Summer has always been the season of the traveler. Fall, on the other hand, brings heavy doses of schedules and routine — a sobering reality check that leaves students shell-shocked and longing for the stress-free days of cross-country road trips and European backpacking. New students adjusting to life at college and goal-oriented University veterans may forget there’s a world beyond campus.
But autumn offers more travel opportunities than you can imagine. So grab a pen. There are about to be some changes to your schedule. And you won’t need add/drop for these.
Lane Community College Computer Network Operator major Dale Dzierzek thinks he’s stating the obvious when talking about his favorite Oregon getaway.
“The coast. It’s an hour away and you don’t even have to go with a specific destination in mind,” said Dzierzek. “Once you hit those coastal roads, the drive itself is worth it — especially in the fall.” He also mentioned his favorite stop along the way — the Rogue Brewery, located in the coastal town of Newport..
Once you get to the coast, check out Marine Discovery Tours. The self-dubbed Official Cruise Company of the Oregon Coast offers two-hour aquarium-style cruise programs lead by a team of naturalists on a 65-foot flagship aptly named Discovery. For more information, visit www.marinediscovery.com.
Anthropology major Joe Dimick prefers Ashland for his vacation stop.
“It’s just a really festive little town. There’s always shit going on,” Dimick said. “And Mt. Ashland is a great place to ski.”
Backpackers can check out the University of Oregon Outdoor Program, a student-funded wilderness cooperative that plans trips throughout the year. Their office is located on the ground floor of the Erb Memorial Union in Suite 37.
BootsnAll.com is another resource students can use for making travel plans. The organization offers a database of its members in cities all over the world. These contacts offer assistance to travelers, whether it be information on cool things to check out or cool places to stay.
BootsnAll.com President Sean Keener said the organization is for the independent traveler. “Students definitely fit into that mold,” Keener said.
Okay, so money’s an issue. But if you can scrounge up three bucks, check out the 20th Annual Hood River Valley Harvest Fest at the Columbia River Gorge Friday through Sunday. This festival features freshly-harvested fruit and produce from throughout the Northwest, with more than 120 handicraft and art vendors. The festival also has food, a harvest quilt raffle and live entertainment.
A unique opportunity will be offered in Pendleton this week, when the first national competition for female hot air balloonists takes off at Wildhorse. The Wildhorse Women’s Shootout Balloon Championship features six days of competitive tasks and 50 of the top female pilots in the United States, all competing for $20,000.
In addition to the shootout, the sixth annual Wildhorse Hot Air Balloon Bash will take place Friday through Sunday. Wildhorse again will launch more than 25 balloons from the Pendleton Round-Up grounds at dawn on Friday and Saturday mornings and from Wildhorse on Sunday. At dusk on Friday, Wildhorse will stage a Night Glow at the Round-Up grounds, where the balloons will be lit to musical accompaniment.
This barely scratches the surface of what Oregon has to offer for the fall traveler, but at least you have a few more tools you might not have had two minutes ago. So get your nose out of the books already.
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