Roadtrip to Oregon

Just as about 50,000 people cross the border daily between Washington and Oregon states, we drove last week across the border for a few days

Wikipedia says that the state of Oregon is known for its frequent rain, however the sunny weather did not let us down. This made me very happy, especially since the rainy season is about to begin. Yes, that’s right, frequent rain seen in the dark series "The Killing", filmed in Seattle, is apparently not a special effect:)

Oregon is not a very populous state.  Approximately 4 million people live in an area comparable to Hungary. Oregon is also famous for its beautiful nature. In each city you will find beautiful paths for bicycle rides, and lovely parks great for having a picnic.

First stop - Springfield town, whose people are considered to be the conservative complement of Eugene, its famous liberal neighbor.

In the past Oregon was perceived as a "swing state," in which both the Republican and Democratic candidates have a good chance of winning the election. However, for some years it is now regarded as a so-called "blue state.'' in which voters vote Democratic.

In 2000 Al Gore barely beat George W. Bush. In 2004 victory went to John Kerry over George W. Bush , and both in 2008 and 2012 the political race was won by President Obama.

Let me add that, for over a century, one of Oregon’s districts has been represented in the Congress almost invariably by the Republicans. 

In Springfield I found many one-store, smaller family houses on which roofs and porches American flag often waves.

The Stars and Stripes not only frequently decorates private residences, but also, of course, public institutions, sport stadiums, and even malls and hotels.

In the afternoon we stopped at the hippy- artistic- student town of Eugene, where we went for lunch at the local network Laughing Planet. Eugene is known locally as the Berkeley of the North. The basic components of food served here are black beans, spinach, kale, porridge and tortilla. A couple quietly consuming their burrito drew my attention. Dressed in clothes resembling the Amish clothing, they were probably Mennonites who came to Oregon in the late nineteenth century.

For dinner we went to a Japanese restaurant, mysteriously called Izakaya Meiji. Our choices included: mini duck skewer, sweet carrots, beets, shrimp lasagna and a super sweet banana split.

I cannot wait to show you pictures of the upcoming Halloween, which we may spend in this unique town.

We spent the weekend in the charming Corvallis, home of Oregon State University, which competes often during games of American football with its rival in Eugene, the Unversity of Oregon. The first team’s symbol is the beaver, while the second’s are ducks.

Every Saturday you can visit the Farmers' Market, where locally harvested tomatoes of different sizes and colors, peppers, goat cheese, dyed wool, apples, berries, nuts, fruit preserves and a variety of wonders are sold. I found a belt buckle made of seasonally shed deer antlers sold by Mr. Koski, whose great grandparents were Polish. A lot of hand-decorated jewelry was displayed.

Additionally, Corvallis is also home to a Hewlett-Packard factory.

On the way back (in the morning we were able to have breakfast at a local Patisserie) we stopped and shopped at a discount mall, south of Portland. The Mall was for me yet another example of the western multi-cultural social model.

Customers were constituted mainly of totally covered women, Sikhs resting after shopping, family festively and neatly dressed as it was Sunday, and dark-skinned men, riding around to the rhythms of rap around the huge parking lot Woodburn store.

Shopping was very successful. It's nice to be for the first time an owner of a stylish shirt with the popular polo player logo on it. Designer clothes are of course much more affordable here.

Back on the highway, a little boy happily boasted about the dead buck laid at the rear of assumedly his grandfather's pickup truck.

It goes without saying that American driving culture is superior to that of Poland. Drivers try to follow the rules and do not race past slower vehicles. On the other hand, Americans lack what we take for granted. There are not many trains, they don't walk often, and they rarely go where you want to go. And go, you will, because you can’t find European-style kiosks. To get a newspaper and a cup of coffee most people drive to Starbucks or to smaller grocery stores chains. Being stuck in never ending traffic jams becomes quite annoying. Nevertheless, we will not be dissuaded; more American escapes will be planned and executed!

Let me finish with a trivia question. What is the connection between the state of Oregon and "The Simpsons?"

H.xx