These are not lists of the top ten anything. They're the notes we'd text a friend who was staying at one of the homes: the hike that's worth the drive, the tide to check, the café we'd stand in line for, what to do when it rains sideways. We've lived in Oregon our whole lives and we've stayed in every one of these homes ourselves, usually with the trunk full of boots, a cooler, and a dog who knows the routine.

Four areas, four guides — the things to do in Oregon getaways as we actually do them, season by season. Each one ends where it should: at the home we'd stay in.

Eugene

Trails start at the edge of town and go straight up — Spencer Butte for the view, Mt. Pisgah for the arboretum and wildflowers, the Ridgeline for a long morning. Then it's coffee, the Saturday Market, a Whiteaker brewery in the afternoon, and dinner somewhere small with a farm named on the menu. Ducks weekends change the whole rhythm of the city, and the wineries of the South Willamette are an easy hour away through hazelnut orchards. Our Eugene notes.

Mt. Hood Village

Timberline, Meadows and Skibowl in winter; Trillium Lake, Ramona Falls and the Salmon River in summer; Sandy Ridge for anyone who brought a bike. Huckleberries in August, Government Camp for a burger, and long evenings on a screened porch in between. It's the rare mountain that's genuinely good in every season, and close enough to Portland that you can decide on a Thursday. Our Mt. Hood notes.

Neskowin

A quiet beach with Proposal Rock at one end, a ghost forest that shows itself at low tide, and not much else — which is exactly the point. Cascade Head is the hike. Pacific City and the dory boats are ten minutes south, Pelican Brewing is there when you're done, and winter storms are worth planning a trip around. Bring a tide table and a thermos. Our Neskowin notes.

Manzanita

Seven miles of beach under Neahkahnie Mountain and one good street. Short Sand Beach at Oswald West for surfing, Nehalem Bay State Park for kayaking, biking and crabbing, Laneda Avenue for coffee, books and dinner. Cannon Beach and the Tillamook Creamery are short drives when you want them. Whale-watching weeks and storm season both have their fans, and the farmers market is the Friday-evening plan in summer. Our Manzanita notes.

A few things true everywhere

Bring a rain jacket in every month. Check the tide table before a coast walk and the road report before a mountain one. The best meal is usually the one you cook at the house after a long day, so stop at a farm stand or a market on the way in. Leave the boots by the door and let the stove do its work. And if you want a recommendation we haven't written down, call or text — 541-337-8947, seven days a week, 8am to 8:30pm. We like this part.

Good to know

Are these guides written by locals?

Yes. We're Greg and Sarah, lifelong Oregonians based in Eugene, and these are the places we go ourselves. Everything in the guides is something we've hiked, eaten, checked the tide for, or done on a rainy afternoon with our own family and friends.

Which area is best for a first Oregon trip?

It depends on the trip. For a quiet couple's weekend, Neskowin. For a group at the coast with a town to walk to, Manzanita. For skiing or a cabin in the woods, Mt. Hood Village. For trails, food and a college-town weekend, Eugene. Each guide ends with the home we'd stay in.

What should we pack for Oregon?

Layers and a real rain jacket, in every season. Walking shoes that can get muddy. At the coast, a tide table on your phone. On the mountain in winter, chains or an all-wheel-drive car. And ingredients for at least one long dinner at the house.

Can we ask you for recommendations during our stay?

Please do. We answer calls and texts at 541-337-8947 seven days a week from 8am to 8:30pm, and we're happy to point you to the right hike, the right low tide, or a place to eat we haven't written up yet.

From us

Field notes

The things we actually tell our own guests — where we hike, eat, and get coffee.

All field notes