What about Eugene

[Des_Demona]

Good tip! I hadn't thought of that. I'll definitely do that. Thanks. Any suggestions on good brands for jackets and gloves? I have NO experience in the area and don't even own a jacket (just a couple of light sweatshirts and sweaters which for me are "winter" clothes)

[tiffela74]

lol, well......in my earlier post, I mentioned Columbia Sportswear as the company to buy a jacket from - they do entire lines, and I love it all. - Im trying to remember what I wrote before, dont want to repeat - but lets see, They are more expensive, but well worth it - you can get anything from a light poncho to a jacket that you could use in Antartica, gloves, boots, shoes, pants, hats, etc. My whole family has the Titanium jackets w/liners. - you can use just the outer jacket if its wet and chilly outside, theyre waterproof...you can use just the liner if its just kinda brisk out, nice and soft. - put it all togeather and youve got great all around protection from wind/rain/snow etc. Their kids line is terrific too, everythign is very high quality and looks great too. My mom is really tiny and she wears stuff from the kids line, looks and works just like the bigger ones. She used it and didnt need anything more when they were in Colorado, Idaho,and in Northern Canada (ya, in the winter, skiing/snowmobiling) I think they have a website, something like columbiasportswear. com or similar to that. We get all our stuff from a distributer so its cheaper, good to know people lol - and I know you can get some on ebay. - again, its well worth the cost, I totally recommend it all.
depending on where you go in Oregon, you wont need much more than your couple sweaters/sweatshirts - and a line of Columbia.
Tiffany

[tiffela74]

okay, just a follow up, yes, they do have a website, you can go there too see all their wondeful stuff, and there was a bunch on ebay too, for some really cheap prices!wow! - lol, anyhow, check it out, its an Oregon based store too for some state pride.
Tiffany

[bobmulk]

Sailing: You won't need tires in the Valley, just at the border with Oregon/California because you're going over a mountain pass. It snows very rarely in the Valley and when it does, it usually doesn't stay.

Eugene is pricey by Oregon standards. For an ex-Californian, it's probably going to seem like a steal. A college buddy of mine just bought a brand new 1700 square foot house for $250K. Tiny lot, but they're only going to be in Eugene for two years.

I would say Eugene is quite safe. I live in Salem and I find Eugene to be a very wonderful town. It's quite the dichotomy--tree huggers and elitist liberals, yet the churches are full on Sunday! You get the tie-dyed hippies at the Oregon Country Fair and the pro-growth people in Springfield. Provides a nice balance. Eugene is far more liberal than its sister city and is perceived to have an anti-business bias.

It's the running capital of Oregon, if not the country. Nike founder Phil Knight went to U of O. It is accessible to skiing in the McKenzie Pass and the Oregon Coast--both an hour away. Wineries are nearby as are rivers, lakes, forests. Culture is abundant as is cuisine.

Welcome to Oregon. You'll love it here!

[wohelo]

EUGENE
Recreation: great bike paths, walking, hiking Mt. Pisquah, one hour to coast or mtns, great gyms, tennis, and TRACK town USA
Safety: Pick your neighborhoods carefully. I recommend renting for a few months to get the feel of the town. University area can get pretty wild...one year the radicals set about five SUV's on fire at a car lot. More homeless folks each year arrive and drugs issues hang over like the clouds.
Climate: You will adapt and learn to live in a gortex shell
Life expense: not bad...depends on where you are coming from. No sales tax but other tax hits make up for it.
I moved because I wanted better schools for my kids. I got tired of budget cuts. I miss the recreation and greenery

[Des_Demona]

Tif thanks so much for your advice on winter clothing! It comes in really handy for a Californian haha. I was going to the stores all over my city since the "winter" clothes are out now and NOTHING was right for Oregon weather which makes sense since it's CA and not Oregon but still it was frustrating. I'll be perusing Ebay on your advice for a good deal on that brand. Thanks to the others who described Eugene and gave advice. It's nice to hear from many different perspectives. I can't wait for my visit! I hardly knew it would be such an investment lol... new clothes, chains for the car etc.