Nearest airport
Portland International
Costs of transportation from the airport to the city
No cost to ambassadors as our club members will pick you up and return you after your stay with us. Commercial transportation available for $ 20/ $25. Light rail to the city center on our Tri-Met bus-streetcar-light rail transportation system is $2.50 one-way, $5.00 all-day pass, and is only $1.25 (each way) for Seniors 65 years and over. Tickets are available inside the airport near the handy light rail hub.
Maximum number of ambassadors our club can host: 20
About the club
“The Southwest Washington Friendship Force Club” we took part in one of the first-ever Friendship Force exchanges in 1977. In those early days, ambassadors in large groups of 150-400 traveled on chartered planes to the hosting country. The empty plane then returned to the USA with ambassadors to the original city. In 1982 our club received one of the first charters granted to Friendship Force Clubs. As more members joined the club from Oregon, we assumed the name “Friendship Force of Columbia Cascade” because of our location near the Columbia River and Cascade Range. We have been an active club and have earned the following awards: in 1990, Wayne and Eleanor van Tilburg were named US volunteers of the year; in 1993 Bettye Brown was named national volunteer of the year. In 1989 we hosted the national conference in Portland.
About the region
We are two hours from the Cascade Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. The famous Columbia River flows between Oregon and Washington. The final destination of Lewis and Clark was on the Oregon Coast at Ft. Clatsop. A working replica of Fort Vancouver is of interest to visitors. Our climate is mild, and we receive 44 inches of rain per year. We have huge forests, mountains and the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. Other major attractions include the Portland Rose festival and the Rose Garden, vineyards and brew pubs, timberline lodge, the volcanoes (Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Hood) and a first class light rail system to help you navigate the region.
About the exchange: Activities when hosting might include a welcoming party, a trip to the coast or Mt. Hood or Mt. St. Helens, a day in Portland, wine tasting , and a day at Fort Vancouver. Before the farewell party, the hosts show guests a variety of the special sights in the great northwest.
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