Run free and live it up in Portland
There’s a reason why Portland and the Willamette Valley is the United States’ top hipster haven.
The best coffee. The most food carts. Top craft breweries. No 1 hipster haven. In a city this open-minded, self-expression is met with a live-and-let-live attitude, and oddballs are free to take up space. From the hippie haunts of Southeast to the upmarket eateries and boutiques of Northwest, there’s a neighbourhood for everyone here.
Powell’s City of Books
Powell’s City of Books is a Portland institution. Occupying five floors and spanning a city block, the iconic retailer is the largest independent bookstore in the country.
Its nine, colour-coded rooms house millions of books on every subject imaginable and, with throngs of people wandering the stacks each day, it’s one of the best places in Portland for peoplewatching. See powells.com.
Craft beer in Southeast Portland
Portland’s ‘‘Beervana’’ nickname is well earned, thanks to some 80 craft breweries in the city limits, more than anywhere else in the world.
The scene has been going strong since the 1980s, leaving beer lovers spoilt for choice.
Advance planning
Three months before: Make reservations at top restaurants; book hotel accommodations.
One month before: Book food tours and classes. Buy tickets for theatre shows, concerts or Trail Blazers games at the Moda Centre, and Timbers or Thorns games at Providence Park.
One week before: Reserve places on walking tours and distillery or brewery tours.
Staying safe: Check safetravel.govt.nz before travelling to stay updated on the latest travel advisories.
Carbon footprint:
Air New Zealand offers flights to Portland via San Francisco, Los Angeles or Vancouver. A return trip for one passenger in economy class flying from Auckland to Portland would generate 1.7 tonnes Co2. To calculate and offset your carbon emissions, head to airnewzealand.co. nz/sustainability-customer-carbon-offset.
You can experience the best of Beervana in the Southeast quadrant’s walkable neighbourhoods, where great tasting rooms, brewpubs and bottle shops abound.
Saturday Market
Established in 1974, the Portland Saturday Market is the longest-running open-air craft market in the United States. From March through Christmas Eve, hundreds of hometown vendors hawk everything under the sun on Saturdays and Sundays. It’s a one-stop shop for picking up handcrafted creations, checking out musical performances and sampling international food-cart fare. See portlandsaturdaymarket.com.
Lan Su Chinese Garden
A tranquil oasis in the bustle of the city, Lan Su Chinese Garden is a wonderful place to reflect among nature and learn about Chinese culture.
Spanning more than 3700 square metres, the authentic Ming Dynasty-style space features koi ponds, seasonal foliage and traditional architecture. Cultural events and demonstrations by community organisations and local experts take place year-round. See lansugarden.org.
Forest Park
Covering more than 2060 hectares on the eastern slope of the Tualatin Mountains is Forest Park, the largest wooded urban park in the US.
Flanking Portland’s West Hills, its 112km network of verdant trails are a great way to witness the grandeur of the Pacific Northwest’s forestlands, without having to leave the city limits. See forestparkconservancy.org.
Washington Park
Tame and well-tended Washington Park contains several attractions within its green 165 hectares. The International Rose Test Garden is the centrepiece for Portland’s famous rose blooms. Further uphill is the Japanese Garden, another oasis of tranquillity.
If you have kids, the Oregon Zoo and Portland Children’s Museum should be on your plan. See washingtonparkpdx.org.
Columbia River Gorge
If you drive east from Portland on I-84 (or on the scenic Historic Columbia River Highway), you will pass high waterfalls and nearly vertical mountain walls that parallel the mighty Columbia.
Hiking trails lead through fern-lined canyons and gushing rivers to grand vistas, while wind sports, mountain-biking and rafting opportunities abound. Wash the adventure down with wine, beer and cider tasting.
Reproduced with permission from the first edition of Lonely Planet’s Pocket Portland & the Willamette Valley guidebook by Celeste Brash and MaSovaida Morgan, published this month, © 2020.