Dune Running, Whale Watching and More
Have you ever gone 60 miles an hour in a dune buggy? Do you wanna? If the answer to either of those questions is yes, then make your way to the Oregon Dunes at Sand Dunes Frontier just outside of Portland. Stretching 56 miles along the Oregon Pacific West coast there is no other place like this on earth.
I was there visiting with my friend who owns a 24 Hr Tow Service Wichita KS and he knows all about the dunes. If you want to experience something out of the ordinary like the people I witnessed coming off a wedding party bus last weekend, then this area is sure to give you that, and more. I saw approximately twenty people departing a bus, led by the bride and groom and they all headed towards a line-up of dune buggies.
The bride still wearing her white veil and the groom wearing a black bow tie, each commandeered their own buggy – one white and one black. It was a perfect way to celebrate as one by one each buggy reared their engines and sped off to “just dune it”.
These are the largest coastal dunes in the world with the Pacific Ocean on one side and miles of sand on the other. When getting in a buggy as a driver or a passenger, keep in mind that if you have a daredevil spirit, it will be tested. If you want to simply be a tourist and visit the dunes at a cruising speed, that can be arranged, too. To each their own, but either way the experience of desert valleys and glistening hills with jaw dropping blue ocean views, promises to be one of a kind.
Wait . . . there’s more.
Whale Watching
When visiting the area around Por
tland, there is more to do and see than most visitors have time for. While the Dunes are a major attraction, the endless attractions,events and festivals that happen throughout the year are promised to please.
Whale watching is spectacular as the giants of the sea migrate from the colder waters up north to their birthing grounds to the south. The migration begins in early as December all the way through March when Oregon’s pod of grays come through sampling the local cuisine of small marine life and the abundant kelp crop.
First Day Hikes
It’s become a tradition and a way of life in the cold months of the year to still get a fill of the beautiful hiking trails in the Portland area. To kick off this love for the great outdoors, join an authorized Park Ranger for the yearly New Year’s First Walk. Last year almost 55,000 people came together to celebrate the coming year. Collectively the hikers covered over 133,000 miles.
Skydiving Oregon
Haven’t pumped much adrenaline lately? Check out the largest Skydiving outfit in the Northwest. Join the over 120,000 other thrill seekers who have jumped from the open doors of Skydiving Oregon’s large turbine aircraft with a certified professional Instructor guiding you all the way of your 13,000 – 18,000-foot jump. It’s a unique way to get a panoramic view of the Portland area, taking in the Willamette Valley and the Cascade Mountains.
It doesn’t matter if you are a first timer or a seasoned jumper, the award-winning staff is qualified to take the ultimate care and bring take you through an experience of a lifetime. For those who are a little faint of heart, but still want to be in on the action, a viewing area is set up with picnic tables to accommodate friends and family as they witness the whole process from the ground.
We’ve barely touched the vast array of options to engage in when you live in, or visit the Portland area. Keep an eye open as we report on more activities that come up as the winter months get into full swing and then naturally morph into the warmer months of the year. There’s never a lack of things to do. Please view the next post by clicking here.