Top 5 Activities To Do When Visiting Portland Oregon
Portland is Oregon’s largest city and is located in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. The city is full of intriguing and fun activities to do and interesting places to visit, ranging from outdoor activities to museums, and much more. The following are 5 of the top activities to do when visiting Portland, Oregon.
1. Washington Park
There are several tourist attractions located inside of Washington Park, including the International Rose Test Garden, Portland Japanese Garden, Hoyt Arboretum, World Forestry Center, Portland Children’s Museum, and Oregon Zoo. The city purchased this former wildland in 1871. Located west of Portland’s city center, visitors can spend the entire day strolling through beautiful gardens and the other outstanding attractions at this park.
2. Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area
The state border between Oregon and Washington is marked by the Columbia River. The length of this river offers an incredible sightseeing area that is perfect for enjoying outdoor activities and leisurely scenic drives. The Columbia River Gorge scenic is a perfect destination for a day trip from Portland. It is comprised of 292,500 acres along the Columbia River. The trip includes hiking trails any many viewpoints. Viewing and photographing the impressive waterfalls is a favorite activity of visitors, including the majestic Multnomah Falls, Latourell Falls, and Oneonta Gorge.
3. Powell’s City of Books
Powell’s City of Books is the world’s largest independent bookstore. In addition to its main location on West Burnside Street in Portland’s Pearl District, Powell’s also has several satellite locations in the area as well. The West Burnside store takes up an entire city block and houses more than 2 million books in its three-story building.
4. Lan Su Chinese Garden
This beautiful Chinese Garden first opened in 2000 to help highlight Chinese history and culture after the city of Portland developed its relationship with Suzhou, China as a sister city. The tranquil gardens blend a lake, gardens, trees, plants, and rocks in a 40,000 square feet area, that takes up about one city block right in the heart of Portland. Artisans came all the way from Suzhou, China to build traditional-style walkways and traditional buildings. Native plants from China were imported as well. There is also a beautiful tea house to complete the garden.
5. Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
Portland’s OMSI complex is comprised of educational hands-on displays, a U.S. Navy submarine, a planetarium, and a theater with a four-story screen. The galleries include many entertaining, colorful and educational exhibits, including ones that are geared for young children. There are also many interactive and hands-on displays for every age. Some of the many fields that are covered by the exhibits include technology, engineering, chemistry, health, and the environment. The USS Blueback is docked right out of the OMSI. It is a non-nuclear submarine that was used for more than 30 years. The film Hunter Red October featured the submarine. There is a guided tour available for the USS Blueback for visitors to enjoy.
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Top 5 Places To Visit In Portland, Oregon