Should I visit Portland?

[PNWdreamin]

Originally Posted by FlutterTrees

As a side note, great pictures! If I'm correct, the first picture is Mt. Hood from the northeast, the 2nd is Mt. Jefferson from the west, the 3rd picture is either Three Fingered Jack or Broken Top (maybe the Wallowas?), and the final picture is the Three Sisters. This summer, I will be hiking to Jefferson Park via Park Ridge.

Oregon does have amazing scenery, but it is relative to what you're comparing it to. If it's Oregon vs. Indiana, obviously Oregon is more scenic, but Oregon has a much harder time competing with the west coast states like Washington, California, and Alaska. I would rank it: first Alaska tied with Washington, then California, and lastly Oregon. It's all relative to what you're comparing it with---which is what I meant by Oregon having average quality of scenic beauty. Now if comparing cities, like Seattle vs. Portland, then state boundaries wouldn't matter. But this isn't about cities, it's about states. (I would say that Seattle has better scenery though. All it lacks is the Columbia River Gorge, but it makes up for it with rugged mountains, its own set of waterfalls, the Puget Sound, and the San Juans.) It just seems to me that Oregon is some kind of "mix" between scenery found in Washington, California, and Nevada, just minus the extremes. Not quite as green as western Washington, but not quite as dry as California. Mountains not as rugged as elsewhere, volcanoes not as tall or big, rainforests not as wet. As a hiker, I would much rather hike in Washington than Oregon. The only exception to that is Mt. Jefferson, because it reminds me of a mini Mt. Hood combined with the canyons and wildflower meadows of Rainier.

Okay I have to chime in really quick! You all do realize that this is just a matter of opinion? The beauty of a state is not a fact. Yes, you can point out that one has more mountains, lakes etc., but that doesn't make it "better" or more beautiful. My husband thinks Arizona is beautiful and I think it's horribly dull and ugly (with a few exceptions of course). You can argue back and forth forever, but there is no right or wrong. Flutter, you keep mentioning California and saying that Oregon can't compare, but in my OPINION, you have it so backwards! I have lived in California my entire life and I think Oregon blows California out of the water on the beauty scale. California has Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, Big Sur and some amazing places of course! But over all, most of California is dry, brown and ugly. That is MY opinion. Others may disagree, and that's fine. In Oregon, everywhere I look is breathtaking! Oregon = lush, green, trees, waterfalls, rugged coast lines, forests, forests and more forests Oregon has endless untouched, yet accessible beauty, and that is MY idea of "better". I even prefer the Oregon Deserts over say, Arizona's. I think Washington is also breathtaking and pretty equal to Oregon on the beauty scale. I have been to Colorado and Utah and once again, in my opinion, Oregon wins. Utah has some cool land formations, Zion, etc. And yes, I've been in northern Utah as well and driven through Park City. Zion is my neighbors favorite national park and she finds it to blow everything else away. I however, would choose Oregon any day over Utah. The Rocky Mountains were my favorite part of Colorado and you know why? Because it reminded me of parts of Oregon! I can't speak on Alaska because I have never been. I'm sure it is amazing! Better than Oregon though? Depends on who you ask. So you see, they are all beautiful States. Everyone will have an opinion of which is the "best" or most beautiful. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.