The Native Oregonian’s Guide

03/26/2025

We wound up hitting up a kite shop in Newport this trip, after Austen said he wanted to get a minions kite (which… wasn’t well made). They did not have a minions kite, but Austen picked out a pretty cool Delta kite that flies really well.

Alton picked a pocket sled that… he couldn’t keep untangled. But we all had fun. And holy cow the weather was perfect. 😍

03/25/2025

Do I cheat with a propane fire pit?

Absolutely. Four seasons of this and I’ve figured out I didn’t pay enough attention to how to build a fire in Boy Scouts and I kind of prefer being able to just switch my fire off because the few times I’ve managed to make a “real” fire I had it burning way longer than I’d anticipated.

But whichever fire you use, it’s always a good idea to make s’mores.

How do you make your fires?

03/23/2025

It was two years ago on spring break. We were camping at South Beach State Park, we rolled in to the campground, I finished unhooking the trailer, and I looked at my wife and said “I don’t feel like cooking after all that.” It was late, I’d just driven two hours. But where to go? We hadn’t spent much time in Newport, so we went to Yelp to see our options. And there it was.

Nana’s Irish Pub.

It struck us for a couple reasons. First off, to our boys my mother in law is Nana, so the name jumped out. Also, spring break fell the week after saint patricks day, so the idea of an Irish pub for dinner sounded great. And it didn’t disappoint. The food was excellent (the steak and Guinness pie was phenomenal) and the Chocolate brandy bread pudding for dessert was so good, we wound up getting it to go on the last night before heading home.

This year for spring break we booked Beverly Beach State Park (with newly renovated camp sites — it’s great to see upgrading the infrastructure throughout the system), and our first stop? Nana’s Irish Pub. Because after two hours drive and the work to h hook the trailer and set up camp, I didn’t feel like cooking. 😂

08/01/2024

This child is obsessed with stealing my hat.

08/01/2024

Just a few shots of Coldwater Lake at Mt. St. Helens. Coldwater Lake was one of two new lakes formed in the aftermath of the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens. The lake has a beautiful guided hike where you can learn about the ecological processes that took place after the eruption. It’s a truly stunning lake, and the history makes it a fascinating subject.

07/29/2024

May be a little outside the state of Oregon, but we’re checking out place that my oldest has been obsessed with with since learning about Mt. St. Helens in preschool. It’s rainy today, so we’re doing some indoor activities first.

07/17/2024

Quick photo dump from our half week in Sisters!

05/25/2024

The trip to Detroit Lake this year has had slightly more rain than last year, but it doesn’t take away from how absolutely incredible this place is. You don’t have to look far to still see the impact of the 2020 wildfires on the area, but there’s still so much beauty to see. There seems to be a number of open spaces currently, which isn’t surprising when it’s been raining most of today on and off (last year we were here and it was perfect summer weather the whole weekend). If you’re a camper with a boat, Detroit Lake campground not only offers a beautifully wooded campground but also a boat launch and mooring for campers. If you get a clear afternoon, the lake also has a stunning view of Mt. Jefferson (which we’ve so far only seen half of).

05/15/2024

This is always a fantastic event — a few years back we discovered their summer event, the Great Oregon Steam Up, but this is more geared towards the kids and can I just say, it’s become one of our boys’ favorites. Can’t wait for this Saturday!

We're excited! Are you excited?! The fourth annual S.T.E.A.M.'d Up for Kids is this Saturday, May 18!!!! Woo-hoo! There are a ton of activities for kids! $10 admission. 12 & under are FREE. We'll see you on Saturday! Be sure to follow the event page - STEAM'd Up for Kids! 🚂 - for updated information!

05/15/2024

An introduction the the Native Oregonian’s Guide to Avoiding Portland…

This blog, if I'm being totally truthful, was born out of envy. You see, I'm a native Oregonian. I've lived nowhere else for the last 40 yea...