Austin or Portland?

Neither city is a beach destination, but Austin makes more of the water in summer. Barton Springs Pool stays cool all year and is the city's favourite lawn to lie on, Deep Eddy is a gentler spring-fed pool, and Lake Travis warms up enough for long boat days among its coves.

Portland's swimming is limited to a short summer window on the Willamette and the Columbia, with small river beaches in Sellwood and longer ones on Sauvie Island. Cannon Beach has fine sand and sea stacks for walking, but the cold Pacific and strong currents keep most people out of the water.

The two eat equally well, and both do it casually from trucks parked in lots. Austin's strength is depth in two traditions: post-oak brisket sliced onto butcher paper, breakfast tacos from east-side trailers, and queso with frozen margaritas, with Lockhart close by for more barbecue.

Portland's carts range more widely, from Thai to Georgian, and its restaurants are built on salmon, Dungeness crab, mushrooms and berries. It is the stronger city for drinking: denser breweries, serious coffee and Willamette Valley pinot noir.

Neither city has sights you would travel for, and two or three days covers either one. Austin's highlights are civic and scholarly: the pink granite Capitol and the museums around the university campus, where the Harry Ransom Center holds a Gutenberg Bible.

Portland's best moments are in its gardens, the walled Lan Su garden in Old Town and the Japanese Garden in Washington Park, with Pittock Mansion looking out towards Mount Hood.

Austin is the bigger night out. Sixth Street closes to traffic for weekend crowds, Rainey Street fills its bungalow yards, and East Austin's mezcal bars and beer gardens are where locals go. In the spring and autumn festival weeks the whole centre turns into one long party.

Portland's evenings are quieter and more scattered. Taprooms, pinball dives and cocktail bars line neighbourhood strips such as Alberta, Division and Hawthorne, so a night tends to stay local and talkative rather than wild. Neither city has much of a club scene.

This is where Portland pulls clearly ahead. Forest Park's 110km of trails begin at the edge of town, the Gorge offers cliffs, Multnomah Falls and windsurfing at Hood River, and Mount Hood has skiing through the winter and on its glacier into summer. On clear days the volcanic peaks fill the horizon.

Austin's outdoors are gentler: the Barton Creek Greenbelt canyon, paddling on Lady Bird Lake, the dusk bat flight from Congress Avenue Bridge, and Enchanted Rock within a couple of hours. There are no mountains, and summer heat keeps most activity to the mornings.

Both cities have good outings in all directions, and both need a car for them. Austin's give you more history: San Antonio's Alamo and UNESCO-listed Spanish missions, plus German-founded Fredericksburg among Hill Country wineries and peach orchards.

Portland's trips lean towards wine and landscape. The Willamette Valley's pinot country is under an hour away, and Astoria's Victorian river port and a coast day at Cannon Beach are further out, but there are few heritage sites of real weight within reach.

Both are relaxed places to bring children, with a handful of good attractions each. Austin centres on Zilker Park with its miniature train and spring pool, plus the Thinkery and the bat flight. The big theme parks are an hour away in San Antonio and New Braunfels, so families need a car and a plan for the summer heat.

Portland has a hands-on science museum where children can climb through a submarine, a zoo in Washington Park and old-fashioned rides at Oaks Park. Light rail and the streetcar are easy with a pushchair, but wet winters push most days indoors.

Portland is far easier to get around. The MAX light rail runs from the airport into the centre, short downtown blocks suit walking, and a flat, bike-friendly riverside with bridge paths links the two banks. The east-side neighbourhoods mean some bus rides, but you won't need a car in town.

Austin is built around driving. Downtown and Rainey Street are walkable and scooters help, but buses are rarely the easy option, the city is spread out, and traffic on the main highway is heavy at peak hours.

Both cities favour independent shops over luxury, but Portland gives a shopping trip more to do. Powell's City of Books fills a whole block, Mississippi, Alberta and Hawthorne are full of record shops and makers' studios, and the outdoor gear is good. Oregon also charges no sales tax.

Austin's shopping is mostly on South Congress, where vintage clothes, cowboy boots and pearl-snap shirts make Western wear the thing to bring home.

Portland comes out slightly cheaper, mostly because you won't need a car in town. In Austin, car hire and parking are hard to avoid, sales tax and tips push up restaurant bills, and hotel rooms climb sharply and sell out during the big music, film and racing weeks. Breakfast tacos, food trucks and free outings such as the Greenbelt trails keep the rest of the budget down.

In Portland, hotels cost about what they do in any large American city, but low transit fares cover the city, so the only car you need to budget for is one for days out. The food carts are some of the best eating in town, and Forest Park and the waterfront cost nothing.

Live music is Austin's calling card. Several acts play each night along Red River and Sixth Street, often with no cover, and country bands fill honky-tonks for two-stepping. The music runs through blues, Texas country and conjunto, and the festival weeks bring hundreds of bands at once.

Portland has a steady indie, folk and jazz circuit on the east side and the sprung floor of the Crystal Ballroom. Its symphony, opera and ballet hold their own with Austin's modest formal season, but the city draws fewer people for its music.

Austin is a place to unwind at a resort, and Portland is a place to go for a soak. Austin's most restful stays are at destination spa resorts on Lake Austin or out in the Hill Country, with lake views and quiet grounds, and yoga and fitness are part of daily life. You won't find a thermal bath or hammam.

Portland's bathing culture is modest but real. A few soaking houses in residential neighbourhoods offer hot tubs, saunas and cold plunges, and natural hot springs lie in the Cascade forests about two hours away by car.