Portland sits on the Columbia River in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. It´s everything a Pacific Northwest city should be: compact and walkable, friendly, scenic, and green – in more ways than one. The city of Portland boasts more public parks than any other US city and it´s been voted the most environmentally friendly city in the country, pushing forth “green” initiatives like recycling and sustainability. Public transportation is efficient and inexpensive and more people commute by bicycle in Portland than in any other city.

Shopping opportunities abound, made all the more enticing by that fact that Portland has no sales tax. There are several theatre and ballet companies in Portland, like the Oregon Symphony, Northwest Classical Theatre Company, and the Oregon Ballet.

Beer is a very important part of Portland culture. There are nearly 30 breweries within the city limits, many of which offer tours and tastings or are part of brewery-pub that also serves food. McMenamin´s is a popular local chain that renovates run-down historic buildings and turns them into charming, inexpensive brew-pubs and hotel-resorts. Portland is also host to several notable beer festivals, like the Oregon Brewer´s Festival in July. Portland cuisine reflects the city´s love of nature and of sustainable practices. All-natural and organic foods are very popular, and the city is considered to the most vegetarian-friendly in the US.

Links –
Parks - http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/
Symphony - http://www.orsymphony.org/
Theatre - http://www.nwctc.org/
Ballet - http://www.obt.org/
Mcmenamin´s - http://www.mcmenamins.com/
Oregon Brew Fest - http://www.oregonbrewfest.com/