At the base of Steens Mountain resides an otherworldly desert.

This extinct shield volcano is the lightning rod of the Cascades.

Home to the only outdoor municipal elevator in the United States.

A tiny art gallery in Sunnyside helps keep Portland weird.

The oldest tofu shop in the United States is a firm favorite with locals.

This little slice of the Netherlands in the Pacific Northwest blooms in a rainbow of color each spring.

This unassuming cheese empire in rural Oregon churns out more than 150,000 pounds of cheese each day.

The world's last remaining store of its kind.

This great stone guardian of the forest is a relic from the land's volatile volcanic past.

A logging-themed roadside restaurant surrounded by museum-quality machinery and artifacts from the industry's heyday.

Hundreds of handmade critters fill this tiny window gallery in the heart of Portland's Alberta Arts District.

Nestled between a college and a golf course, the garden is home to more than 2,500 rhododendrons.

The only Native American museum along the Oregon Trail, run by the peoples who have lived on the land for generations.

Entering this curiosity shop is like stepping into a mad scientist's lab.

Inside a humble hangar is some of the best roller derby the world has to offer.

This gorgeous beach hides behind two headlands in Oregon's Ecola State Park.

Instead of fruit, the branches of this tree are brimming with hopes and dreams.

A Roman-style column in Oregon hides a spiral staircase inside.

World's largest porcine hairball sits in a collection maintained by Benedictine monks.

This natural marble cave is one of only five national monuments in Oregon.

A midcentury ranch house hides a literal treasure trove of unique rocks and minerals.

The trunks of 3,000 year-old trees lurk beneath the surface of this crystal clear lake in Oregon.

This public art piece proves that in Portland even reporting the weather is a thing of whimsy.

This perfectly preserved Chinese medicine shop was untouched for decades before being reopened as a museum.