1,000 Places to See Before You Die

by Patricia Schultz

  In addition to 11 plays presented annually, from mid-February through October, there are outdoor concerts, backstage tours, lectures, and discussions led by actors and scholars.

  The festival’s success is aided by the charm of Ashland, a small, lively city 15 miles north of the California border that has become the cultural—and gastronomic—center of southern Oregon. From the town’s central plaza, lovely Lithia Park winds along Ashland Creek; park trails meander for miles, and there are possibilities for day trips galore in the mountainous region of southern Oregon, from visits to nearby vineyards to skiing at Mount Ashland in the winter months.

  Built in 1900 as a railroad workers’ boardinghouse, the beautifully updated Peerless Hotel offers tasteful rooms with luxurious comforts. These take a backseat to its restaurant next door, one of the best in town. Even closer to the festival, the Winchester Inn offers polished accommodations in an 1886 Victorian mansion, carriage house, and two neighboring homes, all surrounded by an English cottage–style garden. Guests enjoy a sumptuous breakfast, but even if you’re not staying there book a table for dinner at the Winchester’s celebrated restaurant, where local ingredients and an award-winning wine list heavy on Oregon’s best are the lures.

  WHERE: 285 miles south of Portland. Tel 800-219-8161 or 541-482-4331; www.osfashland.org. When: mid-Feb–Oct. PEERLESS HOTEL AND RESTAURANT: Tel 541-488-1082; www.peerlesshotel.com. Cost: from $85 (off-peak), from $160 (peak); dinner $35. THE WINCHESTER INN: Tel 800-972-4991 or 541-488-1113; www.winchesterinn.com. Cost: from $150 (off-peak), from $195 (peak); dinner $50. BEST TIMES: May–Oct for nicest weather; July 4 for live music and celebrations.

  A Majestic Cleft in the Cascade Volcanoes

  THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE

  Oregon and Washington, U.S.A.

  The Columbia River’s enormous 80-mile-long gorge through the Cascade Mountains is one of the most dramatic destinations in the Pacific Northwest, its splendor so remarkable that in 1986 Congress designated it the first of America’s National Scenic Areas. The mile-wide river, flanked by volcanic sentinels Mount Hood (in Oregon) and Mount Adams (in Washington), flows between basalt walls rising 4,000 feet. And all this beauty—plus excellent hiking trails and world-class windsurfing—is just an hour’s drive from Portland.

  This awe-inspiring chasm is the only sea-level passage through the Sierra and Cascade ranges, making it a major transportation corridor for centuries. Lewis and Clark passed through the gorge in 1805–6. The gorge would later become the final challenge to pioneers on the Oregon Trail, and it was only opened up to automobiles in 1916, by means of the Historic Columbia River Highway. Although much of this route has been subsumed by fast-moving 1-84, remnants of the winding roadway are by far the best routes for exploring the gorge.

  The town of Hood River, the hub of the gorge, enjoys a certain renown as the windsurfing capital of the world. South of the city, above the Hood River Valley stands massive Mount Hood, the very symbol of Oregon. In 1906 a rail line was built to carry lumber and, later, the valley’s bounty of fruit. The Mount Hood Railroad now ferries day-trippers between Hood River and Parkdale.

  West of Hood River, a segment of the Historic Columbia River Highway climbs past the greatest concentration of waterfalls in North America—77 on the Oregon side of the river alone. The most spectacular of all is Multnomah Falls, the second highest year-round waterfall in the U.S. (after Yosemite Falls; see p. 733), with a total drop of 620 feet.

  Riverboat cruises aboard the Columbia Gorge sternwheeler depart from the town of Cascade Locks, offering modern-day travelers a chance to see the river as early pioneers did.

  Benson Footbridge provides a spectacular view of Multnomah Falls.

  WHERE: The gorge follows the Washington-Oregon border for 80 miles, beginning 56 miles east of Portland, west to Biggs. MT. HOOD RAILROAD: Tel 800-872-4661 or 541-386-3556; www.mthoodrr.com. When: Apr–Dec. COLUMBIA GORGE STERNWHEELER: Tel 800-224-3901 or 503-224-3900; www.sternwheeler.com. When: May–Oct. WHERE TO STAY: Columbia Gorge Hotel is a landmark in Hood River, with river views. Tel 800-345-1921 or 541-386-5566; www.columbiagorgehotel.com. Cost: from $250. BEST TIME: May–Oct for nicest weather.

  Nature’s Theater in the Round

  CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK

  Oregon, U.S.A.

