Surrounded by rivers, mountains and vineyards, Metropolitan Portland has much more to offer than its attention to sustainability and urban adventure. Just minutes’ drive of downtown Portland one can find pinot-producing wineries (most with year-round tasting rooms), kayak-friendly waterways that hug wildlife preserves and, of course, the glorious breadth of Mount Hood. And if it’s urban adventure you crave, be warned that Portland, the Rose City, isn’t your average urban megapolis. An effervescent arts community, a plethora of urban parks and green spaces, open air plazas that serves as the community’s living room and a world-class public transportation system, are just few of the reasons that make this one of the country’s most livable cities. Portland's award winning mass transit system is one of the most extensive and advanced in the U.S. Take the bus or walk to the Classic Chinese Gardens. Occupying an entire city block near Chinatown, this walled garden was designed by landscape architects from Suzhou, Portland's sister city. Naturalistic plantings indicate how studied, yet beautiful the created environment can be. The garden's official name, Lan Su Yuan, means "Garden of Awakening Orchids." After that head over to the Tom McCall Waterfront. Along with beautiful views of the river the park is also the site of many of the city's big events, including the Blues Festival, the Oregon Brewers Festival, and many events associated with the Rose Festival. Of course Portland wouldn’t be complete without mentioning International Rose Test Garden. the gardens give trial runs to various rose hybrids before they're introduced into the mass market. With over 8000 plants representing more than 400 different species, this garden is sure to have at least one rose type that captivates you. Nightlife in Portland is excellent and varied. This includes the world class performances of the internationally-known Oregon Symphony. Performing arts in the area offer ballet, Shakespeare, Broadway musicals, modern dance and much more. Portland has many local pubs and brewhouses, where tasting local microbrews is considered a fine way to spend an evening. Additionally the Rose City is the home of the Trail Blazers basketball team, and also has hockey and baseball for sports fans. A splendid location, relaxed respectability, and an urban lifestyle that is unsurpassed for its livability makes Portland a city to visit and remember.

The state of Oregon is a prime example of one of the great Northwest Pacific states. Oregon has a one-of-a-kind culture that’s beyond description, one that people truly have to visit in order to understand and appreciate. Many like it so much that they pack up and move there as soon as they get the chance. Why? For starters, Oregon has a great location geographically. Bordered by California and Nevada to the south, Washington to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west, Oregon is perfect for those that like short drives and inexpensive flights to some of America’s favorite cities and points of interest—not that you’d really want to leave once you’re there, but you could if you wanted to. No doubt, both locals and visitors have plenty of options in Oregon. First, there’s the city of Portland, a must see, where people are genuinely friendly, down to earth, and take pride in their city, their state, and its many amenities. For starters, Oregon has more micro-breweries than anyone could visit on one vacation. That means they also have a lot of unique, privately owned restaurants to complement their wide selection of brewed libations. After a tasty meal and a pint or two of your favorite beer, their state-of-the-art transportation system can take you to happening nightlife, live music venues, theaters, and many other points of interest. Salem and Eugene are also great cities to visit on a trip to Oregon. For active visitors, Oregon’s gorges offer some of the best wind surfing and sailing opportunities around. Or, for those who like the ocean, its hundreds of miles of coastline offer opportunities of all kinds including surfing, body boarding, boating, fishing, seal and whale watching, and of course, romantic walks along the beach in summertime. Other attractions include the green Pacific Coast and Cascade Mountain ranges, expansive deserts, Crater Lake, the deepest in the U.S., the infamous Mount Hood, and the Oregon Trail.

Portland, Eugene, Salem, gorges, micro-breweries, Pacific Coast Mountains, Cascade Mountains, Crater Lake, Mount Hood, Oregon Trail, windsurfing

Rose City," "Stumptown," "Bridgetown," "PDX" "Beervana", "Brewtopia", "Beertown", and "Little Beirut," Microbreweries, International Rose Test Garden, land-use planning, public transit, metro, greenspace, volcanoes, Forest Park, Mill Ends Park, Oregon Zoo, Portland Japanese Garden, Wasinton Park, Tom McCall Waterfront, Mount Hood, Portland International Raceway, Portland Trail Blazers, William Overton, Classical Chinese Garden, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Pioneer Courthouse Square, Pittock Mansion, Portland Art Museum, Portland Saturday Market, Portland Indie Wine Festival, Festival of the Arts, Lake Oswego, Portland Highland Scottish Games, Bite of Oregon, Oregon International Air Show, Art in the Pearl, Christmas Ship Parade, International Film Festival, Portland Jazz Festival, 3 Doors Down Café, Alberta Street Oyster Bar & Grill, Andina, Bluehour, Caffe Mingo, El Gaucho, Giorgio's, Heathman Restaurant & Bar, Higgins Restaurant and Bar, Hurley's

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