Oregon

Did You Know…?

Mount Hood, a popular ski destination, is a volcano — and potentially active.
Oregon boasts 53 covered bridges.
Portland has 30 breweries, more than any municipality in the western world.
Crater Lake in the Cascades is America’s deepest, at 1,932 feet.
Oregon grows 99% of the U.S. commercial crop of hazelnuts.

Pristine beauty

Oregon is a well-loved part of America’s beautiful and varied Pacific Northwest. It is most popular with the most active of travelers because its waters and mountains offer prospects for a wide range of activities. However, it has urban choices (most notably Portland) and charming small towns along the coast that appeal to less venturesome travelers.

Besides, the varied terrain — which impresses all visitors for its pristine nature as well as beauty — easily accommodates activities suitable to all personality types.

In the mid-1800s, settlers traveled the Oregon Trail to this northwestern state. They were preceded by the Lewis and Clark Expedition. In our time, people make their own trips of discovery to a state that, in part, looks little changed from 200-plus years ago.

Beautiful scenery can be found in many places, but Oregon’s has special qualities imparted by abundance of water — in the Pacific Ocean, lakes and streams plus rainfall. This setting accommodates a wealth of outdoor activities, mostly along the coast, within easy reach of the Pacific. Enthusiasts mention camping, hiking, biking, horseback riding, whale watching, windsurfing and especially fishing.

It’s easy to see why Oregon attracts active, outdoor types, but the state offers plenty that is suited to any travel taste. For example, those at the center of the personality scale enjoy its clean beauty and relaxing atmosphere. They are charmed by the small towns scattered along the coast.

Other appealing features include good food (local specialties such as cherries and other fruit), local wines (with wine trails for visitors) and beautiful gardens. Oregon also gets high marks for its clean, pleasant, affordable hotels and inns.

Active travelers, regardless of personality type, take advantage of the outdoor activities, and they appreciate the unsullied beauty and the fact that beaches and recreation areas are uncrowded. In addition, the scenery is quite varied. The ocean leads into mountain ranges, which descend into valleys that become desert, and back into a mountainous area — all within relatively few miles.

Finally, it is worth noting that a high proportion of Oregonians choose a site in Oregon as their favorite place to vacation.

Things to do for Venturers

Go trekking. Make that llama trekking; the animals carry most of your gear, lightening your load. Hurricane Creek Llama Treks in Enterprise is one travel company offering the option.
Hood River (the town) is one of the places calling itself the windsurfing capital of the world, for reasons that become clear when strong winds at the Columbia River Gorge turn the river into a wild, wet roller coaster. So, take the ride!
Visit the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, a 14,000-acre national park and former home to saber-toothed tigers and the sheep-like oreodonts. Learn about these and more at the on-site museum, but allow time for park activities, such as hiking, camping and fishing.
Go to the Warm Springs Reservation for one of its annual powwows. Stay on in a teepee (or a luxury resort) for biking or rafting, hiking or fishing.
For camping areas, you have a minimum of 233 state parks to choose from.
Ride in a Cycle Oregon event. Make it September’s weeklong ride to see more of the state. The event’s route varies each year.

Things to do for Centrics

Attend the Pendleton Round-Up in September, which encompasses a powwow. Pendleton is the home of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (also, the site of the Wildhorse Casino Resort and Hotel and the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute).
See free glassblowing demonstrations at the glass foundry in Lincoln City; take classes in the glass arts.
Book a seat on the Crooked River Dinner Train in Redmond. As you dine and ride along the Crooked River Gorge, train operators stage train robberies and other entertainments.
Immerse yourself in the Eugene Irish Cultural Festival in March. Attend several of the event’s workshops and learn how to play the Irish fiddle, or learn Irish dancing, even bits of the Irish language. Or learn tunes for playing a bagpipe or tin whistle.
Take a self-drive wine trail tour.
Attend the Discovery Walk Festival, held each April in Vancouver, Wash., and join one or more of the walking events. They vary from 5K to 42K. There are biking and swimming events, as well.

Things to do for Authentics

Of special interest to gardeners, the Portland Rose Festival is held each June in that city. It also includes an air show at Hillsboro Airport. Also, in Portland, lose yourself in Powell’s City of Books, described as the largest used and new bookstore in the world.
Take a coastal excursion to watch whales.
Step inside the cargo deck of Howard Hughes’ famous Spruce Goose at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville. Get a look at the countless other historic aircraft at the museum, too.
Taste fresh, locally made beers during the Oregon Bounty Fresh Hop Beer “Tastivals” on Saturdays in October. For the events, brewers make original beers with newly harvested hops.
Book seats at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland.
Fort Clatsop National Memorial near Astoria features a replica of a fort built by the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805. In the summer, rangers present a living history program. The Astoria Column nearby is 125 feet high on Coxcomb hill affording a view of the terrain.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult Travel Oregon at www.traveloregon.com