  Most visitors are drawn to Crater Lake by its perfect, jewel-like beauty, unaware of its catastrophic geological origins. Oregon’s only national park had its beginnings about 7,700 years ago when a phenomenal eruption caused the massive Mount Mazama (once 12,000 feet high) to collapse inward on itself. The resulting 6-mile-wide caldera slowly filled with water; its lowest point is 1,943 feet from the surface, making it the nation’s deepest lake. The cold, calm, and exceptionally clear water doesn’t fill the caldera all the way to its rim; a steep mile-long trail on the lake’s north side leads down to the shore, where hikers can board a tour boat (the only boat aside from research vessels permitted on the lake) and cruise to Wizard Island. The 33-mile Rim Drive encircles the 21-square-mile lake and offers a dazzling view for motorists, hikers, and bicyclists. In winter, heavy snowfall closes the drive to vehicles, and it becomes a breathtaking place to cross-country ski or snowshoe on a ranger-guided tour.

  Construction on Crater Lake Lodge began in 1909, and a 1990s renovation is responsible for its present rustic elegance. The Great Hall’s massive stone fireplace and broad picture windows framing the cobalt blue lake are in the tradition of other great national park lodges and make it the finest in the Pacific Northwest.

  Take in the present-day splendor of the Cascade Mountains’ fierce past on the 500-mile Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, which starts at the park and heads south past the town of Klamath Falls into California, where it skirts Mount Shasta and terminates just south of Lassen Peak and Lassen Volcanic National Park.

  WHERE: 181 miles south of Portland. Tel 541-594-3000; www.nps.gov/crla. When: park open year-round; boat tours mid-Jul–mid-Sep; Rim Drive late Jun–mid-Oct, depending on snowfall. CRATER LAKE LODGE: Tel 888-774-2728 or 541-830-8700; www.craterlakelodges.com. Cost: lake view from $200. When: late May–mid-Oct. VOLCANIC LEGACY BYWAY: www.volcaniclegacybyway.org. BEST TIMES: Jul–Aug for nice weather; mid-Jul for wildflowers.

  Rugged Masterpiece of the Natural World

  THE OREGON COAST

  Oregon, U.S.A.

  Sculpted by the turbulent waves of the Pacific, Oregon’s 362-mile coastline is one of nature’s masterworks. Thanks to a farsighted state government in the 1910s, the entire length was set aside as public land, with most of it still nearly undeveloped.

  For one of the most awe-inspiring road trips in America, follow the Beaver State portion of Highway 101 from north to south. Begin at the northern outpost of Astoria, a richly historic city northwest of Portland where the Columbia River (see p. 855) flows into the Pacific. At Cannon Beach, northern Oregon’s most beautiful seaside village, the sandy shore stretches for miles, interrupted by massive basalt sea stacks like the iconic 235-foot Haystack Rock. Cannon Beach has retained its weathered-shingle seaside charm, exemplified by the Stephanie Inn, a boutique inn that’s arguably the coast’s most romantic getaway. Its sister property, the Surfsand Resort, is a perennial favorite with families and a cozy place for wintertime storm-watching.

  At Neahkahnie Mountain, Highway 101 edges around 700-foot cliffs that drop into the surging Pacific. Not long after dipping inland around Tillamook’s dairy and artichoke farms, 101 deposits travelers at the much-loved Salishan Spa & Golf Resort, south of Lincoln City on Siletz Bay. Set on 760 acres, this eco-friendly retreat has a reputation built largely around its championship-caliber Peter Jacobsen–designed golf course, as well as a superior restaurant and wine cellar showcasing the best of the Pacific Northwest.

  At Newport, the central Oregon coast’s largest city, the Oregon Coast Aquarium ranks as one of the state’s top attractions, providing a fascinating glimpse into the region’s marine environment and intertidal life. Or join a whale-watching tour eit
her at the end of December or in March, when about 20,000 gray whales pass close to shore. Newport’s quirky Sylvia Beach Hotel is dedicated to book lovers, with 20 guest rooms that evoke the spirit and work of various authors; even nonguests are welcome at the hotel’s well-regarded Tables of Content restaurant.

  South of Yachats (pronounced YA-hots) is the most rugged stretch of the Oregon coast. There Cape Perpetua towers 830 feet above the roiling waters, providing scenic overlooks. A little farther south is Heceta Head Lighthouse, a stark white gem on a rocky headland 205 feet above the Pacific that is still in operation. The beautifully maintained 1894 lighthouse keeper’s home is open as a B&B (and is particularly known for its breakfast). Take in the nearby Sea Lion Caves, the largest natural sea grotto in the country.

