"A Short Stay in the City of Roses" a Portland Travel Page by Hopkid

Our trip to Oregon started in Portland which is where we flew from the east coast. Known for their large rose festival held in June each year and an air of funkiness and uniqueness, Portland really has a great character that was evident in the short time we were there. Portland is made up of several distinct neighborhoods all with their own personality and attraction. During our short stay (which maybe totaled a single day) we were able to drive through the Nob Hill, Downtown, Pearl, and Hollywood neighborhoods. And as usual we had some time to partake in some of Portland's dining offerings!

We spent an afternoon walking around the Pearl, checking out the independent shops and galleries, as well as a couple of chain stores (Patagonia, North Face), and bumped into a small farmer's market on 10th Avenue north of Irving Street. There are also quite a few restaurants, coffeeshops, and the vernerable Powell's City of Books (it takes up an entire city block). We also spent a half day exploring the nearby Columbia River Gorge and viewing some of the spectactular waterfalls. No visit to Portland would be complete without a visit to this most beautiful natural landscape.

People were very friendly and made light of the rather wet weather. The attitude of locals is basically "What are you gonna do?" Certainly if one can get used to misty, drizzly conditions for the better part of 9 months of the year, Portland would be a fine place to hang one's hat.

NOTE: I have very few photos here because my camera battery died the day we went to the Columbia River Gorge and strolled through the Pearl District.