The Oregon Experience

Oregon Retirement, California Retirement, and MORE!

2012-05-29T17:39:00.002-07:00

Sorry for the delayed posts here at The Oregon Experience, but I've got a lot going on online. Here's a post about our new Retirement website "Retire USA" and our old site www.OregonRetirement.info. If you are planning to retire in Oregon, or anywhere in the USA for that matter, you'll want to check us out!

Retire USA:

Retire USA keeps on growing, mostly thanks to some great posts by our many retirement bloggers and guests at the website. Our goal is to become one of the top online sources of retirement information for the USA.

We now have excellent city profiles on about 225 US cities with a focus on the information you’ll need to plan a retirement in those states/cities. There are over a dozen great bloggers writing articles for the Retire USA Retirement Blog, and over four thousand individual retirement records, sorted by cities and into four key retirement categories: Health Care, Financial Services, Retirement Communities, and Real Estate.

Thanks to the magic of Google’s custom search we have a Retire USA “retirement search” (see top of page) that will allow you to search our site and the greater online universe for more retirement related information. |

At the very least you should be following RetireUSA on Twitter for Retirement information so you’ll be alerted to the new blog posts as they appear online: Twitter Retirement Information

So, what are the TOP TEN RETIREMENT STATES? This is a *personal view* by yours truly Joe Duck based on limited research, but I think this is probably close in terms of the states to which most people retire among those who are *changing their home state*. Obviously most people stay put for retirement, so simply asking “where do most people retire” is the same as asking “where do most people live”? If you are searching for a new home our site is a great place to start, and here are the states I think you are most likely to be searching for.

If you think this is NOT a good list, please let me know in the comments why! Some day when I’m not as lazy as right now I’ll research this topic, though it’s often hard to find good data since most states are all trying to promote their virtues – I’m guessing there will be many “self serving” studies by economic development or travel groups to “show” that their state is THE place to retire. I think the best test is probably to find the states that get the most people to *change their residence*, as this is a very good sign that you are doing something right … retirement wise.

The Oregon Experience

2012-04-22T21:23:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the lack of Oregon Travel posts here at the Oregon Experience. I've been very busy with other online project such as these:

Retire USA Retirement Information
Retirement Blog
Travel and History Blog
US History Website
US History Blog
History and Civil War Blog

For Oregon Travel information please check out Oregon Travel at Online Highways and the Oregon Coast Travel site.

The Secret Garden, Camelot Theater, Talent Oregon

2009-11-25T11:18:00.001-08:00

The Secret Garden, Camelot Theater, Talent Oregon
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

The Camelot Theater Presents "The Secret Garden" through December and into January of 2010.

Oregon in the Depression

2008-12-09T09:50:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-21T13:56:00.001-08:00

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

2008-11-11T23:14:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-06T16:56:00.001-08:00

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.

Multnomah Falls, Columbia Gorge, Oregon

2008-10-18T21:36:00.001-07:00

Columbia-Gorge-2008 146
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

Multnomah Falls is one of Oregon's oldest and most popular attractions. Millions have visited this beautiful Oregon landmark which lies less than an hour from Portland along the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Byway.

Multnomah is one of the tallest waterfalls on earth and the second tallest in the USA (Yosemite Falls is first).

Multnomah's concrete bridge, which began as a massive wooden log bridge about 100 years ago, gives the area an almost surreal appearance.

The falls are only minutes away from the I84 turnout, and the walk up to the bridge is only an extra 5-10 minutes. For the adventurous there are extensive hikes up and over the falls in the wilderness areas south of Multnomah. Check in at the information center for more information about the region.

Lincoln City, Oregon Coast

2008-10-03T22:42:00.001-07:00

Lincoln City on the Oregon Coast hosts one of Oregon's largest kite festivals, with spectacular colors and sizes sailing over the ocean beach where brisk.

winds make kites a favorite pastime in the area. Image uploaded by Katrinke on Flickr.

