The majority of seafood consumed on the Oregon coast isn’t from the Oregon coast.. Find out more here.

As thousands of visitors flock to the Oregon Coast every year, most of them are looking for the fresh high-quality seafood that is distinctly Oregonian.

But a study commissioned recently by the Oregon Coast Visitors Association – the destination management organization serving the entire Oregon Coast from Astoria to Brookings – found shockingly that about 90 percent of the seafood consumed on the coast is imported from other domestic and international sources.

In response, OCVA has launched the Ocean Cluster Initiative – United States Department of Agriculture-funded program entitled “Capturing Value by Keeping Local Seafood Local” – to help combat that trend. The initiative…

The Doubletree Hilton Hotel in downtown Bend has new ownership. Learn more here.

Article by KTVZ

BOISE, Idaho (KTVZ) — Braintree Group, a privately held, vertically integrated, national real estate development and investment firm, announced Monday it acquired the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Bend, located in downtown Bend and plans a renovation and rebranding.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

The 117-room property (originally the Phoenix Inn) features an indoor swimming pool, fitness center, business center, and three meeting rooms totaling 2.327 square feet of meeting space, according to the announcement that continues in full below:

It is located right off US Route 97 in the heart of downtown Bend, Oregon. Bend is known for its scenic setting and year-round…

A small coastal Oregon town has been named one of the “Most Beautiful Small Towns in America.” Find out more here.

By Karly Imus | The Oregonian/OregonLive

What’s not to love about Manzanita?

Not much, if you believe Architectural Digest. It just named the Oregon coast town one of the “55 Most Beautiful Small Towns in America.”

We won’t argue, though we would argue for more spots for the Pacific Northwest’s picturesque small towns. (Friday Harbor, Washington is the only other one that made the list.)

What sets Manzanita apart, according to Architectural Digest?

“Along…

Bend resident Rue McKenrick completed his last scouting trip of the 14,400-mile American Perimeter Trail. Find out more about his efforts here.

When Rue McKenrick walked into Bend’s Drake Park this past Saturday, his arrival marked the completion of a dream more than three years in the making.

It was the end of his last scouting trip of the 14,000-mile American Perimeter Trail (APT), a path that circumnavigates the continental United States using a combination of existing trails and undefined routes, and the brainchild of McKenrick.

A welcoming party waited for him in the park, celebrating the completion of “Phase 1” of his mission as the executive director of the Bend-based nonprofit American Perimeter Trail Conference (americanperimetertrail.org).

“It was extremely…

Fewer people are visiting Bend this summer than last. Learn more here.

Visit Bend says hotel occupancy rates are down 10 per cent.

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – You may not notice it as many favorite spots are still crowded but Visit Bend says fewer people are visiting this summer than in prior years.

“We track the number of hotel rooms occupied each week. This summer we’re averaging 18 thousand compared to last summer when it was closer to 20 thousand,” Visit Bend CEO Kevney Dugan explained.

Dugan cites higher gas prices and international travel as reasons for the reduction in tourists.

While the number of rooms booked has dropped 10 per cent, Dugan says revenue is still strong as…