The things we tell our own guests
Not a list of everything — just the places we keep going back to, written down so you don't have to ask.
- 01All of OregonOur favorite hikes near each of our homesThe trails we actually walk from each home — on the coast, at Mt. Hood, and in Eugene — with the timing and parking notes we give our own friends.
- 02ManzanitaWhere we actually eat on the Oregon coastWhere we actually eat between Manzanita and Pacific City — the places we drive to on purpose, what we order, and when to just cook at the house.
45.72° N · 123.93° W - 03All of OregonCoffee worth getting up for, town by townThe coffee we walk to from each home — in Eugene, on the coast, and up at Mt. Hood — and why the first cup is our favorite part of a trip.
- 04Mt. Hood VillageSkiing Mt. Hood from our cabin: the honest versionHow a ski weekend at Mt. Hood actually goes from our cabin — which mountain on which day, the drive, the permits, and the evenings after.
45.33° N · 121.98° W - 05NeskowinOur beaches: Neskowin and Manzanita, and how they differTwo coast towns an hour apart, two very different weekends. Here's how we'd choose between them.
45.10° N · 123.98° W - 06All of OregonA weekend with the dog: where ours actually goOur dogs come along on most trips. Here are the beaches, trails and porches where they've had their best weekends.
- 07All of OregonA weekend at each of our homes, hour by hour (roughly)Our homes, four different kinds of weekend. Here's roughly how ours go, from the drive out to the last cup of coffee.
- 08All of OregonWhat to do when it rains (it will)Rain is part of the deal in Oregon. Here's what we actually do with a wet day at the coast, the mountain, and in town.
- 09All of OregonOur favorite Oregon road trips between the homesThe drives we actually take between the coast, the mountain and Eugene, with the stops that are worth the extra half hour.
- 10EugeneA Ducks weekend in Eugene, done rightHow we spend a home-game weekend: where to walk from, what to eat, and what to do on Sunday morning once the noise dies down.
44.05° N · 123.09° W - 11Mt. Hood VillageMt. Hood by season, from someone who's there a lotSnow, mud, huckleberries and fog: what the mountain is like month to month, and what we do when we're up there.
45.33° N · 121.98° W - 12All of OregonWhat we tell our own guests before they arriveThe notes we send before every stay: tides, chains, hot tubs, groceries and the small things that make a trip go smoothly.
What these guides are
Most of these started as text messages. A guest would ask where to get coffee in Manzanita, or whether the ghost forest was worth setting an alarm for, and we'd answer the way we'd answer a friend who was already in the car. After enough of those we started writing them down.
So that's what you'll find here: Oregon travel guides from locals who have made the drive, sat through the rain, and kept only the recommendations that held up. Favorite hikes. Where we actually eat. Which beach on which kind of day. Mt. Hood by season, because the mountain in July and the mountain in January are two different trips. Some are specific to Neskowin or Manzanita; some are about the road in between.
How we'd use them
Read one the night before, not a week ahead. The weekend itineraries are meant for a first visit; the bad-weather plans are there because this is Oregon and you'll need one eventually. There's a Ducks-weekend guide for Eugene, a season-by-season one for Mt. Hood, a road-trip route that strings the coast, the mountain and the valley together, and an honest take on Manzanita versus Neskowin for anyone still deciding.
We travel with our dog, so where a trail or a beach is good with one, the guide says so. And if the thing you're looking for isn't here yet, just call or write — we answer seven days a week, 8am to 8:30pm, and we'd rather tell you what we know than have you guess.
Browse the full guide archive — 312 guides on things to do, seasons, planning and owning a vacation rental.
Who writes these guides?
We do — Greg and Sarah, lifelong Oregonians who created and run the homes. Every recommendation is a place we've been ourselves, usually more than once. If we haven't tried it, it isn't in the guide.
Are the guides only useful if I'm staying in one of your homes?
No. They're written for our guests first, but they're free to anyone planning a trip to Eugene, Mt. Hood, Neskowin or Manzanita. If you do end up wanting a place to stay, the homes are at /rentals/.
What if the weather turns?
It will, at some point. Each area has a bad-weather guide with the things we actually do on a rainy day — the good bakery, the long drive, the tide pools that are better in a storm, or simply which home has the best wood stove for staying in.