| Reasons why Portland is cool.... How it got its name: Two pioneers, Amos Lovejoy from Boston, Massachusetts and Francis Pettigrove from Portland, Maine, both wanted to name their discovery at the end of the Oregon Trail after their home towns. They flipped a coin, and Portland won. If Amos had won, we'd be Boston, Oregon. Hmm. 38.5 miles of light rail, 2.4 miles of streetcar, 219 miles of bike paths. Portland is the first city in the nation to build a modern streetcar line. Powell's City of Books, the largest independent bookstore in the world. Housing more than a million volumes, Powell's occupies an entire city block and boasts the world's only three-door elevator. The nation's largest urban wilderness, the nearly 5,000-acre Forest Park. The world's smallest dedicated park, 24-inch Mill Ends Park (SW Front & Taylor) Within the metro area are 37,000 acres of parks and green spaces that include sizeable chunks of prime downtown real estate Mt. Hood is the second most climbed mountain in the world, second only to Japan�s Mt. Fujiyama. Bicycling magazine's No. 1 bicycling city in America (No. 2 in North America, 1999). The Portland Saturday Market:the largest open-air crafts market in the U.S., with some 275 artists and craftsmen.offers food, drinks, jugglers, storytellers and other street entertainers. All free. The Steel Bridge: one of the only known dual-lift bridges in the world.That is, the lower deck (Amtrak and freight trains) can be lifted independently of the upper deck (MAX, automobiles) to allow some clearance. Skateboarding is an officially legal way to commute Portland has more microbreweries and brew pubs than any other U.S. city. Footbag, also known by the brand name Hacky-sack, is said to have originated in Oregon City, just outside Portland, in 1972. The eclectic David Morrison Books, possibly the nation's only drive-through book store. Per capita, Portland is No. 2 among U.S. cities in usage of public libraries. An average of 3,000 people visit the Multnomah County Central Library each day. 1989: Tri-Met was named "America's Best Large Transit Agency" by American Public Transit Association |
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| Some shots ofBelow: Some shots of the nearby beauiful Oregon coast. Just over an hour from Portland. |
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| Below: Downtown Portland |
| Outside Links... Interesting names and places in Oregon 50 Oregon Facts |
| Related Info - Reasons why Portland is cool What others are saying... IN THE MEDIA A great link!! Click HERE |