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Bonneville Fish Hatchery in Columbia Gorge, Oregon

2008-09-23T16:31:00.001-07:00

Bonneville Fish Hatchery in Columbia Gorge, Oregon
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

The Bonneville Dam fish hatchery is located adjacent to the Bonneville dam along the Columbia River in Oregon. Here, salmon, trout, steelhead and othe r species are hatched and raised and released to the wild where many will make the long trip into the ocean, then return to the Hatchery to spawn.

Oregon Coast Landscape

2008-09-19T14:28:00.001-07:00

Oregon Coast
Originally uploaded by papalars

It's actually hard to find (or take) a bad shot of the Oregon Coast, which is one of the most photogenic destinations you'll encounter no matter where you travel.

Always after my trips to other places I come back to Oregon and never fail to note the abundant natural beauty of Oregon.

For more about the Oregon Coast visit the Oregon Coast Blog: http://oregoncoasttravel.blogspot.com

Full Sail Ale Brewery Tour - Bottling Machine

2008-09-19T11:09:00.001-07:00

Full Sail Ale Brewery Tour - Bottling Machine
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

After the batch of beer has gone through the 10-14 day fermentation process it's ready for bottling. Here, a tube fills each bottle and caps them after which they are inspected and put in cases, and shipped out all over the Pacific Northwest. Some of the beer is kegged in a different machine for distribution to bars and restaurants.

Full Sail Brewery Tour, Hood River Oregon

2008-09-19T11:04:00.001-07:00

Full Sail Brewery Tour, Hood River Oregon
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

Sugar content of the unfermented mix is checked at Full Sail Brewery in one stage of the brewing process. Behind are the huge Mash Tun and Lauter Tuns into which the huge batch of beer is processed by hand and under close supervision over the first few days of the brewing cycle. Later the beer will move to the huge fermenting tank where yeast is added, breaking down the sugars into alcohol over a period of 10-14 days after which the beer is ready for bottling or kegging.

Much of the beer crafting is done as part of the process of selecting and adding the hops to the mix. Full Sail uses mostly Oregon hops from the state's fertile central valley.

Full Sail Brewery Tour, Hood River

2008-09-19T10:56:00.001-07:00

Full Sail Brewery, Hood River
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

Full Sail Brewery, Hood River
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

Full Sail Ale is one of the most popular beers in the Northwest, and our Full Sail brewery tour in Hood River helped us understand why Full Sail remains so popular. We had a great guide, Gary, and thanks to his expertise and the fact we were the only two on the tour we were able to ask a lot of questions.

Gary explained that in 1985 the town of Hood River was suffering badly as the Timber Industry was in decline. A group of friends, hard up for work, decided to start brewing beer and took over a small building which remains a small part of the huge brewery complex that now produces millions of bottles of Full Sail Ale and Henry Weinhard's as part of the Full Sail contract with Miller Brewing.

Bonneville Dam Powerhouse

2008-09-18T22:32:00.001-07:00

Bonneville Dam Powerhouse 362
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

Inside the Bonneville Dam Powerhouse water from the mighty Columbia River flows below, powering 8 massive turbines, each generating enough power for about 30,000 homes.

Completed in 1937 after about 4 years of construction, the Bonneville project brought power, flood control, and jobs to the depression ravaged Pacific Northwest. Seventy years later the Bonneville complex has expanded to another powerhouse on the Washington side of the river, and continues on as one of the USA's major hydroelectric power resources.

Oregon Coast Cities

2008-09-07T19:58:00.000-07:00

The Oregon Coast has no major cities but many small and charming towns and villages, almost all built around Highway 101 (the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway) and very near or along Oregon's beautiful coastline.

You can find good detail on all these cities at the official website of the printed Oregon Coast Mile by Mile Guide and the companion Oregon Coast blog which provides travelers with details on things to do, where to stay, and where to eat all along the Oregon Coast's Highway 101.

