The city's vibe has the coolness of Chicago mixed with the friendly, low key hospitality of Nashville. Portland Oregon is known as "The City of Roses" but should be called "The City of Trees." This treasure of the Pacific Northwest is laced with big, beautiful 100-year-pines throughout, although the roses also have a great presence and only adds to the beauty of the City.
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| Make sure to bring your rain coat. No one uses umbrellas in Portland but it can rain at any given moment. |
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| A pink rose at the International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park |
Because the Portland area has a law that prohibits development outside the city, their is no urban sprawl and you can go from urban to mountainous countryside in 5 minutes. These are just a few of the beauts I got while visiting the ever famous "Gorge" of the Columbia River.
What makes Portland a great place to visit is not just the beautiful landscape but the people. I noticed that everyone has a general positive and down-to-earth disposition, but then again how could you remain stressed being surrounded by such a calming and natural atmosphere? Filled with environmentally conscious bikers and earth friendly folks, even the fast food places have a waste disposal system of three buckets entitled "recycling," "compost," and "landfill." My personal favorite was to visit the ever famous Hawthorne Village and people watch the "Hipsters." Everyone dresses like they're an artist and their body is their canvas.
Not to mention the beer. No not beer, but BEER! Like "wow, that is really good freakin' beer." The microbreweries cater to such a refined taste that I don't think I could ever drink a bud light again. My personal favorite was Rogue, which is a dark porter that had just the right mix of mildness and flavor.
