Travel to Portland, Oregon

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Travel to Portland, Oregon

This page exists as a supplement to the information that you will find in my basic Portland information page, and simply a direct set of links to information I have written about some of my favorite (or even not so favorite) places in and near Portland, Oregon.

Portland, Oregon itself:

My Introduction to Portland
- Yes, It Does Rain Here
- Weather is Highly Variable through City
- Pioneer Courthouse Square has basic tourist information, available weekdays
- Street Lakes are a Pain!
- So are Portland Unpaved Streets!
- Oregon Grape is one Portland (and Oregon) plant you will find in many places
A Few Things to Do in Portland
- Museums and History
- A Few Local Parks with Postcard Views of Portland
  - Mt Tabor Park
  - Pittock Mansion
  - Rocky Butte
  - Council Crest Park
  - Further East there is Powell Butte Park, but that overlooks the suburbs and the mountains, and not the city.
- A Seasonal Activities
  - This is the City of Roses and we have the Portland Rose Festival, which includes a number of activities, including
    - Dragon Boat Races
    - Rose Festival Fleet
    - Milk Carton Boat Races
    - Grand Floral Parade
    - Starlight Parade
    - Junior Rose Festival Parade
  - Fireworks in Waterfront Park (done for several celebrations each year, including Rose Festival, above)
  - Christmas Lights, including:
  - Neighborhood Art Walks - usually Annual Events, but some are monthly
- Birdwatching and other Wildlife Viewing in the City (does NOT include places outside Portland)
  - Chapman School Chimney and the Swifts - but only in September or so
  - Wildlife Care Center of the Portland Audubon Society, which also operates the
  - Pittock Bird Sanctuary
  - Reed College Canyon
  - Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge
  - Powell Butte Park
  - Smith and Bybee Lakes Park
  - Forest Park
- Places to Go Hiking in Portland (does NOT include places outside the city):
  - Forest Park
  - The Pittock Mansion connects to Forest Park through the Wildwood Trail, as well as Washington Park (where the Portland zoo is located)
  - Pittock Bird Sanctuary
  - Council Crest Park connects to Washington Park through the Marquam Trail, and from there to Forest Park and Pittock Mansion through the Wildwood Trail
  - Reed College Canyon (only a short loop around the pond, but it is nearly a wilderness in there!)
  - Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge
  - Powell Butte Park
- A Few Other Activities:
  - Watch the Big Ships Come In
  - Willamette Shore Trolley
  - Bishop's Close is a park-like garden with plants from many areas
  - Council Crest Park connects to Washington Park through the Marquam Trail, and from there to Forest Park and Pittock Mansion through the Wildwood Trail
  - Reed College Canyon (only a short loop around the pond, but it is nearly a wilderness in there!)
  - Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge
  - Powell Butte Park
- Surrounding Communities of Portland
  Some of these places are suburb cities, while others are part of Portland, but were once separate cities, or are otherwise far from downtown Portland, and overlooked by the traveler.
  - Portland Heights
  - Lents is in a far southeast corner of Portland
    - Leach Botanical Garden is one of the gems here
    - Willamette National Cemetary is where most people visit when they come here
    - Portland Memory Garden is a small park with special features
    - Trilliam Artisans has a number of eccentric items in their store
  - Beaverton is the next city to the west of Portland. While it is a crowded suburban tangle, it also has a few jems in it.
    - Tualatin Hills Nature Park is an oasis in the suburban tangle
    - Beaverton Creek Wetlands connects to it with a trail
    - Fanno Creek Trail connects Beaverton to Tigard
    - Thanksgiving Day 2007 Photos of Tualatin Hills Nature Park
  - Vancouver, Washington was the first English speaking community in the region
    - Fort Vancouver is the most popular tourist attraction here
    - Document Preservation is something you can watch in progress at the fort
    - Vancouver Lake Park is a popular destination in the summer months
    - Vancouver Waterfront Trail runs along the Columbia River
  - Troutdale is the last community to the east of Portland before the Columbia Gorge starts
  - Champoeg State Park is on the southern end of the Portland area
  - Eastmoreland is a small neighborhood on the south side of downtown Portland.
    - Reed College Canyon is a state wildlife refuge in the middle of a college campus
    - Rhododendron Gardens are at their peak in May
From Portland, Oregon, that's all for now!

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Travel to Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon itself:

From Portland, Oregon, that's all for now!