Portland's Friendly Suburb Is A Rural Retreat With Vineyards, Golfing, And Ample Trail Access

Itineraries are easy to fill with beloved attractions when visiting Portland, Oregon, such as the Oregon Zoo and Washington Park's International Rose Test Garden. You can visit the street locals dub the ice cream capital of the world or browse the largest independent bookstore. The city is also a perfect home base for day trips. If you want to combine rural charms, such as a garlic festival, with the contrast of area vineyards, golf, and accessible trails, visit North Plains, about 18 miles northwest of Portland.

Once inhabited by the Atfalati Native American Tribe, this town of 3,500 was a farming mecca in the mid-1800s, growing with the arrival of the Oregon Electric Railway in the early 1900s. Trains transported fruits, animals, and logs; today, the train line is owned by Portland & Western Railroad and still transports freight a few times a week. The farming heritage still continues. You see it in the North Plains Elephant Garlic Festival in August, a free community event featuring a parade where spectators enjoy free candy and garlic cloves.

There's a chance you may smell that garlic playing a round at the world-class Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club. This modest town's golf club has enjoyed the limelight hosting a number of prominent tournaments, as well as courted controversy in 2022 for hosting the LIV Golf Invitational Portland that was bankrolled by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund. Pumpkin Ridge is home to the public Ghost Creek course and the private Witch Hollow course. Ghost Creek scores high for its beauty, but players note it uses dynamic pricing so fees may be more than what's published online ($70 to $150). Cheaper options include McKay Creek Golf Course & Driving Range and family-owned Killarney West, two nine-hole courses located in Hillsboro about a 6-mile drive south of North Plains.

Getting here is easy. It's a scenic drive on Highway 26 from Portland or three hours south of Seattle, Washington. If flying in, Portland International Airport is the closest airport (about 31 miles away). You can catch more air at the family friendly zip line adventure park, Pumpkin Ridge Zip Tour, where you can fly through a forest canopy over sprawling suspension bridges on eight zip lines. For those with iron stomachs, pay a visit to the Willamette Valley Soaring Club for a ride in a two-seat sailplane (also known as a glider), an aircraft without an engine.

For non-golfers, disc golf is a popular option at Horning's Hideout, a private park with trout fishing that also serves as a beloved wedding venue. Spend hours playing the three 18-hole courses in a lush setting with old-growth forests, bridges, a lake, and even roaming peacocks. Your $5 park fee includes the disc golf.

If you prefer hiking without disc-throwing, a quick drive to L.L. Stub Stewart State Park in Buxton places you in a forested hillside filled with trails for biking, hiking, and horseback riding. This fee park, which costs $5 for a day-use pass, is also a popular spot for stargazing. The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry even hosts star parties in the summer. The Northern Loop is an easy 4.1 mile hike with about a 480-foot elevation change. One of the longer trails is Bumping Knots, a 6-mile lollipop loop partly lined with tiger lily and columbine that follows an old logging road and crosses an old wooden train trestle. Since these are multi-use trails, you may encounter horse piles or bikes around a tight corner.

While this part of the Willamette Valley is not quite the wine capital of Oregon, it is home to its own acclaimed winery, the Abbey Creek Vineyard. Known as "The Crick," the owner, Bertony Faustin, is the state's first recorded Black winemaker. The working winery offers a relaxing vibe with hip hop beats accompanying wine tastings offered Friday through Sunday for $25. Reservations are recommended, especially since Google reviewers wax rhapsodic about the complexity of the wines, including cabernet sauvignon, pinot gris, and chardonnay.

More options await in Hillsboro. With its majestic views of blue skies, rolling hills, and Hillsboro's skyline, Eagles Nest Reserve has been wooing oenophiles for the past two years with its pinot noirs made with organic and non-interventionist practices, friendly staff, and movie nights. Nearby Helvetia Winery in the foothills of the Tualatin Mountains exudes unpretentious charm with daily indoor and outdoor tastings open by reservation. The $20 fee is waived if you purchase a $25-plus bottle of its wines, which focus on pinot noirs, chardonnays, and rieslings.

If a meal beckons, you can find good grub in North Plains, but fancy restaurants aren't abundant in this community. Old Hich'en Post Restaurant serves huge portions of comfort food, such as omelets, hamburgers, sandwiches, biscuits and gravy, and onion rings. Rogue Brew Pub & Eatery draws customers for its live music on Friday and Saturday and its menu featuring beer-battered mushrooms, wings, fish and chips, burgers, and sandwiches. For fresh-from-the-farm options, your best bet is in Hillsboro for U-pick peaches at Grossen Peaches or the Helvetia Farm Market for high-quality meats, cheeses, fresh fruits, and more wines. For another low-key day trip near Portland, visit this quiet city with college-town vibes.