Portland Oregon (OR) - My Portland Guide

Portland, Oregon, is home to more than 500,000 people inside the city limits and 2.1 million within the metropolitan boundary. Oregonians are known for their passion for outdoor sports, including biking, hiking, water and snow skiing, snowboarding, wind-surfing, fishing, golfing and any other activity that can be done outdoors. Within a 90-minute drive, Portlanders can go skiing or snowboarding on Mt. Hood or walk the beaches or even surf in the chilly waters of the Pacific Ocean. Portland has earned the honor of twice being named Bicycling magazine’s No. 1 cycling city in America. The city is also a walker’s paradise. The streets, which feature statues, fountains and half-size city blocks, prompted Portland’s selection in 1998 as one of America’s best walking towns by Walking Magazine.

Portland is home to a variety of local sports teams including NBA basketball, minor league baseball, A-League soccer and professional lacrosse. The ultra-modern Rose Garden is home to the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers and the Portland Winter Hawks hockey team.

Sports enthusiasts can also cheer alongside Portland’s loyal fans at PGE Park. The A-League Portland Timbers play their soccer games at the Park. Triple-A baseball’s Portland Beavers, an affiliate of the San Diego Padres, also call PGE Park home.

Fans at Portland International Raceway can watch a variety of racing events. The track’s season is highlighted by G.I. Joe’s Presents Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland, the largest auto-racing event in the Pacific Northwest.

Portland is home to countless one-of-a-kind java joints. However, if you prefer another type of beverage, Portland offers more than 25 craft breweries, which have earned Portland the nickname "Münich on the Willamette." The city’s love of beer stretches back to 1888, when Henry Weinhard proposed pumping free beer through the Skidmore Fountain to promote its dedication.

The Portland Art Museum is the oldest art museum in the Northwest. Its permanent collection features more than 32,000 works of art and at least one major traveling exhibit is usually on display. PAM also features an outdoor public sculpture garden.

The original Rose Garden, a huge city park, is a venue for countless concerts and special events and the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall is also a favorite location for lectures and concerts, including the music of the Oregon Symphony.

The Portland Center for the Performing Arts comprises four theaters and is the fifth-largest venue in the nation. Concerts can also be heard at outdoor venues such as Pioneer Courthouse Square and the Oregon Zoo throughout the year.

One of Portland’s most scenic paths is along the downtown waterfront. The 1.5-mile walking/cycling trail offers a beautiful view of the city skyline as well as easy access from four of the Willamette’s bridges. Follow the promenade in Tom McCall Waterfront Park to the historic Steel Bridge. On the lower deck of the bridge is a bicycle/pedestrian crossing that links the downtown side of the Willamette River to Portland’s Eastbank Esplanade.