Portland, Oregon, lies on the northern border of the state at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers. Despite explosive growth in recent years, this area of the northwest has not wavered in its support of environmentalism.
Portland is referred to, justifiably, as the greenest city in the U.S. It has more LEED-certified buildings (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, an environmental rating) per capita in the nation, and it was recently named the first-ever Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Community (with miles/kilometers of bike trails through the Forest Grove area).
The local food scene also supports ecofriendly practices—the fertile Willamette Valley provides many of the ingredients for area restaurants, from fast food to fine dining. So then it's fitting that the most prominent landmark in the area is Mount Hood on the city's eastern Horizon.
Portland residents and visitors have access to beautiful parks, unique neighborhoods, theater, brewpubs and coffeehouses, and what is very possibly the best bookstore in the world (Powell's). You can dine at restaurants that really know how to prepare fresh seafood. And you can hike up to 70 mi/113 km of nature trails—all within the Portland city limits.
Portland often tops lists of "best places to live" in the U.S. because of its friendly atmosphere, its proximity to the coast and the mountains, and its temperate climate. It has one of the best public-transit systems in the country (100% bike- and wheelchair-accessible), and strict building codes have kept its historical architecture mostly intact.
Portland's careful urban planning has also set aside plenty of parkland, including a huge urban forest that dwarfs New York City's Central Park. With its progressive attitude and thriving cultural-arts scene, Portland attracts so many visitors that some decide to make it their home.
Location
Portland is the beginning and end point for a handful of small cruise companies, but it is not big enough to support large cruise ships and offers no cruise terminal facilities.
