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Eugene Travel Guide, Oregon

Eugene is the second largest city in Oregon with a population of more than 100,000. Many of them are students at the University of Oregon, a university of liberal arts. As you get into the city you notice the presence and the influence of the university spirit in the way people dress and in their character, very relaxed and laid-back. Eugene has always been a magnet for free and creative spirits and you can appreciate this if you get to the Saturday Market where you can see their creativity materialized in their work.

As free spirits they love the outdoors and the activity opportunities it offers. The many parks and gardens are an excellent opportunity for jogging, biking providing many miles of trails. You can choose to go to, Skinner Butte Park, Alton Baker Park (situated on the north bank of the Willamette River) or to Mount Pisgah Arboretum in case you want to hike in the forest.

In the Alton Baker Park you can do some serious running on a 3.87-mile system of loops and there are more routes, you just have to go to the Convention & Visitors Association of Lane County Oregon and ask for a map of the trails. If you want to run on tracks where famous runners used to train you can sometimes use the running track of the University of Oregon's Hayward Field and while you are there don’t miss visiting the Nike store featuring some interesting exhibits.

If you are tired of running you can always relax walking and enjoying the view of the gardens and parks.The most beautiful gardens and parks are the Owen Memorial Rose Gardens, Greer Gardens (with superb rhododendrons) and in the southwest part of the city you will find Hendricks Park and Rhododendron Garden that gives a wonderful view of the city being situated on a hill.

Water enthusiasts have plenty of activities to choose from of which the most popular are canoeing and kayaking. The main location for them is the Willamette and McKenzie rivers. Near Willamette River there are golf courses at Emerald Valley Golf Club and Riveridge Golf Course.

Another sport you can practice along the riverside is biking as there are special paths for it. The Willamette river region is also a rich wine region with lots of wineries.

With two rivers in the area one can expect to see some bridges but what they will see will exceed their expectation as there are more than 50 covered bridges the oldest of which is Drift Creek Bridge dating 1914. The bridges can be found mainly in the Willamette Valley as in the past farmers used them to get to the market and others- some 20 covered bridges- are to be found in the Lane County.

Eugene has a thriving performing arts scene its centerpiece being the Hult Center for the Performing Arts on of the city’s landmarks. It features some exquisite performances by Eugene Ballet Company, Eugene Symphony, and the Eugene Opera

With all it has in store: beautiful riverfront, parks with long bike paths, excellent golf facilities, canoeing and kayaking opportunities, wineries, mountain and coast views and various indoor entertainment possibilities one can hardly say they can get bored in Eugene.