☰Forest Grove

Forest Grove sits in the middle of the Tualatin Valley wine country, the northern arm of the Willamette Valley AVA. Within a fifteen-minute drive you can be at half a dozen serious pinot noir producers -- David Hill, Montinore, Plum Hill, A Blooming Hill, SakeOne (Oregon's only sake brewery). Most are open for tasting on weekends; many take walk-ins.

For non-wine excursions, the Oregon coast is about an hour west through the Coast Range -- Cannon Beach, Manzanita, and the cluster of small fishing villages around Tillamook. Henry Hagg Lake (see Things to Do) is fifteen minutes south. The Columbia River Gorge waterfalls and Mount Hood ski areas are both about 90 minutes east through Portland.

Portland itself is the obvious city day trip -- the museums, the Pearl District, Powell's bookstore -- about 40 minutes by car.

Forest Grove's restaurant scene is small but punches above its weight, largely thanks to the Pacific University crowd and the Tualatin Valley wine industry. Most places are on Pacific Avenue, the main downtown street.

Maggie's Buns is the iconic Forest Grove breakfast spot -- a tiny bakery known for cinnamon rolls the size of a child's head, plus a short lunch menu of soups and sandwiches. Open early, closed by mid-afternoon. Ironwork Grill at McMenamins Grand Lodge does the standard McMenamins menu in handsome surroundings. Urban Decanter on Pacific Avenue is a wine bar and small-plate restaurant that does a good job of showcasing Tualatin Valley producers. For something cheaper, Yan's at the corner of Pacific and 21st does decent Chinese-American food at fair prices.

Tap water is excellent here -- the city draws from springs in the Coast Range. Tipping at sit-down restaurants is the standard 18 to 20 percent.

Forest Grove is about 40 km (25 miles) west of central Portland, an easy 30 to 45 minute drive depending on traffic. From Portland take Highway 26 west and then OR-6 south, or follow Highway 8 (Tualatin Valley Highway) all the way through the valley -- the second route is slower but goes past the wineries.

Public transit is reasonable. The Westside Express Service (WES) runs between Beaverton and Wilsonville with a connection to TriMet bus 57, which terminates in Forest Grove and runs every fifteen to thirty minutes. Travel time from downtown Portland is about an hour and a quarter.

Portland International Airport (PDX) is about 60 km (35 miles) east. There is no direct transit; rental car or rideshare is the practical option.

Forest Grove is a quiet college town with a handful of distinctive things to see. Pacific University's small campus and the historic Walker-Naylor district are the architectural draws; the Grand Lodge handles the hospitality side; Henry Hagg Lake and the surrounding Tualatin Valley wineries are the reasons most outsiders come. None of it takes long -- a day or two is plenty -- but the combination is more interesting than the size of the town would suggest.

Summer (June through September) is by far the best time to visit Forest Grove. Temperatures sit in the mid-20s C (around 75 to 85 F), the rain almost stops, and the surrounding farmland and wineries are at their busiest and most photogenic. July and August are the warmest months.

Spring is wet but green and pretty -- ideal for the small-town walks and cycling around Henry Hagg Lake before the summer crowds. Autumn brings the wine harvest, vineyard tours, and the Forest Grove Concours d'Elegance car show in July. Winter is cool, grey, and damp; the wineries are quieter but tasting rooms remain open, and Pacific University holds its varsity sports indoors.