Overview

Mount Hood blends in with the skyline. Microbreweries abound. A laid-back pace contradicts a bulging population. Live music fills the air. A mecca of zine and independent publishers flourish. This is Portland, The City of Roses, one of the best walking cities. So tie your shoe laces and see where you end up. Travel around the world at the Oregon Zoo. Eat donuts topped with bacon or Oreos at Voodoo Doughnut. Breathe deeply the scent of 8,000 roses at the International Rose Test Garden. View Native American art at the Northwest’s oldest museum – the Portland Art Museum. Or sip tea at the Ming-Dynasty-style Lan Su Chinese Garden.

Stir up local culture at the nation’s largest open-air arts and crafts market, Portland Saturday Market, or search out local gems at the Portland Farmers Market. Not prepared to cook but still want fresh? It’s easy to find local hazelnuts, Marionberries, Dungeness crab, chanterelle mushrooms and pears at Portland restaurants and cafés. On a budget? Many breweries and distilleries treat guests to free tours and tastings. Find a brew you can’t pass on and turn to the city’s live music scene for entertainment. Sit back to Indie bands at the log-cabin-decorated Doug Fir Lounge or get on stage for Karaoke from Hell at Dante’s. Hit the floating dance floor at the Crystal Ballroom, or sink into plush seats to hear the Oregon Symphony at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. The retro Wilfs Restaurant brings food and piano together in a historic train station.

If you’ve had your fill of the city, Portland quickly gives way to Oregon countryside. Escape for a couple hours or a whole day. Just on the outskirts, visitors find Sauvie Island, where you can pick seasonal fruits, sunbathe on the beach and navigate a corn maze in autumn. Columbia River Gorge is the world capital for kiteboarding and windsurfing, and fishermen flock to the river to hook salmon and giant sturgeon. West of Portland you’ll find the 650-acre Jackson Bottom Wetland Preserve, housing a plethora of waterfowl in an expansive wetland. In winter months, take advantage of North America’s longest ski season. Drive an hour out of town for spectacular cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. “I’m bored” are words rarely heard in Portland.