"Nearest Big City" a Portland Travel Page by glabah

...as mush as our city's reputation says it does. But it is true that we get rain!!! Universities, the Portland visitors association, and others who promote the city of Portland go on and on about how certain other areas of the world have more rain than Portland in order to counteract the reputation that Portland has.

I was born here, and I pretty much grew up here. The rain doesn't bother me that much, which I think is the case for most native Oregonians. However, there are a number of people who have moved here from California, Arizona, and other warm, dry places that complain constantly about the rain. Just a warning: expect rain. It does in fact rain here, and whatever reputation Portland has as a place of constant rain may or may not be worth paying attention to, depending on how much rain bothers you.

The travel pages say I live in Lents, Oregon, and I do. However, that is basically the Portland area. Therefore, no matter what the date says as of my last visit, the fact is I basically live in the area, so I know it reasonably well.

Tourist Information Available Weekdays is what the recorded annoucement on the MAX train says when you go by it, but you may want to take a look at my Pioneer Courthouse Square tip to see the actual office hours.

Before you read too far into the Portland tips, it is best for you to understand that Portland has many cities and communities surrounding it, and the city of Portland was created by the merger of smaller cities, creating small-town downtowns in various areas that are now Portland. I have moved a number of minor local attractions and points of interest to the community they are closest to. To see a list of these areas, please see my Portland Neighborhoods and Suburbs tip.

"A Rose for you in Portland Awaits" was an early advertising slogan. I don't remember exactly where I saw it, but I think it was in a railroad advertisement from the early 1900s.

In the 1800s, it was discovered that Portland was an ideal climate for Roses. Many rose gardens were planted, and by late in the 1800's Portland had developed the nickname "City of Roses". Slowly, the Portland reputation spread.

In the late 1800s, the "rose festival" was simply small home garden tours. Starting in 1907, there was an annual Rose Festival and Parade with floats operating on the streetcar line with electric lights - one of the first electrically powered parades in the country.

The first several of my Portland Activities list Rose Festival Activities because it is Portland's largest festival, and involves many different activities. The best source of information about the Rose Festival is the Portland Rose Festival web site, which is operated by the non-profit organization that runs the various events.

I will admit that even though I am from Portland, I have never been to the Grand Floral Parade. I have been to several Starlight Parades (the Rose Festival has several parades). Attempting to get a place to view the Grand Floral Parade is quite competitive, and can be unpleasant. I do like taking a look at the Rose Festival Fleet while the Dragon Boat Races and Milk Carton Boats are fun to watch.

Interesting Nearby Attractions

While Portland itself has many interesting things to see and do, it wouldn't be Portland without some of the nearby attractions and communities nearby. Portland was created by the merger of a number of cities, and a few of those communities retain their own identity to the point where they have their own category here on VirtualTourist. Further away are the Columbia River Gorge and its attractions, the Cascade mountains, Silver Falls State Park, Silverton, Brooks, Salem, and Ridgefield.

Portland suburban communities and neighborhoods include:
Lents: Foster Road and I-205 today: take a look at the Trillium Artistans store for an unexpected treat if you are on I-205.
Oregon City: has a reputation as the first city in the west and has a few museums to prove it, but the fine people of Astoria might dispute that!
Forest Grove: annual sidewalk art festival and near Hagg Lake
Beaverton: some feel this is a suburban wasteland, but the Tualatin Hills Nature Park and a few other features are absolute gems
Troutdale: the big commercial shopping district has the paid publicity, but the more interesting stores are downtown, and almost never publicized. The former Edgefield Manor, now a popular events and dinner location, is here too.
Vancouver, Washington: the Fort Vancouver monument is historically significant, and the new waterfront trail is a pleasant walk beside the river.

Further Away
Brooks has an interesting complex of museums, while Salem is the state Capitol. Silver Falls State Park is a wonderful place to explore, and Mt. St. Helens Volcano is good as well.

While Portland is a fairly good sized city, conditions are such that there is still some wildlife in city limits. While it has been some years since deer have wandered into the central part of downtown, it has happened in the past. Bird life is perhaps the most obvious. It isn't unheard of to see Bald Eagles in Portland city limits. Various types of ducks (see photo), Great Blue Heron, hawks, and many smaller types of birds also call Portland home, even in very populated areas.

Yes, we have pigeons also, just like any large city anymore. However, our local pigeon population is kept under some control by the local hawks and other birds of prey that eat them.

Both deer, elk, and cougar have wandered into areas very close to downtown, but such incidents have become much more rare in the last several years as much close-in forest land is converted to housing.

There are a few interesting bird watching areas to visit, including some up-close visits with birds at the Wildlife Care Center in northwest Portland.

Art Activities
Portland has an active arts community, dating back to Native American rock carvings. If you like to walk and don't care what the weather is doing, Neighborhood Art Walks are an interesting way to see part of Portland and interesting art. The most well known of these is First Thursday, but it is very crowded. My favorite is the Mt. Tabor Art Walk, which crosses only one moderately busy street and is centered around beautiful Mt. Tabor Park.

We also have ballet, symphony, opera, an art museum, and quite a number of theatre companies plus various college and university arts events. For a listing of these events that isn't even comprehensive I suggest getting a Willamette Week. The arts section of the Oregonian is only available on certain days, with the best stuff on Sundays.