If you love Oregon, at what point did you know?

[Yankeemama]

I plan on going to Crater Lake and Bend this year. Maybe I will gain new perspective on Oregon. I did love Ashland and want to go there every Summer with the kids. Get a little Shakespeare. Maybe Portland seems very Un-Portland because it's practically in WA.

[gypsydoc]

Originally Posted by Yankeemama

I love aspects of my Portland life but I am not sure in am in love with Oregon. I actually never hear residents of Portland say they love Oregon. I hear people say they love Portland all of the time, though. Seems like a disconnect between city and state.

Thanks for your post and perception, but I think if you browse this thread, you will see that most of the posters write about loving the state; the whole state. It is the wildness and the natural beauty that gets our hearts a thumping.

Tomorrow, we're going to the coast to see if we can catch some glimpses of whales as they migrate south. We will pass through the cascade mountains, marvel at the rapids in the rivers, enjoy the wide expanses of fields west of Hillsboro and Cornelius... All Oregon. All lovely.

To me, Oregon is the ultimate location banquet.... Elegant beauty everywhere you look. Sigh.

[gypsydoc]

Originally Posted by Yankeemama

I plan on going to Crater Lake and Bend this year. Maybe I will gain new perspective on Oregon. I did love Ashland and want to go there every Summer with the kids. Get a little Shakespeare. Maybe Portland seems very Un-Portland because it's practically in WA.

Sounds like your planned adventures could really be a lot of fun. If you have time, check out Diamond Lake (near Crater Lake), which is an older style resort/cabin camp. There is a diner there... Nothing fancy, but it is one of the closer places to Crater Lake to stay. Also, Clear Lake isn't too far from Crater Lake and Bend.... It has the headwaters of the McKenzie River - a turquoise gem of a lake with a petrified forest on the bottom of the lake. The springs that feed it keep the water at about 42 degrees all year round. You can rent a row boat... No motor boats are allowed. So lovely. You can also stay in cabins there.

Happy trails.

[i_love_autumn]

Such fabulous stories showing a love affair with the beautiful state of Oregon.Makes me wish I could hop on a plane today!
I have lived all over the western U.S. AND 2 yrs. in England as a child,dues to my career AF dad's transfers.Spokane,WA,Tucson,AZ.,and England were my favorite places. My mom's family lived in the PNW,and still do,as do my two sisters[Spokane].I met my future husband in Minot,ND.when my dad was stationed there. We married when he got out of the service and went to his family home in KY,but since there was no work there we ended up in northern Ohio'68,and stayed and had 3 kids settle here.Now,I am fed up with the horrible Ohio weather,and want to move to Oregon with it's kinder/gentler climate and incredible beauty.
These beautiful posts have reminded me how I always felt each year when my dad took us back to the PNW on vacation and the Rockies and the forests took my breath away.Thank you all!!! ♥

[gypsydoc]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Even our kinder/gentler climate had a few bumps this year... nothing like the east coast, though. I hope you are able to put your plans into place.

[i_love_autumn]

Originally Posted by gypsydoc

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Even our kinder/gentler climate had a few bumps this year... nothing like the east coast, though. I hope you are able to put your plans into place.

You are most welcome.This was not a typical winter anywhere that I know of,not even here in OH,but I still would gladly trade what it has been like here[single digit temps plus snow],for what you guys got! :]