Things to Do

We are so excited to welcome friends and family to the city and state we love! From the coast to the mountains to the high desert, Oregon is full of waterfalls, wine tasting, whale watching, fossil hunting, fern-filled forests, and more. Eugene, home to the University of Oregon, is a cultural and recreational center that bridges endless cultural offerings with a laid back vibe and a rich lesbian history. Here are some of our favorite highlights, but please reach out for more ideas and recommendations across the state.

Delicious Dinners

Cafe Soriah: Long-standing Mediterranean spot using Northwest ingredients. The chef can often be found grilling dishes among diners on the vine-covered back patio. Fun fact: The owner catered a party at Shelly’s parents’ house in the 80s. Tuesday-Saturday 4pm-11pm.
Izakaya Meiji: Japanese small plates and whisky bar where we love to celebrate anniversaries, accomplishments, and random Tuesdays. Your trip to Eugene is not complete without trying their miso butter shiitake mushrooms. Daily 4pm-12am.
Tiger Mama: Korean spot with a wide-ranging menu, including lots of vegan and gluten-free options. Try the mushroom bibimbap and honey soy garlic chicken wings. Monday-Saturday 5pm-9pm, see website for lunch hours.
Yardy Rum Bar: Caribbean food using locally sourced ingredients with a James Beard semi-finalist chef. Jerk chicken, green pea fritters, and rum cocktails. Wednesday-Sunday 5pm-9pm.

Breakfast & Coffee

Hideaway Bakery: One of our favorite spots for pastries and breads, and a delightful spot to enjoy a morning coffee with a scone or breakfast sandwich. Daily 7am-5pm.
Morning Glory Cafe: Our favorite breakfast/brunch spot and Eugene’s oldest vegetarian restaurant. Come for the seasonal omelettes and french toast, stay for the adorable raccoon-themed art. Daily 7:30am-3:30pm.
Tailored Coffee Roasters: Potentially the best coffee in town, including the only Rwandan beans we've found. Their main shop is in the 5th Street Market shopping area (daily 8am-3pm), but the beans are also used at Soko, the neighborhood coffee shop we walk to often (daily 8am-2pm).
Wandering Goat: Another favorite, with excellent character and coffee. Where else can you get a hemp milk latte and vegan biscuits and gravy while listening to soft death metal? Daily 7am-7pm.

Grab a Drink

Hodgepodge Books & Taps: An absolutely delightful book store that is ALSO a bar with local taps. We were thrilled when they opened this spring. Read queer fiction with a side of cider! Tuesday-Sunday 10am-9pm.
Oakshire Public House: If you have time for one brewery, we suggest this community-oriented spot with an impressively broad tap list. Enjoy your beers surrounded by food trucks, including Arekie, a Mexican-Indian fusion truck we almost had cater the celebration just so you all could try the Mango Habanero Paneer Crunch Wrap. Daily 11am-10pm; food truck hours vary.
Wine Tasting: Eugene is in the middle of Oregon Wine Country, with soil and climate perfect for Pinot Noir and Gris. Our favorites include Sarver, minutes from Shelly’s Mom’s house and host of live music on Fridays, Iris, which our friends’ dog is named after, with a convenient Springfield tasting room, and lakeside Chateau Lorane, where Shelly’s high school prom was held. If you’re really into wine, consider checking out the Umpqua Valley, where Niki works, for smaller and more laid back vineyards. If you fly Alaska Airlines, you can check a case of wine for free!

Having a flight at Oakshire Public House.

Enjoying Abacela Winery in the Umpqua Valley.

Don't Forget Dessert

Prince Puckler's: Eugene classic for delicious, local ice cream, once visited by Barack Obama. Excellent for a stroll through nearby Hendrick’s park and rhododendron garden. Daily 12pm-11pm.
Sweet Life Patisserie: Amazing, artfully crafted desserts and a lovely late-night alternative to bars. Our favorites include tiramisu and key lime tart, but we’ve never disliked anything we’ve gotten. Daily 8am-10pm.

Keep Moving

Elevation: Good vibes come first at this locally owned bouldering gym (for the unfamiliar, bouldering is rock climbing on low walls and boulders without ropes or harnesses). We find it a welcoming spot for beginners, so go ahead and try something new! Daily 9am-11pm.
Owen Rose Garden and Ruth Bascom Riverbank Path: Stunning flower gardens, secluded benches, picnic tables, and a lawn make for a beautiful picnic spot and wonderful access point to the many miles of paved trail along the Willamette River for walks, runs, or bike rides. Starting point for our Saturday Morning 5k. Dawn to dusk daily.
River Float: At the cross section of two of Oregon’s best rivers, Eugene is a great city for a float. The most accessible option is on the Willamette, starting at the Springfield Main Street Bridge, near Island Park, and take out at Day Island Road in Alton Baker Park in Eugene. Here’s a description from our favorite alternative newspaper, and remember rivers are inherently dangerous–let us know if you want safety tips! More lackadaisical floating can be found at Mt. Pisgah or Fern Ridge Reservoir.
Spencer's Butte and Ridgeline Trail: From the main trailhead 15 minutes out of town, a 2-mile round-trip hike through forests and ferns brings you to gorgeous vistas of the city and the coastal range. Join us Sunday morning for a group hike here. The peak is part of the 12+ mile Ridgeline trail system with entry points across South Eugene, which allow for longer hikes or trail runs. Dawn to dusk daily.

