As originally posted under "Where in the World, 2008?"
. . . There will be a lot of options in 2008 for competing, and for viewing great swimming. Only one great swim destination is described in this NY Times article, however, appearing September 26, 2007:
". . . Every little neighborhood in this city of funky neighborhoods now seems to be exploding with restaurants, food shops and markets, all benefiting from a critical mass of passion, skill and experience, and all constructed according to the gospel of locally grown ingredients.
In close proximity is a cadre of farmers committed to growing environmentally responsible produce with maximum flavor, delivered to restaurants and to the gorgeous farmers’ markets that dot the city. There are local fisheries and small beef, lamb and pork producers. Not far away myriad fruit growers who supply glistening, fragile berries and stonefruits of every stripe and color.
World-class wine is produced . . . just a half hour’s drive away. has six micro-distilleries making any kind of spirits you can name and, if you’d like a chaser, more breweries than any other city on earth. Just as important is a receptive populace, demanding yet eager to be wowed. . . "
Check out the article here: www.nytimes.com/.../26port.html
-- and start planning your trip for August, 2008!
And this:
Yes, Oregon Masters Swimming will be hosting the 2008 long course nationals. OMS and all of its members are committed to hosting a first class competition. The meet venue is the Aquatics Center at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon. The pool was extensively remodeled in 2007 to FINA international standards, and this summer Oregon swimmers tried out this outdoor facility for the first time. The verdict: fantastic!
Oregon is proud to boast this fabulous athletic facility, and we are hopeful that we will attract many outstanding USMS athletes for the meet next August. But Oregon is about a lot more than swimming, and the Gresham/Portland area has a lot more to offer than this world-class pool. If you are on the fence about attending nationals this summer, consider coming to Oregon for more than the swimming, and consider making a trip of it and bringing your non-swimming spouse and friends.
OMS will be posting information about the meet, and about Oregon's attactions, over the next several months. In the meantime, get aquainted with Oregon at www.traveloregon.com. And think about this:
From the Aquatic Center, you will be only:
v14 miles from Portland International Airport (ranked by Conde Naste as the #1 domestic airport in 2006)
v16 miles from Willamette Falls (Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area)
v17 miles from the center of downtown Portland
v46 miles from historic Timberline Lodge, on the slopes of Mt. Hood
v48 miles from Hood River’s renowned fruit stands, wineries, wind-surfing and white water rafting
v55 miles from the heart of Oregon wine country
(suppemental by Allen Stark:
Don't forget,it is less than 100 mi to the fabulous Oregon coast.Also the salmon will be running at the coast and in the Columbia River.
__________________
Allen
Let's start our tour of Oregon with an introduction to your host City, Gresham, and to her immediate neighbor, Portland.
Linking the Cascades to the Willamette Valley and opening the gateway to Mt. Hood, the Columbia Gorge, and Portland, Gresham, thrives as the fourth largest city in the State of Oregon with a downtown that is rich in local history and charm. This vital downtown provides a unique walking experience, with tree-lined streets, a variety of restaurants, specialty shops, and historical treasures, all resurrecting the hometown feeling missing from today's urban districts and shopping malls. (this information is from http://www.gdda.org/, where you can discover more about Gresham's treasures).
Portland has been named:
· One of the WORLD’S top-10 travel destinations by the editors at Frommer's Travel Guides and Frommers.com (2007)
· One of the Best Towns in the U.S. by Outside Magazine/Outside.com (2005)
· One of the ten best cities in the nation to live, Cities Ranked & Rated, 2nd Edition (2007)
· One of the top five places to live in the nation, by AARP The Magazine (2007)
· One of the world’s 30 “fast cities,” by Fast Company.com (“cauldrons of creativity where the most important ideas and the organizations of tomorrow are centered”) (2007)
Discover the basis for these awards and rankings here: http://www.travelportland.com/
The average August temperature in the Portland area is 81 degrees farenheit, and precipitaiton levels are negligible. Forget what you've heard about Oregon rain, unless you're thinking about the ready availablity of water for Oregon's famous microbreweries.
