road trip

I am planning a week vacation, and since I can%26#39;t make up my mind on where I want to go? I decided to kill 2 stones at once.

I am planning on relocating, either to Boise, or to Eugene, OR and since I only have one week........I decided to do both with one trip. I noticed it was cheaper to fly into Portland, I guess it must be a bigger airport.........!!!

Anyhow, I am not into desert scenery and I am looking for cities along the way that would have jobs and a good cost of living. So, I will be either flying into Boise, or flying into Portland.

Since I have a week between the two cities, I thought I may try and pass thru Bend, is there anywhere in ID, that I should try to see that may be on the way........!!!

Mind you employment is a must for me, along with green, and trees!!!..........

Also, is there any big conventions or festivals or anything going on between July and the rest of the year that I may have to worry about getting a hotel.......since I am winging it.......

Thanks!

road trip

What are your employment qualifications?

road trip

Boise is on the west side of the state so driving in either direction you will cross into Oregon fairly quickly. Between Boise and Bend is largely high desert until you reach Bend. Boise is located in the Snake River valley and is a drier and warmer climate than Eugene. It is not in the forest and is in an agricultural area. If yo go north or east from Boise you will begin to enter into the forested mountain areas of Idaho. Boise is the state capital and home to numerous large corporations so employment prospects are fairly good. If you are looking for green and trees in Idaho, Boise may not be the best choice but probably offers better and more varied employment opportunites than anywhere else in Idaho. Between Boise, Meridian, Nampa, and Caldwell (all towns in the Boise area) you should be able to find lodging anytime during the summer.

Hi SillyGal,

I grew up in Portland, went to school in Eugene, spent 8 years in South Carolina, and have lived in Idaho for 11 years now - so I guess I%26#39;m as qualified as anyone to answer your questions.

Porltand is far bigger than Boise, and has a much larger airport. If you fly into Portland and rent a car, Eugene is 2 hours away straight down I-5. Oregon gets a lot more precipitation, and is much greener than Idaho. It%26#39;s much more comprable to North Carolina as far as green and trees. The mountains are much taller and more rugged, though.

On your way to Eugene, you may want to divert a little and go through Corvallis. Corvallis is home to Oregon%26#39;s other big college (Oregon State University). Corvallis and Eugene are similar in many ways - so if you like one, you%26#39;d probably like the other. From Corvallis, take Hwy 99 to Eugene (it%26#39;s the same distance, but a much prettier drive).

Eugene%26#39;s a great place. Proverbial college town, with University of Oregon smack in the middle of it. Lots of cheap bars and restaurants, with a new influx of residents every year to keep things interesting. Plenty of outdoorsy type stuff to do (hiking, mountain lakes, beaches an hour away, skiing fairly close). The downside: all of those students are looking for jobs upon graduation, so the job market can be tight. It rains (a lot), so you really have to like the wet weather to enjoy it. It doesn%26#39;t rain like it does on the East coast. It drizzles every day - literally - for months on end. I%26#39;m serious; if you don%26#39;t like rain you will be very unhappy there.

Bend is due east from Eugene; but you have to go north or south to get there - we always take the southern route, but that%26#39;s only because my sister lives in Oakridge. Bend has grown tremendously over the last 30 years. When I was a kid, Bend was little more than a gas station and a few buildings. It%26#39;s now a major town with a very happening riverfront area. It%26#39;s still a smallish city, but it%26#39;s got everything you%26#39;d need (restaurants, theaters, shopping, etc...). Beautiful scenery and mountains all around.

From Bend to Boise is due east across the desert. There is nothing (NOTHING) for miles along Highway 20 between the two. You%26#39;ll pass a few very small farming towns (with no facilities), but the only town that even has a gas station (I think) is Burns.

When you get to Boise, you%26#39;ll be back in a bigger city. I love Boise. Boise in 2006 reminds me of Portland in 1965. It%26#39;s got Boise State University, several major corporate headquarters, and is the capital of Idaho. Boise itself is pretty green, but the surrounding area is brown and scrubby dry much of the year. Boise is close to good skiing and lots of outdoor recreational activities. It%26#39;s on the western border of the state, so there really aren%26#39;t any other Idaho cities that you%26#39;d be passing through.

From Boise back to Portland, you%26#39;ll probably opt to just take I-84 (much faster, and you%26#39;ll be ready to get back by that point). Again, you%26#39;re travelling through very dry country, and you won%26#39;t see a ton of trees and greenery along the way. (It isn%26#39;t particularly green in Oregon other than the Willamette Valley and coast - the rest of the state is quite dry.) There are several small towns around Portland that are very pretty. Stop just before Corbett, Oregon at Multnomah or Waukeenah Falls for a quick hike - very refreshing after a long drive.

I hope you enjoy your trip!

Wow, I guess u ARE qualified..........LOL So, do u like living in Boise better than Portland and Eugene?

Very informative post, Thank You!!!

I actually live in Idaho Falls - which is about 4 hours east of Boise. I would live in Oregon again in a heartbeat, but my wife is originally from Corvallis, and she hated the rain and couldn%26#39;t wait to get out. We lived in Charleston, SC for some time and both liked it there - other than the bugs!

Where do you live in NC?

U have been all over creation ha? I am in the Greensboro area here in NC.........Charleston and Savannah are both very lovely places to be. I can%26#39;t take the heat of NC much less getting any further south.

I know how your wife feels, I was born in the cold, wind, and below zero temps in WI......Of course the weather has changed enormously in the last decade, I still cannot take the below zero temps, and winds off the lake.

I am thinking Idaho may have weather somewhat like WI though maybe not as extreme.

Last year I took a trip out to CO and would live there in a heartbeat but, I am afraid I would miss my trees, and my water.......LOL.