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written by Max Sinclair
Oregon is the home of mavericks, pioneers, coffee enthusiasts, hikers and bikers, a milliard of micro-breweries and as many places (most of them seemingly emblazoned with the name McMinneman) where locals and visitors alike enjoy their designer beers. We have living history museums, art museums, natural vistas and cityscapes. This state embraces people with diverse beliefs and practices. (Just one caveat - this is an eco-friendly 
state, and one that loves its nature. So when you come to Oregon, go green!) From the Oregon Coast to the High Desert climate of Central Oregon to the mountains such as Mount Hood – Oregon has it all. At the center, the jewel – my own beloved city, Portland. Where else could you see new commercial construction side by side with preservation efforts? A symphony orchestra, sushi buffets so big they feel an acre long, wholesome farmer’s markets and a quirky collection of arts, crafts, music and people-watching that is the Saturday Market?
Oregon, a Pioneer State
Oregon is proud of its pioneer roots. That’s why people here don’t mind too much when Portland sometimes gets compared to Seattle. IN fact, many Seattle transplants to Oregon tell me that Portland is like a “mini Seattle ” from 20 years ago – when Seattle was nicer, cleaner, friendly, and less congested! That’s right, we’ve got the good points Seattle has – pioneer spirit, innovation, quirkiness, artistic talent, a breeding ground for great new music, and of course fabulous coffee. But what we DON’T have is Seattle’s high housing prices, congested roads, and hard-to-get-to islands. No waiting for a ferry here in Portland – just hop in your car or on your bike and you are anywhere you need to be in about 12 minutes! Oh, and the famous Seattle drizzle? Well, yes, Portland does have that! But we get several months less of it. Unlike rain in other parts of the country, our rain in the Pacific Northwest is generally a light drizzle. No heavy storms, no thunder, no lightning. Believe it or not, we don’t even carry umbrellas here. Nope – don’t need ‘em! We just like to put our hoods up or slip on a light rain hat (Natives often don’t even bother with these). Our drizzle typically lasts through the winter, and then we are treated to amazingly blue skies and buoyant white clouds over views of evergreens, rivers, and distant mountains. Our summer sky here is absolutely a work of art.
Coffee Culture
Last fall as I worked as a volunteer helping to prepare children for a Japanese cultural festival called O-Chigo, I had an experience that summed up the Oregon attitude to coffee. Imagine a room filled with kids in kimonos. They are lined up waiting for us grown-ups to attach the ornate silver, gold, and bronze decorations to their outfits. Some are struggling to keep the hefty headgear – kind of like a miniature pagoda mounted on a hat – to balance on their heads. All are intent on getting ready to march in the fancy processional which only occurs once a decade. In the middle of this bustling of activity, one of the parents decides to make a coffee run. It is, after all, 7:30 in the morning. “Okay,” she says, “I’m going to Coffee People. What does everyone want?” The coffee orders are not what you would hear in the Mid-West, perhaps, where people would just say “Who wants coffee?” and come back with regular cups of joe. Here we grown ups start chiming in with requests for specialty espresso-based coffees. (Of course – this is the Pacific Northwest!) My own personal favorite is the most requested drink: a soy latte in the size Starbucks 
would call “grande”. Amid the chorus of adult voices come the loud, clear tones of a toddler. It is a little boy named Kent, age 3, and what he says is “Ummm….okay, I’ll have a decaf venti no whip mocha.” Being the only non-native to this beautiful region, I am the only adult who expresses surprise. “Isn’t he 3 years old?” I say, incredulous. “So?” A few people chorus. With a shrug, the boy’s own mother adds “He ordered decaf, what!”
Now with the advent of the ambitious new food pyramid the government has blessed us with (called “My Pyramid”), people here in Portland are joking that from here up through Seattle and on to Vancouver, B.C. the entire base of the food pyramid is non other than java. Why coffee is the “thang” in this town and the region? Why is there drive-through espresso shacks the size of garden sheds, dispensing glorious streams of hot, dark coffee to morning commuters on the go? What is there more coffee per capita here than almost any place else on earth?
The answers to this coffee culture lie in the Oregon Trail experience. During the years of Westward Movement as hardy pioneers “roughed it” on the trail, opening up the West, they often traveled for weeks without finding pure sources of fresh water. What water sources they did come across were often far from fresh in the taste department. As a result, word spread quickly that good strong coffee was an essential you could not be without on the trail. As soon as babies were weaned, they began to drink…COFFEE!
I myself am more of a tea aficionado, and the local obsession with and passion for coffee puzzled me at first. Then several years after I first moved to Portland, I stumbled upon this information during one of the many times I attended events at a living history museum called “The End of the Oregon Trail” which my child (who is something of a history buff) had become somewhat addicted to. “So!” I remember thinking. “They went straight from mother’s milk to java. Well that explains a LOT!”
The Great Outdoors
Here in Oregon, people enjoy a wide variety of outdoor sports. In winter, there is both cross-country skiing and down hill skiing. Some favorite areas for this are Mount Hood in Northern Oregon near Washington State and Mount Bachelor in Central Oregon. Biking is popular both in rural areas (particularly resort communities such as Sun River), in smaller more cultured town such as Medford and Ashland (home of our renowned Shakespeare theater), and in Portland. Big city drivers are experts at allowing bikes to navigate – and the city 
has set up “bike lanes” and bike racks on public buses to encourage bikers. It is all part of the eco-culture here. (We combine this with the coffee culture: bike to get your three shot Americano or your Venti Frappucino!) Another part of the natural aspect of things here is that in Oregon, people are very active when it comes to recycling. They enjoy refinishing furniture, refurbishing homes and offices, and teach their kids to “reduce, reuse, and recycle”. Here more so than many other places, people really “walk the walk” when it comes to going Green and recycling.
Shop till You Drop – No Sales Tax
Shopping is fabulous in Oregon, particularly in and around Portland. There are wonderful outlet malls including one in Troutdale (North of Portland) and one in Woodburn (South of Portland, near the state capitol of Salem ). In town, check out the quirky crafts and art pieces at the Portland Saturday Market (a misnomer – it is also open on Sundays. And, don’t miss the Market’s fabulous Festival of the Last Minute during the week leading up to Christmas each year!) For more conventional shoppers, there are wonder treasures and bargains alike at places such as Pioneer Place, Washington Square Mall, and Lloyd Center. Best of all…in Oregon, you never pay sales tax!
One thing to look for during your shopping outings: “local” friendly fashion for the drizzly weather is top quality. This means wonderful outdoor jackets, coats, and gear from places like Columbia Sportswear and REI. Also, you’ll want to pick up a few sturdy pairs of Dansk clogs – perfect for drizzle, and they come in dozens of fashion colors.
After shopping, don’t forget to try some of the local delicacies at area restaurants. Top foodie destinations include Higgins, Castagna, and more. (For a list of the top picks, go to http://www.maxwellsinclair.com/fav_restaurants.php ). The best local ingredients? Micro brewed beers, Japanese food, and of course our wonderful salmons. Wild King, Chinook, Coho – you can’t go wrong with any of these. (Here’s a good tip: salmon is the most fresh and best during the months from June through October).
Would you like more information? Please visit www.MaxwellSinclair.com for direct links to search for general information and homes in Portland, Oregon and its surrounding area.
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