Map of Oregon

I myself moved here to the Hood River area about three years ago and I wanted this article to go in depth on my experiences with living and working in the area for three years coming fro Florida. Just a bit of background on myself, my father’s family is from the area so I have some roots here, but I did not grow up here.

Here are some positive things from the Hood River area which as an outsider I think make Hood River an ideal place to either visit, move to, or just visit for a day.

1.)  Hood River right off the bat was a very unique place and still is in that for a town this size it has quite a bit to do and see.  I have been here for three years and I still haven’t seen or done most of the things that are on this website.  Go to other towns across America of similiar size and I don’t believe you will find as much to do, see, or visit in other small town, and if you do it is very rare.  By this I mean the windsurfing, water sports, winter sports, outdoor hikes, walking, and tons of places to eat and drink.  This town has an amazing array of things to keep you busy for years to come.

2.)  Proximity to a large city.  Portland is not far away, about an hour drive and you’ll be neck deep in Portland traffic.  So if you do decide to move to Hood River for whatever reason and you feel you may miss the big city, Portland has pretty much everything  you would want, shopping, traffic, and everything to make you feel like you are still part of a metropolitan area.  I don’t know much about the good restaurants in Portland just yet, if you do, just comment below and let everyone know what I missed in this article.

3.)  I good mix of local and outside people make Hood River a very diverse place to get to know a wide range of people, whatever your taste.  So, with this thought, I would say the downtown part of Hood River is mostly catered to the tourist industry.  You will find a lot of nice places to eat, breweries, tourist gift shops and things but a good mix of local people that have been here for generations.  This makes Hood River an inviting place no matter if you would prefer to get into a social group of outside travelers, or if you prefer the culture of a local culture there is plenty of that as well.  I would suggest if you are moving here and you want a good place to check out to get involved with the local community I would definitely start out with the local library.  They have a billboard and announcements that will keep you involved with local politics, issues, and meetings for the local community.