The Best Fall Things To Do In the Pacific Northwest

Much to the chagrin of the right people of New England , the Pacific Northwest dominates return . You ’ve got some of the best apples in the whole dang country in Washington state . There are gargantuan trees to catch some Z’s at the top of ( or repulse your gondola directly through , depend on your taste ) . And there are acres of pristine vineyards and farm lands to junket in . So while the rest of the state gets distracted by pretty colors and pumpkin spice lattes ( which , by the path , are the brainchild of Seattle ’s favorite coffee fellowship ) , you’re able to tick off these activities in Oregon , Washington , and Northern California off your to - do list .

Sleep in a tree in the middle of the forest

HJ Andrews Experimental Forest in Oregon fill drop leaf peeping to some serious new heights . 230 feet up , to be exact . In this temperate Pacific Northwest rainwater forest , you cancamp out at the very top of an old douglas firin a tree collapsible shelter . From there , you ’ll have sweeping view of the treetops – old - growth aboriginal trees like winter fern , maple , cedars , and firs – and the nearby mountains , plus an air mattress and the occasional sojourn from a fine square Quaker ( who is probably more chill than you ’re obnoxiously tawdry neighbors ) .

Taste the fall harvest bounty at a dinner in a field

Grandma ’s dressing is great and all , but is it really as good as a chef - executed six form meal in the middle of an agricultural wonder ? Our guess is probably not . Field and Vine hosts eight“dinners in the field”throughout the fall at Willamette Valley ’s famous vineyards and farm . There , an detailed multi - course meal , source from the boniface farm , is served and couple with the part ’s wine . Some upcoming venue let in a wild elk farm ( complete with the occasional vagabondage elk ) and an sexual wine cellar – and the card changes with each dinner party .

Head to Bavaria… without leaving Washington State

Tickets to Munich are pretty pricy , peculiarly in October . But golden for you , you wo n’t have to go out Washington to get in on Oktoberfest . Leavenworth is a tiny town in the eye of the Pacific Northwest , completely model after a Bavarian Village . And its several beer garden and German restaurant take Oktoberfest very seriously – with beers , brats , and Wiener schnitzel . After you ’ve had your filling , you may take in all the fall colors around Leavenworth with 700 miles of hiking track – or just cheep leave of absence from your B&B.

Pick your own Washington apples

orchard apple tree are one of Washington ’s greatest exportation ( second to the aforementioned pumpkin spice caffe latte , of course ) . There are about 175,000 acres of apple orchards throughout Washington , churn out 125 million apples a year . So it ’s no surprise that there are a slew of selection - your - own orchards that own the harvesting season throughout the state . headland to Gordon Skagit Farms for not just apples , but pumpkins , farm - made cider , a maize maze , haunted house , and other quintessential fall fun . And do n’t bury your flannel , for the ultimate gloam ‘ Gramin .

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Visit a Hop Farm and Get to Know the Ingredients in Your Beer

It ’s harvest time season in the Pacific Northwest , and that includes hops harvest home ! If you ’ve ever wondered where your favorite brews begin , you ’re in luck . Deschutes Brewery in Bend , OR is celebrating the launching of their second version of Armory XPA , that ’s eXperimental Pale Ale have hop # 07270 , by offering up a luck to win a head trip for two to the experimental hop farm . Just show them why you should win by posting a exposure todeschutesbrewery.com/xpa .

Go whale watching off the San Juan Islands

There are nearly 175 island within San Juan county , but you only have to recollect the names of four of them : San Juan , Orcas , Lopez , and Shaw Island . Located off the seashore of Washington , the San Juan Islands are select for whale watching , peculiarly Orcas Island ( because , obviously ) . These islands extend all the elbow room to parts of Canada , right along the migration path of some very large sea - friends , and fall is one of the prime fourth dimension to check out orcas and other marine life-time as they lead south . Hit up one of the many different whale watching tours to get these mammals on the move .

Chase some waterfalls

Ignore that advice from TLC and essay outSnoqualmie Falls , the tall falls in Washington . Besides being fun to say , Snoqualmie is one of the most visited parts of Washington , just outside of Seattle . In the crepuscule , the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree surrounding the falls sour classic reds , oranges , and yellowness . Besides being able to hike and child’s play there , you could also point to the general store for their famous waffles and pancakes , or the Snoqualmie Candy Factory for house - made fudge and caramel corn .

Have nightmares until Thanksgiving

One of the scariest haunted mansion in the total nation is in Portland , and take up an full city cube in the basement of the Veteran ’s Memorial Coliseum . Frighttownpacks three unlike themed obsess houses in October , each with monster scary enough to make you really second - supposition this idea . This year , the themes include a haunt manor overproduction with ghosts and vampires ; a storage warehouse with witch maiming local anesthetic ; and a morbid museum with Werechickens and mutant ocean monkeys . And because it ’s Portland , we ’re go to usurp the Werechickens are free range and grass fed .

Drive through giant trees

You ’re doing tumble all sort of damage if you do n’t pass time ogle at trees . The best office to do that in the Pacific Northwest ? The imperial Redwood Forests of Northern California . Theavenue of giantsis a 31 - mile stretchiness of majestic redwood , along which there are 51,000 acres of sequoia groves . To put that into position , that ’s about 4x bigger than NYC ( even including Staten Island ) . Some of these trees are so monumental , you literally have to drivethroughthem – which will make you feel like you ’re a persona in an old Rick Moranis picture show .

Stroll through a (most definitely haunted) downtown

Eurekais in the centre of California ’s Redwood Empire , and is the largest metropolis between SF and Portland . It ’s biggest draw , however , is its business district , known as “ Old Town ” for its concentration of old Victorian mansions and 19th C storefronts . It ’s full of cafes , galleries , and restaurants that you’re able to depend upon by in a legit horse cavalry - draw rig . Or you may check out ahaunted history duty tour , where they ’ll tell you all about what lie beneath 2nd Street ( coddler warning signal , it ’s probably spook ) .

Try to catch the biggest salmon in the Pacific Northwest

The Elks and Sixes Rivers , which operate through Oregon and the Redwood Forest , are have sex for Salmon River fishing – and hang is meridian time to pick up the biggest fish possible . Not only are the salmon at their right-down handsome at this clock time of yr ( they get up to 60 pounds ) , they ’re also returning to their nursing home watercourse to spawn – sort of like the fish version of going to your high schooltime return game . In Oregon , theJubilee Annual Salmon Derbyis held all throughout November , challenge all potential fisherman ( and fisherladies ) to take home the bounteous salmon they can . The top three snap take home prizes like fat stacks of cash and , more importantly , neighborhood bragging rights for the ease of the yr .

Explore a delicious version of the Oregon trail

The existent Oregon Trail was a miserable 2,170 - mile trek where dozens of weary travelers were plagued with dysentery or lost their wagon fording a river ( as you learned from the classicOregon Trailvideo game , of row ) . TheOregon Cheese Trail , though , identifies all the dairy farm farm you’re able to stop over at to taste handcrafted cheeses throughout the nightfall . Besides being tasty , the organization extend to educate people on Oregon cheesemaking , with the quondam exploit dairy farm go away back to 1899 . It ’s perspirer season , so go ahead and try every hoagy you’re able to .