As you know, there are two Portlands in America. No surprise there, but actually, they are as different as the earth from the sky. Let's talk about the one located in Oregon.
Portland is the largest city in the state, with a population of 600 thousand people. The locals are proud of their homeland's number of names: Little Beirut, City of Roses, Soccer City, Bridgetown, Stumptown, etc. Yet, Portland has one paradox: despite its size, dense population, and metropolitan nature, it is recognized as one of the greenest cities in the United States.
What makes Portland progressive? In recent years, Portland has been on its way to becoming the gastronomic capital of America: it's already leading the way in street food. The main motto of the locals is "Be yourself! You'll be accepted here just the way you are!". Everyone in Portland gets around on bicycles, and there's a bookstore downtown that crosses several blocks. Isn't that progressive?
What to visit in Portland?
Washington Park
In 1871 the city purchased the green space, which has become one of the most beautiful parks and has grown into many attractions: the International Rose Test Garden, the Portland Japanese Garden, the zoo, and the Children's Museum. The rose garden hosts an annual rose festival in May and June.
Pittock Mansion
The mansion was built in 1914 by Henry Pittock, founder of the Oregon Journal. Unfortunately, the man was already old and passed away in 1919. In the 1960s, local officials decided to destroy the structure, but the city stood up for a local relic, and a decision was made not to tear it down but to rebuild it. Thanks to the locals' persistence and money, there is a line of visitors to the mansion. The house is located on a hill, so its mansard roof has a beautiful view of the surroundings.
Forest Park
Forest Park is a 5,000-acre green space that covers the slope of Mount Tualatin. The park is accessible by public transportation, bicycle, and car. A footpath begins on one side of the park, leading around the city, and ends on the other side of the park.
Powell's City of Books
Powell's Book City is a legendary bookstore offering customers more than half a million books. It's not just a commercial destination but a cultural one as well. Every day there are author nights, debates, writing seminars, discussions, book clubs, etc.
Portland Museum of Art
The Portland Art Museum opened in 1892, making it the oldest art museum in the Pacific Northwest. The exhibit is replenished regularly. Today there are 42,000 exhibits spread over 112,000 square feet. The exhibit includes:
- Native American artifacts,
- Graphics,
- Photographs,
- English silver,
- Northwestern art,
- Asian art, etc.
Besides, the museum has a film center and a family library.
Some interesting facts about Portland
- The city got its name thanks to a coin. If it had fallen the other way, it would have been called... Boston!
- Portland is one of the best cities in the U.S. for having and living with a child.
- There is the dormant volcano, Mount Hood, not far from the city.
- The city holds one of the record-breaking numbers of breweries.
- Portland is the third safest city in the United States.
- Portland has the highest number of strip clubs per person in the U.S.
- Portland is the city where the computer mouse was invented.
Helpful tips for those who are planning a trip to Portland
If you're planning a trip to Portland, we have some helpful information for you.
You probably know that the fastest and the most convenient way to get to the airport is to use your own car if you have one. However, then you need to leave your vehicle somewhere and do it safely, not too far from the airport you're flying from. In most cases, airports have special on-site parking for that purpose. However, such a parking lot is pretty costly most of the time, and people aren't ready to spend a lot of money at the beginning of a trip. So is there any solution?
The best way to solve this problem is to choose off-site parking. Why, you may ask? We will explain.
There are many reasons which can prove the benefit of this parking type. Here are some of them:
- Affordable Rates. Depending on the duration of your trip, you can choose between short-term and long-term airport parking. Anyway, an off-site airport is much cheaper, so you can save your money and spend the most considerable amount on things you really want to see or try while traveling.
- Fast service. In contrast with on-site airport parking, which can take quite a long time, off-site parking offers you the convenience of driving directly to the entrance and having a staff member pull your luggage out of your vehicle and load it into the shuttle. Then they will park your car for you. After your baggage is loaded, you can take your seat in the shuttle, which will bring you and your bags to the airport. It is a hassle-free option that is usually faster.
- Convenience. When people travel, they may be stressed about making it to the airport on time. If you use off-site parking, you will definitely make your travel experience more convenient, as you use the service of a private company. Even though you may be able to park on-site at the airport in a short-term or long-term airport parking lot, consider using an off-site parking lot service.
We are glad to say that our booking platform, ParkingNearAirports.io, offers travelers online reservations for parking just outside airports that are convenient and affordable. Our experienced team is dedicated to providing travelers parking options at over 100 airports in the U.S. and Canada. The app allows customers to search and compare parking rates at up to 70 percent savings compared to the cost of on-site parking at all major airports.
With our platform, it only takes a few clicks in the app to reserve a parking spot. Guests receive a booking confirmation and a guaranteed parking space upon arrival at the off-airport parking. In addition, the app helps customers locate the most convenient lots to the airport. Cancellations are easy if plans change with hassle-free, refundable cancellations.
Besides this, we also offer services for top cruise ports in Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, and Texas.
Now let's take an example. Portland is located in the northwestern part of the United States. So if you're flying from Minneapolis, Minnesota, you can use cheap MSP long-term parking. If you're coming from Arizona, you can choose affordable parking at PHX. It just depends on the place you're flying from.
You can always find everything you need on our official website: the best deals for parking near U.S. and Canadian airports, airport car parking rates, and much more.
