Weekly Update 11/11/2011

Strong winds and steady rains have made way for winter, though Oregon’s fiery fall foliage is still abundant in several portions of the state. Gain an early start on your Christmas shopping at holiday bazaars or relax and enjoy the late autumn ambience on art walks and wine tours. Honor our Veterans at a variety of parades and patriotic events across Oregon. With the onset of wintery conditions in some areas, be certain to visit tripcheck.com before taking off on your adventures around the state.

The Covered Bridges Scenic Bikeway in Cottage Grove

Eugene, Cascades & Coast
The fall color change is at peak in the lower elevations of the Eugene, Cascades & Coast region. Leaves are starting to fade and are completely gone in some higher elevations. Spark your holiday shopping while enjoying some tasty treats at the 16^th Annual Holiday Food & Gift Festival or take advantage of pre-season sales at the Holiday Open House.  Sample over 20 coffee infused beers at the 16 Tons Coffee Stout Fest, including a local favorite from Oakshire. Bound your way through the brisk November air at Run with the President. Highway 126 and the Aufderheide still provide scenic drives though Highway 242 will be closed once it sees a bit more snow or ice.

Fall colors and blue sky in Astoria

Coast
The fall color change is at peak along some portions of the Oregon coast, while other parts are near peak. Bring back the sounds of summer by catching the Beach Boys in concert at Chinook Winds Casino Resort.  Before the holiday rush kicks in, women can savor some downtime at the Women Only Weekend. Tantalize your taste buds at Lincoln City’s Seafood and Chowder Cook-Off or sample some fine wines at the Seaside Downtown Wine Walk. With winter on the horizon, mark your calendars for festive family fun along the coast. Ring in the holiday season at the Shore Acres Festival of Lights or start your shopping at the Astoria Winter Market.

Willamette Valley
The fall color change is at peak in parts of the Willamette Valley, while the colors are starting to fade in other areas. View the work of over 30 artists at the 20^th Annual Coastal Hills Art Tour. Start your holiday shopping at the St. Mary’s Holiday Bazaar or treat your ears to the sophisticated sound of Italian concert pianist Mariangela Vacatello. Treasure your freedom at Albany’s Veterans Day Parade, the largest Veterans Day parade west of the Mississippi.

Greater Portland
The fall color change is at peak in the Greater Portland area. Come in from the cold and experience some the area’s great museums including The Rice NW Museum of Rocks and Minerals in Hillsboro. The Portland Art Museum provides interest for all ages including The Artist’s Touch, The Craftsman’s Hand – a Japanese wood block print exhibit – or the LEGO Castle Adventure. Photographers and leaf peepers alike should take advantage of Free Admission Day at the Portland Japanese Garden where the colors are truly popping. Wander through Washington Park or Tryon Creek State Park for additional flourishes of stunning fall foliage.

Mt. Hood/Columbia River Gorge
The fall color change is at peak in Mt. Hood Territory and along the Columbia River Gorge. Reds, golds and oranges are exploding from the branches while easterly winds have started to knock down leaves. Find a sense of calm at Benson Lake State Park or watch the salmon swim upstream Eagle Creek Fish Hatchery. Spice up your holiday décor with a trip to the Country Christmas Bazaar.

Central Oregon
The fall color change is almost over in Central Oregon. Shuffle through an assortment of leaves at Drake Park or walk through downtown Bend where a few trees are still hanging on to their color, despite the early emergence of winter. Bend has a surplus of sites to enjoy the snow including Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort, which offers downhill and Nordic skiing, while numerous sno-parks offer terrific terrain for snowshoers, Nordic and back-country skiers and snowmobiling.

Eastern Oregon
The fall color change is starting to fade in the higher elevations of Eastern Oregon. Take in the last bits of fall color along the Elkhorn Drive Scenic Byway or add some culture to your day with a performance from the Grande Ronde Symphony. Find some holiday stocking stuffers at The Art of Giving before prepping your investigation skills for the upcoming Ghost Hunters Weekend.

