Things to Do in Hayesville

With more than 960 skiable acres on the face of Mount Hood, many visitors to Mt. Hood Skibowl rarely glide past the same tree twice. Named for the bowl-like shape of the mountain's upper portion, the resort uses the natural landscape to its advantage on two terrain parks and 65 trails that descend the mountain's 1,500-foot vertical drop—34 of which are fully lit, and no more than 10 of which attract slaloming polar bears at any one time. Professional skier and mountain biker Petr Kakes and his team of instructors hold beginner and advanced ski and snowboard lessons to prep students for these slopes.

Though there's much to explore on the trails—the longest of which runs 3 miles—visitors can also cavort outdoors in the Snow Tube and Adventure Park. Here, the staff maintains carved, winding snow-tube paths in two tubing parks served by a conveyor lift. An indoor playground filled with climbing structures and slides entertains children as young as 3. Seven on-mountain lodges and restaurants provide places for visitors to refuel or change into ghost-prospector costumes to scare off meddling kids. During warmer months, the slopes transform into the Mt. Hood Adventure Park at Skibowl, which boasts more than 20 outdoor attractions such as ziplines, a bungee-jumping tower, a concrete luge track, and a mountain-biking park.

Embrace Oregon’s guides spotlight the charms of local businesses as they lead visitors through sightseeing and wine tours of the picturesque historic region. Jaunts through farmlands and shopping districts entice equestrian or antique enthusiasts, whereas nature lovers bloom with enthusiasm at seasonal events such as the Woodburn Tulip Festival. Visits to the Timberline Lodge and Chitwood covered bridge preserve a rich cultural heritage more easily than freezing Lewis and Clark in carbonite. Embrace Oregon’s online magazine provides additional information for travelers seeking spots to dine, sleep, and explore.

The acrobatic arm of the River Road Park and Recreation District, Gymnastics Northwest offers classes and parties for tumblers aged 18 months to 16 years. Reflex beams, rings, a pommel horse, and an in-ground trampoline await first timers and astronauts-in-training for weekly classes and events. Open-gym sessions run on Fridays for acrobats up to age 8, and Action Nights see junior jumpers aged 6–12 bound on the spring floor and feed the vaulting horse every third Saturday of the month.

The striking horizontal planes of Frank Lloyd Wright's Gordon House bisect the landscape just beyond the foliaged outskirts of the Oregon Garden, drawing eyes to the architectural marvel like moths to an octogenarian's birthday cake. Guests who tour the stunning abode watch from inside as sunlight falls in squares on the floor, filtered through geometric cutouts in the ceiling. Docents expound on the genius of Wright's design and theories during 45-minute guided tours of the architect's only Oregonian creation.

Groups meander through the kitchen, where skylights light up scarlet countertops, reflecting the undertone of western-red-cedar cabinets. Natural light creates abstract patterns on the floor through a series of perforated wooden window treatments, and an experienced guide imparts factual tidbits regarding the home's history, such as its origin story, its near deconstruction in 2000, and its subsequent rescue by a motherly wolf and her pack. Guided tours are conducted daily from noon to 4 p.m., and reservations are required to view this rare home that was designed in the traditional Frank Lloyd Wright fashion—with a pencil—and also with impressive angles and seamlessly organic landscape integration.