Portland, Oregon is one of the prettiest cities in the Great Northwest. It has been called “The Greenest City in America.” It is also the “City of Roses” thanks to the spectacular rose gardens, and specifically the International Rose Test Garden where hybrids are developed and grown alongside the standard rose species. Located near the junction of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, its 575,930 residents enjoy the distinction of living in Oregon’s most populated city. The climate also makes the citizens happy. Its summers are dry and warm, not exceedingly hot, and the winters are rainy and moderate.
The city was named among the Top 10 Big City Arts Destinations thanks in large part to its Portland Art Mseum which, thanks to the Regional Arts & Culture Council has some fabulous exhibits, touring and permanent. Another museum that definitely requires a visit is the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. This city is filled with beautiful gardens, like the Portland Classical Chinese Garden. The Portland Rose Festival is a highlight of the year and more species are shown at this festival than any place else in the country.
A happy festival is always the Oregon Brewers Festival in July, where beer in every form is available for tasting. Also in July is the Portland International Beerfest and the Holiday Ale Festival in December. The local breweries provide the libations. Some even provide brewery tours. Looking up the breweries in the Oregon local directoryis easy and they will tell you when a tour is available.
Shopping is a favorite activity. Finding familiar stores is as easy as opening the yellow pages or going to the yellow pages online. The major department store chains are here: Macy’s, Nordstrom’s, Saks 5th Avenue. The favorite shopping districts are Downtown, Pearl District and Lloyd Distict. You can also check out BestPortland.net for the best businesses in Portland, OR.