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Due to its location right in the middle of the USA?
Not necessarily, but places like that are generally what people think of as "American" culture. Cities like Vancouver and Seattle (and even Portland to an extent) are quite cosmopolitan in culture, which I wouldn't necessarily describe as inherently American. Eugene would honestly be your best bet of the three here.
Would you suggest an American only visit London to get his fill of British culture? I think not.
Another thing to consider is that the stereotypical PNW culture exists mostly in the western half of Oregon and Washington. If you want to experience more arid, rural, agriculturally based, conservative, western America, you need only drive over the mountains (which you will want to do anyways because they're beautiful). The two halves are distinctly different but the east side is often overshadowed by the larger population centers in the west.
And no offense to the midwest, I'm sure it's also beautiful, but if you want to see some amazing geography you should really consider the PNW. From the rugged coast, old growth forests and Cascade volcanoes in the west to deserts and deep canyons in the east, it's really amazing.
Thanks for your replies! I am still torn on the subject though. I think I would fit in better in the pacnw but like i said I also want to experience the heartland. Maybe a road trip through the heartland instead and the year in the pacnw?
US culture is pretty diverse these days. If you go to Seattle or Portland in the cities or suburbs you find places from liberal artsy neighborhoods to more diverse suburbs full of Asians and Hispanics. If you go to places in the Pacific Northwest outside of Portland and Seattle or the more touristy cities you'll find a pretty average small-town America environment. If you go to the Oregon State Fair in Salem you could basically be in Nebraska. If you go to a college football game in Eugene or Corvallis you could be in any part of the country basically.
If you go east of the Cascades you'll be in high desert country full of cowboys at some points that feels like Montana or Wyoming in parts or places that feel like predominantly Mexican farm-workers(also in parts of Western Oregon). You'll see a cross-section of US culture but there's plenty of stuff you won't see much of.
I guess on some level though, it depends on what parts of US culture you'd like to see, or what you imagine an All-American town to be.
The middle American "culture" (where I live) is probably not as interesting in terms of activities as you would have in the more cosmopolitan and international PNW. Our scenery is not near as spectacular. Our food isn't as eclectic and is not near as healthy. However, the people are probably more friendly as a general rule.
The worst thing about middle America is the prolonged winters.
Why not? Come to America, make sure you watch TV and catch current events and politics from the whole country, and try not to cloister yourself in a super academic enclave, like near University of Washington or Bellingham. You could actually go to a places like Boise or Spokane or Medford, which are in the PNW, but also more conservative. It is actually hard to ignore American culture, even outside America. Texans, I'd say, embody something of our stereotypical national character, loud and self-satisfied, argumentative, but gregarious and fun loving. In any case, that attitude will be palpable even in the PNW, where you will also meet plenty of people who loathe that stereotype. And actually, you will see ample evidence that America is a dynamic melting pot that is always changing in flavor. The gun waving Scots-Irish redneck, the low rider-driving Hispanic, the tech-waving hipster, the drug-addled tweaker, the enviro-minded bongo slapper, the coffee house intellectual, and the overachieving Asian immigrant are just slices of a very large and tasty pizza. You can sample it most places in the country.
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