Get out of the office! Take the family, grab some friends, and explore the wonderful things Portland has to offer.
Gardens & Tours
Movie Theaters
Museums
Outdoors
Sports & Entertainment
Volunteering
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden
SE 28th Ave. & Woodstock Blvd.
503-771-8386
April 1 - Sept. 30: 6am - 10pm
Oct. 1 - March 31: 6am - 6pm
More information here
Crystal Springs is a lovely place to stroll at any time of year. It is particularly striking, though, in the early spring through mid-summer, when the 2500+ rhododendrons and other flowering plants provide a riot of color to accent the beautiful landscaping and water features. -Emily
Portland Classical Chinese Garden
NW 3rd & NW Everett
503-228-8131
Nov 1 - March 31: 10 am - 5pm
April 1 - Oct 31: 9am - 6pm
www.portlandchinesegarden.org
The Chinese Garden in downtown Portland is an authentic Suzhou-style garden, designed as an oasis of harmony in the middle of the city as well as an educational opportunity. Sit back and enjoy a cup of tea while taking in the view.
Portland Japanese Garden
503-223-1321
Oct. 1 - March 31: Tue-Sun 10am - 4pm, Mon 12pm - 4pm
April 1 - Sept. 30: Tue-Sun 10am - 7pm, Mon 12pm - 7pm
www.japanesegarden.com
The Japanese garden is located in the West Hills, overlooking downtown, with views of Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens. It is made up of five separate kinds of gardens. One follows a meandering path through the garden that seems to generate relaxation and reflection. It's a relaxing place to wander around and enjoy another person's company.
Portland Walking Tours
503-774-4522
www.portlandwalkingtours.com
PWT offers a wide variety of walking tours. Some focus on specific Portland neighborhoods, while others specialize in a given element of Portland life (food, architecture, bridges, parks, etc.). Buy tickets online or call to reserve a space. -Emily
Oregon Garden
503-874-8100
May - Sept.: 10am - 6pm
Oct. - April: 10am - 4pm
www.oregongarden.org
Located in the charming rural burg of Silverton, the Oregon Garden is worth the 45-minute drive out of the city. Wander among the 25 specialty gardens (I think the Sensory Garden and Water Garden are particularly nice), all with gorgeous landscaping that invites you to explore just around the next corner. An extra bonus: Silverton's rural setting means that the Oregon Garden is much less crowded than its urban counterparts. -Emily
Oregon Zoo
In Washington Park, off Highway 26
Sept. 16 - April 14: 9am - 4pm
April 15 - Sept. 15: 9am - 6pm
www.oregonzoo.org
Particularly well-known for their work breeding Asian elephans in captivity (the bull elephant Packy, born at the Zoo in 1962, has become a Portland icon), the Oregon Zoo offers a wide variety of informative exhibits on animals ranging from native elk and salmon to African gazelles and - my personal faves - Chilean penguins. -Emily
Bagdad Theater
3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
(503) 236-9234
Showtimes here
One of the outposts of the local McMenamins empire, the Bagdad is a beautiful second-run theater that hearkens back to Hollywood's golden era with a period, Mediterranean feel. See a film for only $3, and enjoy a pint of ale and a slice of pizza while you watch. Before or after the show, stop by the attached pub for a casual meal. The Bagdad is 21+.
Cinema 21
616 NW 21st Ave.
503-223-4515
www.cinema21.com
Cinema 21 is an independent movie theater in NW, showing everything from indie art films, to the Animation Show, to old movies starring Errol Flynn. Films run for a short period of time, so check the web site frequently for show times, or subscribe to the e-mail reminder system.
Hollywood Theatre
4122 NE Sandy Blvd. (at intersection with Broadway)
503-281-4215
www.hollywoodtheatre.org
The Hollywood Theatre is housed in a vintage gem of a building, and shows an eclectic selection of foreign films, documentaries, cult classics and treasures of Old Hollywood. Current showtimes and other information is available on their website.
Laurelhurst Theater
2735 E Burnside St.
503-238-4088
www.laurelhursttheater.com
The Laurelhurst is another popular, affordable second-run theater, this one 21+ after 4 p.m., serving delicious local microbrews, wine and Pizzicato pizza. Even if it weren't for the great food options, the prospect of seeing a movie without chatty teenagers is enough to appeal to me. - Beth 2
Portland Children's Museum
4015 SW Canyon Rd.
503-223-6500
Tuesday-Saturday 9-5, Sunday 11-5. Closed Mondays.
www.portlandcm.org
The Portland Children’s Museum has a clay studio, hosts local children’s musicians (with snacks!), performs puppet theater, holds sing-a-longs, and generally focuses on creativity and education. Through January 15th, the museum has the exhibit “Five Friends from Japan,” where children ages 5-10 can explore contemporary and traditional Japanese culture.
OMSI
1945 SE Water Ave.
Tuesday-Sunday, 9:30-5:30; Closed Mondays
www.omsi.edu
OMSI houses more than just the Orgeon Museum of Science and Industry. You can also watch a documentary or a movie at the OMNIMAX, shop around the Science Store, check out the planetarium or take a tour on the USS Blueback submarine.