  South of Florence, the Oregon Dunes extend along the coast for over 40 miles. Hiking trails explore the mighty, ever-shifting sand formations, some measuring 500 feet high. From Charleston south to the California border, the beaches are home to rookeries of puffins and penguin-like murres. Farther south is Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, equal parts New Age retreat and golf mecca (on the short list of the nation’s best). There are three other top-ranked courses nearby: Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails, and the newest, Old Macdonald. The state’s most famous river, the fast-flowing Rogue, meets the Pacific at Gold River; follow the river upstream 7 miles to the excellent Tu Tu’ Tun Lodge, offering opportunities for unmatched fishing and exhilarating jet-boat trips on the river’s surging rapids.

  In Oregon’s northwest corner, colossal rocks break up Cannon Beach’s peaceful coastline.

  WHERE: from Astoria, 95 miles northwest of Portland, to Brookings, 318 miles south of Portland. VISITOR INFO: www.visittheoregoncoast.com. STEPHANIE INN: Tel 800-633-3466 or 503-436-2221; www.stephanie-inn.com. Cost: from $359. SURFSAND RESORT: Tel 800-547-6100 or 503-436-2274; www.surfsand.com. Cost: from $140 (off-peak), from $430 (peak). SALISHAN SPA & GOLF RESORT: Tel 888-725-4742 or 541-764-2371; www.salishan.com. Cost: from $160 (off-peak), from $180 (peak); greens fees from $60 (off-peak), from $99 (peak). OREGON COAST AQUARIUM: Tel 541-867-3474; www.aquarium.org. SYLVIA BEACH HOTEL: Tel 888-795-8422 or 541-265-5428; www.sylviabeachhotel.com. Cost: from $100; dinner $25. HECETA HEAD LIGHTHOUSE: Tel 866-547-3696 or 541-547-3696; www.hecetalighthouse.com. Cost: from $135 (off-peak), from $210 (peak). BANDON DUNES GOLF RESORT: Tel 888-345-6008 or 541-347-4380; www.bandondunesgolf.com. Cost: from $100 (off-peak), from $200 (peak); greens fees from $75 (off-peak), from $220 (peak). TU TU’ TUN LODGE: Tel 800-864-6357 or 541-247-6664; www.tututun.com. Cost: from $135 (off-peak), from $235 (peak); dinner $60. BEST TIMES: mid-Dec–mid-Jan and Mar–Jun for whale-watching; Jun–Sep for warmer weather; Apr–Sep for sea lion viewing at Sea Lion Caves.

  The Way that Napa Used to Be

  WILLAMETTE VALLEY

  Oregon, U.S.A.

  At the end of the historic Oregon Trail, close to 10,000 acres of rolling vineyards unfold in the northern Willamette Valley, less than an hour’s drive south of Portland. It’s one of two wine-producing regions that have helped make the state the envy of vintners from California to France.

  The first vineyards were planted in the valley in the 1960s; today pinot noir is the undisputed leader, though pinot gris and chardonnay thrive here as well. Route 99W, the main road through Yamhill County—the heart of northern Oregon’s wine country—is frequently clogged with traffic, but the back roads also wind through vineyards and oak groves and are ideal for bicycling or a lazy drive. Many of the area’s 200 (mostly boutique) wineries operate tasting rooms, and most are open daily in summer and on weekends in winter.

  Here you’ll find the small towns of Newberg—home of Rex Hill, where the wines and gardens both warrant a stop—and Dundee, whose Argyle Winery produced one of the first Oregon wines served at the White House. Ponzi Vineyards, just south of Beaverton, turns out top-shelf pinot noirs, while the village of Dayton is the site of the area’s most acclaimed dining room at the Joel Palmer House.

  At Wine Country Farm B&B and Cellars, you’ll enjoy sweeping views of the estate’s vineyards from the 1910 farmhouse, along with access to their popular wine-tasting rooms. The chic and comfortable nine-suite Brookside Inn is situated on 22 tranquil acres, a former religious retreat that now draws visitors who revere wine and good food. The Allison Inn & Spa is a handsome newcomer with 85 rooms enveloped in 35 acres of gardens and pinot noir vineyards. The popular restaurant, JORY, along with the spa, entices guests never to leave the grounds. Don’t give in to the temptation—the rest of this oenophile’s paradise is too good to miss.

  WHERE: Newberg is 15 miles southwest of Portland. VISITOR INFO: www.oregonwinecountry.org. REX HILL: Tel 800-739-4455 or 503-538-0666; www.rexhill.com. ARGYLE WINERY: Tel 888-427-4953 or 503-538-8520; www.argylewinery.com. JOEL PALMER HOUSE: Tel 503-864-2995; www.joelpalmerhouse.com. Cost: dinner $50. WINE COUNTRY FARM: Tel 800-261-3446 or 503-864-3446; www.winecountryfarm.com. Cost: from $150. BROOKSIDE INN: Tel 503-852-4433; www.brooksideinn-oregon.com. Cost: from $185. THE ALLISON INN: Tel 503-554-2525; www.theallison.com. Cost: from $295; dinner $60. BEST TIMES: last weekend in May and Nov for special tastings; late Jul for International Pinot Noir Celebration in McMinnville.

