Silver Falls

 you could walk along behind the falls... a little wet & cold in December though 

^^ we passed several Christmas tree farms on the drive out... i freaked out over the baby trees

Whenever I'm in Oregon I try to make a point to visit someplace new I haven't been before.  Sometimes it's a new restaurant, or a new brewery, or a new hike.  There's so much to explore in Portland and Oregon is so beautiful--as a Californian the green trees and lush forests make the dreary weather worth it (though I did miss the sunny skies when I lived there for 3 months).

This trip, my mom suggested Silver Falls, the largest state park, which is an easy day trip from Portland.  The park is home to 15 waterfalls (!), the largest of which, South Falls, you can walk behind.  Since it was December, it wasn't crowded at all... I am a big advocate of traveling during the off season for better prices and less crowds (case in point, I'm going to New York in January... eek!).  We didn't spend too much time hiking but we wandered around for a bit & I'd love to come back and go camping sometime.  Ah, the Pacific Northwest has my heart!  I mean, it's seriously so beautiful... the good beer doesn't hurt either. ;)