Hi! My name is Matt Wastradowski, and I’m a travel and outdoors writer based in beautiful Bend, Oregon.

Whether on assignment or just for fun, chances are good I’m usually doing something that deepens my passion and enthusiasm for the Beaver State and the broader Pacific Northwest.

In recent years, I’ve visited nearly 150 breweries and cideries, hiked hundreds of miles, and driven roughly 20,000 miles around Oregon. I’ve camped in tents, yurts, and fire lookouts. And I’ve spent countless hours exploring seemingly every backcountry road this state has to offer, often with no bars on my iPhone.

It wasn’t always like this …

A Bit About Me and My Experience:

Coming out of college, my career goals were simple: Make a living with words. I’d figure out the rest later, but the gist was to get out of stocking shelves and rounding up carts at my local grocery store. And if I could put my shiny new liberal arts degree to good use, all the better!

Since graduating in 2005, I’ve ….

• Written front-page articles for my hometown newspaper
• Became that newspaper’s first social media coordinator
• Wrote marketing copy for my alma mater’s arch-enemy
• Told the stories of inspiring patients and doctors at a Portland-based cancer center
• Edited emails, websites, proposals, and marketing copy for progressive politicians and nonprofits
• Started travel and outdoors writing, with a special nod to Oregon, the Pacific Northwest, and the region’s many wonders

I won’t bore you with a full-fledged resume here, but suffice to say: My 21-year-old self was onto something when he pined for a writing career. And, with luck, the best is yet to come.

No matter the assignment or editor, I pride myself on three things: turning in clean and compelling copy, maintaining a positive demeanor, and meeting deadlines—no matter the circumstances.

Selected Stories:

In recent years, I’ve worked to channel my energy and enthusiasm into a career as a travel and outdoors writer. Here are a few of my favorite stories (travel and otherwise) to date.

Oregon Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs)

Blogger and Travel Writer (September 2018 – Present)

• Hike Here, Drink There: Fall Foliage Hikes and Post-Adventure Stops in the Willamette Valley [Willamette Valley Visitors Association – October 2019]
• Six Stunning Central Oregon Landmarks—and the Beers Named in Their Honor [Central Oregon Visitors Association – October 2019]
• 12 Great Brewpub Patios in the Willamette Valley [Willamette Valley Visitors Association – July 2019]
• Summer’s Great, but There’s Nothing Else like Winter in Seaside [Visit Seaside – December 2018]
• Locals Weigh In on Best Ways to Visit Seaside [Visit Seaside – December 2018]

Outside

Contributing Writer (April 2019)

• What’s Being Done to Save Wild Spaces From Instagram [April 2019]

Northwest Travel & Life Magazine

Contributing Writer (February 2017 – Present)

• Soccer City USA: Traveling to see the Portland Timbers and Portland Thorns [July/August 2018]
• Heart of Darkness: Idaho’s New Dark-Sky Reserve [May/June 2018]
• Oregon’s North Coast: Now on Tap [May/June 2017]

REI Co-op Journal

Contributing Editor (October 2016 – November 2017) and Contributing Writer (November 2017 – Present)

• Jenny Bruso’s Fight for a More Inclusive Outdoor Community [August 2017]
• The Oregon Beach Bill That Forever Changed These 4 Coastal Hikes [July 2017]
• Beers Made By Walking [June 2017]
• Using Hiking to Promote Body Positivity [March 2017]
• One Brewery’s Mission to Protect the Wilderness [December 2016]

RootsRated/Matcha

Contributing Writer (December 2014 – Present)

• The Midnight Mystery Ride in Portland: Always a Surprise [RootsRated – February 2016]
• 10 Reasons to Love the Rainy Season in Portland [RootsRated – February 2016]
• Fascinating Oregon Landmarks You Can Hike, Paddle, and Ski To [RootsRated – February 2016]
• All Aboard: Exploring the Abandoned Railroad of the Salmonberry River Trail [RootsRated – December 2015]

The Columbian

Features News Assistant (December 2005 – March 2011) and Contributing Writer (November 2015)

• Craft beer variety grows significantly in Clark County [Freelance assignment – November 2015]
• County Folk Scene’s Soul Man [March 2011]
• Shari’s in Orchards attains special niche as place to gather [January 2011]
• Hopelessly Devoted Fans [January 2010]