Destination:
Oregon

International Rose Test Garden

The foremost of Portland's famed rose gardens, the International Rose Test Garden was founded in 1917 during World War I, when hybridists sent roses from around the world to keep them safe from the bombing in Europe. Since then the garden has served as a testing ground for new varieties. The 7,700 rose bushes, representing 550 varieties, are enhanced by fountains, paths and statues, with free tours offered by trained volunteers. Highlights of the garden are the award-winning miniature roses planted along the centre aisle, the Shakespeare Garden in the southeast corner, and the Frank L Beach Memorial Fountain, designed and built by local artist Lee Kelly.

Oregon Zoo

The award-winning Oregon Zoo is the oldest zoo west of the Mississippi, founded in 1887. It covers 64 acres and is home to a vast variety of animals, including Asian elephants, Peruvian penguins and Arctic polar bears. All are housed in their natural habitats, and the zoo is also an internationally recognised centre for wildlife preservation and research. Combined with a programme of summer concerts, a variety of seasonal events and an olde worlde railway ride which connects to Washington Park, the zoo is Portland's favourite attraction, drawing around a million visitors a year.

Lan Su Chinese Garden

Named the 'Garden of Awakening Orchids', this walled classic garden in Portland's Chinatown is a replica of traditional gardens found in Suzhou, Portland's sister city in China. It combines the elements of water, stone, architecture, literature and plants to create balance and harmony. The garden is both a living museum of flora and fauna and a cultural heritage garden. The classical tea house in the evocatively named Tower of Cosmic Reflections offers a tactile experience of the art and culture of Chinese tea.

Pearl District

The trendiest neighbourhood in downtown Portland, the Pearl District is the place to see and be seen. Old warehouses have been turned into desirable loft residences and the streets are lined with restaurants, cafes, wine bars, upmarket shops and art galleries. Gallery walks are held on the first Thursday of each month. 'The Pearl' is also home to Portland's iconic Powell's Bookstore - arguably one of the finest in the entire country. The Pearl District is well worth a visit, especially for those interested in urban renewal and sustainable redevelopment.

Museum of Science and Industry

The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry is a feast of fun for young and old. It includes fascinating permanent exhibits dealing with maths, science and technology, and laboratories where children can undertake science experiments. The complex also contains a planetarium (one of the most technologically advanced in the country), the Omnimax theatre and the submarine USS Blueback, which featured in the popular movie, 'Hunt for Red October'. The museum also hosts a plethora of interesting temporary exhibitions.

Cannon Beach

Cannon Beach is Oregon's most famous and popular coastline among Portland tourists. The beach is dominated by Haystack Rock, a 235-foot (71m) steep formation that can be walked to in low tide. The first tourist to the beach was William Clark, during the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1805. The same nine miles (14.5km) of sandy beach, beautiful hiking trails, and tidal pools filled with sea life are there for new explorers to discover. A touristy beach town gives present day visitors quaint hotels, cottages and restaurants.

Mt Hood

Mount Hood Meadows, 67 miles (108 km) east of Portland, is one of the largest ski resorts in Oregon. It has both alpine and nordic ski areas and offers night skiing. Its position on the sunny, wind-protected east side of Mt. Hood gives Mt Hood of the best snow in the Pacific Northwest. There is no accommodation in the resort itself although many nearby hotels and lodges offer shuttles to the slopes. The scenery over the snow-dusted Central Cascade Range is magnificent, reason enough to pause between runs.

Eugene, Oregon

As you'd expect from a city with a memorial statue of 'Merry Prankster' Ken Kesey in its downtown area, Eugene is an offbeat place, full of people - from original hippies to new-age hipsters - seeking out alternative lifestyles. Home to the University of Oregon, and once proudly calling itself the 'World's Greatest City for the Arts and Outdoors', Eugene has since toned down that claim, and is now simply known as a 'Great City for the Arts and Outdoors'. Despite its modest size (about 140,000 permanent residents), Eugene does indeed have a thriving arts community, and lots of outdoor sports opportunities are available to visitors (running, cycling, rafting and kayaking are especially popular). Eugene is also home to an eclectic assortment of self-proclaimed political activists, from your run-of-the-mill 'green-niks' to your 'anarcho-primitivists' - and no matter what one ends up actually doingin Eugene, visitors are sure to have a great time in what is surely one of the most self-consciously progressive cities in America. There are plenty of art museums to be visited in Eugene, and the region is also famous for its wineries (some of them, just a short but scenic drive away). Visitors are strongly encouraged to walk the streets of the city and to chat to some of the uniformly-interesting locals, before enjoying the vibrant night-life that's on offer. Just remember to go easy on the Kool-Aid...

Hoyt Arboretum

The Hoyt Arboretum, located within Washington Park and about two miles west of downtown Portland, is home to an outstanding collection of rare and exotic tree species. The 187-acre arboretum is nothing less than a 'living laboratory', and boasts more than 10,000 individual trees and shrubs, from more than 1,100 different species - including a few specimens of Dawn Redwood, a tree which was thought for many years to be extinct. The trees are arranged by taxonomy and geography, and are labelled so that visitors can learn more about the ones they find particularly memorable (although volunteer tour guides may also be engaged). The arboretum consists of 12 miles (about 19 km) of walking trails, a visitor's centre that is open six days a week, an enormous picnic shelter, and a meadow. Visitors of all ages will enjoy spending time in this 'urban oasis' on the banks of the Willamette River.