Willamette Valley, Oregon

Oregon’s Willamette Valley is an epicure’s dream — a world-renowned wine destination just under a half hour’s drive from Portland that lures pinot noir devotees who delight in the mix of mom-and-pop and state-of-the-art wineries found around every bend. But wine is just the beginning. In the Willamette Valley, you can visit the farm where your food was grown, cycle by hazelnut groves and learn how to make farmstead cheese. You can forage for mushrooms and pluck ripe wild berries from summer through fall. If outback adventure is more your style, then see the sunrise by hot air balloon, spend your afternoon hiking through the canopy of old-growth trees, and take in the sunset while riding horseback along the vineyards.