Observations

     They say first impressions are lasting.  I noticed that things were different in Oregon as soon as I stepped off the plane in Portland.  People were taking their time, no one seemed in a hurry, and there was mellow music being played through the corridors of the airport.  That continued to be the case as I interacted with the folks there.  They have a very evident laid back, non-conformist and independent lifestyle.

     It's been that way ever since Oregon Country was established as an autonomous entity by traders, explorers and settlers way back in 1843.  Statehood came 16 years later when Oregon was admitted into the Union as the 33rd state.  And as of the last census there were just over 4 million people living there.  That equates to not quite 40 people per square mile!

     
     The landscape is as diverse and rugged as the people.  The Pacific coastline is windswept and heading eastward there is the volcano-studded Cascade mountain range and high desert nearing the border with Idaho.  But along the Willamette Valley in the western third of the state the climate is not as harsh with dry & cloudless summers and cool, cloudy and rainy winters will little, if any, snow.  And that's where 70% of all Oregonians call home.

   That's where I called home for 5 days as I set out on another culinary adventure at the Bite of Oregon.