Local Information

Travel Portland YouTube link – Don't know anything about Portland? Watch this fun YouTube video and learn about some of the things that make it a great Pacific NW city.

Portland Oregon Visitors Association: TravelPortland.com – a comprehensive site about visiting Portland.
TriMet (MapQuest for the bus – Portland Public Transportation)

Things to do:

Japanese Garden – 5.5 acres of beautifully tended Japanese gardens, pathways, and streams.
OMSI – Oregon Museum of Science & Industry
Oregon Zoo – A quick MAX light rail ride from downtown. Visit our famous Asian elephants and thousands of other animals.
Portland Classic Chinese Garden – Picturesque, authentic Ming Dynasty style garden taking up a city block.
Powell's City of Books (THE essential Portland link – a city block of new and used books!)
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area – A mere 16 miles from Portland is a wonderland of verdant forest trails and waterfalls.
Forest Park – Portlander's are spoiled by having one of the largest US public parks within city boundaries. Located near downtown, its 5,000+ acres have miles of trails to explore (trails link to the zoo, rose gardens, and the Japanese gardens).
Voodoo Doughnut – Popular destination featuring Portland style doughnuts – which means quirky and unique. Find an array of curiously topped doughnuts.
International Rose Test Garden – Portland is called the "city of roses." Come and see why as you view thousands of roses in the oldest official continuously operated public rose test garden in the US.
Oregon wine country – Oregon's Willamette Valley is the perfect place to grow grapes and make wine. If you have an extra day to go wine touring here you'll taste world-class, award winning wines (and more).
Bike City – If you really want to do as the locals do – rent a bike and pedal to wildlife trails or local breweries. A variety of great tours are available.
Oregon Visitors Center – If you can stay a little longer, Oregon offers a truly spectacular landscape of wonders that includes mountains, deserts, valleys, gorges, forests, lakes, rivers and the Pacific Ocean.


Places to eat:

Veritable Quandary Restaurant & Bar – Portland mainstay in the dining scene since 1971.

Jake's Famous Crawfish – American traditional, seafood. Another Portland mainstay.

Andina – Peruvian; a mix of old and new world tastes.

Thai Peacock – Thai comfort food.

Higgins – Seasonal classic country dishes promoting organic agricultural practices.

Imperial – Food inspired by the Pacific NW.

Mother's Bistro & Bar – American traditional homemade favorites.

Alexis – Greek, Mediterranean.

Bunk Sandwiches – sandwiches (of course), subs, hoagies.

Al-Amir – Middle Eastern; Portland's oldest Lebanese restaurant.