The mushroom festival celebrates this hidden world through educational activities and opportunities to learn more about the fungi growing throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Running through the forests of Oregon's Coast Range before emptying into Alsea Bay at Waldport, the Alsea is a classic fall salmon river. It's not particularly huge compared to some of Oregon's other salmon fisheries, but don't that fool ya. Every fall, powerful Chinook salmon make their way into this river, and some of them are absolute bruisers.

Three Rivers feeds into the Nestucca River system, and when salmon and steelhead are moving, this little piece of coastal water can get my attention in a hurry. It's tight, fishy-looking water surrounded by wet timber, ferns and brush. You aren't making hero casts halfway across some giant river.

Early in October, I like the lower river and tidewater around Florence. Fresh Chinook coming in from the ocean can move with the tides, and you'll often hear about fish being caught throughout the lower system. As fall rains arrive, the game begins to change. Rising water encourages salmon to leave tidewater and start pushing farther upriver.