Seniors Head For Hillsboro

Hillsboro, the seat of Washington County, is the fifth-largest city in the State of Oregon. Senior travelers will find Hillsboro in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area.

The city, population 92,000, hosts many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that comprise what has become known as the Silicon Forest. To the west, the Coast Range’s often snow-covered mountaintops are visible; to the east, Mt. Hood beckons.

Today’s Hillsboro is an easy blend of agriculture (ranches, nurseries, wineries), business and small-town neighborhoods. Downtown Hillsboro provides a healthy and vibrant core of the community. Senior visitors, ask about the Hillsboro Downtown Art Walk, a self guided tour of art galleries and local business that host artists and musicians.

 Seniors Enjoy The Willamette Valley Wine Country

Thousands of years before the arrival of European-American settlers, the Atfalati tribe of the Kalapuya lived in the Tualatin Valley near the later site of Hillsboro.

The climate, moderated by the Pacific Ocean, helped make the region suitable for fishing, hunting, food gathering, and agriculture.

Settlers founded a community in 1842, later named after David Hill, an Oregon politician. Transportation by riverboat on the Tualatin River was part of Hillsboro’s settler economy.

 TripAdvisor likes  Hillsboro and notes nearly 50 attractions that senior visitors may find of interest. They start off with A Nose For Wine that offers tours of the local Willamette Valley wine country.

Senior Oenophiles Stop At The Wineries

For oenophiles, there are several country wineries to visit in the Hillsboro area, including Oak Knoll Winery, Gypsy Dancer Estates Winery and Raptor Ridge.

Latino Cultural Festival offers a chance for the community to welcome and embrace the traditions of the area’s largest minority. The historic Old Scotch Church, organized in 1873 by twelve Scottish settlers from Aberdeenshire, Scotland, is one of the oldest continuously used churches in Oregon.

Hillsboro Oregon, located in the middle of the warm, temperate Tualatin Valley. Residents  have access to wind sailing in the Columbia River Gorge, year-round skiing on Mt. Hood, and the spectacular Oregon beaches, all only about an hour away. The city abounds in beauty of every nature.

Hillsboro is home to the Oregon Chorale, the Hillsboro Symphony Orchestra, the Hillsboro Actors Repertory Theatre, Washington County Museum and the Walters Cultural Arts Center. The free concert series known as “Showtime at Shute” occurs during the summer. The Oregon International Air Show is a remarkable and fun event.  Seniors, set your sites on Hillsboro and enjoy all that it offers. -jeb