Gods own Country (Oregon)

Member Name: helencb

Product:	Oregon
Date:	16/05/02 (83 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fantastic Scenery

Disadvantages: None

Seeing as I have had the urge to write travel reviews lately, I thought I would share with you my experiences of yet another part of Western America, and that is Oregon.

Oregon is a coastal state. Indeed it has about four hundred miles of coastline. On the map, it is the state immediately below Washington, and immediately above California.

I took a trip here to have a holiday at the home of my American CEO, who I had worked with in the UK and Australia for six years. I flew into Portland from Sydney and via Los Angeles into Portland Airport. I always flew around the world when on business, as it worked out a lot cheaper, and so I was able to build a holiday into the schedule. My hubby flew out from the UK, and I think his flight cost about £550 from the UK return.

We were staying in Portland for one week only, unfortunately!

Portland lies above the 45th line of latitude, indeed, I remember crossing this "line" as we drove south while touring about. The climate therefore is generally a little warmer than in the UK, with summer temperatures averaging the low eighties, and winter temperatures usually staying around 32 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 degrees C for you younger folk.

Oregon Facts
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Population of Oregon numbers approx 3.5 million. Of these, 1.5 million live in Portland itself. Eugene is the next largest city at 120,000 and the State Capital Salem comes in third with approx 110,000 population. Oregon is known as the Beaver State, and the State tree is the Douglas Fir. The state itself is about 97,000 square miles.

Oregon is abundant with Wildlife and forests and the giant trees are a sight to be seen. Fishing is very popular, particular fly fishing.

Portland
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The largest city in Oregon, Portland is situated in the area where the Willamette River joins the Columbia River. Here the water is deep enough for a Port. The city actually took its name
from Portland Maine. One of the first two settlers tossed a coin for the naming rights, and the gentlemen that won was from Maine. Initially, the town had been called Stumptown, after all the stumps that were left after the area was first cleared. Not very attractive, I am sure you will agree.

Indians stopped here when travelling between their trading points a long time before the first settlers discovered Portland, as recently as 1843. The city has the Magnificent Mount Hood as its background.

Forest Park runs down the West side of the Willamette River. The park is one of the largest City parks in America, and runs about 8 miles altogether. It is pretty wild, and you won't find pretty gardens here, although there is plenty of wildlife.

Adjoining the most southern end of the Park, you will find the Rose Gardens. Portland has given itself the name City of Roses. The Rose Festival was first staged in 1907, and has taken place ever since. The Rose Garden is definitely worth a visit, there were hundreds and hundreds of varieties of Roses. It is also a place for romance, and on our visit their, a man proposed to his girlfriend down on bended knee, aaaawww!

The Tom McCall Waterfront Park is another stretch of greenery on the west side of the Willamette River, and this is a favourite haunt for joggers, cyclists and tourists. There are many festivals here throughout the year.

If it is culture you want, then in down town Portland you will find the Portland Art Museum and the History Centre. Native Indian is a huge influence in the region.

Portland is home to Nike sportswear, and they have a kind of museum displaying old bits of kit from famous sportsmen and women, whom they have sponsored at some time.

Powell's Books is a massive bookshop selling new and used books, and is open until late at night. But be warned, if you are like me, you could get absorbed for hours in here.

There are nin
e bridges spanning the Willamette River, and we took a trip down the river in a boat and moored up for a spot of lunch and a glass of wine at a great fish restaurant. That is the life.

I cannot remember all the restaurants we ate in, in Portland itself. However the one which is definitely worth visiting if you get the chance is Jake's Famous Crawfish. It is reasonably priced and a haunt of old time Portland folk. The restaurant was over one hundred years old. Oh, and I recommend the Crab cakes.

Further Afield
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Further East of the City of Portland lies the spectacular Mount Hood. This mountain stands at 11,240 ft. Only serious climbers need apply, the rest of us should just admire it from afar! It is only safe to climb for a limited period during the summer, and climbers set off from Timberline Lodge at about two am, so they don't get stuck on the mountain during the sun period of the afternoon. Timberline Lodge was in the film the Shining, by the way.

You can enjoy the Columbia River in many ways, through water sports or take part in the ritual to cross the river. Nearby you can also pamper yourself and Carson Hot Springs.

Oregon Wine Region. Winemaking took place here for years, but really didn't take off until comparatively recently. The grapes are typically Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. There have also been some award winning chardonnays in the region. While I happened to stumble on a good Oregonian wine, by accident at Corney and Barrow in Ayr, these wines are not typically found in UK supermarkets, but are worth a taste for sure.

Central Oregon is littered with volcanoes, including Mount Hood which I have already mentioned. You can also see Mount Jefferson, Three fingered Jack, Mount Washington, The Three Sisters and Broken Top. This area is known as the Cascades and contains seven national forests and seventeen designated wilderness areas. This area is popular, and there are
plenty of trails, lakes, rivers and campgrounds. We took a real long drive through the region, and the scenery was spectacular as we rose ever higher, and the roads became less and less developed.

Definitely not to be missed is a trip to Crater Lake. The Mountain Mazama used to stand at about 12000 feet, that is until 7000 years ago when it erupted, and literally it blew half the mountain away. Crater Lake was formed, and it is the deepest Lake in America and the seventh deepest in the world. There is a drive all the way around the rim, and even though we went in July it was still snowing. The Crater Lake National Park is one of the oldest National Parks in the USA. At the rim, there is a hotel, and visitors centre. There is even an island in the middle of the Lake, called Wizard Island. The region is a great mountain spotting location, and on a clear day Mountains which are 100 miles away can be seen, including the Three Sisters. The water in the lake is often so still, that a perfect reflection of the mountains and Wizard Island can be seen. The water level is stable, a balance between the rain and evaporation.

I think it is time I took another Holiday!

Helen Bradshaw
May 2002

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