Freedom's Ring
We took the long road to the Far West and found the best escapes from the everyday humdrum.

By Cathy Orr

For the thousands who traveled the Oregon Trail in the 1840s, the West meant different things. For some it was a home and land of their own.

For others, it was a chance to strike it rich by mining, and still for others, it was to make a new start in a land that promised security in some shape or form.

Ultimately, all came for the same reason: freedom—freedom from want. The West, by all
accounts—not all from credible sources—had a lot to give to anyone who dared to make the long journey. Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada—they gave farmland, gold, silver, and other riches, if you had the gumption give up a home in the East and head into the unknown.

While the lands are settled here now, they still have a lot to give. They still offer that sense of freedom you’ll only find in the West, a unique and rare sense of independence from something confining, that you can’t quite name, but you know is there.

If you’ve got the gumption or feel confined by your circumstances, or just need a break in your busy schedule, the West satisfies the want in you, especially where we take you this issue. The Far West and Nevada have always been destinations for those weary of the familiar and wanting an injection of adventure into their lives.

So saddle up and head West with us for a spell.

Oregon | Washington | Idaho | Nevada