Oregon

There's something about the Pacific Northwest that speaks to me. Rocky coastlines, snowcapped mountains (and snowcapped volcanoes!), fragrant temperate rainforests, high waterfalls, deep, crystal blue lakes, and gorgeous gorges. And with so many parks in which to see these sights, such as the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, Silver Falls State Park, Crater Lake National Park, Smith Rock State Park, and Oregon Caves National Monument, there's no end to spectacular scenery.

If you're not exactly the outdoorsy type, but still know a great view when you see it, rest assured that you don't actually have to visit a park! There are great opportunities to sightsee as you drive along highways, such as the Historic Columbia River Highway Scenic Byway. No wonder the native peoples, explorers, fur trappers, and pioneer settlers loved the area.

Oregon features a range of climates, with relatively mild but wet weather west of the Cascade mountain range, just perfect for having a coffee and a chat with friends in a café – and dry weather, with more extreme temperatures, east of the mountains. And this variety makes Oregon a perfect place for skiing, snowboarding, boating, rafting, camping, hiking, trekking, and mountain climbing. The climate and volcanic soil also makes it a perfect place for growing, and buying, fresh-from-the-farmer pears, peaches, cherries, apricots, and apples. Its forests also produce the most timber of any state in the US.

But you can escape the outdoors to civilization, if you want to. For example, Portland, which is nestled below the towering snowcapped and dormant volcano, and tallest of Oregon's peaks, Mount Hood, was named by Money magazine as North America's Best Big City. In this state of about 3,559,596, almost two million live in the metropolitan Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington area. As expected with a major city, Portland has a wide variety of attractions to keep a person (and their family) occupied: the Children's Museum, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Portland Art Museum, the Portland Center for the Performing Arts, the Artists Repertory Theatre, the Oregon Zoo, and much more. And – wait for it, shoppers – Portland's Lloyd Center is the biggest mall in Oregon!

And let's not forget the state capital, Salem, with its symphony, chamber orchestra, museums, theaters, art gallery, and sculpture garden. And then there are the fine area wineries for the avid oenophile!

Who wouldn't want to live and work here?

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