by Denise Seith

Created on: February 19, 2009   Last Updated: April 18, 2011

Happy Sesquicentennial Birthday, Oregon! The Beaver State is celebrating 150 years of statehood and you're invited to its border-to-border birthday party! In honor of the milestone, each of the state's seven distinctive regions is hosting special events and activities throughout the year. Even without these extra festivities, Oregon's scenic corridors are always something to celebrate. So whether you're a windshield tourist or wilderness explorer, now's the time to visit Oregon and enjoy a slice of birthday cake while you're here. Don't forget your camera!

1. THE COAST. Scattered along more than 360 miles of stunning coastline is an abundance of charming towns, historic sites, and lofty lighthouses. To see it all, begin up north with a bird's eye view from the Astoria Column, then visit nearby Fort Clatsop National Memorial where Lewis and Clark spent the wet winter of 1805-1806. Tour Tillamook Cheese (free samples!) and mosey through galleries in artsy Cannon Beach while you admire hulking Haystack Rock. As you drive south, stop at a lighthouse or two- especially postcard pretty Haceta Head- and save time for a thrilling sand rail ride at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.

2. PORTLAND METRO. "Going Green" isn't a buzzword in Portland. It literally describes the abundant natural spaces found throughout the City of Roses. Overlooking downtown, hillside Washington Park encompasses a zoo, forestry center, Japanese gardens, and the International Rose Test Gardens to name just a few green get-aways. Powell's Books, the nation's largest independent bookstore, is a downtown landmark, as are several museums. Two-mile long Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park is perfect for strolling and is the new home of lively Portland Saturday Market when it reopens in March. Need some down time? Sip a latt in Pioneer Courthouse Square and watch the quirky Weather Machine make it's prediction.

3. COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE AND MT. HOOD. Oregon's most popular natural attraction, Multnomah Falls, is a 620-foot vertical highlight. Several smaller, but no less dramatic waterfalls also dot the twisty, narrow Historic Columbia River Highway that parallels I-84. The views from cliff top Vista House can't be beat, and the octagonal stone structure itself is a recently renovated work of art. Driving the "Fruit Loop" out of Hood River offers fantastic views of majestic 11,235-foot Mt. Hood, plus the chance to buy fresh apples and pears direct from growers. Perched at the 6,600-foot level on

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