Year in the “City of Happiness”
Rotary Youth Exchange for South student 

The Basics Within a Day's Drive