Eugene

Except for the fact that it's a real city (Oregon's second largest) with a wide variety of inhabitants and businesses, Eugene would be almost a parody of a hippie university town. The hippies, ranging from young kids to oldsters, are a big part of the mix, especially if you're here in July to celebrate what still must be called the counterculture at the Oregon Country Fair. Also evident are runners, still inspired by the late Steve Prefontaine. Visitors should plan to hit the running, walking, or bicycling trails because they're a real highlight of a trip to Eugene, and will quickly make you feel like one of the locals. They range from paths ...

Except for the fact that it's a real city (Oregon's second largest) with a wide variety of inhabitants and businesses, Eugene would be almost a parody of a hippie university town. The hippies, ranging from young kids to oldsters, are a big part of the mix, especially if you're here in July to celebrate what still must be called the counterculture at the Oregon Country Fair. Also evident are runners, still inspired by the late Steve Prefontaine. Visitors should plan to hit the running, walking, or bicycling trails because they're a real highlight of a trip to Eugene, and will quickly make you feel like one of the locals. They range from paths along the Willamette River (which runs right through town) to the somewhat more rugged Ridgeline trail south of downtown. The university campus is home to a couple of good museums, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and the Natural History Museum, which features one of the state's best collections of fossils.

About the Expert

Judy Jewell and W.C. McRae are frequent collaborators: together they have written Moon Handbooks to Montana, Utah, and Zion-Bryce and updated the Moon Handbooks to Oregon and Coastal Oregon. Judy wrote the Compass American Guide to Oregon.