Top Travel in 2009 - Willamette Valley

It is only fitting that my new and my original residence collide in uncannily what seems to be an odd year for lists. Earlier in the year, Plymouth, MN was named the best place to live. If you were here today, or better yet - in January when it is -40 outside, you would fiercely dispute the top ranking. Today, Sherman's travel listed the top 10 travel hot spots for 2009. Granted, yes, it is just one travel site's list and anyone can come up with whatever random list they want. And, once you view the list it is a rather odd assortment of locales to visit. However, that said... my dearly beloved Willamette Valley was #6! If you aren't a wine drinker, you will have to disregard anything the article says about the Valley since the vineyards seems to be their sole reason for going there. I'll just say, there is soooo much more than the vineyards (although they do look pretty cool on the hills next to the rest of the farm land). So, I know you all will be scrambling now to visit Oregon in 2009. Here are some quick Oregon facts:

• It was admitted as the 33rd state in the union in 1859
• Claimed by the United States in 1792 and explored by Lewis and Clark in 1805
• The Oregon Country, a region encompassing all the land from the California border to Alaska and the Pacific Ocean to the Rocky Mountains, was held jointly by Great Britain and the United States from 1818 until 1846, when the international boundary was fixed at the 49th parallel (To think I was almost a Canuk!)
• In 1848 the Oregon Territory was created, including all of present-day Washington and Idaho. The state's current boundaries were established in 1853
• Salem is the capital and is NOT the site of the Salem witch trials OR Salem from Days of Our Lives
• The state flag is the only state flag to display different images on each side
• Oregon is also known as the Beaver State (the state animal)
• The state nut is the hazelnut (also known as filberts)
• Eugene was the first city to have one-way streets
• Oregon's state birthday is on February 14, Valentine's Day
• Portland is known as The City of Roses
• Oregon has more ghost towns than any other state
• Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and is formed more than 6,500 years ago in the remains of an ancient volcano
• At 8,000 feet deep Hells Canyon is the deepest river gorge in North America
• The nation's most photographed lighthouse is the Hecta Head Lighthouse
• Oregon and New Jersey are the only states without self-serve gas stations
• The Oregon Trail is the longest of the overland routes used in the westward expansion of the United States. (You have died of dysentery)
  
• FINALLY - Oregon is pronounced like Ore-gun (there is no e on the end so don't say Or-a-gone) and Willamette is pronounced Will-am-ette with the stress on "am" - Willa-mette doesn't cut it