MANY skiers in Oregon in the Pacific north west of America fizz down the slopes dressed in re-cycled Coke bottles!

In the environmentally green state, plastic bottles are 'spun' into warm fleecy fabrics sold under the Polartec label.

The designs are good, and landfill is reduced - how smart is that?

For years, Oregon has led the way in re-cycling and harnessing natural energy. It has wind powered ski lifts for instance.

So, if you are worried about all that carbon overload in getting there, it might help salve your conscience to know that the state capital Portland, is also a top re-cycler among the 30 largest cities in the US.

In fact, it was the first to introduce a bottle return bill in 1971, and even its traffic lights are being re-timed to reduce fuel consumption!

It also has solar powered parking meters and was the birthplace of car sharing in America.

Traditionally, Oregon has always been known as a 'green' state and is busy building on that reputation.

It has a great start, with a stunning Pacific coastline and volcanic cone shaped mountains.

Surf explodes on to the beaches and around volcanic rock stacks.

Oregon may not be your number one choice when planning a visit to the States. After all, it's on the far side of the continent, but you will miss out on so much if you never pay a visit to the state that first set the trend for 'going green' decades ago.

It is a whale-watchers paradise and the Cascade mountains have world-class ski resorts around the state's two huge volcanic cone mountains - Mount Bachelor and Mount Hood.

There are no direct flights to Portland from the UK, so you need to fly on from one of the big hubs like Chicago.

Having arrived in Portland, there's nothing like shaking off the jet lag with a stimulating salt-spray drive south from the pretty town of Cannon Beach along Oregon's rugged coastal highway one.

Turn inland over the coastal mountains to visit some neat towns like the quaintly named Bend, which is rapidly gaining a reputation as one of America's coolest places.

Stay in luxury at Sunriver Resort, just outside Bend, for a couple of days skiing and snowshoeing at nearby Mount Bachelor - a perfectly shaped cone of a mountain that gives skiers 360 degree access to its slopes.

Further south is the geological phenomenon at Crater Lake, created when a volcanic mountain exploded and then imploded. It is deep and blue and can be accessed in winter by snowmobile from nearby Diamond Lake Resort.

The iconic Mount Hood, Oregon's largest mountain, provides the perfect picture-postcard backdrop to the city of Portland.

The famous historic landmark of Timberline Lodge - the hotel used by Stanley Kubrick in his terrifying film The Shining - is near the summit of Mount Hood.There is year round skiing at the very top of Timberline resort and nearby is impressive Hood Meadows and Skibowl - which boasts the biggest night ski area in America.

From the mountain top it's a lovely drive back to the stylish town of Hood River and the scenery gets even better as you head along the huge Columbia River Gorge, past lots of mighty two-tier waterfalls, back to Portland.

You can explore the city centre for free on the Max light railway system, or the frequent street cars that criss cross the downtown area.

And as an added bonus, sales tax free shopping offers great bargains due to the generous pound-dollar exchange rate.

FACTFILE:

There are many routes you can take when flying to Oregon. Try Dial-A-Flight on 0870-416-0230 or log on to DialaflightUSA.com. For a free copy of an Oregon Travel Guide and map call 01326 250213 or e-mail oregon.uk@btinternet.com