Skip to main content
Winter can be a stormy thing—a barrage of holidays, unexpected icy roads, extra long nights. Dare we even mention the endless gray? The whole thing can leave a person exhausted.
But, dear reader, that’s not what winter’s all about.
Winter isn’t just a cold grind—it’s a time of recovery, getting our acts together before stepping back into a busy world as it blossoms in spring. These cool months are full of subtlety and rejuvenation, a time when we prepare for the year ahead with some self-care.
This year’s Oregon Winter guide is devoted to just that. (And if you’re immediately starting to bristle at “self-care,” worried we’re about to recommend only extravagant options, we promise a variety of price points and things to do; wellness isn’t just for the wealthy.)
In the pages ahead, we move step by step through winter. First up, we get realigned. That could be through leaning into simple pleasures like knitting at home (or with stitching groups) using local yarn (page 8), or a restorative sojourn out to the Long Beach Peninsula, where time somehow slows to let you weave through sand dunes or just bask in a coastal storm from your vintage trailer or Japanese-inspired micro cabin (page 12). And don’t forget a gripping good read—we’ve got recommendations from vibrant local authors (page 22).
Rested? Next up, it’s time to get out—slowly, it’s still winter, after all. Maybe that means joining a cooking class over at Vivienne Culinary Books to replace a few tired weeknight repeats with new, playful meals (page 50). Or it could be taking the kids to learn to snow ski up at Timberline’s Summit Pass, which offers affordable beginner lessons (page 33). Desperate for the sun but can’t afford to hop on a plane? The Dalles is a day trip, and the community there is working overtime to put the city on the cultural map with loads of wineries, sweet shops along 2nd Street, and nonprofit Little Music City’s commitment to bringing local and touring artists to downtown stages nearly every night (page 30). And again—sun.
And once you’ve rested and dipped a toe back into social activities, it’s time to get ahead. Yes, we mean planning: Mark up the calendar with loads of spring events (page 57), and don’t miss Winter PrideFest in Bend on March 6–9. Hosted by OUT Central Oregon, the event has in the past six years gone from a casual ski weekend to a celebration attended by more than a thousand people (page 60).
Yes, it’ll be cloudy for months and the spring will be here before you know it. But don’t rush through this season. Let’s tap into our inner light in these dark days. —Robin Bacior, Editor
Looking for an Oregon Winter guide? Check this map for locations carrying our free home magazine. The locations indicated in orange are carrying 100+ magazines and should be a surefire place to grab one (if you go soon).
Oregon Winter is Willamette Week’s annual winter magazine. It is free and can be found all over Portland beginning Friday, December 13, 2024. Find your free copy at one of the locations noted here, or at our online store, before they all get picked up!
