Oregon in the Depression

As if we didn't all have enough to worry about already, Oregon Public Broadcasting's excellent "Oregon Experience" series has a great set of depression era photos at their website. click here for the photos

Oregon in the depression was not like the east, where massive unemployment in the urban centers created the conditions we typically associate with this most troubled period of US History. Here in the west almost all of the land was still wild, the cities small, and the natural resources largely intact. That hardly made Oregon immune from the troubles but I think the face of rural poverty is different.

Oregon Lighthouse Photo Tour

Oregon Lighthouses are one of our state's most intriguing and beautiful attractions, yet many travelers to the Oregon Coast simply pass them by without realizing there are some great scenic stops, occaisional tours, and even the Heceta Head lighthouse with a Bed and Breakfast in what used to be the keepers quarters.

TravelOregon.com, the state's excellent website, has a neat tour of Oregon Lighthouses here

Heceta's Bed and Breakfast will run you a few hundred bucks, but note that a budget traveller can visit the light at Heceta Head and several other lighthouses for free, or go to the North Umpqua Light camping area and enjoy the lighthouse up close and personal for the price of a camping spot.

PBS Series Oregon Experience

PBS' has a wonderful new series showcasing the history, culture, and characters of Oregon. You can view some of the episodes right at the website here:
http://www.opb.org/programs/oregonexperience

Sam Hill was tonight's special, showcasing a colorful figure from Oregon and Washington history whose vision and persistence, and fortune led to the Columbia River Highway.

Cannon Beach Surfer, Oregon Coast

Surfer on Cannon Beach
Originally uploaded by Ryan Harvey

Despite the great wave action and beauty the Oregon Coast is not considered a prime surfing destination primarily because of the rocky shoreline and cold water and weather.

But this doesn't keep everybody away and many surfers still find a great ride in places along the Oregon Coast like Cannon Beach.

Cannon Beach is along the northern Coast of Oregon and easily accessible from Portland and Eugene, the state's two largest population areas.