- Portland Waterfront – A mile stroll between the Hawthorne and Steel bridges
- Rose Garden – Rose test garden, may or may not be terribly exciting by September
Japanese Gardens –Beautiful gardens year round, pretty view of downtown– closed for renovations September – March 2016 =(- Chinese Garden – Walled garden in the heart of the city
- Forest Park – Hiking trails within the city. North America’s largest park.
- Hoyt Arboretum – Part of Forest park
- Gorge / Waterfalls – Spend a wonderful afternoon amongst some of Oregon’s most beautiful scenery. An hour drive, but completely worth it. Take I-84E then the historic highway east.
Sites
Places to visit
Shopping
- Guardian Games – Favorite local game store
- Powell’s City of Books – Only required destination
- Saturday Market – Handcrafted items under the Burnside bridge, Sundays too (don’t get it confused with the Skidmore Market across the MAX line!)
- Pearl district – Many shops around Powell’s
- NW 23rd St – Lots of small shops
- Pioneer Place – Downtown mall
- Farmer’s Market (PSU) – Saturdays 8:30 – 2:00
Cultural-ish Places
- Pioneer Square Plaza
- Portland Art Museum
- Oregon Historic Society
- Oregon Rail Heritage Society
- Pittock Mansion – Amazing views of the city.