Oregon, KY Road Trips

In the mid-19th century, tens of thousands of settlers embarked on a months-long journey across plains, deserts, and mountains to reach the fertile farming land of the Willamette Valley at the end of the Oregon Trail. Traveling by foot with covered wagons, they braved heat, dusty conditions, disease, exhaustion, and starvation. As a modern-day traveler to Oregon, you will have a much easier time, taking only a few hours from most areas of the United States by plane, and in a few days at most by car. But once you set foot in Oregon, you'll start to understand what led the original explorers and settlers to endure such hardship to get there. Humans have inhabited present-day Oregon since about 13,000 years ago, and by the time of European exploration in the 1500s there were many established Native American tribes. The earliest explorers came by sea to the west coast of North America in search of the Northwest Passage, and later by land, but they largely ignored many areas of present-day Oregon. Although numerous sea expeditions explored the coast of Oregon, it wasn't until 1792 when American captain Robert Gray first entered what would become known as the Columbia River, followed soon afterward by British captain George Vancouver. By land, American explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led an expedition across the Louisiana Purchase to the mouth of the Columbia, arriving at the Pacific Coast in 1805. An expedition financed by John Jacob Astor later established a fort at what is now Astoria.

Majestic mountains: The soaring snow-covered peaks of the Cascade Range, the lush covered mounts of the Coast Range, and the rugged ranges of Eastern Oregon all provide beautiful backdrops to outdoor activities throughout the state, and hikers and drivers both can discover incredible sights as they travel the valleys and passes through the ranges. Lush forests: Nearly every region of Oregon is home to large tracts of State and National Forest land, though each region boasts a unique mix of tree species and other flora. Several areas of protected old growth forest remain in the state. Wildlife: Due to the large amount of habitat remaining in the state, a large number of wildlife species are able to be spotted. This includes hundreds of species of birds, both migratory and resident, that can be spotted in city parks, along beaches, and in wildlife refuges. For more exotic animals, the Oregon Zoo is home to world-class selection of animals. Performing arts: Portland is home to vibrant theater and music scenes, catering to a variety of tastes throughout the city's neighborhoods. Additionally, several major performing arts events are held in other locations around the state from jazz festivals on the beach to the world-renowned Shakespeare festival in Ashland. Sports: Portland hosts the state's three professional major league teams, the National Basketball Association's Portland Trail Blazers, Major League Soccer's Portland Timbers, and the National Women's Soccer League's Portland Thorns, while its minor league hockey team also draws fervent support.

Take to the slopes: Mt. Hood offers year-round snow sports and some of the most extensive night-skiing facilities in the country, so there is never a bad time to take to the slopes. Arrayed on the mountain (as well as other mountains in the state) are ample opportunities for downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, and snow-shoeing, as well as motorized fun on snowmobiles. Go whitewater rafting: The Rogue River in Southern Oregon has amazing rapids and several services are available for all skill levels. Echo Trips offers trips for four days on the Class III rapids. Other rivers in Southern and Eastern Oregon offer a variety of rafting experiences as well. Go camping: Oregon is dotted with campsites, catering to different types of camping experiences. Several are on the grounds of numerous state parks, and the most popular sites can be booked up well in advance (especially those offering more services) so it is best to book ahead. Camping offers a great way to experience the unique natural feel of each region. Drive a dune buggy: The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area between Florence and Coos Bay offers areas for ATV and dune buggy activities, a fast-paced way to experience one of the more unique features of the Oregon Coast. Several other places offer the chance to ride an off-road vehicle throughout the state. Walk the beach: Since all of Oregon's beaches are public, you can walk the entire coast if so inclined.

Four star dining in hiking boots and jeans? This is perfectly acceptable (as are suits and tuxedos) at Timberline Lodge's Cascade Dining Room, which offers seasonal Northwest cuisine year round. Excellent breakfast, lunch and dinner selections. Dinner reservations are helpful most evenings, but a necessity on holidays and nice summer weekends. Visit one of 30 microbreweries within Portland city limits. Smoked salmon is a typically Oregonian dish that has been eaten here since pre-Columbian times. Food carts have become a popular alternative to restaurants in Oregon cities. Oregon is known for its berries, especially cranberries and marionberries (first bred in Oregon). The Oregon grape is the state flower but, while edible, it is not commonly eaten. Hazelnuts (a.k.a. filberts) are also a popular specialty.

