Portland is a fantastic city. From the free travel on the city trams to the second to none efficiency at the airport. City wide wi-fi, fast check-in, free water on the streets, terminals that are actually beside each other at then airport, no sales tax. It’s no surprise that this city has such a high number of millennial inhabitants.

I arrived 3 horrible flights later  from Columbus after the storms on Friday night. I met a lady getting off the plane in Portland that had left Columbus at 7.30PM. I had left at 12.20PM and some how managed to arrive at the same time. The journey to my Red Lion hotel was quick.

When I woke up on Saturday I headed into town to do the tourist thing. I walked the two miles back to the airport to get a feel for the place.  Unlike much of the USA Portland caters for pedestrians and cyclists above road users. There is loads of sidewalks. I walked around the streets. What a great city for walking, one end to another in 15 minutes and because this is the USA you cant get lost in the city because of the block system. I did it hard to get my sense of direction for the first few hours put soon enough I could give a tour of the neighborhoods.

Like Columbus there is not too much to do at the weekend. Much of the food outlets are closed. I found the really nice Portland Saturday market to walk around and had a great lunch at Whole foods. I did a tour of the city’s infamous music halls. I then went and did the not to be missed aerial tram. Other  highlights were the walk around china town, walk across Portlands 12 bridges.

Portland is the city for skaters and roller blades. I’m almost certain this is where the culture came from. Every kid here seems to have tatoos and an attitude. It’s a very edgey raw city. The kind of place I would love to live in my early 20′s. Sunday was a marked contrast to Saturday. I left the city (Actually got the train ten mins away) and went to to the Oregon Zoo, Washington Park, Japanese and Rose Gardens. A 5 mile hike in some beautiful locations. Portland has parks everywhere and with a winter climate that is similar to Ireland it has some very lush greens.

Both day’s I did allot of walking. Sunday was probably the best. I had lunch (pizza) in old town pizza. A fantastic pizza venue that is meant to be haunted by an early 1900′s white slave girl “ladyof the night”. This old town area is the original Portland that got replaced by Chinatown over the years. It has a series of underground tunnels for bringing goods from the docks to the then new Downtown area. The tunnels faciliated the largest white slave trade operation in the USA in the early part of the 20th century. I also saw most of the minor league clippers game for free from the on street viewing gallery. You pay for a seat here but can see the game for free.

In 1980 Portland was shook by a massive earthquake at Mt Saint Helen. Both Helen and Hood tower above the city. Snow capped all year they really add to the amazing backdrop that is the Portland metro area. I didn’t get to Vancouver DC which is just over the river in Washington state this time out. Leaving Portland now, sure to return at some point. I’m glad I came here. I didn’t get to see any music because the red line stops at 11 each night. If I come again I’ll stay within walking distance of downtown.

I’ve seen allot but not all this great city has to offer. And did I mention the no sales tax thing. Portland is the cheapest city in the US I’ve been in.