Portland, Oregon City Tour: Parks, Plazas and Views

Itinerary

1. 1
   Director Park 10 minutes

   We’ll pick you up in central downtown Portland at Director Park in one of our roomy vans. We’ll then drive up Portland’s north/south dividing line, pointing out important sites, including some of the city’s bike art, and historical buildings.

2. 2
   Powell's City of Books Pass by

   We’ll pass Powell’s Books, and tell the story behind the biggest independent book store in the world

3. 3
   Pearl District 20 minutes

   Learn about the history of this art and food rich neighborhood. (We do not stop to walk around in this neighborhood)

4. 4
   Pittock Mansion 30 minutes

   Once we reach the summit of King’s Heights, we’ll walk around the grounds of the mansion built by a newspaper baron to the view that was once available only to the city’s elite. It's one of the best places to develop the context by which to experience this city. We'll take photos at the summit overlooking the city. We’ll walk through the mansion’s grounds and back to the van. (We will not visit the inside of the mansion.)

5. 5
   International Rose Test Garden 30 minutes

   We'll learn about the story of the roses here and the rose city; we'll investigate our favorite varieties; we'll take photos and (in season) inhaling the scent of the roses, we'll get into the van for our next stop. (When roses aren't in season, we may make an alternative stop at the Hoyt Arboretum.)

6. 6
   Washington Park 20 minutes

   we will drive into the SW Portland neighborhood of Arlington Heights, on the edge of Washington Park. Here we'll take a walk through our favorite secret garden, and into the International Rose Test Garden, introducing you to the story of the rose city. (When roses aren't in season, we may make an alternative stop at the Hoyt Arboretum.)

7. 7
   South Waterfront Park 30 minutes

   TIME PERMITTING. After this, it's a drive along Portland's South Waterfront and the waterfront park, telling the story of the shining Swiss Alps-style engineering of the Aerial Tram and the development of this brand-new neighborhood and its beautiful, one-of-a-kind Tilikum Crossing bridge.

8. 8
   South Park Blocks 30 minutes

   From here, we'll head back into the city center, driving through what Portland calls the cultural district -- once the literal heart of the city, the center line along which once the merchants and lumber barons lived, and now institutions like the Portland Art Museum, the Oregon Historical Society and Portland State University dominate. It wouldn't be Portland without a stop for doughnuts, so we'll discuss the history of the city's foundation and the design of these blocks after we duck into one of our favorite shops and grab a treat.

9. 9
   Portland Art Museum Pass by

   We will pass by the cultural district

10. 10
    Stop Pass by

    On some days we will visit the south waterfront

11. 11
    Stop Pass by

    We will tell the story of the art heritage of Portland

12. 12
    Stop Pass by

    We'll point out a few great coffee shops in the city

Good to know

• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels