Walking Tours Interpretive Center Pittock Mansion Convention Center Science & Industry River Gorge Mount Hood Sandy River National Memorial

Portland Walking Tours.

Walks up to the city's arts, gardens, architecture, fountains, parks, microbrews and rivers. Guided walking tours reveal Portland’s hidden treasures and history, from Native Americans to modern urban planning. The Pearl District tour explores the history, architecture, parks, and fountains unique to the Pearl. Visit www.portlandwalkingtours.com.

Portland Rose Garden.

On 4.5 acres in the West Hills above downtown Portland, these are the largest and oldest rose test gardens in the US. Established in 1917, the gardens are as a testing ground for new varieties. Though you will see familiar roses in the Gold Medal Garden, most of the 400 varieties are new hybrids. From spring to early winter, you'll find a garden of miniature roses and a Shakespeare Garden that includes flowers mentioned in the Bard's works. You'll understand why Portland is the City of Roses and why the Rose Festival in June is our biggest annual celebration. Visit www.portlandparks.org/gardens/introsetestgarden.htm.

Portland Art Museum.

One of the 25 largest museums in the country, the Portland Art Museum showcases impressive touring exhibitions and permanent collections of American, European, Asian, Native American and contemporary art. An expansion added new galleries and a small sculpture court to the museum. The galleries of Native American art and Northwest art are now the museum's most impressive displays. The adjacent Northwest Film Center, affiliated with the Art Museum, shows an eclectic mix of films. Visit www.portlandartmuseum.org.  [Top]

End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center.

With its three Paul Bunyansize wagons parked in the middle of Abernethy Green (the official end of the Oregon Trail), this interpretive center features an exhibit hall, interactive areas and gift shop. After looking around this first wagon, you'll then be led through the next one by costumed interpreters who explain the difficulties of provisioning for the overland trek. The third wagon houses a multimedia presentation based on three Oregon Trail diaries.

Portland Classical Chinese Garden.

A harmonizing blend of water, architecture, stone, and poetry against a richly planted landscape, the Portland Classical Chinese Garden takes up a city block in  Chinatown. The timeless Chinese landscape evokes the wild mountains of China and creates a tranquil oasis within an urban setting. The gardens are centered around a small pond, at one end of which stands a rock wall meant to conjure images from Chinese scroll paintings. Viewing pavilions, a bridge, and a winding pathway provide everchanging views of the gardens, which will transport you to ancient China. Overlooking the lake, the Tao of Tea teahouse features teas and Chinese snacks. Visit www.portlandchinesegarden.org.

The Grotto

National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother.

Although this forested 62acre sanctuary is first and foremost a Catholic religious shrine (with a marble replica of Michelangelo's Pietà set in a shallow rock cave at the foot of a cliff), the gardens are very beautiful. The gardens are at their best in the early summer and during the Christmas season when the grounds are decorated with thousands of lights and a choral festival is held. An elevator ride to the top of the bluff offers panoramic views of the Cascade Range, the Columbia River, and Mount St. Helens. There are also a couple of chapels on the grounds, a gift shop, and a coffee shop. The Grotto is open to all faiths. Visit www.thegrotto.org.  [Top]

Pittock Mansion.

At nearly the highest point in the West Hills, 1,000 feet above sea level, stands the most impressive mansion in Portland. Built in 1914 in French Renaissance style, this grand château, built by the founder of Portland's Oregonian, featured many innovations and today is fully restored and furnished with 18th and 19thcentury antiques. With an expansive view over the city to the Cascade Range, the lawns surrounding the mansion are a great spot for a picnic. You can also access Forest Park's Wildwood Trail.

Rose Quarter.

The Rose Quarter includes the 20,000seat Rose Garden, the 12,000seat Memorial Coliseum, the 6,500seat Theater of the Clouds, the 40,000square foot Exhibit Hall and Rose Quarter Commons. Home to the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, the WHL Winter Hawks, and a National Lacrosse League expansion team, the Portland Beavers, the Rose Garden is a multiuse arena that also presents concerts and events. The Winter Hawks also play in Memorial Coliseum, opened in 1960, which is attached to the Exhibit Hall and seven meeting rooms. The Commons, Portland's largest outdoor plaza, connects the Rose Garden and Coliseum and can accommodate 5,000 people for outdoor concerts and events. Visit www.rosequarter.com

Oaks Park Amusement Center.

For real Portland excitement, head to Oaks Park. Covering more than 44 acres, this amusement park opened in 1905 to coincide with the Lewis and Clark Exposition. Beneath the shady oaks, you'll find waterfront picnic sites, miniature golf, music, and thrilling rides and roller coasters. Enjoy the largest woodfloored rollerskating rink in the west, while an organist still plays the Wurlitzer for skaters.  [Top]

Oregon Convention Center.

