Chapter 9 - The Changing South

Southern Oregon

Southern Oregon is home to the vast landscape of many lakes, rivers, forests and other natural landscape.  This part of the state is superb for outdoor activities such as fly fishing in the rivers, canoeing in Crater Lake or  hiking around Klamath Falls.  Many towns along the rivers have attractions that almost all revolve around river activities.

One of the most captivating sites you'll find in Southern Oregon is the drive up Highway 138 dubbed "The Highway of Waterfalls" with over a dozen waterfall trails you can hike.

Chapter 8 - Appalachia and the Ozarks

Since Appalachia and the Ozarks have a very distinct culture I thought I would focus on the culture found in Oregon--more specifically, Portland.

Mystery Hole

Some interesting things to do in Oregon include climbing down the Woodstock Mystery Hole.  The Mystery Hole was found in a family's backyard and it is thought to be the entrance to an ancient archaeological site with intricate carvings and deep tunnels below the Earth's surface.

Naked Bike Ride

Every year since 2004 Portland has been participating in the World Naked Bike Ride.  It is an event that happens in multiple cities around the world to bring awareness to many issues such as clean energy, biker's rights and body image.  No photo necessary!

Great Balls of Fire

The Great Balls of Fire is a food challenge at Salavdor Molly's restaurant in Oregon.  They are incredibly hot habanero pepper fritters.  The challenger has to eat five in a limited amount of time and all proceeds go to a charity that provides heat for Oregon residents that can't afford it.

Chapter 7 - The Bypassed East

Rural Oregon

The majority of Oregon is considered rural, covered in forests and farmland.  This is not by accident, the Oregon government has taken steps to protect against urban sprawl in the state.  Some counties have minimum acreage requirements to protect farmland from being subdivided for multiple uses such as wineries that would put stress on the already draining water table in the different areas.

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Chapter 5 - The North American Manufacturing Core

The largest industries in Oregon have been the tech companies since their arrival in the 1970's.  Intel is currently the largest for-profit employer in the state, there are so many tech companies headquartered in Oregon there is a region in Portland nicknamed "Silicon Forest".  Oregon used to be a top supplier of timber but due to fires, regulations and lawsuits that industry has slowed for the state.  Oregon also currently has one of the largest salmon-fishing industries in the world.

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Chapter 4 - Megalopolis

Portland

Keeping with theme of "megalopolis" I decided to feature Oregon's largest, most metropolitan city of Portland.  Portland is located in the Northwest part of Oregon right near the convergence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers.  Portland grew to prominence in the late 19th century due to its easy access to the Pacific Ocean via the two rivers mentioned above. Portland has the third largest port on the west coast.

Portland holds over 50% of Oregon's total population.  Intel is the city's largest employer with over 15,000 employees in the Portland area.  Some other fun facts about Portland are that it is home to the most breweries than any other city in the world and it has more strip clubs per capita  than any other city in the US.

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Chapter 3 - Foundations of Human Activity

Oregon was first inhabited by Native Americans for thousands of years until the first Spanish explorer came in the 16th Century.  By 1818 Oregon was co-occupied by the Americans and the British until it became solely American territory in 1846.

Current day Oregon is made up of a population that is 8% Hispanic, 89% White, the remaining population is pretty evenly split between Black, Asian and Native American.  57% of Oregon's population resides in the Portland Metropolitan area.  The largest religious groups are 67% identifying as Christians and 27% as unaffiliated.
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Chapter 2 - The Physical Environment

Oregon falls in the Pacific Mountains and Valleys and Intermontaine Basins and Plateaus part of the physiographic regions in the United States.  Two of Oregon's most famous physical features are Crater Lake and Mount Hood.

Crater Lake

 

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Crater Lake, a caldera lake located in southern Oregon, is the deepest lake in the United States.  It was formed by the collapse of a volcano almost 8,000 years ago.  It has no tributaries or rivers connected to it and the water supply is kept consistent from precipitation and rainfall.
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Mount Hood

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Mount Hood is a stratovocano located in the Cascade Volcanic Arc.  It is the highest peak in Oregon at 11,240 feet.  It is considered to be the volcano most likely to erupt in Oregon even though the volcano is mostly considered dormant.  The last time there was any aolcanic actvity at Mount Hood was in 1907.

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