  A Shrine to the Civil War’s Fallen

  GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK

  Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

  If there is a home for the soul of America, it is almost certainly Gettysburg, the nation’s most visited Civil War battlefield. Here, in July 1863, the Union and Confederate armies clashed in the bloodiest battle ever fought on American soil. In three days of fighting, more than 51,000 men were killed, wounded, captured, or went missing (nearly a third of all who fought there). Though the war dragged on for nearly two more years, Gettysburg was the turning point as the South’s last major offensive drive in the North.

  Four months after the battle, Abraham Lincoln read the brief words of his Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the Soldier’s National Cemetery, where 3,512 soldiers were interred. Today the battlefield’s 6,000-acre grounds are protected as a national park, with more than 1,300 statues, monuments, and cannons marking 26 miles of roads that wend past the most legendary sites and the field on which the Confederate army sustained more than 5,000 casualties in 50 minutes. Stop by the Visitor Center to see the fully restored 42-foot-high 1884 Battle of Gettysburg cyclorama, which features a 360-degree view of General George Pickett’s Confederate infantry charge, and a 22-minute film, A New Birth of Freedom, narrated by Morgan Freeman. The attached Gettysburg Museum of the American Civil War shows highlights from a collection of more than 300,000 objects and artifacts.

  Of the many commemorative events held during the week of July Fourth, the skirmishes reenacted near the park by uniformed volunteers are the highlight. Take some quiet time to recall the words of Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain at the 1889 dedication of the monument to his troops: “Generations that know us not and that we know not of, heart-drawn to see where and by whom great things were suffered and done for them, shall come to this deathless field to ponder and dream.”

  This monument memorializes the 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry.

  WHERE: 30 miles south of Harrisburg. VISITOR INFO: www.gettysburgcvb.org. GETTYSBURG CYCLORAMA & MUSEUM: Tel 717-334-1124; www.nps.gov/gett. WHERE TO STAY: It’s a 15-minute drive to the former plantation of Antrim 1844, Taneytown, MD. Tel 800-858-1844 or 410-756-6812; www.antrim1844.com. Cost: from $160 (off-peak), from $235 (peak). BEST TIMES: late May for Memorial Day commemoration; 1st week of Jul for anniversary events and battle reenactment; mid-Jun–mid-Aug for free ranger-guided programs.

  Where the Plain People Live

  PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH COUNTRY

  Lancaster, Berks, and adjacent counties, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

  Pennsylvania’s Amish and Mennonite communities have lived here peacefully since the 1720s, when they arrived as part of William Penn’s grand experiment. Today the largely agricultural counties of southeastern Pennsylvania are hom
e to some 50,000 of the “Plain People.” Members of the strict Old Order Amish, about 25,000 strong, wear traditional dark clothing, get around on foot or in horse-drawn buggies, educate their own, and live mainly by farming. Those belonging to more liberal groups live less isolated from society.

  The “English” (that means all outsiders) are expected to respect the communities’ privacy. Area towns—with names like Paradise and Bird-in-Hand—each have attractions and B&Bs to recommend them. The city of Lancaster features the Lancaster Cultural History Museum, the Lancaster Quilt & Textile Museum, and a bustling Central Market built in 1889 on a site in use since the 1730s. Stop in for crafts and locally grown produce and shoofly pie. For an overnight, the Kings Cottage B&B provides eight classically elegant rooms in a 1913 Spanish-style mansion whose owners are helpful and friendly.

  The small town of Lititz, to the north, was founded by Moravians in the late 1700s. Today its Main Street boasts Colonial buildings that house antiques shops and gift stores (where you might pick up a decorative hex sign) and the Sturgis Pretzel House, the oldest commercial pretzel bakery in the U.S.

  Neighboring Ephrata is known for the cloister founded by Conrad Beissel and his followers, who built the settlement in the mid-1700s (a dozen restored buildings are open for tours) while practicing their blend of proto-mysticism, Anabaptism, and celibacy. The Historic Smithton Inn, originally a stagecoach stop here, has been welcoming guests since 1763. About 12 miles east, in Churchtown, the Inn at Twin Linden features bucolic grounds, country-elegant guest rooms, and a lovely Saturday night dinner.