Oregon is a coastal state in the Pacific Northwest known for its diverse landscape of forests, mountains, farms and beaches. Oregon is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean, on the north by Washington, on the south by California, on the east by Idaho and on the Southeast by Nevada. It's largest city, Portland is home for the iconic coffee shops, boutiques, farm to table restaurants and microbreweries. Highlights include the Native American art in the Portland Art Museum, the Japanese Garden and the Lan Su Chinese Garden. The capital of Oregon is Salem. Oregon is the home of the deepest lake in America. With a depth of 1932 feet, Crater Lake is a sight not to be missed.
Oregon's unofficial nickname is The Beaver State, originating in the early 19th century when the fur hats were fashionable and Oregon streams were an important source of beaver pelts. The trapping route were used by early mountain men later became known as The Oregon Trail, traveled by thousand of pioneers in the 1840s. The beaver is also Oregon's official state animal and appears on the state flag.
The cuisine of Oregon reflects the ethnic makeup of the region with noticeable influence of Asian and Native American Tradition. In the larger cities of Portland, Eugene and Salem, food carts with various ethnic fusion cuisine such as bulgogi burritos (bulgogi is a Korean dish that usually consists of marinated beef), deep fried sushi rolls and Japanese style hot dogs are popular.
Oregon is the home of Marionberry. The Marion cultivar or Marion Blackberry, marketed as Marionberrry is an indigenous blackberry developed by the USDA ARS breeding program in cooperation with Oregon State University. It is a cross between "Chehalem" and "Olallie" Blackberries. This was first originated in Marion County, Oregon in 1956.
Marrionberries make for an exceptional pie filling. Mamma Toledo's The Pie Hole, owned by Tonya Saidi, a self thought pie baking specialist, is a cozy little shop located in the heart of Phoenix, AZ. The shop serves delicious pies, pastries and gourmet coffee and one can definitely find the delicious Marionberry Pie baked fresh at the shop. This place is definitely worth the trip.
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