These are the cities along that Oregon route, featured at the Mile by Mile Guide:

Astoria
Bandon
Barview
Bay City
Beaver
Brookings
Cannon Beach
Charleston
Cloverdale
Coos Bay
Coquille
Crescent City
Depoe Bay
Dunes City
Empire District
Florence
Gardiner
Garibaldi
Gearhart
Gleneden Beach
Gold Beach
Hebo
Klamath Area
Lakeside
Langlois
Lincoln City
Manzanita
Mapleton
Myrtle Point
Nehalem
Nesika Beach
Neskowin
Netarts
Newport
North Bend
Oceanside
Ophir
Otter Rock
Pacific City
Port Orford
Reedsport
Rockaway Beach
Sand Lake
Seal Rock
Seaside
Tillamook
Toledo
Waldport
Warrenton/Hammond
Westlake
Wheeler
Winchester Bay
Yachats

You'll also want to order a free printed Mile by Mile guide by clicking here: People's Coast website

Bandon Sunset on the Oregon Coast

2008-09-06T16:36:00.001-07:00

Bandon Sunset July 1987
Originally uploaded by Dan Hershman

Bandon by the Sea is one of the cities along Oregon Coast's Highway 101 and a very popular vacation spot for California folks as well as Oregon locals from the inner valleys.

Bandon's actual official name is "Bandon by the Sea" but it is almost always called Bandon locally. Old Town is Bandon's charming downtown tourism district where you'll find several excellent restaurants shops, and lodging. A few miles south of town along the Bandon Loop Road are several more hotels like the Inn at Face Rock (nice rooms, golf, beach across the road) and the Windermere (right on the beach, more rustic rooms).

Several years ago world class golf came to Bandon with the Bandon Dunes, a Scottish style course that attracts golfers from all over the world.

Travel Oregon

2008-09-05T22:43:00.000-07:00

Oregon's Tourism information office is called "Travel Oregon" and they have a lot of great resources available to you to help plan your Oregon trip.

The website is here
The Travel Oregon blog is here
Order vacation planning guides here

Oregon Coast Official Websites

2008-09-05T11:36:00.000-07:00

The best way to plan your trip to Oregon is to surf several websites, order printed information that many of those sites offer, and if you are like me keep cutting and pasting information into my own personalized trip guide.

The official Oregon Travel website is Travel Oregon from the Oregon Tourism Commission click here for website .

The Oregon Coast makes this job a little more interesting because there are literally dozens of excellent resources, many of which try to cover the entire coast.

The most comprehensive of the Oregon Coast sites is the Mile by Mile Guide to the Oregon Coast combined with the Oregon Coast Travel blog. Both come from the publishers of Oregon Coast Magazine and the Mile by Mile Guide to the Oregon Coast which is the most popular guidebook in all of Oregon.

Although I will cover some Oregon Coast themes here at The Oregon Experience, look to the Oregon Coast Travel blog for the best coverage of the coast including travel tips and news.

Other good resources for the Oregon Coast are OCVA - The Oregon Coast Visitors Association new "People's Coast" website.

Note: Please don't ask me to explain how in the world somebody came up with "The People's Coast" after spending a small fortune in consulting fees.

OK, you talked me into it. Expensive firms routinely convince gullible clients that elite "branding" is more effective than real marketing. This is because real marketing has measurable results and returns on investment, where "branding" campaign failures can easily be covered up. Sorry - but this stuff bugs me.

Oregon Coast Highway 101 Mile by Mile

2008-09-04T12:24:00.000-07:00

The most comprehensive directory to the Oregon Coast is this excellent Oregon Coast website that takes you mile by mile along the entire 363 miles of Oregon's magnificent coastline, from Astoria on the Northern Oregon Coast to Brookings on the Southern Oregon Coast.

Here are the Oregon Coast Highway 101 mile by mile categories. Click on each for extensive details for each part of this amazing coastal drive - a drive I believe to be unsurpassed in charm and natural beauty.

Astoria to Seaside
Cannon Beach to Manzanita
Manzanita to Tillamook
Tillamook to Lincoln City
Lincoln City to Newport
Newport to Yachats
Yachats to Florence
Florence to North Bend
Coos Bay to Port Orford
Port Orford to California

These highways intersect with Oregon Coast Highway 101

Cape Arago Highway
Highway 6
Three Capes Loop Highway

Oregon Experience. The Oregon Coast from Brookings to Gold Beach

2008-09-03T15:44:00.001-07:00

As we noted earlier, Highway 101 is pretty much the only game in town for travel along the Oregon Coast.

.....to be continued...