Southern Oregon
The fall color change is at peak in Southern Oregon, though more leaves are falling with each day’s rain. Catch the Southern Oregon Concert Band’s opening show of the season at the Veterans Day Concert “John Phillip Sousa: An American Patriot” or enjoy a variety of patriotic numbers while finding fresh vegetables and fruits at Kruse Farms. See some of the year’s best international flicks at the Archaeology Fest Film Series.

Weekly Update 10/14/2010

Red, orange and yellow trees dot the Eugene skyline. This viewpoint from Skinner Butte is always a great photo opportunity for leaf peepers.

Eugene, Cascades & Coast
The leaves are at or near peak  in the upper Cascades, approaching peak in the Willamette Valley and at the coast at Florence. The vine maple in the higher elevations are fiery red, and yellow trees are lining the Siuslaw River on Highway 126 to Florence. In the valley, the youngest maple trees are reaching peak, but the large big-leaf maples have only small highlights of gold in their green canopies. Wander the trails early in the morning at Mount Pisgah Arboretum to see the fog turn golden with ash trees, and listen to the wonderful sound of crunching oak leaves underfoot. While you’re there, be sure to check the Katsura tree we reported on last week – it’s now at its peak color for the season.

Take your family to Greenwaters Park in Oakridge to play in bright piles of yellow, orange and brown leaves.

For a scenic drive, head through the falling yellow leaves along Highway 58. Take your family to Greenwaters Park in Oakridge to play in bright piles of yellow, orange and brown leaves. In Eugene, visit the Ridgeline Trail and the Cascades Raptor Center to wander through trails lined with burnt orange and bright yellow. Cycle along the South Bank portion of the Ruth Bascom Riverbank Path System, where you’ll ride through sections of glorious fall yellow and gold trees.

Coast
The colors are at or near peak along the coast and in the coast range. Leaf watchers predict peak color change in the next two weeks. Astoria is filled with red and gold, with brilliant colored leaves floating on the quiet waters of Coffenbury Lake. October has brought plenty of sunshine to the northern Oregon coast, so maple leaves with tinges of fall colors are barely hanging onto the stems. Drive along Highway 26 from Portland to see beautiful red maples and fallen yellow leaves lining the road. Coos Bay is gorgeous this week, with reds and yellows popping along the roadsides. Go up the Coos River to Mingus Park for beautiful views.

Willamette Valley
The leaves are approaching peak color change in the Willamette Valley. Trees in the higher elevations of the Cascades and Coastal Range are at or very close to peak, while many of the maples lower in the valley are just beginning to change.  Drive Highway 22 for gorgeous fall views, and bring your family to Salem for the weekend’s Harvest Festival and Pumpkin Merriment. Corvallis has a nice display of vivid reds and golds scattered amongst a backdrop of green. The Jackson-Frazier Wetlands are a lovely way to enjoy a nice walk and bright colors this week.

Take your pup to Mary S. Young State Park in Portland this weekend. A few of the smaller trees have turned bright red, while most of the large leafy trees are still a robust green.

Greater Portland
The colors are near peak in the Portland area. Golden color is visible everywhere, and the city’s neighborhood are filling with falling leaves. Take a stroll through the Nob Hill area and see the changing color on heritage trees set amongst charming, historic storefronts. This weekend, take your bike to the paved portion of the Banks-Vernonia Trail. Begin in the town of Vernonia, where you can ride under the railroad trestles and past farmland to take in all of autumn’s colors.

Mt. Hood/ Columbia River Gorge
The leaves are at or approaching peak color change on Mt Hood above 2000 feet, and are approaching peak at lower elevations along Highway 26 and Highway 35. Leaf watchers predict colors around peak change for the next three weeks. Multnomah Falls reports some yellow and brown against a mostly evergreen backdrop. Drive Highway 26 to Timberline Lodge for great photo opportunities.

Southern Oregon
The leaves are just starting to turn in Southern Oregon. Some light reds and a bit of yellow show in the small leaf trees. Some reds, yellows and oranges have been spotted in the Grants Pass area, with the best display at Indian Mary Park. Color change has finally begun around Klamath Falls, where aspens and birches are turning along with a glorious display of rich burgundy. Drive along Highway 140 between Klamath Falls and Medford, or along Highways 152 and 140 for beautiful scenery this week.