According to the NY times, "Portland has more breweries - 28 - than any other city in the nation if not the world, and it has arguably become one of the best destinations anywhere for beer-tasting." Read the full article here: travel.nytimes.com/.../13beer.html
You can find lists of Oregon breweries and brew pubs here:
www.portlandbeer.org/index.phpwww.oregonbeer.org/links.html
Find a printable pdf map of Oregon breweries and brew pubs here:
www.oregonbeer.org/map2006.pdf
Find an interactive map of Portland-area breweries and brew pubs here:
www.guestontap.com/map.shtml
If everyone in your party intends to take advantage of beer's many health benefits by imbibing (see: www.spatenusa.com/.../index.htm) then you may want to opt for the brew bus: www.teamweb.com/.../
Start your training plan now to be ready for LC Nationals next August!
Hi RS,
I went to school in Ashland and while the swimming programs were eliminated in the 90's, a group of alumni are interested in forming a masters team and competing in 2008. While we could simply join OR masters, the general concensus is that we want our own team - particularly for relays.
Could you please advise as to the best way to do this? Some alumni live in the great state of Oregon, while others (like myself) are out of state.
Thanks,
Philipp
RS is right about Oregon. It's an incredible place to visit, and for many, many reasons. Even though I'm a transplant, I'm so happy to call this place my home. It's amazing.
If I was coming from out of town, I'd be tempted to stay at McMenamin's Edgefield Manor (http://www.mcmenamins.com - under Hotels).
They've got a microbrewery, winery and a variety of bars and restaurants on site. It's also a national historic landmark. Hmmmmm, I wonder if the Good and Evil Smith will be staying there...
Hi RS,
I went to school in Ashland and while the swimming programs were eliminated in the 90's, a group of alumni are interested in forming a masters team and competing in 2008. While we could simply join OR masters, the general concensus is that we want our own team - particularly for relays.
Could you please advise as to the best way to do this? Some alumni live in the great state of Oregon, while others (like myself) are out of state.
Thanks,
Philipp
Shoot Phil,
Don't you just have to form a new USMS team by filing the proper paperwork and pay the what, 40 bucks or so, then go unattached for 60 days and bingo - list the new team as being the new owner of your skills?
Would love to ski after the meet, but it would cost to much to drag all my ski stuff for just one day of skiing. Maybe I will rent skis and try a few runs! I will have some of my hiking gear. I did ski after Nationals at A-Basin. Got 68 days of skiing and swam as well as I did 9 years ago at Austin.
Aspen is opening for just the weekend...but gas is too much for a few hours of skiing. Anyway I am enjoying hiking and riding my bike now. Look for me in a Colorado shirt and we can talk skiing!
Ski Oregon in August!
Whoops, should that read "Swim" Oregon?Well, yes, of course you should plan on swimming in Oregon August 15 - 17. After all, the competition pool at Mt. Hood Community College is one of the fastest pools west of the Rockies. And the facilities are ideal for participants, officials and spectators alike, making it the pool of choice this summer for championship meets (U.S. Swimming Western Zone Championships and Senior Sectionals).
But if you would like to expand your horizons while here in Oregon, you might try skiiing or snow-boarding. That's right, Timberline, one of the six ski areas on Mt. Hood, offers the only year-round lift-served skiing in North America. You can read more about summer skiing on Mt. Hood in the Wikipedia article found at the following link - check out the article at footnote 10: en.wikipedia.org/.../Mount_Hood. Read about summer ski camps here: http://www.mthood.com/.
If snow in August doesn't appeal to you, you might consider exploring Mt. Hood's historic Timberline Lodge (made famous in "The Shining"), or the mountain's climbing, hiking or camping opportunities. You can find more information at: http://www.mthood.info/.
So, instead of just looking at Mt. Hood's 11,239 foot peak and 12 glaciers from the Aquatic Center, consider inspecting the mountain up close - Timberline Lodge is only an hour away.
"I am enjoying hiking and riding my bike now."
If skiing seems like too much of a stretch, consider substituting a few hours on Oregon's cycle-friendly roads or magnificent hiking trails. Historic Vista House, the western gateway to the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area, is less than a 10 mile bike ride. Learn more about Vista House at http://www.vistahouse.com/, and about the Columbia River Gorge here: http://www.crgva.org/.
The Columbia River Gorge, the boundary between Oregon and Washington, is famous for its scenery and, in particular, its waterfalls - there are 77 falls on the Oregon side alone. You can find a description of many of them, together with trail information and links to maps and other hiking resources, at this link: www.a2zgorge.info/.../columbia_gorge_waterfalls.htmwww.vistahouse.com/.../JimVHSpring05.jpg