Oregon Coast: Highway 101

2008-09-03T14:44:00.000-07:00

When you are talking about travelling on the Oregon Coast, you are talking about Highway 101. US Highway 101 was designated a National Scenic Byway - the longest in the nation at over 300 miles, spanning the entire Oregon Coast from Brookings, Oregon north to Astoria, Oregon.

The route is locally known as "101" but the Scenic Byway is called the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway NSB Website.

This splendid drive offers many wonderful views though you'll want to get out of the car and hike the short distances that usually will get you to cliffs or the beachfront to see even more.

One of my favorite hikes is the Indian Sands just north of Brookings in Harris Beach State Park. The area was frequented by Native Americans and is named for the colorful sandstone. Note that you can't get down to the water here - for that head south to Harris Beach Park Picnic Area. Also, there's a great Oregon State Welcome Center up the hill and across the highway from that Picnic Area.

A common mistake for travelers is to underestimate the time it can take to comfortably drive the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway. You'll want to plan 2-3 days for this drive so you can have some beachcombing and unwinding time. There are several beachside Bed and Breakfasts and vacation rentals nestled in the countryside as well as hundreds of hotels which tend to cluster in the cities. We'll have a lot more about places to stay on the Oregon Coast later...

Oregon Coast: Brookings, Oregon

2008-09-02T00:34:00.000-07:00

Brookings aka Brookings-Harbor thanks to a two city consolidation some time ago, is the Southernmost city on the Oregon Coast, in what locals call the "Banana belt" of Oregon thanks to the climate which is warmer than coastal points north in Oregon and south in California.

Two great information stations are located in Brookings. The first is one of several State of Oregon Visitor Information Centers where Oregon maintains an excellent visitor information center across from Harris Beach State Park just north of Brookings on Highway 101.

In town in the Brookings Harbor Chamber of Commerce has an excellent collection of visitor information for Brookings-Harbor and it's located down at the Brookings Harbor, one of the areas you'll want to visit during your stay. Here at the harbor charming restaurants and shopping blend with working fishing boats. Sometimes you can even buy fresh fish right at the docks.

Other good online resources for this region are:

The Wild Rivers Coast, an active coastal regional promotion group;

Oregon Coast Visitors Association which promotes the entire Oregon coast.

Southern Oregon Visitors Association which represents seven southern Oregon Counties including Curry County;

Travel Oregon, the state of Oregon's tourism website.

Brookings, Oregon from Travel and History

There are many hotels along 101 in town, but if you want to spend a bit more and wake up almost on the beach you'll want to consider the Best Western Beachfront

Another Oregon Coast Happy Traveler

2008-08-31T19:16:00.000-07:00

My Portland online pal has penned an excellent article about a recent Oregon trip and Ma Petite Maison, a charming looking vacation rental along the wonderful Southern Oregon Coast at the city of Port Orford. He notes:

Port Orford is a sleepy fishing village on the South coast of Oregon that is home to some of the most stunning beaches and ocean vistas in North America. In addition to the beaches, Port Orford includes the lighthouse at Cape Blanco, the Western-most point in Oregon
Read his full article here.

Port Orford is easy to miss as you travel Highway 101 North or South, but you'll want to stop at Battle Rock State Park for at least a short time. If you like unspoiled spectacular coastline and an excellent connection to the history of the coast you'll want to spend a lot more time in Port Orford.

Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat

2008-08-31T10:34:00.001-07:00

Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat
Originally uploaded by Tidewater Muse

Station Depoe Bay, Oregon. Oregon Coast Lifeboat

This Oregon Coast Guard Lifeboat heads from the Depoe Bay harbor entrance out to sea. Many of the rescue missions on the Oregon Coast are in the winter when the weather is harsh and waves can reach 30 feet or more. Oregon's rocky coastline often combines dangerously with high seas and some difficult to navigate entries to ports. Commercial fisherman bravely challenge these conditions to bring in Salmon, Dungeness Crab, "Snapper" (actually a rockfish here on the west coast), Sole, and more. Thanks to the coast guard disabled vessels have a chance of surviving Oregon's stormy coastal seas.

USCG photo by BMC Chris S. Sparkman.