Portland is one of the best cities to tour in the whole United States. The weather is almost always cloudy in the morning. Rain is frequent. But it’s not the heavy rainfall that makes you sit infront of a fire with a coffee mug, rather, a gentle drizzle that washes the dust from the leaves and makes the environment much more clearer, greener and tempting to walk in. Here are five things that must be in your to-do list if you are planning to go to Portland.
Forest Park
Portland has an abundance of greenery. This is partly due to the nice weather but more so due to the abundance of tree lovers. If you like to enjoy walking in parks, you can take a stroll through the correctly named Forest Park. It is a ten minute drive from downtown and packs an overly peaceful and zen environment with lots of friendly people.
Ride over the bridges
The Willamette River slices through Portland like a snake parting foliage, but, it gives us eight beautiful bridges with some awe inspiring views of the river. The best way to enjoy these sights would be to tour the bridges on foot or on a bicycle. Incidentally, the bicycle community is a very flourishing one in Portland where more than 6% of the population using bicycles for their daily commute.
Sample some local beer
Portland has a total of thirty one microbreweries. That’s more than any other city in the world. As such, it’s a great place for all you beer connoisseurs to go crazy and find the perfect match for your taste buds.
Powell’s City of Books
Portlanders love books. So much so that Powell’s Books, the largest independent bookstore has it’s flagship store, the Powell’s City of Books here. It’s a very big store. So much so that you need a map, provided by the store, to navigate around this city. It’s an absolute paradise and a must-go for all book lovers.
International Rose Test Garden
Back in World War I, Portland decided to open a garden to save the European roses from extinction. Now, this International Rose Test Garden is the oldest official rose test garden in the States. It opens from April to October for the public between 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and houses thousands of roses from all varities. It is one of the most beautiful places in Portland when in season.
I hope that you find all of these activities interesting and that you have a great time in Portland.
