Mims Copeland

1 week ago | oregonlive.com | Mims Copeland

There are almost 7,000 state parks in the United States, and one in Oregon is among the 10 best, according to a new ranking. Florida Rentals, a vacation rental marketplace, analyzed Google reviews to rank the top 10 state parks in the country. And one of Oregon’s 198 state parks landed at No. 7. Nestled on the Crooked River in central Oregon, Smith Rock State Park drew 812,736 visitors last year with thousands of rock climbing routes and miles of hiking and mountain biking trails.

1 week ago | oregonlive.com | Mims Copeland

It’s time to open nominations for the next category of The Oregonian’s Readers Choice Awards: the best Oregon wine producer. There are loads to choose from. The Willamette Valley alone has more than 700 wineries according to the Willamette Valley Visitors Association. Recently, it was chosen as the top wine destination in the world by VinePair. And Wine Enthusiast’s list of the 100 best wines of 2024 was led by RMS Brut 10-Year Delayed Disgorgement, a sparkling wine from Newberg’s ROCO Winery.

2 weeks ago | oregonlive.com | Mims Copeland

Do you want to make plans to visit the top wine destination in the world? Maybe head to Napa or Tuscany? Turns out, you don’t need to go nearly that far. According to VinePair — a digital publication covering wine, beer and spirits — the top 10 wine destinations for 2025 don’t include either of those places. The list includes destinations in Japan, Greece and Argentina. But at No. 1, you’ll find Oregon’s own Willamette Valley.

1 month ago | oregonlive.com | Mims Copeland

Voting is now open for the latest category of The Oregonian’s Readers Choice Awards: the best beer brewed in Oregon. Hundreds of readers took the time to nominate their favorite beer and determine our 10 finalists. You can vote once a day here or at the bottom of this post until 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, April 15. Barley Brown’s Beer in Baker City offers a plethora of beers, including several IPAs, but our readers’ favorite is the Pallet Jack IPA.

1 month ago | oregonlive.com | Mims Copeland

For the first time since 2018, there’s a new restaurant that can lay claim to the top casual dining title in the United States. Olive Garden led the nation in sales for years, but according to Restaurant Business, that honor now belongs to Texas Roadhouse.