On the way to Oregon’s famed Mt. Hood, you’ll find the villages of Brightwood, Welches, Zigzag, and Rhododendron. Located near lakes, rivers, trails, and Mt. Hood National Forest, these villages are an outdoor enthusiast’s playground. Whether you make your base camp in one of the area’s fine lodges and resorts or in a cozy holiday rental, in each community you’ll find local shopping, Cascadian-style architecture, and unique culinary delights.

Located 4,000 feet up the southern slope of Mt. Hood, Government Camp is an acclaimed destination for winter recreation including the Mt. Hood Skibowl and Timberline Lodge ski resorts. Home to a wide array of mountainside dining, shopping and lodging options, Government Camp also offers year-round opportunities to travel the Mt. Hood Scenic Byway or the historic Barlow Road and follow in the path of pioneers on the Oregon Trail.

Hood River beckons travelers with the scent of orchard blooms and the promise of adventure on the rushing waters of the Columbia River. The winds through the Columbia River Gorge provide the perfect conditions for windsurfing and kite surfing, making the city a hotspot for those sports in recent years. The surrounding area is ripe with orchards growing cherries, apples, peaches and other sweets. Take the Mt. Hood Scenic Railroad through the orchard route and take in the views of Mt. Hood.

Is there any possible way Las Vegas could not be on our "best nightlife" list? The only way we could possibly omit it is on a technicality—since you can do pretty much anything 24/7 in Vegas, it might be wrong to call it "nightlife."