Float time at Mt. Pisgah. This could be you!

The view from Spencer's Butte.

Cultural Highlights

Art House Theater: A 2-screen movie theater in beautiful Spanish Mission-style building complete with fountain and courtyard, specializing in independent and foreign films, cult classics, and otherwise weird shows. Grab an espresso or local beer to enjoy with your show.
Hayward Field: Birthplace of Nike and home to running legend Steve Prefontaine, Eugene is a track and field hotspot. The University of Oregon’s Hayward field has been home to Olympic trials, USATF championships, NCAA championships, and the 2022 World Athletic Championships. Open for visits through Hayward Hall Tuesday-Thursday 10am-4pm and Friday 10am-6pm.
Live Music: It's never hard to find live music in town, with multiple shows most nights of the week, including national tours and local talent across a wide range of genres. Venues include Cuthbert Amphitheater, the Hult Center, Hybrid Gallery, McDonald Theater, the Shedd Institute, and WOW Hall, as well of lots of bars and breweries.
Museum of Natural and Cultural History: Learn the history of Oregon, from a billion years ago through the present, meet a giant sloth friend, and see the oldest shoes in the world. Shelly volunteers here! Wednesday-Sunday 10am-5pm, open until 8pm Thursdays.
Saturday Market: A weekly market of arts and crafts, fresh local produce, food, music, palm reading, aging hippies, and people watching. Downtown. Saturdays 10am-4pm.

Finishing the Eugene Marathon at Hayward Field.

Summer concert vibes (Michael Franti, 8/23).

Across the State

Central Oregon Coast: The coast is one of our favorite weekend getaways. Almost the entire coastline is public, meaning there are countless spots along Highway 101 to explore, from rocky cliffs to open sandy stretches to wooded hiking trails. Our favorite town is Yachats, which combines easily accessible tidepools with artsy vibes. Favorite spots nearby include Cape Perpetua, with miles of hiking trails, an epic rocky coastline, and a campground; WildCraft Cider Works, which makes the best hard cider we’ve ever had; the Oregon Coast Aquarium, former home of Free Willy star Keiko the orca whale and where Shelly proposed to Niki; and Beverly Beach, a state park known for its endless fossil spotting opportunities.
Goat Yoga: No Regrets Farm and Sanctuary, the original home of goat yoga, is less than an hour northwest of Eugene. Every event features beginner yoga alongside a troop of curious goat friends, with some events featuring art workshops, happy hours, or “puff and peace” sessions (yes, that means yoga + goats + cannabis…at the same time…legally).
Newberry Volcanic Monument: Located outside of Bend in Central Oregon, this national monument has lots of hiking trails and cool geology stuff. Particularly striking are the vast obsidian fields, with shiny black rock as far as you can see. We also recommend the three-mile roundtrip hike from East Lake Campground to Paulina Hot Springs for some relaxing soaking with epic scenery.
Painted Hills and John Day Fossil Beds: If you’re up exploring the far reaches of the state, the area around John Day offers striking landscapes, rainbow hills, and very ancient history about four hours east of Eugene. This national monument is a paleontological hot spot full of prehistoric relics. In the nearby and aptly named town of Fossil, there are fossil beds behind Wheeler High School where you can just…go dig stuff up.
Rogue River Trail: This 38-mile backpacking route along the Rogue River is full of breathtaking canyons, old growth forests, peaceful swimming holes, wildflowers, and more. For those looking for a once-in-a-lifetime backcountry trip, it’s worth the effort. Car shuttles and rafting trips are available; let us know if you’re interested in more details.
Silver Falls State Park: Located about 90 minutes northeast of Eugene, this park, Oregon’s largest state park, is home to one of our favorite hikes, a seven-mile loop with ten epic waterfalls, including four that you can walk behind. Fun facts: in 2008, the state government sought a national park designation for the area, and parts of the Twilight saga were filmed there.
Wildlife Safari: If you pass through Roseburg on I-5, and like animals, it's worth stopping at Wildlife Safari. The drive-through park allows you to view hippos, giraffes, elephants, and more from your car. The (free) walk-through area is our favorite, though, with capybaras, lemurs, and red pandas. Plus, it's home to the second most successful cheetah breeding program in the world. Daily 9am-6pm.

Long walks on the beach, just north of Yachats.

Meeting new friends at goat yoga.

Hot springs with a view inside Newberry Crater.

Behind a waterfall at Silver Falls State Park.

Red panda friends at Wildlife Safari.