Portland
Chuck Darrow
Thanks, in no small part, to the cult hit “Portlandia” on the IFC cable outlet, Portland, Ore. has earned a reputation as an alternative universe where nose-pierced and tattooed, flannel-shirt-clad, aioli-guzzling denizens spend their lives in skate parks and alt-lifestyle book stores. And while there is certainly more than a kernel of truth in the stereotype of the place “where young people go to retire” (per a song from the premiere episode of “Portlandia”), visitors will find a vibrant, and yes, quirky, destination that offers a wide palette of attractions and activities that can fill multiple days.
Getting to Portland from Philadelphia will be especially easy this summer, as Alaska Air recently initiated the first non-stop service, which will be in effect through Aug. 26 (for more information, go to www.alaskaair.com or talk to a AAA Travel Consultant).
Below is a surface-scratching look at some of the many things to see and do in “PDX” (the city’s ubiquitous nickname derived from the designation of Portland International Airport):
History on Display
Unlike Philadelphia, Boston or New York City, Oregon, which became a state in 1859, didn’t play a crucial role in the nation’s founding, but it nonetheless has an interesting and often-colorful past. The Oregon Historical Society documents the state’s story with an emphasis on the indigenous people and immigrants who helped build Portland and Oregon, and the natural resources (timber, fish, nickel) that sustained it. Through Nov. 12, the repository is hosting “High Hopes: The Journey of John F. Kennedy.” It’s a tribute to the 35th president with an emphasis on his relation to the state. While some artifacts are reproductions, there are dozens of authentic items including letters sent by and to JFK and such humanizing details as the late president’s portable typewriter and a handwritten, itemized list of her wardrobe written by Jackie Kennedy as she prepared to exit the White House.
1200 SW Park Ave; www.ohs.org.
Gardens of Earthly Delights
Portland is universally ranked among the most scenic of American cities for its tree-lined streetscapes and numerous public green spaces. Two horticultural attractions are particularly noteworthy.
The 40-year-old, landmark Japanese Garden recently underwent a $33.5 million renovation/expansion project that added some 33 percent more land to the existing 9.1 acres. Its hilly trails (shuttle buses are available for those to whom the climb could be challenging) take visitors through a gorgeous landscape of exotic trees, bushes, flowers and shrubbery, waterfalls and stocked ponds and buildings including a tea café and a venue for Kabuki theater performances and art exhibits. One can easily spend the better part of a day here.
