Fall in Oregon is jam-packed with both natural beauty and fun events, and at Guaranty RV, we make it our business to enjoy as much of both as we possibly can. We’ve spent some time thinking about a few of our favorite autumn trips to give RVers an up-close experience of what makes Oregon so unique and special. Whether you’re drawn to the Wild West, craft beers and wines, Pacific beaches, music festivals or zoo events, you’ll find all that and more here in Oregon this fall. In Part 1 of this two-part blog, we’ll look at September happenings, and next week we’ll share some of our favorite October events. Pack up the RV, load up the family and hit the road for an autumn adventure.
September
Western Fun
If the Wild West, muleskinners and bucking broncos sound like a good time, then you want to be in Oregon in September. Start your western vacation in Enterprise, Oregon, September 11 – 13, at the 35th annual Hells Canyon Mule Days for three days of “games, good times and family fun.” This event celebrates everything to do with mules, muleskinners and the history of both in the expansion of the West, and draws participants and spectators from all over the American West and Canada. Selected for five consecutive years by American Cowboy Magazine as “One of 101 Great Western Events,” you’ll get to experience mule driving, team roping, the Classic Jump-Off Challenge, a Dutch oven cook-off, pole bending, barrel racing, mule racing and more. You can stroll The Green to see the vendors, exhibitors and artists—this year’s featured artist is Bonnie Shields, a member of the Cowboy Cartoonists Association. And be sure to take the kids over to the Old World Oxen Living History Company camp to experience what life was like in 1853.
Check out the Wallowa County Chamber of Commerce website for RV park options.
As soon as you’ve had all the fun you can manage at the Hells Canyon Mule Days, hightail it over to Pendleton, Oregon for the famous Pendleton Round-Up September 16 – 19. This renowned rodeo and celebration of all things West has been active since 1910 and is still going strong. As well as the Round-Up rodeo events—including children’s rodeos and a Tough Enough to Wear Pink event—and mouthwatering BBQ, be sure to take in a performance of the Happy Canyon Night Show, a Native American night pageant held after the rodeo each night at 7:45 p.m. The Main Street Cowboys Dress-up Parade will take place the Saturday before the Round-Up at 10 a.m. and the Westward Ho Parade will be on the Friday during the week of Round-Up, also at 10 a.m.
For RV camping, check out the Indian Lake Recreational Area or look at the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce website for RV Parks.
Craft Beers & Regional Wines
If you’ve got a taste for good Northwest beers and wines, then drive your RV to the Willamette Valley in September. This is the month for the 8th annual Septembeerfest, in Corvallis, Oregon, Saturday, September 12th from 1-9 p.m. You’ll get to appreciate live music throughout the afternoon and into the night, while you taste from a selection of more than 60 different craft beers and over 50 hard ciders and meads. Hang around Corvallis for the week, because Septembeerfest is just the beginning of Corvallis Craft Beer Week, which runs through September 19th. The fun includes a parade (lots of hooting and hollering, and stops along the way at the local beer spots), a big kickoff party, brewery tours, good music and dancing, a beer trivia contest, a State of the Industry Brewers’ Dinner, and much more. If you love beer, Corvallis is the place to be.
Check out Go Northwest to find campgrounds and RV parks near the festivities.
And once you’ve made your way through all the beer events, it’s time to head to the South Willamette Valley wineries for some excellent Oregon wines. We live in the heart of the Willamette Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA), a lush wine region that boasts more than 400 wineries. Some of the top wines in the nation are made right here at award-winning wineries such as King Estate, at urban wineries like J. Scott Cellars, and at our own Junction City winery, Pfeiffer Winery. And best yet, if you would prefer to sip your wine and let someone else do the driving, Guaranty RV offers an RV Wine Tour Shuttle. Complete with a full kitchen and private bathroom, your RV rental has everything you need to make a day of visiting the best wineries in our area. So bring your favorite people and enjoy; our professional driver will take the scenic route through beautiful Oregon wine country and deliver you safely back to Junction City at the end of the trip.
The Lane County Parks Reservation System is a good website to find local RV campgrounds.
For more fun September RV travel ideas in Oregon, check out Travel Oregon’s Fall Festival Fun in the Willamette Valley. Be sure to stop by our Travel Center or RV Service department if you need anything for your RV, and don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions. Stay tuned next week for Part 2 of this blog: all things October.
Photo: Tony Sergo
