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| You are here: Home : Destination Guide : North America : Pacific Northwest : Locations |
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Pacific North West USA: Locations |
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| 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 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
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 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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By Faye Welborn |
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