Car Rental Eugene - Exploring Eugene
Eugene is surrounded by beautiful environments that are a delight to explore. The Willamette and nearby McKenzie rivers provide a plethora of opportunities for fun and leisure in and around Eugene. The Class II and III rapids on McKenzie River offer the chance for exhilarating white-water rafting trips, but beware – these are not for the faint-hearted!
A calmer, but equally pleasant way to spend a day is by taking a wine-tasting tour at the award-winning, scenically lovely vineyards within 50kms of town. Hendriks Park, overlooking the Willamette River, the University of Oregon and the city of Eugene, is a beautiful retreat consisting of 31 hectares of forested parkland. It contains numerous hiking trails that meander along beneath the shade of ancient fir trees, and a magnificent rhododendron garden. The garden was established in 1951, and contains over 6,000 ornamental plants in a blazing display of colour.
The Springfield Museum houses three galleries showcasing rotating exhibits of art and antiques. The museum building itself, dating back to 1908, is also noteworthy. Nearby, the Springfield Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Information Centre is located within the 1891 Southern Pacific Railroad Depot, the oldest of its kind in Oregon and among the last of those existing in the northwest. Also worth visiting in Springfield is Art Alley, where art lovers can feast their eyes on nine enormous murals.
The East Skinner Butte Historic Landmark Area, which was placed on the National Register in 1982, has 24 buildings in a range of architectural styles and from a variety of different periods, which together span approximately 70 years of history, from the 1850s to the 1920s.
The Lane County Historical Museum documents the history of the region from the 1840s to the present day. It is housed in an old public building in Lane county that was the site of the first jury trial, held in 1853.