With a million sq. feet, Oregon Convention Center is the largest convention center in the Pacific Northwest and the perfect venue for any event. Located within Portland’s city center, around the corner from restaurants, taxfree shopping, cultural attractions and entertainment, the OCC is the preferred venue for many national conventions. The area’s spectacular scenery is complimented by the artful décor and atmosphere of the center's interiors. OCC features highspeed wired and wireless internet,  parking,  culinary delights, and superior service. The MAX lightrail can pick you up or drop you off for free. Visit www.oregoncc.org.

Japanese Garden.

The finest Japanese garden in North America, Portland's Japanese Garden is one of the city's most tranquil spots. Enjoy five styles of Japanese gardens, including bonsai, over 5 acres, views of volcanic Mt. Hood, and a beautiful waterfall. The Japanese garden is colored by seasonal highlights cherry trees, azaleas and wisteria bursts in spring and huge Japanese irises that color the banks of the pond in summer. On the third Saturday of each of summer month, there's a Japanese tea ceremony in the garden's tea house. Visit www.japanesegarden.com.

Oregon Zoo.

Since the 1800's, the Oregon Zoo has been preserving animals and their habitats. Known for the largest breeding herd of elephants in captivity, Oregon Zoo has added several new exhibits, including the Africa exhibit, which features a lifelike rain forest and savanna populated by zebras, rhinos, giraffes, hippos one of the most truetolife habitats you'll ever see. Equally impressive is the Alaskan tundra exhibit with grizzly bears, wolves, and musk oxen. The Cascade Crest exhibit includes a mountain goat habitat, and in the Steller Cove exhibit, you can watch the antics of Steller sea lions and sea otters. Don’t miss the bat house. During the summer, outdoor concerts are presented in the zoo's amphitheater. Visit www.oregonzoo.org  [Top]

Oregon Museum of Science & Industry.

Located on the Willamette River across from Waterfront Park, this modern science museum offers fascinating, handson exhibits from a discovery space for toddlers to physics and chemistry labs. Simulated earthquakes and tornadoes are favorites. There's plenty of entertainment at an OMNIMAX theater and the Murdock Sky Theater, which features laserlight shows and astronomy presentations. USS Blueback submarine is docked here, and tours are given daily. Between midJune and late September, Samtrak (503/6532380), an openair train, runs between OMSI and Oaks Park Amusement Center. OMSI is the departure point for Willamette River boat cruises. Visit www.omsi.edu.

Portland Institute for Contemporary Art.

Portland Institute for Contemporary Art explores and supports experimental art and new music in Portland. At the Institute's gallery, PICA presents innovative and thoughtprovoking visual art exhibitions focusing on contemporary trends in the regional, national, and international art scene. At various venues around Portland, PICA hosts performances by performance artists and musicians.

Portland Kayaking/Portland River Company.

Check out the Portland skyline from water level on a sea kayak tour with the Portland River Company on Montgomery St.(888/2382059 or 503/2290551), which operates out of the RiverPlace Marina at the south end of Waterfront Park. Enjoy a 2 1/2hour tour that circles Ross Island ($35 per person). Allday trips on the lower Columbia River are also offered ($75 per person) and will get you into a wildlife refuge. This company also rents sea kayaks to experienced paddlers.  [Top]

Columbia River Gorge.

A 50millionyearold natural wonder, Columbia River Gorge is a spectacular river canyon through the Cascade Mountains. Eighty miles with north canyon walls in Washington and south walls in Oregon, Columbia River Gorge is a haven for hiking, mountain biking, windsurfing, camping, fishing, boating, sailing, wildlife watching, birding, wildflower viewing, photography, picnicking, and rock climbing. A natural wind tunnel, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area offers unmatched windsurfing and whitewater rafting. Explore incredible waterfalls, including the grandest Multnomah Falls. The gorge offers scenic vistas and leads to hundreds of wilderness areas and recreation destinations, such as Bonneville Dam and Cascade Locks. Visit www.crgva.org/ or www.fs.fed.us/r6/columbia/forest/.

Columbia River/Sternwheeler Riverboat.

The Columbia River is one of the major North American rivers draining into the Pacific Ocean. Originating in northern Idaho and southeastern British Columbia, it travels 2000 km to the Ocean. The river and its shores are an idyllic destination for hiking, mountain biking, windsurfing, camping, fishing, boating, rafting, rock climbing and an abundance of outdoor adventure. Learn the history of the Columbia River Gorge and the Lewis and Clark Expedition during a twohour narrated riverboat cruise on a 147foot sternwheeler patterned after a 19thcentury steamboat.

Multnomah Falls.

