“Vegan Ceasar”byVegan Feast Cateringis licensed underCC BY 2.0
In general, the Pacific Northwest favors environmental sustainability and the people of Oregon take this stewardship seriously. Portland is listed by PETA as the second most vegan-friendly in the nation, (ranking No. 1 for the number of vegetarian restaurants) and several other Oregon cities consistently rank high up in providing a cruelty-free quality of life for their residents. Of course there are a ton of vegan restaurants around the state, but there are also vegan-owned (and proud) bed and breakfast inns, vegan bike shops and nail salons. Even vegan personal trainers. This is the perfect state for Wilbur to retire.
“glass candy”bysarah cordingleyis licensed underCC BY 2.0
Portland is the chichi bar capital of the nation. It has more strip clubs per capita than any other city. And it’s home to some of the strangest. But it’s not just a mammiferous mecca, it also offers diversification. For example, who doesn’t want to be able to eat healthy, vegetarian and cruelty-free food while beholding bazookas? Casa Diablo recognizes this and has aspired to be the world’s only vegan strip club. Now you can make it rain in good conscience.
“Coffee”byIvan Vranić hvranicis licensed underCC BY 2.0
In a region where coffee is a necessity, Oregonians bleed coffee and yes, they can taste the difference between Dutch Bros. and Starbucks. Oregonians drink so much coffee that the Pacific waters off the Oregon coast even have caffeine coursing through them and that’s no joke! Researchers from Portland State University and Washington State University Vancouver recently discovered that runoff from rain water and sewers contained large amounts of caffeine from all the java junkies in Oregon, which then drips into the ocean. That’s a latte coffee!
Actually, it’s illegal to pump your own gas in Oregon. Seems like some archaic, elitist law long-forgotten and still left on the books, but it’s actually a progressive and well-considered one. By prohibiting drivers from pumping their own fuel, it ensures job security for the gas attendants who are required to do so. There’s also a safety precaution behind it, even though the modern gas pump system is pretty safe these days. And let’s face it, when it’s bone-chilling cold out there and icy rain to boot, isn’t it much nicer sit in your warm car with heated seats while someone else does the dirty work? OK maybe it is a little elitist…
Oregonians are pretty nice folk most of the time but they have a well-known distaste for their sunny neighbors to the south. What’s so wrong with California? If you ask an Oregonian, Californians are ruining their state. They migrate to Oregon en masse for more affordable housing and in doing so, they jack up the real estate market in Oregon. On their way up, they create congestion and traffic (and pollution, which is heavily frowned upon here). Then there’s the whole Californian pretension and whininess that the more hearty Oregonians just don’t have the patience for. So if you happen to move to Oregon from California, you might want to keep that little fact to yourself.
Urban gardening. Elitist baristas. Mason jars. Trucker hats. Food trucks. Specially coiffed facial hair… In a time when it is so uncool to be a hipster, Oregonians are unabashedly proud. High-end coffee practically fuels the state economy, and if you lined up all the Oregonian men’s lumberjack beards tip to tip, it would span the entire width of the U.S. from east to west.
Dave’s Killer Bread is super healthy hippie bread made by Dave, as the name implies. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Dave spent a lot of time in prison for committing several armed robberies and selling drugs. He turned to baking in prison as therapy. After his release, he went to work at his family bakery in Oregon, tasked with attracting a younger demographic to his family’s baked goods. As a result, he developed a hearty, nutty (and vegan, of course) bread that was so yummy its popularity quickly spread, pun intended!
Oregonians truly embody the “live and let live” mentality. You could accidentally dial the wrong number and end up conversing with the person on the other end, discussing random pleasantries for an hour. It takes a lot to get them riled up and they are quick to lend a helping hand to those in need, even strangers! Try asking for assistance at a store, only to find that that person doesn’t actually work there, and be pleasantly surprised when you find they are more than happy to help you anyway.
Oregonians may be über nice people but they are also super competitive when it comes to races. They participate in all kinds: running, biking, Ironman, and triathlon competitions. Everyone has either run a marathon or has a brother or a cousin who has. Ever heard the phrase “ride or die”? Yeah, here it’s “ride or tri.” And really who could blame them? With some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, I’d be happy running too.
The Oregonian landscape is diverse. From mountains to high desert, dense evergreen forests, the Pacific coastline, and aspen groves. There is something for everyone, including trails for running, biking and hiking, mountains for climbing, and beachside for lounging. The water in Crater Lake is sapphire blue and the Mount Hood is majestic. Just driving through Oregon and watching the landscape change is exciting. It’s no wonder why Oregonians heart their state.
