Oregon is strewn by charming towns with less than 20,000 inhabitants, such as Pendleton, a typical western town, Ashton, famous for its Shakespeare plays all year long, Eugene, where the University of Oregon is located, or Astoria, the oldest town in the west of Mississippi.

Portland

Let's start with Portland, with its background of Mount Hood's snowy peak. Its climate, softened by the Japan Kuroshio Current, gave Portland its nickname : the City of Roses. Magnificent roses are to admire during the famous International Rose Gardens, the world's biggest rose gardens.

From a part to another of the Willamette River, crossed by 11 bridges, Portland still keeps its charming restored buildings.

The city of Portland possesses many parks and a zoological garden. It welcomes the Portland Rose Festival each year, in 2007 it will be held between May 31 to June 10.

Crater Lake National Park

290 km south of Portland, Crater Lake is one of Oregon's natural jewel. Its deep waters of a deep blue caused by its purity occupy the crater of an ancient volcano. America's deepest lake (600 m deep), it was discovered in 1853 by a young golddigger and miner named John Hillman.

The best place to view Crater Lake is Rim Village, on 2,163 m of altitude.

We can access the park by the Cleetwood Trail, departing from Rim Village : a 230-m uneven descent for a nearly 2 km distance.

Two fairytale islands : Phantom Ship and the Wizard Island add the beauty of this place.

A promenade on boat allows you to get to the Wizard Island, a volcano inside a volcano. A 2 km track leads to its top. From there, we can get in for about 27 m inside the crater - a passionate adventure.

From Rim Village, about 200 km of pathways go across the park, getting inside the heart of the forests.

In the Northeast of the State we can find the Oregon Trail, rich with Indian history.

In Baker, Mounts Wallowa and Lake Wallowa offer you marvelously beautiful holiday domains.

Not very far from Wallowa we will find the Hat Point, where, after an accidented crossing, you can admire the beauty of America's deepest gorge : Hell's Canyon, dug deep  by the Snake River.

In this land of wine, stretching from the Coast Range and the Cascades, you can visit some vineyards and discover the region's historical towns as well as their majestuous residences finely restored.

Oregon Caves National Monument

90 km southwest of Grants Pass, in the south of the State, the Oregon Caves were discovered in 1874. The mountain is a labyrinth of corridors and caverns of a natural beauty, strewn by marble blocks given exotic names such as Niagara Falls, Lost Paradise, or Dante's Hell.

A Pacific Coast State, Oregon possesses 480 km of blond sand beaches bordering a litoral combining views of such breathtaking beauty with charming seaside stations such as Cannon Beach or Astoria.

Photos : Oregon CVB - George Vetter
National Parks Service