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Portland
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A summer day in Portland is pure bliss. Locals drive with their windows down, soaking up every moment of fresh air and sunshine. With average highs in the 70s, gardens spill over raised beds, the Willamette River glitters as it snakes through the center of town, fir trees dot the greener-than-green surrounding hills and snow-capped volcanic mountains loom on the horizon. The sun won't set until around 9 p.m. (and twilight lingers til 10) so you'll have plenty of time to eat, drink, wander and get weird.
Easy-to-love Portland is the hometown of the legendary chef James Beard—a much-anticipated food hall will soon bear his name—and Matt Groening, who borrowed Portland street names for characters in "The Simpsons." Portland celebrates the eccentric, the outcast and the non-conformist, with a zealous dedication to all things local, small-batch, and indie. It's downright pretty, too, with no shortage of ways to explore: hiking, biking, kayaking, old-fashioned strolling or losing an afternoon at Powell's, the city-block-sized independent bookstore.
Portland Japanese Garden
While cruising around town, you're likely to spot a bumper sticker reading "Keep Portland Weird." Consider this your invitation. Start with the most visible oddity: the Naked Bike Ride, where thousands of cyclists in various states of undress take to the streets to protest fossil fuel dependency (this year on July 25). Visit the Freakybuttrue Peculiarium, home to a life-sized alien autopsy and other gloriously lo-fi curiosities. Catch a cult or horror classic at the Hollywood Theatre where recent screenings have included "Barbarella," "The Shining" and "Night of the Living Dead" on 35mm and 70mm. Afterwards, order The Blood Pact cocktail at Creepy's, a horror-themed dive bar that will punctuate your strange day with clowns and black cats.
A rainy forecast for much of the year leaves Portland lush and green in summer, with a citizenry that can't get enough of the outdoors. Join them for a hike in trail-filled Forest Park, a 5,200-acre urban forest (one of the country's largest) on the city's west side, or drive 30 miles east to the Columbia River Gorge for bigger views. Multnomah Falls alone is worth the drive (timed entry required). Prefer a stroll? The west side's International Rose Test Garden has 10,000 bushes in 600+ varieties, and the serene Japanese Garden, located just up the hill, is considered one of the most authentic outside of Japan. For something more aquatic, rent a kayak at the south waterfront or take a schvitz in a Guss Mobile Sauna followed by a cold plunge in the river.
The city's acclaimed chefs make excellent use of the region's prolific produce. The range is impressive: James Beard Award winners like Kann (Haitian) and Langbaan (Thai) thrive alongside purely Portland spots like Lovely's Fifty Fifty (pizza) and Tulip Shop Tavern (transcendent bar food)—all at prices that'll feel refreshingly reasonable compared to New York or LA. For a cross-section of everything on offer, hit one of the city's food cart pods where you'll find BBQ and Mexican (both verified delicious by this Texas-native writer), veggie-forward, fusion, and more. As for drinks: throw a rock and hit an excellent brewery or coffee shop. Favorites include Grand Fir, Great Notion and Von Ebert for beer; Coava, Never and Deadstock for coffee. For locally-made vino, visit Division Winemaking Co. and Landmass Wines.
Go outside
Eat (and drink) up
Get weird
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