A relief from Portland, OR
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10/14/2006
Once you cross the border into WA on I-5, what a relief!! I find Portland to be an old run down city. Vancouver has good and bad pockets to live in. It is easy to get around but commuting into Portland can be gridlock. I worked in the schools as a subsitute teacher. They are doing better than Portland who can't keep it open for a full school year. Classrooms are 30 students avg. in elementary. They do still have music and P.E. which were cut in CA or an elementary teacher had to plan it all. I liked the access to Long Beach WA and Columbian Gorge in OR. Portland, OR people are not too friendly to outsiders, drive exactly the speed limit, and will not let you merge or change lanes to save your life! Vancouver enjoys the best of both worlds, no state income tax in WA and no sales tax in OR. Portland airport is nice and can get you where you want to go. Oregon's declining economy and schools are trickling over the border. I found the news comical, you will get Portland OR news. They can't seem to run the state or politics to save themselves. It was a nice stop on the way to Seattle. Summers are the best time of year! The fall is fairly pretty. Lots of waterfalls and nature hikes nearby.
Ashlyn | Crystal Lake, IL