Washington
Seattle
Seattle is the State of Washington's vibrant hub.
It is home and birthplace to three of the most global and
successful entrepreneurial businesses in the world: Starbucks,
Boeing, and Microsoft. Ironically the first Starbucks
started as a stall at the Farmers market in Pike Place,
which has resisted corporate take over since the 1970s. The
market is definitely worth a visit. Seattle is notoriously
wet so don't forget to pack your waterproofs for walking around
the city streets, but obey the highway code as police come
down hard on jaywalkers.
Seattle has eight shorelines, totaling 24 miles, which look
out onto the sheltered harbor of Puget Sound. From
Seattle you can take the ferry to Bainbridge Island,
home to the Japanese population of Issei, or first generation
Japanese, to learn more about the internment that this Asian
population suffered during World War Two.
Mount Angel
The riches of the Pacific North West - be they gold, pelts,
or fertile land - attracted settlers from all over the world
including Japanese, Chinese, and Germans. The Germans brought
their own traditions with them. The small town of Mount
Angel is famous for its beer swilling Bavarians, sausages
and yodeling and therefore Oktoberfest, the harvest
festival and royal marriage celebration dating back to the
16th Century, is heartily celebrated each year in late September.
A visit to Mount Angel wouldn't be complete without going
to the Benedictine Monastery to pay homage to the world's
largest hairball! This 'strange but true' exhibit is two-and-a-half
pounds of calcium and hair cut from the gut of a three-hundred-pound
pig in the 1950s.
Oregon
Columbia River
The Columbia River is 80 miles long and up to 4,000
feet deep in places. The one-mile-wide river carves a spectacular
3,000 feet deep ravine through the Cascade Mountains
and the Columbia River Gorge that forms the border
between Washington and Oregon. For the region's farmers, the
mighty Columbia is still the essential trade route it was
in the pioneer days, as they transport their grain, livestock,
fruit, and vegetables from the Columbia River Basin. The Columbia
River is not only an important economic waterway but a fantastic
playground for water sports enthusiasts. The natural wind
channel of the Columbia River Gorge and the meeting of two
weather fronts make Hood River a perfect place for
windsurfing and, for the more adventurous, kite
surfing. Only one hour from Portland, it's easy to make
a day trip. But hold on tight because when the wind blows,
it really blows.
Hood
River Waterplay
PO Box 1524
Port Marina Park
Hood River
OR 97031, USA
Portland
Portland is a
liberal, liberated and quirky city that attracts a mix of
artists and free thinkers. The city is home to Chuck Palahniuk
(author of Fight Club), the Reverend Linville
(founder of the Burning
Man Festival), and Matt Groening (inventor
of the Simpsons) grew up here.
It is also one of America's greenest cities, which is best
explored by foot or bike - there are even charging points
around the city to recharge your battery-powered car. Portland
also has a fantastic public transport system that is free
within 300 blocks of the city centre, an area known as Fareless
Square. Most people cycle and buses around the city have bike
racks on the back for when your legs get tired. ART,
the Cultural Bus, is a three-dimensional, interactive piece
of art that transports visitors to many of Portland's attractions.
Willamette River, which divides the city, is crossed
by eight bridges; the first was Morrison Bridge, built
in 1887. Portland is among other things famous for its wine
production. Oregon and Washington both produce great local
wine but at the Urban Wine Works the approach is much
more hands on - you can blend wine to suit your own palette.
Cycle, walk, or bus around the city and stop to visit the
Old Town, the core of 1890s Portland that is resisting
gentrification, or Pioneer Courthouse Square, a cosmopolitan
yet laid back spot that claims to have a unique ambience.
Wander around the Saturday Market, reputed to be America's
biggest outdoor craft fair with 300 vendors. The Hawthorne
District lives up to Portland's 'alternative' reputation
with dynamic street life, book stores, delicatessens, brew
pubs, ethnic restaurants and more.
Portland
Walking Tours
Tel: 001 503 774 4522
Portland Walking Tours offers a variety of alternative tours
on foot. Led by David Schargel, a fountain of knowledge
on the city's history and cultural idiosyncrasies, the tours
reveal Portland as a unique and culturally rich place to live
that is, without doubt, like no other city in the United States.
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