Oregon/Colorado (Portland, Eugene, Salem: real estate, schools, wages)

[knrstz]

Can someone tell me how Oregon scenery compares to Colorado? I know Oregon has more climate zones so it varies more. But for those who are familiar with both, which states beauty do you prefer and why?

[Sign]

Originally Posted by knrstz

Can someone tell me how Oregon scenery compares to Colorado? I know Oregon has more climate zones so it varies more. But for those who are familiar with both, which states beauty do you prefer and why?

Oregon has far more DENSE forest, a very fertil Willamette Valley, vineyards, farmland, coastal rain forest, lava caves, rivers, natural lakes, waterfalls and other assorted topography like the high desert and pine forests....east of the Cascades. The Blue Mtns. along with Hells Canyon and the Columbia Gorge.......topped off by over 300 miles of Pacific coast shoreline and some outstanding beaches, coves and whale watching/surfing.
Deep sea fishing.
The Rogue River.
Portland.....blows away ANY city in Colorado, IMO!
Can't find such diversity in Colorado.
Almost HALF of Colorado is nearly flat, treeless, high plains into Kansas and NOTHING to look at.
Colorado's Front Range got far too congested when the population exploded over the past 15+ years. Traffic is far worse now and IDIOTS are everywhere who should not be driving!
Too many upside down SUV's in ditches with California license plates after the least little snowstorm in Colorado.
Better have some $$$$$ to LIVE in Colorado's high country too! BUT........
Colorado....is GREAT for the sheer number of mountain peaks that exceed 14,000 feet......64, I believe.
High altitude fun.
Mountainclimbing, biking, etc.
GREAT skiing and snowboarding for sure!
But Colorado seriously lacks the abundance of water and is a LONG way to any ocean.
OREGON.......All the way!!

[Silverfall]

I have only been to Denver and the Breckenridge area so I'll answer from that perspective. I agree with Sign that Oregon is a bit more lush (west of the Cascades). CO was more mountainous. A lot more peaks. Our mountains are much more spaced out.


I think they are each beautiful but just different. I prefer the valley and coastal Oregon to CO. It wasn't a beauty thing, but the high altitude was too dry for me. I hated feeling parched 30 seconds after drinking water. I'd go visit again because it is beautiful there, but I don't like it that dry.

[Fiddlehead]

I have lived in both states and it is a wash. I would certainly not say one is better than the other. Oregon has more geographic diversity, with coastal, valley, Cascade, Klamath, and Blue Mountains, high deserts,etc. That said, Colorado also has amazing landscapes too from the red sandstone of the Colorado through the many mountains ranges to the rimrock of the Raton Mesa and the high plains. The San Juan Mts. of SW Oregon are the most beautiful in N. America, in my opinion. As a much more watered state, Oregon has many large rivers that I really like. But once again, Colorado is no slouch there either. To summarize, both are very scenic. I might give the slight nod to SW Colorado, but primarily because I love the aspen stands in the fall. Purely a personal preference.

As for climate, it depends upon what you like. W. Oregon is lusher overall, and downright wet in places, but surprisingly large parts of the state dry out in summer. Although Colorado is semiarid overall, nearly daily thunderstorms in the high country in summer create a lush landscape. One of the things I liked about living along the Front Range, was afternoon thunderstorms that would block the sun in the hottest times of the day in summer. Winters are quite different. In Oregon, most of the state is pretty darn cloudy for months on end, but not very cold. Colorado can get much colder, but also has much more winter sun. As for me, I preferred to the Colorado pattern. The trade off is that the sustained rains of Oregon support very large trees. The forests of Oregon blow the Colorado woods out of the water. Crocuses start rising from the ground in February in W. Oregon.

As for places to live, both states have one big city (Portland, Denver) and a nice array of secondary cities, a bit more so in Colorado (CO:Boulder, Ft. Collins, Colorado Springs; OR: Eugene, Bend, Salem, Medford). Great outdoor culture. Both states have interesting history, the Oregon Trail and the hispanic cultures of the San Luis Valley. Neither does a very good job supporting schools.

I should add that many of the more desirable cities and towns suffer from the same issue. Hordes of bubble-enriched Californians invaded over the last decade blasting real estate prices far away from local wages. So, neither state is a very good value right now for housing. Bend, Oregon has had a very sharp boom/bust cycle over the last few years, and fairly good deals might be had. Also, other cities, such as Salem, OR did not seem to bubble much, because they were less likely to be targets for immigration. I should add that the Oregon economy is in the tank, so don't move here unless you have an offer in hand.

Enough for now. IMO, both are wonderfully scenic states that are well-worthy of visiting. If you received a good job offer in either state, it would be worth exploring.

[Fiddlehead]

Oops! The San Juans are in SW Colorado! [blush]

[Sign]

Originally Posted by Fiddlehead

Oops! The San Juans are in SW Colorado! [blush]

Yep.....mountains in SW Colorado.
Also, islands in Washington's Puget Sound, too.

[Bendite]

I lived in Colorado for 30 years but I'm a native Oregonian and have lived in Bend these past 5 years. There are many differences in the two states, some are very distinctive and some are more nuanced. The sky in Oregon is a deeper blue and the air is denser. Colorado's mountains are far larger, more majestic and rougher than the mountains in Oregon (which are different in themselves - the coastal range versus the Cascades). Most of the forests of Oregon are thick and lush compared to most of Colorado's.

Is one state better than the other based on natural characteristics? I don't think so. They are just very different.

[MilehiDenver]

I was born in Coos Bay, Oregon and lived there half my life, and have lived in Roseburg as well. I lived the next half of my life in Canon City and Denver, Colroado. As mentioned, the forests in Oregon are a plus for Oregon. The Oregon coast is the best of the pacific coasts! Not a beach type of coast, but the most gorgeous scenery wise!

Weather wise, I far prefer Colorado! Seems to be many more sunny days! 2-3 big snowstorms in the winter that have melted away within 2 days! We had 1-2 feet in Denver last week, and was in the low 60's within 2 days!

Portland and Denver are similar, although Denver is quite a bit bigger. Denver seems to have more going on it seemed to me. More concerts, events, sports, and the 16th street mall. Portland is no sloutch downtown though!

Boulder and Eugene are so similar it is crazy!

Overall, I prefer Colorado by a slim margin. Other than no ocean, I feel Colorado wins! Portland claims the microbrew title, but that is still debateable! FAR MORE beer is brewed in and around Denver! And the Great American Beer Festival beats any otehr Beer Festival hands down! Save for Oktoberfest of course!

[seashelly]

[quote=MilehiDenver;11459042].....Weather wise, I far prefer Colorado! Seems to be many more sunny days! 2-3 big snowstorms in the winter that have melted away within 2 days! We had 1-2 feet in Denver last week, and was in the low 60's within 2 days!....

QUOTE]


But don't you (Colorado) have severe thunderstorms and tornados?

[MimzyMusic]

Eastern Oregon is actually pretty similar to Colorado. Broad semi-arid plains and large mountains covered in pine and aspen forest.