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I went to Oregon State. Salem isn't as convenient to /out/ as Eugene or Corvallis, but it's not a long drive to the Cascades or Coast range.
Salem is also a pretty large city (compared to other Oregon cities anyway). As a bikefag I didn't really like passing through it, although there's some lovely countryside to the southwest.
A big decision point should be your feelings about the weather. In the Willamette valley it rains, almost non-stop, between October and May. Winters are mild and summers are lovely, but it's not for everyone. If you don't go /out/ when it's wet in western Oregon, you don't go /out/.
Pic is from the Oregon Coast range.