The cascading water of Multnomah Falls the second highest yearround waterfall in the nation drops 620 feet from Larch Mountain. The frozen Falls are a sight to behold. Enjoy miles of hiking paths that surround the Multnomah Falls National Scenic Area, then relax and dine at the Lodge, built in 1925, serving fine food with a gorgeous view of the Falls. To get to the falls take the winding Columbia River Gorge Scenic Highway, where you’ll be captivated by breathtaking views of the Columbia River Gorge. Visit http://.trips.stateoforegon.com/Multnomah_falls.  [Top]

Mount Hood.

An outdoor utopia along the Columbia River, Mount Hood is the tallest mountain in Oregon

at

11,237 feet. A stratovolcano of lava flows and domes, Mt. Hood is popular with skiers, hikers, and climbers, and is the most climbed glaciated peak in North America. Crater Rock, a rocky pinnacle below the summit, is the most recent lava dome. Visit www.mthood.org, www.stayandplayhood.com or www.mthood.info.

Mt. Hood National Forest.

Mt. Hood National Forest encompassing 1,067,043 acres is a playground for skiing, boarding, biking, hiking, camping, fishing, boating, and hunting. Fish in the countless streams, enjoy a hot chocolate at Timberland Lodge high atop Mt. Hood and enjoy limitless views. The Mt. Hood National Forest extends from the Columbia River Gorge across 60 miles of forested mountains, lakes and streams to Olallie Scenic Area. Rewarding destinations are: Timberline Lodge, Lost Lake, Trillium Lake, Timothy Lake, Rock Creek Reservoir, the Old Oregon Trail, and the Mt. Hood Wilderness.

Mt. Saint Helens.

On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted. Shaken by an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale, the north face of this tall symmetrical mountain collapsed in a massive avalanche. Nearly 230 square miles of forest was blown down or buried beneath volcanic deposits. A mushroomshaped column of ash rose thousands of feet skyward, turning day into night as dark, gray ash fell over eastern Washington. The eruption lasted 9 hours, but Mount St. Helens and the surrounding landscape were dramatically changed forever. In 1982, Congress created the 110,000acre National Volcanic Monument for research, recreation, and education. Inside the Monument, the environment is left to respond naturally to disturbance. Mt. St. Helens is a favorite destination for mountain climbing, hiking, fishing and exploration when permitted. Visit www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm.  [Top]

Sandy River.

Originating high on the slopes of Mt. Hood, about 50 miles east of Portland, and flowing through a rugged canyon, the Sandy River in northwestern Oregon is one of the best fishing rivers in the world. Still a guarded secret among fly fishing enthusiasts, the Sandy River has the best year round run of steelhead, Chinook and Coho salmon, and trout in the region. Nowhere else in the world does such a wild and scenic steelhead river flow through such a populated area.

Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.

The birthplace of Vancouver, Fort Vancouver National Historic Site is the premier historical archaeological site in the Pacific Northwest. Millions of archaeological artifacts lie under ground remains of the Native Americans, Hudson Bay Company employees, US Army soldiers, and peoples who lived here. The National Park Service has an archaeological collection of 1.5 million artifacts excavated from this site. Enjoy the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site and Vancouver Barracks' diverse history through rangerled talks and walks, living history programs, special events, and films. The trail of Lewis & Clark's Corps of Discovery flowed through the Historic Reserve. Today, Fort Vancouver houses reconstructed buildings that are furnished as they were in the 19th century.

Willamette Valley Wine Region.

Willamette Valley, Oregon's leading wine region, is home to about 200 wineries and is the promised land for Pinot Noirs. Willamette Valley is a huge appellation that includes three subappellations McMinnville, Dundee Hills and Yamhill Carlton. Following the Willamette River for 100 miles from the Columbia River near Portland to Eugene, the Valley provides the best conditions for growing Pinot Noir in the world. Wineries also produce Pinot Gris, Pinot blanc, Chardonnay, Melon, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, and some Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah. Tour the Willamette Valley wineries 45 minutes from Portland sample the wines, enjoy wine tasting events and drink up the incredible views. Visit www.willamettewines.com  [Top]

Fort Clatsop National Memorial.

Located in Seaside, OR, this site commemorates the 180506 winter camp of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The memorial includes the reconstructed fort, a visitor center and museum, historical exhibits, a canoe landing, a spring, and a picnic area joined by trails through the wetlands and rainforest of the Coast Range as it merges with the Columbia River Estuary. Visit www.nps.gov/focl.

Ecola State Park.

Ecola State Park, north of Cannon Beach, offers breathtaking views on the Oregon Coast. The mists and fog against the sun, and the changing surf create a myriad of shades and vistas. The beaches are ideal for whale watching, walking, and picnicking. At this official watch point, you can see Grey whales migrating along the coast during winter, spring, and summer. Dogs are allowed on a leash.  [Top]