Somehow it sneaks up on us every year—that early-summer three-day weekend. Sure, you could celebrate with beers and brats in the backyard, or you could hit the road for these out-of-town Memorial Day adventures:

• Bend's High Desert Museum highlights the real Central Oregon mascot with Brewing Culture: The Craft of Beer, an exhibit devoted to brewing history, tastings, the industry that fueled a thousand brewpubs (most of which seem to be in downtown Bend).

• Oregon's other signature drink gets all of May for Oregon Wine Month, but May 23–25 is Memorial Weekend in the Wine Country, a Willamette County shindig featuring 150 open wineries, music, and more raised pinkies than that beerfest down in Bend.

• Starting Memorial Day weekend and continuing through summer, the north-of-Bellingham Semiahmoo Resort has Friday-night BBQs with live music and Saturday clam bakes; four-legged guests get Thursday-night Yappy Hour with dog treats and puppy-themed drink specials for their humans.

• Sasquatch! returns to the Gorge at George for four days of music, camping, and questionable festival attire. It'll look something like this.

• What's $10, historical, and involves sabre competitions? The Battle of Deep Creek event outside Spokane, a Civil War reenactment complete with demos, meet-and-greets with a Lincoln impersonator, and, of course, battles.