Oregon Vacation? Try Lake Oswego

If you are from Oregon then you will have heard about Lake Oswego. If you have not, then where have you been hiding? Lake Oswego is a friendly small city, that is situated along the banks of the Willamette River and Lake Oswego itself. It is about 8 miles south of downtown Portland, and only a 45 minute drive north from the state capitol in Salem.

Lake Oswego gives you a taste of England, with English Cottages and Tudor Revival homes, in this very prosperous part of Oregon. But the main amount of the 35,000 plus residents of Lake Oswego live in the many new developments within the city.

In 2007 Lake Oswego was ranked 32 in the top 100 places to live, by CNN's Money Magazine.

When you visit, you will not fail to notice the well kept wonderful individuality of many homes situated beside the Lake. These homes are literally paddling distance from the lake edge. Where most of the homes enjoy the luxury of a private jetty and a boat. Homes are set between the picturesque forestry and parkland, with some looking quite stately.

The town of "Oswego" was first founded in 1847 by Albert Alonzo Durham. He was the first to secure a Donation Land Claim, then in turn named the town after his birthplace in New York. He was involved and famed for building the town's first industry. In the form a sawmill on Sucker Creek which is now known as Oswego Creek.

It was in 1841, iron ore was first discovered in the Tualatin Valley, but it was not until 1861 that iron ore in the valley was an accepted fact. In 1865, the first of three iron companies 'Oregon Iron Company' was formed. They began to smelt iron in the hope of making Oswego as a place on the industrial map of the time. Becoming known as the "Pittsburg of the West," by many.

There are many things to do in Lake Oswego, activities include:

The Farmers' Market

Summer Concerts

Movies in the Park

Independence Day Celebrations

Festival of the Arts

Tree Lighting Ceremony

Water Sports on the Willamette River

These are all free and open to the public.

There is also on offer the Public Library, Luscher Farm, Tennis Center, and Municipal Golf Course, lakeside hotels one being 'The Lakeshore Inn' There is also a new shopping area right next to the lake.

Traveling to Lake Oswego is easy, you can get directions from google maps. You can get there by car, by rail (street car train) or can use the Tri-Met bus service from Portland City.

You can also find a wealth of information at the City of Lake Oswego Webpages.