Eugene, Oregon, nicknamed "Green Eugene," was founded in 1853, initially under the name "Eugene City". It is the second largest city in Oregon after Portland, which is found 100 miles north. The city has numerous outdoor parks including Alton Baker Park and Fern Ridge Reservoir. Bicycling is a favored pastime in the area, evidenced by 28 miles of off-street bike paths and 78 miles of bike lanes on streets throughout the city. Eugene hosts a number of restaurants, cafes and pubs. The downtown area hosts several microbreweries.http://www.citytowninfo.com/places/oregon/eugene

Many citizens of Eugene are consistently engaged in community development projects. Community development has to lead to the presence of such establishments as natural food stores, alternative schools and museums. Eugene is home to the Oregon Ducks, one of the Pacific 10 football teams and the minor-league baseball team, the Eugene Emeralds.http://www.citytowninfo.com/places/oregon/eugene

Before the arrival of settlers, the Kalalpuya people had inhabited the portion of Oregon which would later become Eugene. In 1846, Eugene Franklin Skinner and his companions made a donation land claim and settled on the west side of the area known as Skinner's Butte. On June 6, 1853, Skinner founded Eugene City, Oregon. After the city was incorporated in 1862, it was simply called Eugene.http://www.all-oregon.com/city/eugene/history.htm http://www.helloeugene.com/History.cfm

Eugene is located in western Oregon, nearly 100 miles south of Portland. Eugene marks the halfway point between the Pacific Ocean and the Cascade Mountains, which are part of the Willamette River valley. The climate is kept moderate for most of the year by warming winds from the Southwest in the winter and cooling winds from the Northwest in the summer.http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-West/Eugene-Geography-and-Climate.html

The area of the city covered roughly 41 square miles as of 2000. It's average annual precipitation is measured at 50.9 inches.http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-West/Eugene-Geography-and-Climate.html

• Deadwood Bridge
• Dexter State Recreation Site
• Elijah Bristow State Park
• George E. Owen Memorial Garden
• Hendricks Park Rhododendron Garden
• Houston Vineyards
• Jasper State Recreation Site
• Lake Creek Bridge
• The Lake Creek Covered Bridge is often referred to as the Nelson Mountain Bridge
• Lane County Historical Museum
• Mount Pisgah Arboretum
• Museum of Natural History
• Oregon Air And Space Museum
• Oregon State Museum of Anthropology
• Owen Memorial Rose Garden
• Shelton-McMurphey-Johnson House
• University of Oregon Museum of Natural History
• Wildcat Bridgehttp://www.all-oregon.com/city/eugene/attractions.htm

• Jan Eliot, writer and cartoonist
• Matt Groening, writer and cartoonist
• Ken Kesey
• Mason Williams, jazz musician
• Mary Decker Slaney, runner
• Kenny Moore, runner and author
• Bill Dellinger, coach
• Bill Bowerman, coach
• Joey Harrington, football
• Steve Prefontaine, track runner
• Marla Runyan, distance runner
• Richard Brautigan, author
• Danny Ainge, basketball
• Giancarlo Guerrero, symphony conductor.
• Joaquin Miller, poethttp://www.uueugene.org/visitors/OurTown.html