Portland

Portland is an attractive, cool city, with an eco-friendly lifestyle and many nicknames; Rose City, Beervana and Bridgetown, to name a few.

Portland is a “foodie” town, with world-renowned chefs and hundreds of food carts, more than 75 craft breweries, many quaint coffee shops and doughnuts; visit the famous Voodoo Doughnut (for the bacon maple) or Blue Star Donuts (for the blueberry bourbon basil) or you can even sign up for a doughnut bike ride and try several in one day.

Portland’s Saturday Market, held in Chinatown every weekend features food,arts, crafts and a lot of street culture; there is a thriving arts and culture scene. You can hear a performance at the Oregon Symphony or the Portland Opera or watch dancers leap across the stage at the Oregon Ballet Theatre. Head to Portland Art Museum to see 42,000 works of art or visit the world’s largest independent bookstore.

There’s an enviable public transit system, tax-free shopping, gorgeous gardens and enormous in-city parks. Sprawling Washington Park, set right in the city, is a destination in its own right. You’ll find Hoyt Arboretum, a glorious, forested place full of flora from around the world; the International Rose Test Garden, the oldest one in America and the Portland Japanese Garden, which includes five varieties of gardens. There are winding bicycle paths as well as a bridge just reserved for bicyclists. For kids, there’s the Oregon Zoo and the Children’s Museum.

Gateway to the Pacific Northwest, there is much to explore in the exciting and vibrant city of Portland before you head further afield in this glorious state.