Fodor's Oregon

by Olson, Donald S.

• ISBN13: 9780679000792
• ISBN10: 0679000798
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-05-01
• Publisher: Fodors Travel Pubns

Summary

"The papers collected in this book are about the application of fair-value principles to accounting for pensions and its consequences for pension policy. By comparison with valuing the vast bulk of corporate assets and liabilities, the market values of pension plan assets and liabilities can be estimated relatively accurately. Nevertheless, pension accounting has been, and largely still is, one of the most arcane and opaque areas of financial reporting because fair-value principles are not applied. Numerous studies have documented the distorting effects that those accounting practices have had on corporate pension funding and asset allocation decision. The publication of this book offers great value to pension professionals, pension fund trustees, regulators, and indeed anyone with a serious interest in pension policy."--BOOK JACKET.

Table of Contents

On the Road with Fodor's

About Our Writer New This Year How to Use This Book Don't Forget to Write

The Gold Guide Smart Travel Tips A to Z

Destination: Oregon Oregon County New and Noteworthy

What's Where Pleasures and Pastimes Great Itineraries Fodor's Choice Festivals and Seasonal Events Portland

The Oregon Coast

The Willamette Valley and the Wine Country

The Columbia River Gorge, the Oregon Cascades, and Central Oregon Eastern Oregon Portraits of Oregon ""Land of Contradictions,""

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Destination Oregon

At its eastern end, Oregon begins in a high, sage-scented desert plateau that covers nearly two-thirds of the state's 96,000 square mi.  Moving west, the landscape rises to 10,000-ft-high alpine peaks, meadows, and lakes; plunges to fertile farmland and forest; and ends at the cold, tumultuous Pacific. Within a 90-minute drive from Portland or Eugene you can lose yourself in the recreational landcape of your choice: a thriving wine country, uncrowded ocean beaches, snow-silvered mountain wilderness, or a butte-studded desert that has been used as the backdrop for many a Hollywood western.

Oregonians, who have been called the hardest-working and the hardest-playing Americans, take full advantage of the outdoors.  There is a story, never confirmed, that early pioneers arriving at a crossroads of the Oregon Trail found a pile of gold quartz or pyrite pointing the way south to California.  The way north, on the other hand, was marked by a hand-lettered sign: TO OREGON. Oregonians like to think that the more literate of the pioneers found their way here, while the fortune hunters continued south.

Tourism grows in importance every year -- Oregonians have discovered that the scenic and recreational treasures that thrill them also thrill visitors from all over the world.  A sophisticated hospitality network has appeared, making Oregon more accessible than ever before.


What's Where

Although the climate and landscape of Oregon vary dramatically from place to place,much of the state enjoys a constant level of natural splendor.  The Pacific Coast is a wild and rocky 300-mile stretch dotted with small towns.  In the Northeast are the Columbia river Gorge and Mount Hood, dramatic examples of the power of earth and water.  On the gentler side, the willamette Valley is a lush wine-producing region and home to Eugene and other important cities.  Oregon's largest city, Portland, in the northwest part of the state, is among the nation's most livable -- not surprising given its unspoiled setting and host of urban amenities.


Pleasures and Pastimes
Dining

Fresh foods grown, caught, and harvested in the Northwest are standard fare in gourmet restaurants throughout Oregon.  Outside urban areas and resorts, most restaurants tend to be low-key and unpretentious,both in ambiance and cuisine.  On the coast, look for regional specialties -- clam chowder, fresh fish (particularly salmon), sweet Dungenesse crab, mussels, shrimp and oysters. Elsewhere in the state, fresh water fish, local lamb and beef, and seasonal game dishes apear on many menus.  Desserts made with local fruits such as huckleberries and marionberries are always worth trying.


Lodging

Luxury hotels, sophisticated resorts, historic lodges, Old West hotels, and rustic inns are among Oregon's diverse accomodations.  Cozy bed-and-breakfasts, many of them in Victorian-era houses in small towns, are often real finds.


Outdoor Activities and Sports
Biking and Hiking

For the past 20 years, Oregon has set aside 1% of its highway funds for the development and maintenance of bikeways throughout the state, resulting in one of the most extensive networks of bicycle trails in the country.  The system of hking trails throughout state-park and national-forest lands is equally comprehensive.


Boating, Fishing, and Rafting

Oregon's many waterways afford limitless opportunities for adventure.  Many companies operate boating and white-water rafting tours, or you can rent equipment and head out on your own.  Fishing requires a license. Fishing, in the section Oregon A to Z explains how to obtain one.


Rockhounding

Rockhounding -- searching for semiprecious or unusual rocks -- is very popular in the Ochocos in central Oregon and Harney County in the Stinkingwater Mountains in eastern Oregon.  Agate, obsidian, jasper, and thundereggs are among the sought-after stones.


Skiing

Most Oregon downhillers congregate around Mount hood and Mount Bachelor, but there is also skiing to the south, at Willamette Pass and Mount ashland.  The temperate willamette Valley generally receives only a few inches of snow a year, but the coast Range, the Cascade Range, and the Siskiyou Mountains are all Nordic skiers' paradises, crisscrossed by hundreds of miles of trails.  Every major downhill ski resort in the state also has Nordic skiing, but don't rule out the many Forest Service trails and logging roads.


Wine Tasting

The Willamette Valley is Oregon's mainregion for viticulture -- many area wineries are open for tours, tastings, or both.  South of the Willamette Valley are the Umpqua Valley and Rouge River wine-growing regions.  Guided Tours in the section Oregon A to Z gives a list of companies that conduct winery tours.

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Excerpted from Oregon: The Complete Guide with Portland, the Coast, the Willamette Valley and the Desert by Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc. Staff
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.