Sometimes a Great Notion

The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Up to 4,000 feet deep, the canyon stretches for over 80 miles as the river winds westward through the Cascade Range forming the boundary between the State of Washington to the north and... Oregon to the south. Extending roughly from the confluence of the Columbia with the Deschutes River down to eastern reaches of the Portland metropolitan area, the gorge furnishes the only navigable route through the Cascades and the only water connection between the Columbia River Plateau and the Pacific Ocean. The gorge holds federally protected status as a National Scenic Area called the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area and is managed by the United States Forest Service. The gorge is a popular recreational destination. The main trees in the gorge are conifers, Bigleaf Maple, cottonwood, Oregon Ash, Vine Maple, and Garry Oak.
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Newport is a city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States. It was incorporated in 1882, though the name dates back to the establishment of a post office in 1868. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 9,989, an increase of nearly 13% over its 2000 population; an unofficial 2006... estimate listed Newport's population at 10,240 residents. Newport is the county seat of Lincoln County. It is also the home of the Oregon Coast Aquarium, Nye Beach, Yaquina Head Lighthouse, and Rogue Ales. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.4 square miles , of which 8.9 square miles is land and 4.0 km² is water. Newport has mild, wet weather throughout the year with the heaviest precipitation falling during the winter months. Annually, there is only 0.4 day with maximum temperatures of 90 °F or higher. There are 20.5 days with minimum temperatures of 32 °F or lower. The record high temperature was 100 °F on June 24, 1925, and July 11, 1961. The record low temperature was 1 °F on December 8, 1972. Average annual precipitation is 67.77 inches .
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Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern... boundaries, respectively. The area was inhabited by many indigenous tribes before the arrival of traders, explorers, and settlers who formed an autonomous government in Oregon Country in 1843. The Oregon Territory was created in 1848, and Oregon became the 33rd state on February 14, 1859. Oregon is the 9th most extensive and the 27th most populous of the 50 United States. Salem is the state's capital and third-most-populous city; Portland is the most populous. Portland is the 29th-largest U.S. city, with a population of 583,776 and a metro population of 2,241,841 , the 23rd-largest U.S. metro area. The valley of the Willamette River in western Oregon is the state's most densely populated area and is home to eight of the ten most populous cities.
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