The city of Portland Oregon is found just hours from the Oregon coast near both the Willamette River and the Columbia River. Along with all of the great urban attractions, Portland Oregon getaways can also easily be filled with trips to nearby wineries in the Willamette Valley or a stroll through Portland’s inner-city garden paradise, the Portland Rose Garden.
The city of Portland Oregon is found just hours from the Oregon coast near both the Willamette River and the Columbia River. Along with all of the great urban attractions, Portland Oregon getaways can also easily be filled with trips to nearby wineries in the Willamette Valley or a stroll through Portland’s inner-city garden paradise, the Portland Rose Garden. For many travelers experiencing Portland Oregon tourism for the first time, it is a surprise to find that so much of the city of Portland seems to be less developed than other major cities. There are still plenty of downtown exhibits and skyscrapers, but a Portland Oregon vacation can also offer visitors a hike through a forested, inner-city park with multiple miles of trails, as well as a picnic at the Rose Gardens or the incredible Japanese Garden which is one of the most intricate and well-known in North America.
Portland was the major port in the Pacific Northwest for much of the 19th century, until the 1890s when direct railroad access between the deep water harbor in Seattle and points east by way of Stampede Pass were built. Portland is situated approximately 70 miles from the Pacific in a magnificent setting between the sparkling waters of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers. Portland recorded a record high temperature of 107 °F (42 °C) numerous times, and temperatures of 100 °F (38 °C) have been recorded in each of the months from May through September. Portland averages 155 days with measurable precipitation a year. Portland is also known for its large number of microbreweries, and as the home of the Trail Blazers NBA basketball team. Portland's downtown also features two groups of contiguous city blocks dedicated for park space; they are referred to as the North and South Park Blocks. Portland is home to a diverse array of artists and arts organizations, and was named in 2006 by American Style magazine as the 10th best Big City Arts Destination in the U. Portland is also home to Portland Classical Chinese Garden, an authentic representation of a Suzhou-style walled garden. Portland hosts a number of festivals throughout the year in celebration of beer, including the Oregon Brewers Festival. Portland has a growing restaurant scene, and was recently recognized by the Food Network Awards as their "Delicious Destination of the Year" for 2007. Portland has one major league sports team (the Trail Blazers) and a variety of minor league teams. Portland is well known as a hub of American youth culture. Portland State University, with graduate and undergraduate enrollment of around 26,000, is Oregon's largest university. Portland's main airport is Portland International Airport (IATA: PDX, ICAO: KPDX), located about 20 minutes by car (40 minutes by MAX) northeast of downtown.
