Portland or Snowbird?

Neither place is for a beach trip, but Portland has more to offer. In summer it has river beaches on the Willamette and Columbia, longer stretches of sand on Sauvie Island, and the Oregon coast at Cannon Beach about an hour and a half away. That makes for fine sand and sea-stack walks, though the Pacific is too cold and rough for most swimmers.

At Snowbird, swimming means the heated resort pools or a cold reservoir in the Heber Valley. The Great Salt Lake is a place to look at, not to swim in.

This is one of the widest gaps between the two. In Portland, eating out is half the reason to go. Food cart pods serve cooking from half the world, neighbourhood restaurants are built on salmon, Dungeness crab and hazelnuts, and you can follow craft beer, serious coffee and Willamette Valley pinot noir from morning to night.

Snowbird is a resort, so dinner is a choice between a few lodge restaurants, the summit dining room and après-ski burgers, all at captive-audience prices. Most guests drive forty minutes down to Salt Lake City for variety now and then.

Portland is no museum capital, but it gives a cultural visitor two or three good days. The Japanese Garden and the walled Lan Su Chinese Garden are the highlights, and the art museum's Native American collection, the Oregon Trail story and the cast-iron facades of Old Town add to them.

Snowbird has essentially nothing to visit. Its concrete lodges date from 1971, and the canyon's mining past has left little behind. Anything historic or artistic means a trip to Temple Square and the museums in Salt Lake City.

A night out in Portland means moving between taprooms, dive bars with pinball and careful cocktail bars along strips such as Alberta, Division and Belmont, with last orders around 2.30am. It is relaxed rather than wild, and there are few big clubs.

At Snowbird the evening peaks at après-ski on a sunny deck and is mostly over by mid-evening, because the first tram leaves early. A real night out means driving a mountain road to Salt Lake City or Park City.

Portland is unusually well placed for a city. Forest Park's 110km of trails start a short walk from the northwest streets, the Columbia Gorge with Multnomah Falls and its waterfall hikes begins within half an hour, Hood River has windsurfing, and Mount Hood has skiing and alpine walks about an hour and a half away. Its strength is range, though nearly everything beyond the city's own forest means a drive.

Snowbird goes further, because here the mountain is the stay itself. The tram lifts you to Hidden Peak at about 3,350m, and the canyon's deep, dry snow lands on steep chutes, open bowls and terrain that runs through Mineral Basin to Alta, over one of the longest seasons in the country. In summer the same slopes lead straight from the door to the wildflower meadows of Albion Basin, granite climbing and wilderness trails.

Portland has the better choice of outings. Wine towns such as Dundee and McMinnville in the Willamette Valley are under an hour away, Astoria's Victorian river port is about two hours, and the coast and Hood River's orchards add variety, although nearly all of them need a car.

From Snowbird, the two good outings are Salt Lake City's Temple Square and State Capitol, and Park City's old silver-mining Main Street. After those, the options are pleasant small places such as Midway and Sundance.

Portland is easier with children across a whole stay. The science museum with its submarine, the zoo and playground in Washington Park, the old-fashioned Oaks Amusement Park and the summer fountains give plenty of choice, though wet winters drive families indoors.

Snowbird suits families who ski, and older children more than toddlers given how steep the mountain is. The car-free base is easy to manage, and summer adds an alpine slide and a mountain coaster. The thin air can tire small children, and zoos and children's museums are a drive away.

Portland lets you leave the car behind in town. MAX light rail runs from the airport to the centre, short blocks make downtown walkable, and the streetcar and bike-friendly bridges link the two banks. You only need a car for the Gorge, the mountain and wine country.

At Snowbird everything inside the resort is a short walk apart. The problem is the single canyon road, which jams on powder mornings and can be closed for avalanche control. Leaving the resort for any reason really needs a car or shuttle.

Portland makes browsing part of the trip. Powell's City of Books fills a whole block, Mississippi, Alberta and Hawthorne are lined with vintage, record and maker shops, there is a Saturday crafts market, and Oregon has no sales tax.

At Snowbird the shops in the base area exist for gear, rentals and resort sweatshirts. The nearest boutique street is Park City's Main Street, and the malls are in Salt Lake City.

Neither is cheap, but Portland is easier on the budget. Hotels are priced like any large American city, but food carts, low transit fares and a free Forest Park keep everyday costs down. The main extra is car hire for trips out of town.

Snowbird has big-resort prices for lift tickets, slopeside rooms, rentals and meals, especially in peak winter weeks. Staying in Salt Lake City or going in summer cuts the cost a good deal.

Portland always has something on. The Oregon Symphony plays in a restored 1920s movie palace, and there is opera, ballet, resident theatre and touring Broadway shows. The best of it is indie and folk bands in small east-side rooms and at the Crystal Ballroom, with its sprung dance floor.

Snowbird's live music is limited to summer concerts on the plaza, oompah bands at its Oktoberfest and the odd après-ski band. For a proper concert or play you drive down to the city.

The two are about level here, but they relax you in different ways. Portland's calm comes from garden visits, forest walks and long café mornings, with a few neighbourhood soaking houses offering saunas and cold plunges, and the Cascade hot springs about two hours away.

Snowbird's version is one big spa on the main lodge roof, with a pool and hot tubs facing the canyon walls, then still, dark nights. The warm crater at Homestead in Midway is an hour's drive.