Portland

Portland is a river city, not a beach city. The Oregon coast at Cannon Beach and Seaside is about an hour and a half by car, with wide sand, sea stacks and good beach walks, but the Pacific stays around 12°C to 14°C even in August and strong currents keep most people out of the water.

The swimming locals do happens in summer on the Willamette and the Columbia. There are small sandy beaches along the downtown waterfront and in Sellwood, and longer river beaches on Sauvie Island, about half an hour north. From July to early September the water is pleasant for a dip. For the rest of the year, and for anyone who wants beach life to be part of the stay, there is little to offer.

Eating in Portland is casual, local and taken seriously. The city's food cart pods, clusters of trailers parked around a lot with shared tables, are the easiest way in: Thai, Georgian, Mexican, barbecue and much else, cooked by the owners. Around them is a dense layer of neighbourhood restaurants built on Pacific Northwest produce, such as salmon, Dungeness crab, mushrooms, hazelnuts and berries, with farmers' markets running through the growing season.

Drinking is where the city stands out most. It has one of the densest craft brewery scenes in the country, a roasting and café culture that rewards a morning walk, and Willamette Valley pinot noir on every wine list. What it lacks is grand dining and a cuisine that is unmistakably its own.

Portland is a city to live in rather than tour. The Portland Art Museum has a solid collection with a good Native American and Northwest art section, and the Oregon Historical Society tells the story of the Oregon Trail and the region. The best sights are its gardens: the Lan Su Chinese Garden, a walled Suzhou-style garden in Old Town, and the Japanese Garden in Washington Park, among the most admired outside Japan.

Pittock Mansion, an early 1900s house on the West Hills, gives the classic view over the city to Mount Hood. Downtown keeps a stretch of 19th-century cast-iron facades in Old Town and some handsome early skyscrapers. Two or three days covers it comfortably.

Going out in Portland is mostly about bars, and there are a great many of them: brewery taprooms, dark dive bars with pinball machines, careful cocktail bars and wine bars spread across the inner east side and downtown. Each neighbourhood has its own strip, from Alberta and Mississippi in the north to Division, Hawthorne and Belmont in the southeast, so a night tends to stay local and relaxed.

Bars serve until around 2.30am, but the dance club scene is small and the mood is easygoing rather than wild. It suits people who like a long evening of drinking and talk more than those who want big clubs.

Nature is Portland's strongest argument. Forest Park, one of the largest urban forests in the country, runs along the West Hills with more than 110km of trails starting a short walk from the city's northwest streets. The volcanic peaks of Mount Hood, Mount St Helens and Mount Adams appear on the horizon on clear days.

The Columbia River Gorge begins within half an hour: cliffs, Multnomah Falls and dozens of waterfall hikes, with windsurfing and kitesurfing at Hood River. Mount Hood, about an hour and a half away, has skiing through winter and on its glacier into summer, plus alpine hiking. Kayaking on the rivers and good cycling on dedicated routes round it out. Winters are long and grey and wet, so summer and early autumn are the best seasons.

The best day out is the Willamette Valley, under an hour south-west, where small towns such as McMinnville, Dundee and Newberg sit among hundreds of wineries known for pinot noir. Astoria, at the mouth of the Columbia about two hours away, is a historic river port with Victorian houses on steep streets and a strong maritime museum. Cannon Beach and Seaside make a coast day, and Hood River pairs orchards and wine tasting with the Gorge.

Oregon City, at the end of the Oregon Trail, and the state capital at Salem add a little history. Most outings need a car, and there are few heritage sites of real weight within reach.

Portland is a relaxed, low-key city with children. The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, on the east bank of the river, is the main draw, with hands-on halls and a submarine to climb through. The Oregon Zoo sits in Washington Park, which also has a large playground and trails, and the old-fashioned Oaks Amusement Park runs along the river in Sellwood. In summer, the fountains along the waterfront and in the Pearl District fill with children.

The light rail and streetcar are easy with a pushchair. On the other side, there is no beach to play on nearby, the wet winter months push everything indoors, and visible homelessness in parts of downtown can be uncomfortable for some families.

Downtown Portland is easy on foot, with unusually short blocks, and the MAX light rail runs straight from the airport into the centre. A streetcar loops through downtown, the Pearl District and across the river, and bridges with wide paths make cycling and walking between the two banks pleasant. The city is flat along the river and one of the more bike-friendly in the country.

The catch is that much of what makes Portland enjoyable lies in east-side neighbourhoods, which are reached by bus and spread out over a wide grid. A car is not needed in town but is close to essential for the Gorge, Mount Hood, the coast and wine country.

Portland's shopping is independent and neighbourhood-based. Powell's City of Books, which fills a whole block in the Pearl District, is a sight in its own right. Around it are design and home shops, while Mississippi Avenue, Alberta Street and Hawthorne Boulevard hold vintage clothing, record shops, makers' studios and small local brands. The Portland Saturday Market under the Burnside Bridge sells local crafts from spring to Christmas.

Oregon has no sales tax, which tempts visitors from neighbouring states. Outdoor gear is well represented, as the region is home to several big sportswear names. Luxury fashion and grand department stores are mostly absent.

Portland is a mid-to-high price city by international standards. Hotel rooms downtown cost what they do in most large American cities, and sit-down restaurant meals add up once tax-free pricing is offset by tipping. It is gentler than the big coastal cities to the south and north, though.

The ways to keep costs down are good ones: food carts are among the best eating in the city, transit fares are low, Forest Park and the waterfront are free, and much of the appeal lies in walking neighbourhoods rather than paying for attractions. Car hire for trips out of town is the cost to plan for.

Portland has a full set of institutions for a city its size: the Oregon Symphony plays in the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, a restored 1920s movie palace, and the Portland Opera, Oregon Ballet Theatre and several resident theatre companies keep a season running. Touring Broadway shows also come through.

The more distinctive side is the music club circuit. Portland has long been known for indie rock and folk, and on any night there are bands in small rooms across the east side, plus the Crystal Ballroom, a historic dance hall with a sprung floor. Jazz has a steady following. Nothing here draws visitors from abroad, but there is always something to see.

Portland is an unhurried city, and its gardens, forest trails and long café mornings make it easy to slow down. Bathing culture is modest: a few soaking houses with hot tubs, saunas and cold plunges in the city's residential neighbourhoods, plus the usual hotel spas.

The region's natural hot springs, in the forests of the Cascades, are about two hours away and need a car. For a restorative stay the city works well enough, but wellness is not a reason to choose it.