Possible Oregon Towns (Portland, Eugene, Medford: ski resort, for sale, house)

[CBaillo]

I'm just copying and pasting, sorry...don't feel like posting the whole thing again.

Hey guys. I don't know if this exists, but are there smaller towns near bigger cities in Oregon? I guess some intro is needed.

About a year and a half ago my family and I moved from CA to the Finger Lakes region of Central New York. In short, we love it here, but due to the fact that my mother was just diagnosed with breast cancer, we were looking into the possibility of moving back to the west coast to be closer, though we'd never go back to CA, because we hate CA. But WA and OR sound great, because they are both an overnight drive away, for emergencies or a sub 3 hour flight.

We moved out here for lots of reasons but one of which we have been spoiled with in the time that we've been here: wide open living. We came from living on top of others in CA to now sitting on an acre of our own private property, in a town that has a population of 5000+. This town is extremely close knit, and we all help each other out when we need it w/ nothing in return expected. The schools are great, as I have a 5 year old in Kindergarten, and the teachers keep us in the loop over everything. Just the typical small town that we always envisioned raising our kids in.

Now, we hate the city and all, but given we are a family of 4 (wife, myself, a 5 year old, and a 3 mos old infant), we know that we have to be somewhat close to a city for medical needs, work, culture, dining, shopping, etc. For us here, we have Ithaca, which is only 10 miles away. We love it because we can LIVE in the country, but the city is close by for all our needs.

My question now is, is there anyplace like this in OR, still within a reasonable commute away from a city? We would like to still actually live in a small town, and not on top of other neighbors, but with our own property of about 1/2 acre or more (rented or bought, doesnt matter).

We enjoy the hell out of the outdoors. I'm an avid fisherman, hunter, hiker, camper, etc...and so is my family.

Is there any hunting that goes on in OR?

Also I love to snowboard, are there any places in OR that one can snowboard?

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

[BLAZER PROPHET]

There are all kinds of places in Oregon.

But to be outdoors suggests to me Eastern Oregon. If you really want all those outdoor activities and acerage with a decent size town near by, I might suggest LaPine. Between LaPine & Bend (the big town) is maybe the most beautiful and year round activity area in all the Pacific Northwest. While I'm not trying to be a salesman, an aquaintance I know (in fact, I don't even know how to get hold of her) has a 1600 SF house on acerage in LaPine for sale at about $189,000. Very nice place as well. Check out that area and I think you will be impressed.

[ClassicalContractor]

Originally Posted by CBaillo

My question now is, is there anyplace like this in OR, still within a reasonable commute away from a city? We would like to still actually live in a small town, and not on top of other neighbors, but with our own property of about 1/2 acre or more (rented or bought, doesnt matter).

Oakridge, OR is small-town Americana right down to the A&W drive-in with car hops. You can't even find one of those in CA. It's in the foothills of the Cascades on the WEST side of the mountains, which means we have a much more mild climate than on the east. While Western OR & WA are known for long, dreary, overcast winters that last for months on end, Oakridge is "above the fog line and below the snow line". It's only a 40-minute drive to the Eugene/Springfield area on Highway 58 to the west, so we are close to everything you list. While Eugene can be overcast with low-hanging clouds all day, you'll often hit clear, blue skies by the time you get to Oakridge.

Originally Posted by CBaillo

We enjoy the hell out of the outdoors. I'm an avid fisherman, hunter, hiker, camper, etc...and so is my family. Is there any hunting that goes on in OR?

LOL. Oakridge is also known as the gateway to Oregon's outdoor paradise. We sit in the middle of the Williamette National Forest and have all kinds of fishing, hunting, hiking, camping, mountain biking, and more very short drives in every direction. A few weeks ago my wife and I drove a total of 15 miles to get to a "fire lookout" at the top of a mountain. It was a clear day and could see snow-covered mountain peaks from the north end of the state to the south end.

Originally Posted by CBaillo

Also I love to snowboard, are there any places in OR that one can snowboard?

Got you covered again. Going the other way on Highway 58 (east), we're about 30 minutes from the Williamette Pass Ski Resort where you can ski and snowboard to your heart's content. Right before you get there, though, you'll want to stop and take a look at the "Salt Creek Falls". Doesn't sound like much until you see it. I guarantee it will be one of the most awesome sights you've ever laid eyes on.

[CBaillo]

awesome..thanks for the suggestions..I will definitely do some independent research on them, but its good to have a starting point, instead of searching blindly. Any other suggestions would be appreciated too.

[Silverfall]

A lot depends on what you can afford. Acreage can be expensive, especially in the valley.

In the mid-valley I would look at Silverton, OR (population of 9,000), Sublimity (2,000) and Scio (1,000 or so).

There is outdoor stuff everywhere you go here. If you live in the valley we are equidistant to the coast and mountains. You 5 year old is almost ready for the Autobahn sledding runs on Hoodoo. They are really fast.

We have a lot of rivers out here and not a lot of lakes so most of the fishing is river fishing, or ocean fishing. The Metolius is netorious for difficult fishing, and I see fisherman on the Santiam river all of the time.

We've got good rafting, and PLENTY of places to camp. You can't help but hit outdoor things out here no matter where you live.

[PNW-type-gal]

How close to a major airport or highway do you need to be? That might preclude certain towns, too: if you need to be near a large airport with a lot of flights out, you need to be near Portland. The Willamette Valley (Portland to Eugene) is split by I-5, the main north-south highway. Likewise, Southern Oregon's Rogue Valley (roughly Grant's Pass, Medford, Ashland) is also on I-5. Bend is on the other side of a mountain pass from I-5.

[EnricoV]

United does have flights out of Eugene or Medford (smaller-planes) south. Looking in those vicinities might fit your needs better than the Portland area - which does have much of what you're looking for, but the nearer the big city you are, the less likely you are to find the real "small-town feel."

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has some good info on hunting/fishing. Including an interactive map of h/f areas.

[Marlowe Syn]

I'd recommend the Medford/Grants Pass area. Only about 50-60 miles north of the Cali border. Beautiful country, and still relatively cheap. Short plane trips to Portland, San Fran or Sea-Tac airports, than wi;; pretty much fly you anywhere.