H eadlines
Portland, Oregon: Worthwhile, Wonderful and Weird
T RAV EL
JEFF AND VIRGINIA ORENSTEIN |
JE FEATURE
Note: For the latest on Portland’s
COVID-19 status, visit travelport-
land.com/attractions/reopening/. Check with specific venues before
you go for the latest news.

P ORT L A N D, OR E G ON ,
officially nicknamed the Rose
City and often called the bridge
city, is one of North America’s
truly unique urban areas.

Located on the Willamette
River where it flows into the
Columbia River, it is Oregon’s
largest city and a center for
architecture and culture that
is known for its livability and
diversity. Because it is a friendly
and well-run city with a pleasant
climate, it is a pleasure to visit.

Portland is a busy inland
seaport that is about 80 miles
from the Pacific Ocean and
is justly renowned for being
bicycle and pedestrian-friendly.

It abounds with public art and
boasts many museums and
parks. There are also many
microbreweries and distilleries.

Even though it has an unoffi-
cial slogan of “Keep Portland
Weird,” there is nothing to fear
for visitors such as yours truly
who are “unweird.” It boasts
“unweird” upscale shopping,
great restaurants, lush gardens,
amazing public transporta-
tion and a deserved reputation
for being progressive, green,
well-planned and tolerant.

While the city’s tolerant
population and government
celebrate the eclectic and even
the weird, they also celebrate
and embrace tourism and civic
virtue. The town’s weirdness is
mostly a good and entertaining
diversion. Before You Go: Do Some
Pre-trip Research at:
• travelportland.com/
• portlandoregon.gov/
• y out u b e .c om /w at c h? v =
oNsEezSXG_w 10
JUNE 24, 2021
Portland is a city of many bridges which carry public transportation,
pedestrians, bikes and cars across its rivers.
Courtesy of Travel Portland
Mount Hood dominates the Portland horizon on clear days and nights.

Courtesy of travelportland.com
Getting There:
Portland is well-served by
highway, train and air.

• By air, Portland International
Airport (PDX) is 10 miles
from downtown. It is served
by 17 airlines and the city’s
light rail.

• By train, arrive at Portland’s
Union Station on Amtrak’s
Cascades from Seattle,
Vancouver or Eugene, or
the Coast Starlight from
Los Angeles or Seattle, or
the Empire Builder from
Chicago and points west.

• By ship, the nearest ocean-
going cruise port is Astoria,
Oregon, 90 miles away.

River cruises depart from
Portland’s Embassy Suites
Airport Hotel.

• By highway, the city is on
Interstate 5 and Interstate 84.

Must-Sees For a Short
Trip: • Downtown shopping and
dining • The Pearl and Waterfront
Districts • Powell’s City of Books
• Portland Farmers Market
• Lan Su Chinese Garden
• Portland Japanese Garden
If You Have Several Days:
• Explore nearby Vancouver,
Washington, just across the
river. • Visit Mount Hood and/or
the Columbia River Gorge.

Portland’s popular and historic
Union Station is a long distance
and local transportation hub heavily
used by residents and visitors alike.

Streetcars and light rail connect
incoming Amtrak passengers to
the city.
Photo by Jeff Orenstein
One of Portland’s two operating steam locomotives, Southern Pacific
4449, frequently pulls passenger trains on local and regional excursions.

Here it is seen at its downtown home at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center.

Photo by Jeff Orenstein
and everything in between is Amazing happy hour.

common around the city. Be
Getting Around: Portland
• Visit wine country in the comfortable.

has fantastic public transpor-
Willamette River Valley.

tation. Use buses, streetcars,
Yummy pinot noirs!
This Destination at a
the aerial tram and/or Max
• Visit the Oregon Rail Glance:
light rail and forget the car.

Heritage Center, home of Mobility Level: Low. The Downtown is also walkable.

the only municipally owned public transportation system
Senior Advantage: Ease of
operating steam locomotives is accessible and the city is mobility and superb museums.

in the U.S. It’s located across walkable.

The pandemic quarantine and
from the Oregon Museum of
When to Go: Year-round. political demonstrations are
Science and Industry.

Rainy winters, summer crowds. history. Portland is a welcoming
Best is spring and fall.

and fascinating place to
Ginny O’s Tips for
Where to Stay: The Embassy visit now.

Suites Downtown Portland.

Special Travel Interests:
Dressing the Simply
Not a typical Embassy Suites, Gardens, bridges and public
Smart Travel Way:
Anything goes, especially this one is a refurbished luxury transportation that works. l
tees, flannel shirts and jeans. hotel dating to 1912. Great
Portland’s reputation for location and the only Embassy Jeffrey and Virginia Orenstein are
being eclectic is accurate. Suites that is a member of The husband and wife travel writers
Business dress to unkempt Historic Hotels of America. from Sarasota, Florida.

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