Did you know that there are 22 places in the States that have the name of Portland? So for instance, if you are looking for a Portland restaurant CT, that means you are talking of Portland Connecticut; hours away from a Portland restaurant downtown in Portland Oregon! Portland in Oregon is Oregon’s biggest city, lying south of Vancouver, on the Willamette River. In the distance, you won’t be able to help to notice the magnificent Mount Hood in the background.
It’s a real “computer” city
Portland has many high-tech industries which form a major part of the economy. Portland is all about electronics manufacture, computer services, software development, measuring instruments, aerospace equipment, and much more. One American engineer from Portland, Douglas Engelbart [1], invented the computer mouse at the Augmentation Research Center Lab. Plus he was in charge of computer projects such as the creation of hypertext, graphical user interfaces, and networked computers!
Even though Portland sounds high-tech and industrious, it is still a heavily forested city with plenty of parklands. You have the International Rose Test Garden [2] which was established in 1917. It boasts hundreds of different rose varieties in beautiful cultivated gardens. You won’t want to miss the exquisite Portland Japanese Gardens either.
Home to many festivals
Portland has an annual highly-acclaimed Rose Festival every June. Every July they have a Waterfront Blues Festival as well as a Brewers Festival. After all, the Willamette River valley is a very scenic wine-producing region. One huge festival that people don’t want to miss is the annual UFO Festival in McMinnville. The next one is in May 2022. Plan your visit now. Fly into Portland International Airport, book a perfect venue such as the Mcmenamins Portland Hotel, and have a blast at this epic celebration! Other glam hotels might be a bit further away, but they still also offer what it takes; one such one close to the airport, for convenience, is this Courtyard Portland hotel. Being a bit further away will allow you to explore the natural beauty and other fantastic places that Portland has to offer.
Here are some top attractions offered to you from Portland:
Tom McCall Waterfront Park
Tom McCall Waterfront Park is situated along the Willamette River and is voted as one of the USA’s best public spaces. There are plenty of outdoor activities and if you’re looking for a Portland restaurant on the water, here you will find plenty to complete a splendid day.
Oregon Zoo
This magnificent zoo is found in the west hills of Oregon. There are fantastic opportunities to fall in love with nature and feel far away from the city. A real educational experience awaits you with fascinating themes such as the African Savanna, Amazon Flooded Forest, African Rainforest, and Elephant Lands, to name a few.
Lan Su Chinese Garden
Find respite if you are going to be having a very busy time in Portland in this all-year-round wonder. It boasts temples, intricate walkways, open colonnades, and pavilions. There’s a man-made lake called Zither Lake which feels like an oasis. Relax with a cup of tea at a Tao of Tea teahouse to end a beautiful day.
Portland Saturday Market
Time your stay in Portland so you can experience a Saturday or Sunday to sample local goods at the Saturday Market. You’ also find great souvenirs and gifts to take home with you.
Pittock Mansion
The Pittock Mansion looks like the cover of an exciting mystery novel; a place of wonder to explore. It is situated in the West Hills of Portland. It has also appeared in movies, this unique house – movies such as First Love and Unhinged. Due to its prime position, it is the ideal place for bird watching as well.
Powell’s City of Books
Don’t leave Portland before a visit to this never-a-dull-moment experience offered to you by Powell’s City of Books. Simply put, it’s a book lover’s paradise and home to the largest array of new and used books in the city. Just cruise the aisles, sip some coffee, and whittle away the hours digging into pages of adventure, fun, and knowledge!
Thanks to William Overton and Asa Lovejoy, you have beautiful Portland
Thanks to these two business partners [3], who beached their canoe years back on the banks of the Willamettte River, and who filed their claim to land on the west banks. Portland received its name in 1845, apparently by the toss of coin. By 1851, the city was incorporated. In 1905, Portland was known as “The City of Roses.” [4] This name was given in 1905 because Portland was noted to have the ideal climate for growing roses. No wonder – these two were struck by the beauty of this area, surrounded by mountains and the timber-rich area. They thought, correctly, that this area would make a very picturesque setting for a new town – Portland.
References
[1] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Douglas-Engelbart
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Rose_Test_Garden