Portland, OR

Continuing the Meme around Portland post from earlier, here are some more of my own opinions - but remember - TELL me about your favorites, too! Tell me what you think I should check out!

Best Land Mark: Uhm, a Portland landmark that is my favorite? Pittock Mansion. Not only do I love being up in the West Hills just to look at at things, I love being a photographer and going up to Pittock Mansion. If you haven’t been up there, and have the chance, you definitely need to check it out! Oooh, on top of everything though, the bridges are fantastic! FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!!!

Entertaining The Kids: My favorite thing to do with children in Portland is take them to the zoo and the Children’s Museum. Both offer year-round events for the kids, and are adult-friendly enough that we don’t feel the need to spork our eyes out repeatedly (or as repeatedly as you can spork eyes out). The lights done at the zoo are quite fun, and while you might freeze your buns off, it’s worth it!

Popular Outdoor Activity: Running, walking, hiking, biking, skateboarding, rollerblading (yes, I still see people rolling by on those things!), scootering, segwaying, sitting on the curb, eating lunch on a patio. There are tons of outdoor activities to do in Portland!

Breathtaking Views: A breathtaking view in Portland? Open your eyes. Look to the East, you’ll see the Cascade range leading you towards the Coast. Look towards the West; you’ll see Mt. Hood, Mount St. Helens and on a clear day, you might even see Mt. Adams. Look in the morning and see the sunrise over the mountains, and then in the evening, watch it set over the other mountains. Go out late at night and see the lights sparkle all around you. Drive over the bridges late into the night and look at the lights all around you. (I wonder, on a light-type-scale, how Portland rates among night lights compared to other cities.) Look at the river (but please don’t get in), look at the old architecture, look at all the new architecture. Just open your eyes in Portland and (whether positively or negatively) let your breath be taken away!