I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed yourself in the Land of No Sales Tax.
I'm originally from Michigan and I look at it this way: Michigan (and New York) has just as many overcast days as Portland, but we don't have the extreme low temperatures here. It is so much easier for me to be physically active in the rain than in the snow, and if you really want snow, just go up to Mt. Hood. Get wool clothes and you can stay warm even when you're wet.
It's also nice to hear about another nice place for our out-of-town visitors to stay at - thanks.
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"Real wars of words are harder to win. They require thought, insight, precision, articulation, knowledge, and experience. They require the humility to admit when you are wrong. They recognize that the dialectic is not about making us look at you, but about us all looking together for the truth."