The American state of Oregon, “OR”, stands in the northwest corner on the country on the Pacific seaboard and is sometimes called ‘The Beaver State’. If you hire a car in Oregon you be able to explore a landscape varying from a wild coastline through thick forests to the volcanic Cascade mountain range that includes the towering Mount Hood. The state capital is Salem, while the biggest city is Portland. Other cities include Eugene and Gresham and Oregon’s Crater National Park is home to the circular Crater Lake, America’s deepest.
If you hire a car in Oregon you will be able to explore the main visitor attraction: the great outdoors. The state’s mountains, beaches, lakes, forests, volcanoes, waterfalls and wilderness areas provide all sorts of activities from picnicking to mountain biking. Look out for natural sights like the giant Haystack Rock sea-stack or the volcanic Lava River Cave near Bend. More sedate pleasures can be found in Portland, which is renowned for its museums and microbreweries. For something different discover the Oregon Trail Centre in Baker City: it’s a chance to relive the days of the intrepid wagon trains heading to the west coast.
Driving in Oregon will be as easy and safe as driving in the rest of America. You’ll drive on the right side but there are few local rules that may be worth noting. Text messaging is banned while driving, but drivers can use a hands-free mobile phone, as long as they are over 18. All passengers must wear seatbelts. You must stop between 15 and 50 feet from a railway crossing when signalled to do so and you must stop if a school bus is displaying its flashing red lights.