Oregon Jewish Museum
310 NW Davis St.
503-226-3600
Tuesday-Friday 11-2 p.m., Sunday 1-4 p.m. Closed Mondays and Saturdays.
http://www.ojm.org
The Oregon Jewish Museum’s goal is to “preserve, research, and exhibit the art and artifacts of the Jewish experience in this area.” (from web site) The museum houses five permanent collections and rotating exhibits. Through January 2007, the museum will show “One World, One People,” a photography exhibit by photographer Arnold Newman.
Oregon Zoo
In Washington Park, off Highway 26
Sept. 16 - April 14: 9am - 4pm; April 15 - Sept. 15: 9am - 6pm
www.oregonzoo.org
Particularly well-known for their work breeding Asian elephans in captivity (the bull elephant Packy, born at the Zoo in 1962, has become a Portland icon), the Oregon Zoo offers a wide range of informative exhibits on animals ranging from native elk and salmon to African gazelles and Amazonian anacondas.
Columbia River Gorge
www.fs.fed.us/r6/columbia/forest
A feast of waterfalls, fern-covered hillsides, sun-dappled river rocks and breathtaking vista views, the Columbia River Gorge offers abundant opportunities for hiking, windsurfing, mountain biking, boating, bird watching, rock climbing, picnicking and more, all within an hour's drive of Portland city center.
Mt. Hood National Forest
www.fs.fed.us/r6/mthood
Although the skiing and mountain climbing are great on Hood, there is much more to this beautiful area than snowboards and crampons. A plethora of campgrounds, miles of trails in all levels of difficulty, over 150 lakes populated by steelhead and rainbow trout, and even a group of natural hot springs all reside within the boundaries of this versatile national forest, an easy day trip from Portland proper.
Sauvie Island
www.sauvieisland.org
Sauvie Island, located north of Portland where the Willamette meets the Columbia, is known as a place to interact with wildlife, chill on the beach, pick your own berries or pumpkins, or ride a bike. In the fall, you shouldn't miss the haunted cornfield maze. The web site outlines things to do on the island.
Washington Park
Website here
Home of the Oregon Zoo, Hoyt Arboretum, Holocaust Memorial, Children's Museum, World Forestry Center, Vietnam Memorial, Japanese Garden and International Rose Test Garden (the oldest of its kind in the United States), as well as tennis courts, an archery range, and miles of hiking trails, Washington Park is a pocket of natural beauty in the middle of the city, and truly offers something for everyone.
EcoTours of Oregon
www.ecotours-of-oregon.com
Can't decide where to go? Sample a bit of everything on an EcoTour! Explore the Columbia River Gorge or the Oregon Coast, visit microbreweries or vineyards, and learn about history, ecology or cheese-making along the way.
Portland Rose Quarter
www.rosequarter.com
This web site is your tool for tickets at the Rose Quarter, where the Trail Blazers, Winter Hawks and LumberJax play. The Rose Quarter also functions as a large concert venue.
PGE Park
1844 SW Morrison St.
www.pgepark.com
PGE Park is home of the Portland Beavers baseball team and the Portland Timbers soccer team, as well as being the home football stadium for Portland State University. A number of other events are held here throughout the year.
City Repair Project
www.cityrepair.org
“An all-volunteer grassroots organization helping people reclaim their urban spaces to create community-oriented places.” This is the group responsible for maintaining the beautiful sunflower intersection at SE 34th & SE Yamhill, off Belmont. They also get involved in community-building projects, supporting SHIFT bike advocacy group and Dignity Village.
Oregon Food Bank
www.oregonfoodbank.org
The OFB is the center of a network of 894 hunger-relief agencies serving all of Oregon and Clark County in Washington. It is dedicated not just to feeding the hungry, but also to eliminating the causes of hunger. The OFB is a great place to volunteer, and you should keep an eye out for their events, like the Cans Film Festival or the Waterfront Blues Festival.
SCRAP - School & Community Reuse Action Project
3901A N Williams (at Williams & Failing)
503-294-0769
Wed-Sat 11-6; Sun noon-5
www.scrapaction.org
SCRAP is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the community about the value of reuse. The organization has an art gallery at Last Thursday, goes into Portland area schools to educate students about reuse, and participates in a number of public education events.
CHAP - Children's Healing Art Project
www.chap.name
CHAP is a project dedicated to helping the "creative health" of children who must spend large amounts of time in hospitals, either because they are ill or because someone they love is. CubeSpace displaying artist Todd Bauer works with them as a senior art guide. CHAP is doing amazing things with art -- check out their beautiful web site (warning: Flash animation) to see what they're up to.
Hands On Portland
www.handsonportland.org
2145 NW Overton
503-413-7787
Hands On Portland is an organization through which you can access a variety of volunteer opportunities around town. Register with them to learn about various ways of donating your time.
Outside In
www.outsidein.org
Outside In works with low-income adults and homeless youth to help them build successful lives, providing educational resources, transitional housing and a medical clinic, among other things.
Loaves and Fishes
www.loavesandfishesonline.org
Loaves and Fishes is the Meals on Wheels program that delivers healthy, nutritious lunches to homehound elderly people. This also provides valuable social contact for folks who otherwise might not have any.