From the coastal hamlets to the valley cities to the remote towns of the high desert, Oregonians drink, and proudly. Because of the growing wine and microbrewery industries in the state which produce drink of world-class quality, having a tipple and touring beverage facilities is a popular pastime for Oregon residents and tourists alike. It is occasionally joked that one cannot throw a cat in the city of Portland without hitting a bar, while most other towns of any appreciable size have at least two places in which one can imbibe. Yes, the drinking culture here is strong, and if you like to pickle your giblets then you'll be in heaven. Oregon is an Alcoholic Beverage Control State and as such requires all distilled spirits to be sold by state-approved outlets. Because the liquor stores purchase their wares from the state at an inflated and heavily-taxed cost, liquor by the bottle or by the shot can run your booze bill up pretty quickly. Fortunately, Oregon has no shot size regulation (such as, say, Utah has) and many bars - especially in the Portland area - pour their drinks quite liberally; in fact, a literal three fingers of whiskey is not uncommon if you know the barkeep. There are no so-called "blue laws" concerning time of alcohol sales other than a daily 2:30-7AM restriction, so if you like kegs and eggs for your Sunday breakfast, Oregon's your kind of place. Also, Oregon's alcohol laws are unitary within the state and are wholly overseen by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC), so there's no need to worry about dry towns or dry counties.

The Oregon State Parks are among the best in the United States, being very well maintained and in beautiful locations. Accommodations range from hiker-biker tent sites to standard car camping/RV lots to cabins and yurts. While some parks have an allotment of "first-come, first serve" camping spots, booking ahead is a necessity during the summer months.

The vast majority of air travel into Oregon is done through 1 Portland International Airport (PDX IATA), located on the north side of the city along the Columbia River. The airport has won several awards for traveler satisfaction and offers relatively quick ingress and egress due to its moderate size. Quick access to ground transportation of all types is readily available. National services are provided by all major United States airlines, with direct flights available from most western airports; Alaska Airlines uses PDX as a hub. International service is limited with direct flights available from Vancouver, Amsterdam, and Tokyo plus seasonal flights from some resort cities in Mexico. Flights into Oregon's other commercial airports are available from several neighboring states, but can be costly in comparison to flights into Portland. While several links are direct, many itineraries will involve a connection through Portland. Mahlon Sweet Field (EUG IATA) is the second largest commercial airport in the state and serves the Eugene–Springfield area. Rogue Valley International–Medford Airport (MFR IATA) in Medford is the primary access point for Southern Oregon, while Roberts Field (RDM IATA) in the Bend–Redmond area serves the same role for Central and much of Eastern Oregon. For destinations in the far eastern portion of the state, it's usually better to fly to Boise Airport (BOI IATA) in Idaho. Several other Oregon cities have airports capable of handling commercial traffic, including Coos Bay, Klamath Falls, Newport, Pendleton, and Salem.

The Oregon Department of Transportation's TripCheck website provides up-to-date info on available transportation services in Oregon, whether it's intercity buses, trains, or local public transit. Use this handy resource to find your way around the state car-free. Amtrak provides Thruway service to almost any destination in Oregon that is served by an intercity bus. Many trips involving a bus can be booked with Amtrak, even if your itinerary does not include a train ride. Similarly, you can book most bus trips through Greyhound, even if Greyhound doesn't operate any of the buses you ride. Amtrak offers several ways to enter and travel throughout Oregon by train: The Cascades connects, twice daily between Portland, Oregon City, Salem, Albany and Eugene. Additional service along this route is provided by the Cascades Point bus. The Coast Starlight, regarded by many as America's most scenic train ride, runs between Los Angeles and Seattle, with the same stops as the Cascades between Eugene and Seattle except Oregon City and Tukwila. Additional stops in Chemult & Klamath Falls before crossing into California (southbound) or arriving into Eugene (northbound). The Empire Builder runs between Chicago and Spokane, Washington, where it then splits, with half of the train continuing to Seattle, and the other half to Portland. The train runs parallel along the Columbia River in Washington side of river with stops in Vancouver, Wa; Bingen (across river from Hood River) and Wishram (a few miles upstream from The Dalles in the Washington side.

Oregonians are known for being exceptionally kind and welcoming people; accordingly, violent crime in Oregon is quite low and visitors are not likely to have any harm come to them during their stay. Property crime is infrequent, but does occur. In urban areas and rural alike, mind your valuable items as you would anywhere else. Car prowling is a pervasive problem in the Willamette Valley cities (Portland, Eugene, and Salem) and forest trailheads; pay special attention in these areas. If you are in need of emergency assistance, dial 911 on your phone. Recreational use of marijuana is legal in Oregon. Adults 21 years and older can legally carry one ounce of marijuana on their person and purchase it from licensed marijuana dispensaries. However, driving under the influence of marijuana remains illegal; you cannot carry marijuana across state lines (even to neighboring Washington and California, where recreational marijuana is also legal), nor is use of marijuana in public places allowed. It's still a federal crime to possess or use marijuana, despite state law; do not leave cannabis products out in the open on federal grounds. That said, legal marijuana is widely available and tolerated statewide, perhaps more so than in any other U.S. state. This is particularly true in the Portland area. Even otherwise conservative towns like Burns and Ontario have multiple marijuana shops. Oregon's relatively lax attitude toward drugs nowadays is surprising given the huge wave of methamphetamine that rolled over the state in the 1980s, '90s and 2000s, causing much death and suffering.