Louisville -> Portland or Eugene?

[u/pataphor_]

My wife and I (both 30, no plan to have kids) are planning to move to Oregon, and visited Portland for a couple weeks in December as a test run. Loved it even through all the rain.

We didn't get a chance to visit Eugene, but are considering it primarily for:

• Access to natural sights, parks, hiking, etc.
• Relatively cheaper than Portland
• Smaller city, may be an easier adjustment going from KY to OR, having never made a cross-country move before.

Some info about us: - I'm a remote developer, so no need to worry about finding work. - My wife needs to see a healthcare specialist twice a year due to some genetic health issues, and regularly needs to fill some important prescriptions. I saw a comment where this can be a struggle in Eugene, and would be curious about others' experiences. - We plan to stay in an AirBNB for a week or 2 while we find somewhere to rent long-term. Eventually may look for a house, but for now looking to rent. - We love being around nature, and want to be able to garden. - I like to make electronic music (Ableton + Elektron gear). - We are a couple of nerds; we'd be more drawn to libraries/universities than we would bars, if that tells anything.

[u/Bicycle_the_Earth]

You'll have better luck with healthcare specialists in Portland than in Eugene. That said, it's just a two hour drive to Portland from Eugene or (my preferred option) you can take the train and get around Portland by bicycle or the light rail

[u/pataphor_ → u/Bicycle_the_Earth]

I figured so; for the specialist, driving 1.5 2+ hrs to Portland wouldn't be so bad, but a commenter in another thread indicated that filling prescriptions can be a challenge

[u/Dank009 → u/pataphor_]

It might seem a bit pedantic but 2-2.5 hour drive is a better estimate as far as location to location, depending on what parts of each city you are in/going to. It's like 110 miles between cities, 65 mph speed limit most of the way. Often will be slower through Salem. You are bound to get stuck behind idiots driving slow in the fast lane and once you get close to Portland the traffic gets terrible for quite a while. All that being said it's not a terrible drive if you are only doing it twice a year but you are going to be disappointed if you expect to get from your apartment in Eugene to your healthcare specialist in Portland in an hour and a half.

[u/garfilio → u/Dank009]

I just said the same thing, and worried it was nitpicking, but as someone who commuted to Portland quite frequently, it does make a difference.