Top city spots in Portland, USA

Portland, a green US city with numerous bridges and as many names. Portland does roses, doughnuts, and breweries like nowhere else, and its joyous streets and surrounding landscape are great for exploring.

Located in Oregon, Portland is known by several different nicknames including City of Roses, Rose City, Bridgetown, and Beervana. The most popularly used moniker though is PDX, which refers to the international transit code for Portland International Airport. Over a dozen bridges traverse Portland’s main rivers: the Columbia and the Willamette. The eclectic structures, spanning shorelines, roads, and pathways, are humorously celebrated on t-shirts in Portland’s souvenir shops. Take to the scenic bridges by car, bike, or on foot for wonderful views of Washington and Oregon. Sometimes admonished for being a little rainy, Portland’s weather positively contributes to its glorious lush landscape and impressive city parks. Highly recommended is a visit to Washington Park, home to the famous International Rose Test Garden where new varieties of roses are grown. In May and June, the flower is gloriously showcased at the city’s annual Rose Festival. Another floral delight is the Portland Japanese Garden a place once called “the most beautiful and authentic Japanese garden in the world outside of Japan” by a former Japanese ambassador. The garden encompasses 12 acres and 8 individually designed gardens, some with streams and peaceful walkways, others with views of the city and Mount Hood. A great day trip is a visit out to Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, a river site of 292,500 acres that includes incredible viewpoints and hiking trails. Make sure you take in the dramatic Multnomah Falls waterfalls and divine Oneonta Gorge. Back in the city, art lovers will be impressed with Portland Art Museum with its extensive collection of work that includes Vincent Van Gogh's Cart with Black Ox. Science buffs will be intrigued by the interactive exhibits at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. This venue also has a planetarium and a non-nuclear submarine USS Blueback, an underwater vessel that was featured in the movie Hunt for Red October. Finally, Beervana takes centre stage! With over seventy breweries Portland is a craft beer aficionados paradise. If you don’t want to miss out on the best brews in town then sign up for a tour to visit multiple beerhouses in one go. If you want to delve deeper and sample more, plan your Portland excursion around one of the city’s very enjoyable beer festivals.