Located just south of the state of Washington is Portland, Oregon. Although this is a heavily populated metropolitan area, Oregon has more than its share of parks and gardens for you to enjoy. There are lots of activities to entertain you with in Oregon, whether its the spending time in the Japanese garden when the weather is good, or strolling through a local museum, you will be pleasantly surprised.After engaging your adt security system, you can head to the Portland Farmers Market, where the produce is always fresh and the conversation very lively. With a carnival like atmosphere, the Portland Saturday market offers you anything from arts and craft,s to games for adults and kids alike. Check out the popular Oregon zoo,where the animals can range from the Black Bear to the Bald Eagle to the Green Anaconda. Prices are very reasonable and it is recommended for all ages.The Pittock Mansion is another favorite among visitors to Oregon and with so much history about the pioneers of this state, this is an opportunity that should not be missed. Make sure you stop by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, where science comes alive in about five different halls. Children under seventeen are admitted free.

The Columbia River offers excellent sturgeon fishing with several varieties of sturgeon. Whether you are lookinf for white sturgeon, green sturgeon, trophy sturgeon, or keeper sturgeon you can find them all at the Columbia River in Oregon. The sturgeon run from February to July, with the later months being the best for a good size fish. From May through July you can find sturgeon in waters as shallow as 7 feet, and this makes for a spectacular sight. Especially since there is no way for the Read the rest of this entry »

When searching for things to do in the Pacific Northwest, you can’t pass up the opportunity to fish for King salmon in the Columbia River. The Columbia River runs the border of Oregon and Washington and boasts some of the best sport fishing in the world. One of the most popular fish in this region is the King salmon. The King salmon can be a large fish. They can be found up to 60 pounds in the Columbia River.

It is important to be informed before Read the rest of this entry »

When you are ready to drop a line in the Columbia River, first take into account things such as tempurate, tide, storm patterns and fish habits. Looking at and understanding these variables are key to a successful fishing venture. The Columbia is great for steelhead, sturgeon, chinook, kokanee, and shad. Whatever your fishing pleasure, you are sure to find it here.

The best time of day to fish is in the early to mid-morning hours or in late afternoon to early evening. The sun has not generated a large amount of heat at these times, and the waters are cooler Read the rest of this entry »

It’s doubtful that any independent donut shop could compete with Portland’s Voodoo Doughnut shops in terms of popularity. Furthermore, even most chains haven’t achieved the same sort of pop-culture recognition that Voodoo Doughnut has. Featured in shows like Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, Man v. Food, and Attack of the Show, Voodoo Doughnut was also featured as a destination in The Amazing Race and even made an appearance on The Simpsons 20^th Anniversary Special In 3-D! On Ice! But just what is it that makes the Voodoo Doughnut shop so special? Before even getting to the menu, one answer might be the pride that Portlanders take in it. Mayor Tom Potter made the Portland Cream (a Bavarian-cream-filled donut with chocolate frosting and two eyes) the “Official City Doughnut” in 2008, and thanked the owners for providing jobs and pride to Portlanders. Another unique feature is the alternative service Voodoo Doughnut offers: legal weddings. If you’ve ever wanted to tie the knot with a donut party for reception, this is probably your best bet. Read the rest of this entry »

Aesthetic tastes have changed over the decades, but for more than 100 years, one thing has remained constant in Portland’s art world: the Portland Art Museum. Founded in 1982, it is the oldest museum on the West Coast and the 7^th oldest across America. Not content with just one record, the Museum also stands at 240,000 square feet as one of the 25 largest art museums in America.Beginning with an exhibition of casts of Greek and Roman sculptures, the museum added a painting by Childe Hassam in 1908 and hosted an exhibition of modern art by painters like Cezanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, and others in 1913. This helped set a standard for the museum’s exhibitions: introducing modern artists in the prime of their work. One of the museum’s current exhibitions, “The Bible Illuminated: R. Crumb’s Book of Genesis” is centered around alternative comic artist R. Crumb’s re-imagining of the first book of the Bible. Read the rest of this entry »

Spread out across its 145.4 square miles, Portland has a little something for everyone. Environmental activists, punk rockers, and families all coexist within the city, often combining into smaller communities. Overall, there are 95 official neighborhoods in the city, which are organized by the Office of Neighborhood Involvement. Depending on what you’re looking for, you’ll find your match within one of these communities.The neighborhoods are divided up into larger groups, which differ depending on whether you go by the ONI’s official divisions or a more casual system. For simplicity’s sake, you can look at Portland as divided into five sections: Southwest, Northwest, North, Northeast, and Southeast. Read the rest of this entry »

There are plenty of reasons to get married in Portland, even if you’re not a local. As the “greenest city in America,” there’ll be plenty of fresh air for your guests. With a thriving music and culture scene, your guests will have a fine time enjoying themselves after the festivities are over. Perhaps the best recommendation for a wedding in Portland, however, is that Charlotte’s Weddings and More will be there to help you out. Read the rest of this entry »

Portland has always been known for its close communities, gathered around the things they love. The two mile stretch of NE Ainsworth Street between NE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Fernhill Park is no exception. On this street, you’ll find the NE Ainsworth Linear Arboretum, a one-of-a-kind “natural museum” made up of residents’ yards as well as city streets. The arboretum contains 60 different species of trees, and a lot of personal passion.In honor of Portland’s environmental consciousness, we recommend you take a stroll down the blocks rather than drive. That’s the only way to get the full experience that the Arboretum volunteersmostly members of Portland’s Friends of Trees initiativefirst envisioned five years ago. Nature and the city are not separated within the arboretum. Instead, numerous street trees provide shelter and beauty to the joggers, families, public transportation, and whatever else happens to be traveling down Ainsworth at the time. Read the rest of this entry »