Portland The Spectacular
Portland is my favourite American city. Why? There are many reasons but let’s start from the beginning. With a population of just over two million, it is the largest city in Oregon and the third largest in the Pacific Northwest (after Seattle and Vancouver). It makes it just about the right size, not too big, not too small. You still have plenty of city attractions and a general urban feel but you don’t have to fight the concrete jungle like in LA, New York or Chicago.
The city lies on the banks of Willamette River just before it empties into the mighty Columbia River. Portland’s compact downtown is located on the west side of the river and it’s surprisingly walkable. Street blocks are small and the grid pattern makes it easy to navigate. If you tire of walking, you can always make use of the excellent public transport network. It includes buses, light railway (MAX), streetcars, even an aerial tram, and all are free to ride in the central zone.
Cycling is another great option. Portland has one of the best cycling networks in America and its citizens are keen cyclists. Nowhere in America have I seen so many people cycling.
Portlanders are friendly bunch, keen on recycling, good beer, the outdoors and, as I mentioned above, cycling. In other words, all sorts of activities people don’t normally associate with the United States.
Portland lacks one single major tourist attraction but there are some sights worth visiting. Being an infrastructure geek, the first thing I went to visit was Portland aerial tram. It is a commuter tramway which connects the south waterfront and the major university hospital and campus. It costs US$4 for a return journey and climbs over 150 metres in about three minutes. From the top station you can see an amazing panorama of eastern Portland and the surrounding mountains.
Another great attraction worth some time to explore is Powell’s City of Books – the largest independent bookstore in the United States. It occupies the full city block and offers 6,300m² of floor space, full of new and used books stored side by side. It is a real labyrinth where colour-coded maps, available at the front desk, are essential. Great fun for anyone who likes books.
Of course there are some museums and galleries, but I didn’t bother with exploring them. Instead I decided to soak up the city simply by exploring some of the nice neighbourhoods. One of the best is North West Portland. It is in walking distance from downtown and is full of old houses, restaurants, pubs, bars, shops, and trees lining the streets. You feel a great communal spirit there. For example, the hostel where I was staying had an agreement with the local pizzeria so any unsold pizza at the end of day was offered for free to the hostel guests. In the same way we got free bread rolls from the local bakery. All we had to do was find a volunteer who was willing to walk for about five minutes to collect them. Portlanders just seem to hate waste.
HI-Portland Hostel, Northwest, is well worth recommending. Located in an old wooden house it is very clean, quiet and well run. It is a great place if you are looking for a good sleep and good company but not necessarily for a party atmosphere. If you want to party, or at least a drink, there are plenty of options alongside NW 21st Avenue which is just a few minutes away from the hostel.
Speaking of drinking, it is worth remembering that with 28 breweries, Portland has more breweries than any other city in the United States. It is in fact the place where the 1980s’ microbreweries craze started.
A short walk or MAX ride west from NW Portland lays Washington Park. It covers over 50 hectares of mostly steep and wooded hills ranging in elevation from 60 to 260 metres. Somewhere there are major tourist attractions like Oregon Zoo, International Rose Test Garden (one of Portland’s nicknames is in fact The Rose City), Portland Japanese Garden and a few others but I didn’t find them. Here I have to admit that I got a bit lost while exploring the park. I simply underestimated its size, complicated terrain and how densely wooded it is. But I still had a nice afternoon just walking around trying to find my way back and escape the coming rain.
Washington Park is just a smaller brother of the Forest Park which covers over 2000 hectares and is one of the largest urban wilderness parks in the United States.
But I left the best aspect of this amazing city for the end. It is its location.
And what a great location it is. If you look from any high point in the city (like the aerial tram top station) you can see not one, not two but three massive, snow-covered volcanoes. They are Mount Hood, Mount Adams and Mount Rainier. On a sunny day they look absolutely spectacular.
About two hours’ drive in the opposite direction you can reach the Pacific coast. With some spectacular wild beaches it offers great options for weekend getaways. One of the closest and the best places for a one-day visit is Canon Beach with the landmark rock formation called Haystack Rock and the adjoining Ecola State Park, which offers great hiking and coastal views. South of Portland, rural Willamette Valley is one of the best vine-growing regions in the United States.
But in my opinion the best approach to Portland comes from the east. I was driving all the way from Idaho and for the last 200km, the road hugged the mighty Columbia River. Initially the landscape is wild, bleak and open but as the road approaches Cascade Mountains, the river valley narrows and Columbia River Gorge begins. It is an absolutely fantastic place. I left the main interstate highway which follows the river at the bottom of the gorge and chose the Historic Columbia River Highway instead, which traverses and climbs high cliffs of the gorge. It is a twisty and narrow route which is popular among cyclists and motorised tourists. Some sections are closed for cars altogether and open only for cyclist and walkers. One of these closed sections includes narrow tunnels, drilled through the basalt cliffs, which contain windows offering views of the valley.
One of the best views along the route is from Crown Point. But the great vistas are not the only attractions of the gorge. As the river cuts its way through the Cascade Range you can notice the changing vegetation. Bleak dry vegetation of eastern Oregon is replaced with the lush vegetation of the Pacific coast. This happens because the Coastal Range is a major watershed blocking humidity from the ocean from reaching further inland. The by-product of that are numerous (over 77 on the Oregon side of the gorge alone) and spectacular waterfalls. Probably the most spectacular of them (and definitely the most photographed; see main picture, top) is Multnomah Falls. If you have browsed any guidebook to Oregon the chance is you have already seen it. It is the one with bridge in front of it.
Immediately east of the gorge lies Hood River – a nice small town, the local centre of a major fruit-growing area. On the steep streets you can find nice cafes and restaurants serving food made from local produce. From above the town you can see the massive, cone-shaped Mount Hood looming above this lovely rural idyll. It is simply a small and happy town.
All these wonders are no more than two hours from downtown Portland, which makes it the perfect place for outdoors-lovers. After all, it is no coincidence that companies like Nike and Columbia Sportswear started and are still located here. For me, it is probably the only city in the United States where I could easily relocate from London.
So if you are looking for a relaxed and easy-going place to spend a mixed urban–outdoor holiday, Portland is the perfect place for you. Just pack some good walking shoes and rainproof gear, leave the tie and fancy clothes at home, and you’re ready to go. You won’t be disappointed.
The best guidebook to read before you go is Oregon Handbook published by Moon. Also don’t forget a good street plan like the Rand McNally map of Portland. Both are available at Stanfords. Author: Gregor Swiderek
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