Finding your way around Portland

Portland is located on the West Coast of the United States just South of the Oregon/Washington border, and about two hours by car to Oregon’s breathtaking coast. While Portland is not the state’s capitol city it is Oregon’s most populated with over half a million residents. Portland is well served by modern public transportation facilities, which include light rail, bus, and streetcar systems.

One can easily and inexpensively travel from the airport to downtown using the light rail. Once downtown, a fare free zone can easily get you to where you need to be, though Portland is very friendly to those that choose to walk.

Portland’s downtown is home to a wide variety of attractions, which include many restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues. Portland is well known for excellent dining focused around local ingredients. Many area bars are also focusing on producing quality cocktails; made slowly and correctly. In downtown, you will find a large variety of retail shops including Powell’s City of Books, the world’s largest new and used independent bookstore. This store somehow captures the spirit and quirkiness of the city.

Throughout downtown, you will find a variety of public art, which include statues of presidents, local wildlife captured in bronze, fountains, and even Portlandia, the eleven-meter high rendition of the form on the Oregon state seal, who is perched on one of the downtown buildings. More works that are modern can also be found along the streets of Portland as well as in the modern art wing of the Portland Art Museum.

For those interested in renting a car while visiting Portland there are several interesting day trip opportunities. Visiting the picturesque coast of the Pacific Northwest is always a nice option even though the weather may be the best; storm views can be breathtaking. A drive through the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Byway is another popular option. Nearby Mount Hood offers skiing in the winter months, and is home to the historic Timberline Lodge, which is breathtaking in its own right.

Contributor

Graham, travels mostly for business, and has visited such countries as Australia, Taiwan, South Korea and Russia. He enjoys exploring the lighter side of travel: hunting down interesting vending machines and grocery stores in foreign lands are par for the course in his adventures.