Central Oregon
The color change is at or near peak in the higher elevations of central Oregon. Leaf watchers report strong colors for this time of the year. Bright reds and oranges line the trails at Clear Lake, a great start to hiking and viewing the fall foliage along the McKenzie River Trail (if you haven’t already, check out our previous post about this favorite fall hike).

Eastern Oregon
The color change is at peak in the higher elevations of eastern Oregon, and is just beginning to change in the lower elevations. In southeastern Oregon, Frenchglen and Malheur Wildlife Refuge report peak colors and leaves that are just beginning to drop. If you haven’t yet visited the Steens Mountains this year, this is the week to see the aspen at their peak of yellow. Drive the Steens Loop Tour Route and into the Diamond Valley for the best views.

Weekly Update 9/23/2010

Bright fall colors along Old McKenzie Highway 242

For the first weekend of fall, Oregon is bringing back summer-like afternoons. Warm temperatures are predicted for most of the state, making it the perfect weekend for exploring the emerging fall colors.

Eugene, Cascades & Coast
The colors are just starting to change in the Eugene, Cascades & Coast region. Find the richest colors near the passes in the Cascades along Highway 242 or Highway 126. The Aufderheide Scenic Byway (FS RD 19) is beginning to yellow and provides access to fishing, hiking, camping, and mountain biking. Leaf-watcher Emily of Eugene’s Divine Cupcake suggests that folks get out this weekend and hike, while the weather is still warm and the trails are mud-free.

Coast
The color change is starting along the coast. In the Coast Range, vine and big leaf maples are starting to change along Highway 18 toward Tillamook. Glimpse bits of color in Astoria along the Columbia River while sampling one of 36 brews from around the state at the Pacific Northwest Brew Cup this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Willamette Valley
The colors are starting to change in the Willamette Valley. Street trees in the cities changed quickly this week. Leaves are just beginning to turn red, gold and orange in pockets throughout the valley. In the high Cascades, vine maples are turning orange and red. Lower elevations in the Cascades are more green than yellow. Drive east into the Cascades on Highway 22 or Highway 126 and west into the Coast Range along Highway 33 for the best color. Press your own cider at Eagle Creek’s Cider Squeeze on Saturday, then head to National Alpaca Farm Days to shop for yarn and other products made from local alpaca fleece.

Greater Portland
The color change is starting in the Portland area. A few trees are just beginning to turn yellow throughout Portland’s neighborhoods. Head out to the Portland or Beaverton farmers markets this weekend to see the fall produce in all of its luscious color.

Mt. Hood/ Columbia River Gorge
The colors are starting to change along the Columbia River Gorge and in the upper elevations on Mt. Hood. Some oranges and yellows brighten the valley near Parkdale. Forecasts of clear skies on Saturday make it the perfect weekend to hike Cooper Spur or Vista Ridge for views of Mt. Hood. Continue up to Historic Timberline Lodge for a tour of the historic lodge throughout the day.

Southern Oregon
The color change is barely starting in Southern Oregon. Green dominates the little bit of yellow visible in southern Oregon. Travel east of the Cascades for more yellow. Break out the binoculars and visit one of southern Oregon’s great birding spots.

Central Oregon
The colors are just starting to change in Central Oregon. The street trees in Bend are approaching their peak and the best color display this week. The planted maples and other street trees started to change color about two weeks ago when nights started to get cooler. The aspen in the area have just begun. The further west and south you drive the more change you’ll see.  Visit Bend for Oktoberfest and the Bend Roots Revival this weekend. Head to Sisters for the Fresh Hop Festival and west of Sisters into the Cascades where red vine maples stand out against the black lava along Highway 242.

Eastern Oregon
The colors are slowly starting to change throughout Eastern Oregon. Lots of green is still visible in the southeastern part of the state with more yellows in the higher elevations. Visit the Round Barn Visitor Center in Diamond and drive the Steens Loop Tour Route out of Frenchglen. At the Oregon Trail Interpretative Center outside of Baker City, the rabbit brush is blooming with yellow flowers. Good weather and no serious snows yet this year make the northeast corner of Oregon prime hiking and biking territory this weekend. Base your trips out of Joseph and explore Wallowa Lake.