Sightseeing

It’s one thing to read about history in a book, or see a movie, but it’s quite another to see, feel and walk through the history of a people from their unfiltered point of view.

That’s exactly what you get when you visit the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute outside of Pendleton on Interstate 84.

“The exhibit content was developed by experts from the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla Tribes,” said John Chess, development officer from the institute. “No outside experts or scholars were used to make sure this was the unfiltered history that was presented.”

Do not pinch yourself, this is not a mirage, and hopefully you didn’t overdo it with the wine-tastings throughout the Willamette Valley.  The strikingly handsome stone and polished wood edifice you come upon on the outskirts of small, humble Newberg, Oregon is in fact very real.  The Allison Inn & Spa opened its doors in September of 2009 as the area’s first upscale destination resort.  The most remarkable thing about the 85-room and suite hotel may well be that there is nothing else like it in Oregon’s wine country and it instantly filled a niche for visitors who wanted

The Blacksmith Restaurant serves distinctive new ranch cuisine in the historic Pearson Blacksmith Shop in Downtown Bend. The newly-renovated restaurant will make diners nostalgic for the comfort foods of the past with a contemporary spin. Executive chef Gavin McMichael features a seasonally changing menu, creating new classics like: “Lobster Corndogs,” “Not Your Mother’s Meatloaf” and “Northwest Cheesesteak.”

Would you like to step back into the 19th century? Visit the stately 11,600-square-foot Flavel House, with its two and a half stories, rear kitchen, butler's pantry, four-story tower, attic and basement.

Gracing the entry, a stained-glass window welcomes you. Step over the threshold into the magnificent main hallway, with walls restored in green hues. Inlaid hardwood floors gleam under the fourteen-foot ceiling.

Outside of the small town of Canby, The Flower Farmer is a great place to ride a train, get fresh fruits and vegetables and get up close to some farm animals. There are different attractions on the farm depending on the season, so make sure to check the website before heading out if you want to know what’s out on the farm.

Driving through the Columbia River Gorge it hits you that over the course of thousands of years, the landscape was carved from the earth creating the majestic beauty.

Then you realize you need to keep your eyes on the road.

The gorge’s unending beauty is only matched by the rich history and lessons it can teach people willing to learn. Lucky for us, there is the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Museum in The Dalles.

Dancing in the breeze, the trees at The Grotto swayed to the beat of the East wind.

"In Rome shrines are often called sanctuaries," says the Rev. Jackson Topper, OSM, executive director of the shrine. "In our case it has a double meaning. We are a shrine, but also a sanctuary for people looking to get away from the busy world we live in."

There's one!

It's a phrase you will hear over and over when you visit the Whale Watching Spoken Here Interpretive Center in Depoe Bay on Highway 101 right before the Depoe Bay Bridge.

The center, which sits out from the sea wall at Depoe Bay, is a state-run facility that is designed to teach people about the many different types of whales that pass by the Oregon coast.

You really can't miss the Tillamook Air Museum.

Driving into Tillamook on Highway 101, if you miss the huge hanger, with AIR MUSEUM, painted on the side then the jet perched on a pedestal along the highway is sure to catch your notice.

You see, everything about the museum is bigger than life, and if you know the history of the hangar that houses it, you know how appropriate that is.

If I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream, then there is a lot of screaming going on at the Tillamook Cheese Factory.

While the entire nation is familiar with the award-winning Tillamook cheeses, here in the Pacific Northwest we have the added benefit of enjoying their more than 40 offerings of ice cream.

"Our ice cream is limited to the Pacific Northwest, so that's why we feature it in our visitor center," said Susan Palmer, director of retail operations at the Tillamook Cheese Factory.